U.S. Senate passes lands package

The U.S. Senate by a wide margin passed a public lands bill last week that permanently authorizes the Land, Water and Conservation Fund, a key piece of legislation that has been used across Montana over the years to protect open spaces.

Locally, LWCF monies in the past few years have been used to negotiate about 10,000 acres of conservation easements on F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber lands near Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

They were also used to purchase lands from Weyerhaeuser last fall, adding 13,400 acres of timber and wildlife habitat to the forest north of Whitefish.

Both Montana Sens. Steve Daines, a Republican, and Jon Tester, a Democrat, have been lobbying for LWCF reauthorization.

Funded through offshore oil and gas development revenue, LWCF has invested more than $540 million to support Montana projects since it was established in 1965.

“The Land and Water Conservation Fund is a driver of Montana’s $7 billion outdoor economy,” Tester said. “Hunters, hikers, and anglers will now have the long-term certainty they need to increase public access to our public lands and preserve these outdoor spaces for generations to come.”

Also included in the package was the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which protects lands near Yellowstone National Park from mining.

“Today’s vote is a watershed moment for conservation and public lands across Montana and our entire country,” Daines said last week. “From permanent reauthorization of LWCF to permanent protection of Paradise Valley, I’m very pleased we passed this important package today in the Senate. I urge the House to act quickly so that we can get it onto the President’s desk for his signature.”

The package still has to be approved by the House. It also includes legislation to assure hunting rights on public lands, allows the permitting or leasing of public land for shooting ranges and target ranges and looks to curtail environmental lawsuits by publishing by requiring publishing of Equal Access to Justice Act and judgment fund payments issued, Daines said.

The latter has been an issue for Daines in particular, who has been critical of environmental groups who can recoup their legal fees if they successfully sue a federal agency.

Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte, Republican, said he will vote for the bill.

“I appreciate the Senate moving forward with a public lands package that’s so important to Montana. The permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act will help preserve and expand public access to our public lands,” Gianforte said. “I urge House leaders to keep the momentum going and quickly bring up this public lands package for a vote.”

While the bill reauthorizes the LWCF, it doesn’t actually fund it. That will have to come from Congress in separate legislation. Still, there was plenty of worry in the conservation community that the law would be abolished altogether.