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WASHINGTON, DC - Two more oil companies have agreed to give up their leases for oil and gas development in the scenic North Fork of the Flathead Valley, removing another 75,000 acres away from potential mining.

Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus made the announcement on Wednesday, marking the third round of companies voluntarily abandoning their rights to mine in the pristine valley west of Glacier National Park.

Louisiana-based Allen and Kirmse, Ltd. will relinquish its interest in 50,889 acres of land in the region, including leases that stretch into the British Columbia-controlled section of the valley. Texas-based energy company Anadarko will relinquish its interest in 24,111 acres.

Both companies had owned the leases in partnership with ConocoPhillips, which announced it was retiring its extensive leases in the valley back in April. Chevron took a similar step a few weeks later.

Back in March, Baucus and Tester introduced the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, which would prevent new oil and gas development and mining on the American side of the North Fork watershed.

The bill came a couple of weeks after Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer signed an agreement with the Canadians banning oil and gas exploration north of the border. Both governments are still working out a way to assign funding to implement the terms of that agreement.

Wednesday's announcement means that 75% of the oil leases in the North Fork have been relinquished voluntarily by the oil companies.