WASHINGTON, DC — After more than a year of pushing the latest bill, US Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) says his colleagues are finally agreeing to formally hear details of the proposed Blackfoot Stewardship Act.
It was early last summer when Sen. Tester reintroduced the proposal to set aside a mix of wilderness and multi-use lands on the Upper Blackfoot River, more than a decade after conservationists, ranchers, timber interests and community leaders came together on the plan.
The tough part has been trying to get the bill to advance past the Senate committee stage. Sen. Tester received word on Friday that the bill is scheduled for a hearing by the subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee this coming Wednesday afternoon.
Sen. Tester says the Act is a "perfect example of what happens when folks come together to bring Montana common sense to Washington."
He says the bill would create jobs and help the outdoor economy for Seeley Lake and the Upper Blackfoot, while also protecting "thousands of acres" of public lands.
