Bill > HR6788

This bill, titled the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act, aims to release certain lands in Montana from wilderness study area (WSA) designation and improve their management. WSAs are areas set aside for evaluation to determine their suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, a designation that imposes strict protections. The bill highlights that studies conducted under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 have found significant portions of these WSAs, including the Middle Fork Judith, Hoodoo Mountain, and Wales Creek areas, to be unsuitable for wilderness designation. Despite these findings, these lands have remained under WSA designation, limiting their management flexibility. By releasing these specific areas from WSA status, the bill intends to allow land managers to implement plans that better conserve and manage these lands, while also enhancing opportunities for sportsmen, improving public access, and enabling projects related to wildlife habitat and wildfire mitigation, all in accordance with existing environmental laws and local input.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6788/all-info