HR6788-119

What This Bill Does

The Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act addresses three Montana wilderness study areas that federal agencies previously found unsuitable for wilderness designation. The findings describe the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977, Forest Service studies of 9 wilderness study areas totaling 973,000 acres, agency determinations that 608,700 acres were unsuitable for wilderness, including the 81,000-acre Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area, and a 2021 Forest Service plan again finding Middle Fork Judith unsuitable. The bill also cites BLM wilderness study areas at Hoodoo Mountain and Wales Creek. The operative section removes about 81,000 acres in Middle Fork Judith from the Montana Wilderness Study Act section 3(a) restrictions and removes about 11,380 acres at Hoodoo Mountain and about 11,580 acres at Wales Creek from Federal Land Policy and Management Act section 603(c) wilderness-study restrictions. Those lands would instead be managed under the most recently adopted applicable Forest Service or BLM land management plans.

Who Benefits and How

Montana hunters, anglers, sportsmen, and outdoor recreation users benefit because the bill can allow management under ordinary forest and BLM plans rather than continued wilderness-study restrictions. Local land managers benefit from clearer authority to manage roads, access, habitat, grazing, restoration, and recreation under current plans. Counties and nearby communities benefit if land-use decisions can proceed through regular planning processes. Federal agencies benefit from congressional resolution of study areas that were reviewed but never released by statute.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Conservation groups seeking continued wilderness-study protections bear the burden because the bill removes the special restrictions from all three areas. Forest Service and BLM staff must update management status and administer the areas under applicable plans. Users who relied on wilderness-study restrictions may face changed access and management decisions. Federal taxpayers fund agency planning, mapping, and implementation work.

Key Provisions

• Repeals wilderness-study management restrictions for about 81,000 acres in the Middle Fork Judith area.
• Removes FLPMA wilderness-study restrictions for about 11,380 acres at Hoodoo Mountain.
• Removes FLPMA wilderness-study restrictions for about 11,580 acres at Wales Creek.
• Requires released lands to be managed under applicable Forest Service and BLM land management plans.
• Provides agency findings explaining prior determinations that the areas were unsuitable for wilderness designation.