FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2021

MCV: Sen. Tester’s Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act ‘responsible, Montana-made conservation’

Conservation group praises landmark conservation bill’s reintroduction

(BOZEMAN, Mont.) – The Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund released the following statement from Executive Director Whitney Tawney in response to U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s reintroduction of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act:

“Today’s reintroduction of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act is proof that Senator Jon Tester gets Montana and our outdoor way of life. This legislation is a prime example of responsible, Montana-made conservation and sustains outdoor jobs while permanently protecting and enhancing iconic places like the Bob Marshall Wilderness. We sincerely hope Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Matt Rosendale listen to Montanans and join this critical effort.”

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act will help grow Montana’s $7.1 billion outdoor recreation economy, protecting nearly 80,000 acres in the Mission Mountains, Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas. It will also establish two outdoor recreation areas north of Ovando, providing new winter motorized access and preserving mountain biking opportunities.

Senator Tester first introduced the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act at the request of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project with the support of the local timber industry.

The MCV Education Fund is a proud member of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project. The next step for the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act will be for the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee, which Senator Daines is a member of, to hold a hearing on the bill.

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Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization engaging all Montanans and their communities by empowering them to protect our clean air, clean water, public lands and voting rights through education, mobilization and the power of grassroots advocacy. The MCV Education Fund programs educate the public about critical environmental and public lands issues; promote greater nonpartisan citizen involvement in the democratic process; and provide strategic tools to conservation organizations to be more effective. Visit mtvotersedfund.org for more details.