Did The Forest Service Recommend The Sapphire Wsa Become Wilderness

Larch in fall splendor in the Sapphires Wilderness Report Area. The WSA is one of 5 that Sen. Steve Daines is proposing to release from further report. (Montana Wilderness Association/Zack Porter)

Montana Sen. Steve Daines on Thursday announced his intention to release five wilderness report areas from further review, saying the U.S. Forest Service has deemed them unsuitable for wilderness designation.

Coupled with local back up that favors release, Daines said his legislation would free the areas spanning 449,000 acres from unnecessary restrictions and turn them over to other uses.

"We're not releasing wilderness areas – this is not touching existing wilderness at all," Daines said. "This is addressing a law passed on November. i, 1977, when Congress was to go study these areas for v years and come back and tell us which should exist deemed wilderness and which were not suitable for wilderness."

While wilderness advocates say the pecker would correspond the largest elimination of protected public lands in Montana history, Daines said the deadline established by Congress back in 1977 has come and gone.

The wilderness written report areas set aside 40 years ago remain in identify and are oftentimes managed as de facto wilderness. Daines said the resulting restrictions have served to limit public access and economical opportunities, taking abroad experiences for future generations.

"Past limiting access and recreation, y'all also limit task opportunities," he said. "Montanans desire to run across wilderness, but Montanans also want to see less restrictions on lands not designated as wilderness. Withal more restrictions have been added, even though they are not wilderness."

Wilderness meets working landscapes outside the Heart Fork Judith River Wilderness Study Area. (Montana Wilderness Association/Patrick Colleran)

Citing support from the Montana Snowmobile Association and several counties, among others, Daines' proposal would released the West Pioneer and Sapphire wilderness study areas from farther review. It would also release the Big Snowy Mountains, the Middle Fork of the Judith River, and the Blue Joint written report areas.

The Hyalite-Porcupine WSA most Bozeman and the Ten Lakes WSA near Eureka were not included in the nib. Daines said they didn't meet the criteria he used to craft his legislation.

"One time this bill was enacted, it would remove the study designation for those acreages, but and so keep the public input and planning process where new uses could and then be considered," Daines said. "You notwithstanding have the same environmental analysis, the aforementioned public process, but at present the Wood Service would know information technology's no longer in a study surface area."

The Blue Joint Wilderness Study Area, located in the Bitterroot Range on the Montana-Idaho Border, spans 61,400 acres, but was never designated as official wilderness.

Greg Chilcott, Ravalli County commissioner, favors releasing the Blue Articulation WSA, maxim information technology would simplify fire suppression efforts and amend public admission.

"The Bitterroot National Woods analyzed nearly 102,000 acres designated as a wilderness study area and concluded that 74,473 acres were not recommended for wilderness designation," Chilcott said. "Due to inaction, these lands are still beingness designated and managed every bit wilderness written report areas, and this designation negatively effects management decisions."

Members of the Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Clan in Great Falls voiced support for Daines' legislation, as did members of the mount biking community.

Corey Biggers from Bozeman said the Forest Service has excluded mountain biking when managing the Sapphire and Bluish Articulation wilderness study areas. If the designation was lifted, he believes groups like his would accept an equal voice on apply and management.

"In the Sapphire and Blue Joint, we lost virtually 120 miles of trail, and it's been an ongoing battle," said Biggers. "With these wilderness written report designations, we don't have a vocalization at the tabular array. There's a predetermined issue before the forest plan or travel plan even starts."

John Todd with the Montana Wilderness Association described Daines' legislation as divisive. While the written report areas were never designated equally official wilderness, he said many Montanans have come to place the areas as zilch less than wilderness.

Some residents have known them no other way.

"Information technology's an attempt by Daines to sabotage 500,000 acres of Montana's wilderness legacy, and he's done it without wide public input or a single boondocks hall," said Todd. "If this passes, it would be the largest elimination of protected public lands in Montana's history."