"Guard, protect and cherish your land, for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven." - C.M. Russell

My fellow Montanans,

There's no place on earth like the Rocky Mountain Front. It embodies the preamble of the Montana State Constitution which reads:

"We the people of Montana grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of our rolling plains and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future generations do ordain and establish this constitution."

This spirit continues to define us as Montanans, and the Front is a big part of that.

The Front is our heritage and our future. It is critical for Montana's economy. A recently released study shows 64,000 Montana jobs rely on outdoor recreation. Sportsmen spend around $10 million every year during hunting season on the Front.

Good-paying jobs rely on the mineral leasing that's booming now in Teton and Pondera Counties.

This bill won't stop Montanans from benefiting from producing oil and gas on their land.

The point of the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act is to keep that heritage the way it is. No more and no less.

It is a Made in Montana bill. No one sat down in Washington and started drawing lines on the map.

Gathered around kitchen tables in small towns like Choteau, Augusta and Fairfield - Montanans from diverse backgrounds came up with a balanced bill that I'm proud to carry in their honor. The bill goes to great lengths to ensure public access to sportsmen and to make double sure that the responsible way ranchers manage their cattle on the Front won't change.

Since I first introduced the legislation in 2011, it's earned the endorsements of six Montana newspapers and more than 800 sportsmen, along with wildlife and recreation organizations and state government agencies.

I encourage you to learn more about the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act below and share your thoughts HERE.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Please Find Below:

Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act Resource Guide
Outdoor Heritage: Hunting
Protecting Montana Ranching for Generations to Come
A Montana-Made Plan
Montana Voices: Homegrown Support
Media Resources: Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act
Maps

Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act Resource Guide

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act:

- Protects public access for hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts.
- Designates 208,000 acres as a Conservation Management Area, a home-grown designation which would limit road building but protect current motorized recreation and public access for hunting, biking, forest thinning and grazing.
- Prioritizes noxious weed eradication and prevention on the designated public lands which in turns helps protect adjacent private working lands.
- Designates 67,000 acres of the Rocky Mountain Front as additions to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
- Ensures that Montana ranching families can continue their tradition of responsible grazing
- Will not impact current mineral leasing that is booming in Teton and Pondera Counties.
- Does not interfere with Montanans benefiting from the production of oil and gas on private or state land.

A summary and maps are available HERE.

Legislative text is available HERE.

Montana's Outdoor Heritage: Hunting

The Rocky Mountain Front is widely considered a hunter's paradise and a region biologists say is critical habitat for game populations. Sportsmen also spend around $10 million annually during hunting season on the Front. For more information on how the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act protects this important part of Montana's outdoor heritage click HERE.

Protecting Montana Ranching for Generations to Come

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act protects continued grazing access for Montana ranching families. For more information on grazing guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions click HERE.

A Montana-Made Plan

This plan is the result of a wide variety of Montanans working together since 2007 on a cooperative effort to protect the Front, while protecting grazing opportunities for ranchers and public access for hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts.

For a timeline of events and how the plan has evolved through the public process click HERE.

Montana Voices: Homegrown Support

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act has garnered endorsements from a broad range of Montana businesses and associations along with distinguished leaders across the state. For a full list of endorsements click HERE.

Montana hunting expert Randy Newberg of Bozeman, has served the Hunter's Institute since 1995 and hosts the hunting show "On Your Own Adventures." See video from the Front and hear his thoughts on the bill HERE.

To make your voice heard, click HERE.

Media Resources: Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act

For recent press releases, editorials and news on the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act along with high resolution maps and quick summary of the bill click HERE.