Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act
Bill: S.4470 | Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve (R-MT)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act
This bill releases the Middle Fork Judith, Hoodoo Mountain, and Wales Creek wilderness study areas from further study for wilderness designation.

To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the 
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Montana Sportsmen Conservation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public 
        Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243), 9 wilderness study areas comprising 
        a total of 973,000 acres of land in the State of Montana were 
        set aside for the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the 
        suitability of the wilderness study areas for designation as 
        wilderness, in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
        1131 et seq.), with the evaluation to be completed not later 
        than 5 years after the date of enactment of the Montana 
        Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 
        1243);
            (2) between 1979 and 1986, the Chief of the Forest 
        Service--
                    (A) completed the studies of the 9 wilderness study 
                areas referred to in paragraph (1); and
                    (B) based on those studies, determined that 608,700 
                acres of the original 973,000 acres designated as 
                wilderness study areas by the Montana Wilderness Study 
                Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243) were 
                unsuitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness 
                Preservation System, including the 81,000 acres within 
                the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area;
            (3) in 2021, following a 6-year collaborative process, the 
        Forest Service again determined, in the revision of the Helena 
        Lewis and Clark National Forest plan, that the Middle Fork 
        Judith Wilderness Study Area is unsuitable for inclusion in the 
        National Wilderness Preservation System;
            (4) under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
        1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 38 wilderness study areas 
        comprising a total of 447,327 acres of land in the State of 
        Montana were set aside by the Bureau of Land Management to 
        evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for 
        designation as wilderness, with the evaluation to be completed 
        not later than 15 years after the date of enactment of that 
        Act;
            (5) in 1991, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
        submitted to the President a recommendation on the suitability 
        for designation of the areas described in paragraph (4), which 
        was subsequently submitted to Congress, under which the 
        Director of the Bureau of Land Management determined that 
        273,828 acres in the State of Montana designated as wilderness 
        study areas by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
        1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) were unsuitable for wilderness 
        designation, including--
                    (A) the 11,380 acres of land within the Hoodoo 
                Mountain Wilderness Study Area; and
                    (B) the 11,580 acres of land within the Wales Creek 
                Wilderness Study Area;
            (6) in 2020, following a 5-year collaborative process, the 
        Bureau of Land Management, in the revision of the Missoula 
        Resource Management Plan--
                    (A) reaffirmed that the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness 
                Study Area and the Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area 
                were unsuitable for wilderness designation; and
                    (B) recommended alternative management parameters 
                for the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the 
                Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area;
            (7) despite the recommendations of the Forest Service and 
        the Bureau of Land Management, after the completion of the 
        studies for suitability of the land in the State of Montana 
        designated as wilderness study areas under the Montana 
        Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243) 
        and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
        U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)--
                    (A) over 1,100,000 acres of public land in the 
                State of Montana remain as wilderness study areas until 
                Congress acts; and
                    (B) over 700,000 acres of public land in the State 
                of Montana currently designated as wilderness study 
                areas have been determined unsuitable for wilderness 
                management;
            (8) if the wilderness study area designation was removed 
        from each of the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area, the 
        Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area, and the Wales Creek 
        Wilderness Study Area, land managers would be able to better 
        conserve and manage the areas in accordance with applicable 
        land and resource management plans that retain certain 
        protections for the areas, while providing for--
                    (A) enhanced sportsmen opportunities in the 
                backcountry of Montana;
                    (B) improved public access; and
                    (C) the conduct of wildlife habitat and wildfire 
                mitigation projects;
            (9) the applicable land and resource management plans 
        referred to in paragraph (8) were developed through a multi-
        year, collaborative process supported by--
                    (A) resource needs and conditions; and
                    (B) the best available science; and
            (10) following release, the respective land management 
        agencies shall continue managing the areas described in 
        paragraph (8)--
                    (A) in accordance with applicable environmental and 
                administrative laws; and
                    (B) based on local input, multiple-use and 
                sustained yield principles, and land management 
                objectives.

SEC. 3. RELEASE AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF LAND COMPRISING CERTAIN 
              WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.

    (a) Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately 
81,000 acres of land comprising the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study 
Area--
            (1) shall no longer be subject to section 3(a) of the 
        Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 
        Stat. 1244); and
            (2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land 
        and resource management plan most recently adopted under 
        section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
        Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
    (b) Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately 11,380 acres of land 
comprising the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the 
approximately 11,580 acres of land comprising the Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area--
            (1) shall no longer be subject to section 603(c) of the 
        Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
        1782(c)); and
            (2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land 
        management plans adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 
        U.S.C. 1712).
                                 <all>