# Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act

This bill protects a large area of public land in Montana called the Blackfoot-Clearwater region by designating it as wilderness. That means the roughly 68,000 acres of forest, streams, and mountains in this area will be permanently protected from development like logging, mining, and road construction. The land will remain open for people to hike, fish, hunt, and camp, but commercial activities that could damage the landscape won't be allowed.

The bill also creates a new national recreation area nearby where some limited activities like timber management can continue under careful oversight. This gives the Forest Service flexibility to manage the land while still protecting its natural character. Additionally, the legislation removes a dam on the Clearwater River, which will restore the river to a more natural state and help fish populations that have been blocked by the dam for decades.

For people in Montana, this means the Blackfoot-Clearwater region will stay wild and undeveloped for future generations. Outdoor enthusiasts will have permanent access to pristine backcountry for recreation. However, local communities that depend on timber harvesting or other resource extraction in this area will lose those economic opportunities. The bill also provides some funding to help affected communities transition their economies, though this support may be limited depending on how the bill is implemented.

Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act

Tester, Jon

Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to complete a landscape assessment of the Seeley Lake Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest in Montana, designates areas in the forest for recreation and as wilderness, and otherwise revises provisions related to the forest. A collaboratively developed restoration project within the district may be carried out in accordance with certain hazardous fuel reduction projects. USDA shall, if a local collaborative group submits a proposal to improve motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail opportunities within the district, analyze the environmental effects of the proposal. It&nbsp;may also&nbsp;provide for the construction of any of the routes included in such proposal. The bill designates specified federal land in the forest as (1) the Otatsy Recreation Management Area, and (2) the Spread Mountain Recreation Area. The bill designates specified wilderness additions in the forest as wilderness areas and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System.