Ask the Montana Congressional Delegation to Permanently Protect 250,000 Acres of Public Land
Flying above the Gallatin and Madison ranges in a Cessna 206, the Gallatin Forest Partnership called on Montana’s elected leaders to introduce legislation that will forever protect 250,000 acres of public land in the Madison and Gallatin ranges.
The Gallatin Crest, looking west toward Big Sky. (Photo Greater Yellowstone Coalition/Erin Steva)
As Caleb Teigen, Gallatin Valley Board Member for Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and Erin Steva, Montana Conservation Associate at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, surveyed the peaks, valleys, rivers, and streams below, they shared the vision of the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act through headsets – a vision that has been supported by more than 2,500 hikers, bikers, hunters, anglers, business owners, landowners, and more.
“Today, we’re calling on our Senators and Representatives to help protect Montana’s legacy – our public lands – by introducing the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act,” said Caleb Teigen, Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Gallatin Valley Board Member. “Protecting the Madison and Gallatin ranges means future generations will get to chase rutting bulls, catch native cutthroat trout in our alpine lakes, and spend time with family and friends like I do today.”
(L-R) Caleb Teigen, Gallatin Valley board member for the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and Robin Barker, president of Livingston Bike Club, share why they care about protecting the Madison and Gallatin ranges. (Photo Greater Yellowtsone Coalition/London Bernier)
The Madison and Gallatin ranges are some of the wildest places left in the United States, and they embody the Montana way of life. They provide clean drinking water to our communities, critical wildlife habitat to a wide range of species, and remarkable hunting, fishing, riding, and recreation access.
But Montana is changing, fast. Our public lands face more threats now than ever before. Flying over the outskirts of Bozeman and Big Sky, development can be seen clearly from above.
Big Sky and Lone Peak from the sky. (Photo Greater Yellowstone Coalition/London Bernier)
While the Madison and Gallatin ranges have some protections under the current Forest Service management plan, these protections are not permanent.
The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act is a realistic solution to permanently protect 250,000 acres in the Madison and Gallatin mountain ranges, and the resources, activities, and freedoms they provide.
“We’ve seen our Montana delegation stand up for public lands this year. We see the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act as a continuation of that.” Said Robin Barker, President of the Livingston Bike Club and Gallatin Forest Partnership member. “There is unprecedented pressure on our wild backyard, adding urgency to protecting the ways we currently recreate. The act does this, while fundamentally protecting the raw nature of ecologically sensitive land and clean water that we all enjoy.”
The Act will create new permanent protections for five areas in the Madison and Gallatin mountain ranges.
Flying south over the Madison Range, partners explain how the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act expands the Lee Metcalf Wilderness by adding key areas of Wilderness to connect previously separate islands of protections.
Heading just east of Big Sky, the Act will designate 31,000 acres at the southern end of the Gallatin Range as the Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wildlife and Recreation Management Area. This designation will maintain access to all trails in this area, and prevent trail expansion, development, and timber harvest to protect wildlife.
The plane dips south, taking in the peaks at the southern end of the Gallatin Range, including Ramshorn Peak, and further south, Yellowstone National Park. Ramshorn Peak will be designated as Wilderness with the creation of the 102,000-acre Gallatin Wilderness Area that runs from the boundary of Yellowstone National Park to the base of Hyalite Peak.
Turning back toward Bozeman, the flight travels the length of the wild, remote Gallatin Crest and proposed Gallatin Wilderness Area to Hyalite – the epitome of Bozeman’s wild backyard.
The legislation will designate 70,000 acres in Hyalite Canyon and the Bozeman Creek and South Cottonwood drainages as a watershed protection and recreation area. Eighty percent of Bozeman’s drinking water comes from the Gallatins – this Act will protect drinking water while ensuring access to some of the area's most popular trails.
The final designation proposed by the Greater Yellowstone Conservation Act is the 25,000-acre West Pine Wildlife and Recreation Management Area. This designation will permanently protect the area from mining and new roads, and improve recreational opportunities near Livingston for hikers, bikers, and horsemen.