Keep public lands open: an update from Senator Fielder

One of my major goals is to find balanced solutions that allow Montanans to use and enjoy our state’s abundant natural resources while ensuring reasonable steps are taken to maintain a healthy environment. Whether we are hunting, hiking, fishing, firewooding, or four wheeling, we should be able to use and enjoy our outdoors in a responsible manner.

A logical, balanced approach to land and resource management will also allow our timber, mining, agriculture, and tourism industries to thrive, our watersheds and wildlife habitat to flourish, wildfire risks to be significantly reduced, and families to use and access public lands in a multitude of ways. It’s also the surest way to boost state revenues for important public services including schools, roads, emergency services, and peace officers.

Scientifically we have the knowledge and the capability to achieve a balance that is good for our environment and our economy. Politically we have made things way too complicated for way too long. It’s time to get back to the basics.

Early this year I introduced legislation that would require a thorough study of the risks, concerns, and all possible solutions associated with federal land management in Montana. That legislation passed with over 80% approval from the state legislature and is now in the hands of our legislative Environmental Quality Council.

Most of my summer has been spent researching related laws and reports, and exchanging ideas with legislators, lawyers, resource specialists, county commissioners, citizens, and congressional delegations to ensure this study produces effective results. It’s important to listen carefully to all sides of the argument, document the most significant problems, identify needed changes, and explore all possible solutions that will lead us to desired improvements.

Preventing catastrophic fires by managing the vegetation is clearly more cost effective than fighting the infernos after they ignite. It’s also a lot better for the environment. The growing size and intensity of wildfires in our national forests has gotten literally out of control.

One major problem is that almost every time the forest service tries to harvest timber or reduce wildfire fuel loads, they are sued by environmentalists. The cumulative costs of fighting fires and constant lawsuits have forced federal land managers to channel the majority of their budgets into administration instead of actual resource management. That’s not good for the environment or the economy.

Congressman Steve Daines is working with several western congressional delegations to enact solutions from his end. He co-sponsored H.R. 1526:The Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, which would create community forest demonstration areas within Forest Service lands to allow a state or local government to manage these lands if they are willing. My study will take a look at which lands we would want to manage and what steps would be necessary to equip our state and local agencies to do the job well.

There are a number of very serious solutions we will examine.

Solving problems with federal land management is a very high priority for our state because better management would help Montana (i) fund education; (ii) properly care for our lands and forests; (iii) protect access; (iv) create jobs; and (v) grow local, state, and national economies and tax base. I feel blessed to have a bi-partisan team of committed, knowledgeable legislators and citizens working with me.

If you would like to get in touch, please email me at sen.jfielder@legmt.gov