Tag Archives: Max Baucus

A senator’s fight to protect the Flathead’s North Fork

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North Forker Doug Chadwick has an excellent article on the National Geographic web site discussing Sen. Max Baucus’ decades-long efforts to protect the North Fork Flathead watershed and the reasons behind this work . . .

Daybreak on August 8 found me on a bank of the North Fork of the Flathead River in northwestern Montana, among the mixed tracks of deer, otters, and grizzly bears, marveling, as I have a thousand times before, at the near-magical transparency of these waters.

The bottom stones stood out as if on display under glass. Decades ago, my wife and I built a cabin nearby.

Across the river on the east bank, in Glacier National Park, the campers were stirring in their tents and the first cars were snaking up the Going to the Sun Road. But I was headed west that day, into the Whitefish Range, to see a man about the future of this valley.

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‘Work day’ event part of Baucus’ efforts to support North Fork

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The Flathead Beacon has a good write-up, with photos, of Sen. Max Baucus “work day” last Tuesday near Big Creek . . .

Chipping away at the sun baked dirt with a Pulaski axe, a hard-hat clad Max Baucus graded out the slope of a hiking trail high above the North Fork Flathead River near the Big Creek tributary, buffing out a ribbon of single track that tops out on Glacier View Mountain but hasn’t been maintained since fire scoured the hillside in 2001.

In many ways, it was another day at the office for Montana’s senior senator, but instead of walking the halls of Congress he climbed steep switchbacks, chatting with and sweating alongside young members of a Montana Conservation Corps trail crew instead of running the Senate Finance Committee.

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Late breaking news: Sen. Baucus holding ‘work day’ in North Fork tomorrow

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According to Valerie Cox, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus is holding one of his “work days” tomorrow morning (Thursday, August 8). It is a trail building work session, beginning at 8:00 a.m. near the Camas Road intersection. Attendees include Sen. Baucus, Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies, a Montana Conservation Core trail crew and any North Fork folks who are interested in attending.

The Daily Inter Lake also posted an article about the event, although it lacked the late-breaking scheduling details. Here’s the lead-in . . .

Montana Sen. Max Baucus will return to the Flathead Valley this week to carry out one of his signature “work days,” this time doing trail work in the North Fork Flathead drainage.

Baucus said he will be working alongside Montana Conservation Corps crews as a tie to his efforts over 40 years to protect the North Fork drainage.

Continue reading the article . . .

Tester and Baucus make another push to get their forest bills through the system

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Senators Baucus and Tester took another swing Tuesday at getting their respective forest bills back under consideration in the U.S. Senate . . .

U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester told their colleagues Tuesday that it is time to pass their bills expanding forest protections.

Both Democrats testified in Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Senate Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee on measures that failed to clear the last Congress.

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John Frederick: North Fork Protection Vital

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The following letter to the editor by NFPA President John Frederick was posted to the Flathead Beacon’s web site July 19 . . .

Republican Congressman Steve Daines has introduced HR 2259, a North Fork Watershed Protection Act, and he deserves much credit for doing so.

Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester had earlier introduced virtually identical legislation (Senate Bill 255). It passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 18 of this year.

The legislation withdraws federal minerals from future leasing only on Forest Service land in the North Fork (and a slice of federal land in the Middle Fork along the river) not currently under valid existing leases. More than 200,000 acres of leases have been voluntarily relinquished that represents 80 percent of the leased land.

When this legislation is enacted it will complete a gentleman’s agreement between British Columbia and Montana to not allow leasing of minerals in the Flathead of B. C. and the North Fork of the Flathead because of concerns about wildlife and clean water. The Canadians were considerably faster to do their part of the agreement.

Steve Daines is a Republican. He has not let partisan politics get in the way of working with Democrats toward a worthwhile goal. His efforts will ensure quicker action on the legislation and I wish to thank him.

John Frederick
Polebridge

Trout Unlimited comes out in favor of North Fork protection

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In an op-ed in the Ravalli Republic, The Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited came out in favor of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

The Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited has long been committed to protecting the Flathead River system, one of the last best strongholds for native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. While the North Fork of the Flathead River corridor is protected by the Wild and Scenic River designation, the eastern tributaries and uplands are secured in Glacier National Park, and the Canadian headwaters are protected by a provincial ban on mining and drilling, the nearly 400,000 acres of the North Fork watershed within the Flathead National Forest remain open to mineral and energy development.

The recent introduction of legislation by Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., to protect the North Fork of the Flathead from mineral entry and leasing is welcome news. Mirroring legislation in the Senate that was introduced earlier this year by Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, the North Fork Watershed Protection Act (HR 2259) would ensure the protection of the 400,000 acres of national forest land in the North Fork watershed by withdrawing federal lands from mining and mineral leasing. While existing leases would not be affected, already more than 200,000 acres of oil and gas leases have been voluntarily relinquished by several lease holders. Not only is this legislation widely supported in Montana, it also honors British Columbia’s commitment to do the same on their side of the border.

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North Fork Watershed Protection Act reports out of committee with full bipartisan support

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It appears U.S. Sen. Max Baucus’ North Fork Watershed Protection Act came out of committee last Tuesday with a fair bit of bipartisan momentum this year. The next step is consideration by the full Senate . . .

A measure to protect the North Fork of the Flathead River from energy development won rare bipartisan committee support Tuesday and now heads for the full Senate.

“In this particular Congress, it’s always a big deal when a bill gets reported out unanimously,” National Parks Conservation Association legislative analyst Elise Ligouri said Wednesday. “We think it should be considered for a floor vote in the very near future.”

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on Sen. Max Baucus’ North Fork Watershed Protection Act along with 11 other bills during its Tuesday markup session.

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Daines introduces North Fork Watershed Protection Act in U.S. House

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Here is the Missoulian’s take on U.S. Rep. Steve Daines’ introduction of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act in U.S. House of Representatives . . .

Citing its supply of clean water and the coalition of support backing its protection, U.S. Rep. Steve Daines on Wednesday introduced legislation restricting new mineral development in the North Fork Flathead watershed.

Daines, R-Mont., introduced the North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013 in the House of Representatives, joining U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Democrats, who introduced a similar measure in the Senate.

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Daines introduces House version of North Fork Watershed Protection Act

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U.S. Rep. Steve Daines just introduced a U.S. House version of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act that is currently slogging its way through the Senate . . .

U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on Wednesday formally introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would block mining and energy development in the North Fork Flathead River drainage on the western boundary of Glacier National Park.

The bill, H.R. 2259, is nearly identical, both in name and content, to its companion bill in the Senate, the North Fork Watershed Protect Act, which Democratic U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester introduced in February.

The public lands bills seek to furnish permanent protections on more than 400,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service parcels, placing them off limits to hard-rock mining, mountaintop-removal coal mining, and oil and gas development.

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Baucus testifies for North Fork Watershed Protection Act

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Sen Max Baucus begins a serious push to gain passage of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

Two days after announcing his retirement and, in doing so, promising a full-court press to protect some of Montana’s most pristine places, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to promote the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, a bill that would permanently protect the American side of the North Fork watershed from new energy development.

Baucus, a six-term Democrat, announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election in 2014, and vowed to serve out the final year and a half of his term focused on accomplishing legislative priorities that would protect Montana’s scenic gems, and “double down” on passage of the North Fork bill and designation of new wilderness along the Rocky Mountain Front.

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