Tag Archives: North Fork Watershed Protection Act

Mac Minard: North Fork protection needs straight vote

Commentary, Environmental Issues, ,

Mac Minard, executive director of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, is circulating a testy opinion piece on the legislative shenanigans hindering passage of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

North Fork protection passed the House but fell short in the Senate — for the wrong reasons.

The North Fork Watershed Protection Act is a bipartisan legislative effort that started with former Sen. Max Baucus in 1974, and represents locally driven efforts to protect the historic and majestic North Fork area in the Flathead Valley. The legislation has tremendous support within the outdoor community and has received endorsements from various groups concerned with land management decisions and conservation efforts.

Rep. Steve Daines joined the effort last year, and introduced a companion bill in the House. A few months ago, in what was nothing short of a herculean effort, freshman congressman Daines ushered the North Fork Watershed Protection Act through the House with strong bipartisan support — a huge milestone. The House passage of North Fork Watershed Protection Act, which has been around for several decades, represented the first time the bill passed either chamber of Congress.

However, two weeks ago, this important bill was blocked in the Senate by what can only be described as an election-year political stunt.

Read more . . .

Kellyn Brown: North Fork politics

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

Over at the Flathead Beacon, Kellyn Brown is not happy about the political process surrounding the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

The real problem with the failure to pass the North Fork Watershed Protection Act is how it happened. Others can argue over the merits of the legislation, but let’s take a look at how the sausage was made. Or, in this case, not made.

Both Montana Sen. John Walsh and Rep. Steve Daines, who is challenging Walsh in the forthcoming U.S. Senate election, appeared eager to pass this bill and lay claim to protecting an area that conservation groups and energy companies alike agree should be off limits to new mineral development. To be clear, this is a rather noncontroversial bill. In a letter, ConocoPhillips’ vice president expressed support for the added protections.

Anymore, that matters very little, because Congress eagerly uses convoluted and preposterous rules in the name of politics. And this is just the latest perfect example of why many of us sit back dumbfounded by the ease at which this country’s governing bodies tie themselves into knots so they don’t have to do any real governing.

Read more . . .

Letter favoring North Fork protection

Commentary

The Flathead Beacon posted a nice reader letter in favor of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

There’s something liberating about slipping a raft into a river in Western Montana. We are fortunate to have so many clean, free-flowing rivers nearby to enjoy with friends and family. And in my mind, few rivers can match the North Fork Flathead River. Other rivers may have more thrilling whitewater or more fish per river mile, but few match the North Fork for clean, beautiful water and stunning, wild scenery.

Montana’s congressional delegation happens to agree with me on this point. Sens. John Walsh, Jon Tester and Rep. Steve Daines are all supporters of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act. For this reason, it is especially maddening to read news that the bill is being blocked in the Senate by three senators who – in the memorable words of Tester – “can’t even find the Flathead River on a map.”

Read more . . .

Missoulian editorial: Daines, Walsh should team up to pass North Fork bill

Commentary, Environmental Issues, ,

The Missoulian is not pleased with the political posturing holding up the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

U.S. Rep. Steve Daines might want to have a little chat with some his Republican counterparts in the Senate.

Three of them in particular: Ted Cruz of Texas, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.

These three U.S. Senators blocked passage of the no-nonsense, common-sense North Fork Watershed Protection Act through the Senate. A similar measure has already been passed by the House – thanks to Daines’ sponsorship.

Read more . . .

Three GOP senators block vote on North Fork Watershed Protection Act

Environmental Issues, News,

As expected, U.S. Senators Cruz, Toomey and Coburn blocked an attempt to pass the North Fork Watershed Protection Act by “unanimous consent” . . .

Montana’s newest U.S. senator, Democrat John Walsh, tried Thursday to pass the bill protecting the North Fork of the Flathead River from mineral development, but a trio of Republican senators blocked the move.

Walsh, appointed to the job on Feb. 7, asked the U.S. Senate to pass the measure by “unanimous consent,” but three senators – Ted Cruz of Texas, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma – objected…

While Walsh’s attempt to pass the bill failed, the measure remains on the Senate calendar and could be considered later.

Read more . . .

Tester says North Fork Watershed Protection Act being held up in Senate

Environmental Issues, News,

It seems three U.S. Senators are trying to use the North Fork Watershed Protection Act as a bargaining chip .  . .

Sen. Jon Tester claimed last week that the North Fork Watershed Protection Act was being held up by three Republican senators — Tom Cruz, of Texas, Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma, and Pat Toomey, of Pennsylvania.

The Act, which would ban all future oil, mineral and gas leases on federal lands in the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead River, sailed through the Republican-controlled House last month on a voice vote. Republican Rep. Steve Daines sponsored the bill.

Tester claimed the three Senate Republicans holding up the bill want other federal lands opened for exploration if lands here are withdrawn. Tester noted that the Senate has different rules than the House, and it’s much easier for a few Senators to hold up legislation.

Read more . . .

Interior Secretary discusses North Fork legislation at local meeting

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, along with Senators Jon Tester and John Walsh, were in town Saturday at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station to talk about the North Fork Watershed Protection Act and allied subjects.

(That doggone Frank Vitale sure gets around.  Watch the associated video. You’ll see Frank, as well as some other familiar faces.) . . .

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell made a trip to Hungry Horse Saturday with Senators Jon Tester and John Walsh to discuss recent North Fork legislation.

Secretary Jewell greeted those in attendance at the Hungry Horse Ranger station, and then talked about the recent North Fork Legislation.

The North Fork Watershed Protection Act would protect over 430,000 acres of land along the north and middle forks of the Flathead River from energy development.

Secretary Jewell stressed the importance of protecting Montana’s natural resources, and also spoke about the economic benefits of outdoor recreation.

Read more . . .

Further reading: The Flathead Beacon has a more detailed write-up.

North Fork – one more step forward

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

The Missoula Independent gave the North Fork Watershed Protection Act some attention this week . . .

Earlier this month, the U.S. House passed the North Fork Watershed Protection Act in what conservationists hailed as a critical step for wildlife and clean water in northwest Montana. That approval, secured by Rep. Steve Daines, marks the most significant advancement yet in a fight former Sen. Max Baucus waged over four decades in Congress.

The moment itself passed quickly, in a manner typically used to approve small, non-controversial bills. The measure’s speedy passage on the House floor was attributed to the widespread bipartisan support it has gained over time. Proponents now include county commissions, city officials, chambers of commerce, sporting groups and business leaders across western Montana. Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP America and ExxonMobil subsidiary XTO Energy have backed the bill as well.

Read more . . .

Debo Powers: Keep North Fork skies and water clear

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

Debo Powers has a letter to the editor supporting the North Fork Watershed Protection Act in this weeks’ Hungry Horse News . . .

My home is the North Fork of the Flathead. I have spent many nights staring up at the stars and northern lights, far from the lights of town.

I still enjoy seeing the faces of people who are visiting the North Fork for the first time. They always seem overjoyed to discover a place that is so wild, so natural and so beautiful in this day and age.

For years, the idea of a Canadian coal mine has loomed just upstream. It took decades of neighbor-to-neighbor diplomacy to convince the Canadians to back off this idea, for the sake of the Flathead River, Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.

Read more . . .

North Fork Watershed Protection Act would not terminate existing leases

Environmental Issues, News,

Over at the Hungry Horse News, Chris Peterson put together a good report on the remaining mineral leases in the North Fork and Middle Fork drainages . . .

The North Fork Watershed Protection Act passed the House on a voice vote last week — one step closer to becoming law — but the act doesn’t address existing leases in the drainage, some of which are right on the edge of the Great Bear Wilderness.

The act only prohibits any new energy leases in the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

All told, energy companies once held about 246,000 acres of leases in the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead. Since the bill was introduced by former Montana Sen. Max Baucus a few years ago, several companies, including Conoco-Phillips, relinquished their claims.

Read more . . .