JACKSON, Wyo. — In November 2023, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) reintroduced the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (MHLA) to protect and preserve 384 miles across 20 of the state’s rivers, most of which are located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
According to the MHLA, the river segments protected under the legislation include 39 miles of the Gallatin River, 56 miles of the Madison River and 19 miles of the Yellowstone River. The aim of the legislation is to conserve the clean water, fish and wildlife for present and future recreational enjoyment, Indigenous use and agricultural purposes.
According to Charles Wolf Drimal, deputy director of conservation for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), the MHLA was “built from the ground up by Montanans who care about the environment, the economy and our incredible quality of life.” Drimal tells Buckrail that the Montanans for Healthy Rivers coalition, which includes private landowners, business owners, recreationists, sportsmen and conservationists, was the guiding force behind this legislation.
The work for the MHLA began back in 2010, inspired by Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation successes at Wyoming’s Snake Headwaters, Idaho’s Owyhee Canyon and Utah’s Virgin River. The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968, and is explained by the National Park Service as a designation of protection for river segments with “outstandingly remarkable values” (ORSv) in a free-flowing condition.
Drimal emphasizes that high rates of development, extensive population growth and changing climate created the urgency for Montanans to apply resources to keeping river corridors healthy and intact.
“Protecting and preserving these rivers is imperative for maintaining the ecological integrity and the extraordinary natural beauty of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Drimal writes for the GYC’s website.
The MHLA acknowledges that conservation and recreation can both be used to protect these river resources; Drimal shares that trade groups like the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana and Montana Outfitters and Guides Association are long-time supporters of the MHLA, in addition to regional business coalitions like the Wild Livelihoods Business Coalition. According to Drimal, all these groups recognize that the outdoor recreation and tourism economies depend on the protection and stewardship of the rivers and tributaries.
“This is an opportunity for local communities and the public to have a say in the future stewardship of these rivers on public lands.”
Charles Wolf Drimal
“Instead of pitting industry against conservation, we are working together,” Drimal says. “After Wild and Scenic Rivers are designated by Congress, the managing federal land agencies are required to develop a Comprehensive River Management Plan with significant local input. This is an opportunity for local communities and the public to have a say in the future stewardship of these rivers on public lands.”
A recent state-wide public opinion poll shows 85 percent of Montanans support the MHLA, including 82 percent support from Republicans, 84 percent support from Independents and 94 percent support from Democrats. Drimal says this legislation “is the most popular conservation legislation in Montana.”
Scott Bosse, Northern Rockies regional director at American Rivers, recently told Explore Big Sky News that the level of support for the MHLA is “almost unheard of.”
Drimal tells Buckrail that the GYC is pushing for a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee this spring. The reintroduced legislation has until the end of the 118th Congressional session in December 2024 to move through Congress.
