Environment (Forestry)

This bill seeks to remove approximately 663,000 acres of land in Montana from consideration for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The legislation directly affects federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service that were previously designated as wilderness study areas under state and federal laws. By releasing these areas from wilderness designation consideration, the bill aims to resolve legal uncertainty and reduce federal litigation costs associated with managing these lands. The measure would allow federal agencies to manage these areas without the restrictions that would apply if they were officially designated as wilderness.

Montana's SJ 14 is a state legislative resolution requesting the federal government release over 660,000 acres of designated wilderness study areas from consideration for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. It specifically targets seven Montana wilderness study areas (including West Pioneer, Sapphire, and Big Snowies) and 37 Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas that have remained in legal limbo since the 1977 Montana Wilderness Study Act. The resolution argues these lands are hindering multiple-use management (like timber harvesting and agriculture) and causing federal management uncertainty, and asks for their formal release to allow standard federal land management under the National Forest Management Act. The resolution was tabled in committee and died in process in 2025, so it has not become law.