1. United States
2. Mont.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to withdraw the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act, which would strip protections from over 100,000 acres of Montana wilderness study areas. This legislation disregards the clear will of Montanans who have already rejected this proposal. Earlier this year, the Montana Senate Energy, Technology, and Federal Relations Committee voted 9-4 with bipartisan opposition to block a nearly identical proposal after thousands of Montanans and multiple conservation groups testified against it. This overwhelming rejection demonstrates that your constituents do not support weakening protections for these irreplaceable public lands. Reintroducing legislation that has been so decisively defeated by both parties and the public shows a troubling disregard for local voices and democratic input. These wilderness study areas protect critical wildlife habitat, ensure clean water for downstream communities, and provide opportunities for responsible recreation that supports Montana's outdoor economy. Removing these safeguards without credible alternatives or public support puts some of Montana's most wild and cherished places at risk. Montanans value certainty and stewardship in public lands management, and this bill delivers neither. Your recent positions on public lands issues, including your failure to defend the Land and Water Conservation Fund and your support for Bureau of Land Management nominee Steve Pearce, who has advocated for public lands selloffs, have already raised serious concerns among conservation advocates. This legislation compounds those worries and suggests a pattern of prioritizing interests that conflict with the values of Montanans who depend on and cherish our public lands. I respectfully ask that you listen to your constituents, honor the bipartisan opposition this proposal has already faced, and withdraw the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act. Montana's wilderness study areas deserve continued protection, not legislative attacks that undermine decades of careful stewardship.