Sponsors (2)
The bill trades stronger, permanent wilderness protections for roughly 104,000 acres in exchange for clearer local access, expanded management options, and potential economic activity—benefiting nearby communities while increasing risks to habitat, solitude, and future preservation options.
Rural communities, local governments, and outdoor recreationists gain clearer, predictable public access and management as former WSA lands move into standard Forest Service/BLM plans, enabling uses like trails, grazing, and managed recreation.
Rural communities, nearby homeowners, local businesses, and workers may see increased economic activity (timber, grazing, recreation services) where strict WSA limits previously constrained such uses.
Land managers and rural communities can more easily carry out wildlife habitat improvements and wildfire mitigation projects on released lands, potentially lowering wildfire risk and improving habitat outcomes.
Residents who value preservation and nearby ecosystems face reduced long-term wilderness protections across roughly 104,000 acres, increasing risks to wilderness character, habitat, and species on those lands.
Local governments and rural residents lose the prospect of those WSAs converting to designated wilderness absent new congressional or administrative action, limiting future options for permanent preservation.
Rural communities and nearby recreationists could see more motorized access, resource extraction, and development that degrades solitude, recreation experiences, and local quality of life.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Steve Daines · Last progress December 17, 2025
Removes wilderness-study-area (WSA) protections from three specified Montana WSAs — Middle Fork Judith (~81,000 acres), Hoodoo Mountain (~11,380 acres), and Wales Creek (~11,580 acres) — and directs the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to manage those lands under their existing land and resource management plans. The bill does not create new funding or agencies; management will follow current environmental and administrative laws and existing planning processes and is intended to improve public access, hunting and fishing opportunities, wildlife habitat projects, and wildfire mitigation.