By Jennifer Boyer and Bill Todd GUEST COLUMNISTS
On behalf of the Gallatin and Madison county commissions, we would like to publicly thank Congressman Ryan Zinke for his visionary leadership to safeguard the Gallatin and Madison Rivers as future Wild and Scenic Rivers. On Aug. 1, Zinke introduced legislation called the Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement and Tourism Act, which would designate nearly 100 miles of streams across our two counties as national Wild and Scenic Rivers.
The Gallatin and Madison rivers are the flagship rivers of this legislation and undoubtedly deserve this designation due to their outsized role in supporting our outdoor recreation and agricultural industries, as well as for their part in providing exceptional habitat for our abundant fish and wildlife populations. These rivers are the lifeblood of our two counties. They are economic drivers and ecological havens. But the bill doesn’t stop there. It also includes Hyalite Creek, an important drinking water source for the community of Bozeman, and Cabin Creek, a native Westslope cutthroat trout stronghold.
Zinke’s messaging about this bill has been spot on. He wrote, “striking the right balance between conservation and multiple use of our resources is the Montana way.” Elsewhere he said, “this is a red, white and blue issue.” In our mind, river conservation unites Montanans, and nothing could be more patriotic than protecting our most prized and vulnerable rivers by using the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to do so.
The Gallatin and Madison county commissions have heard for many years from our constituents about the enormous local support that exists for Wild and Scenic River protections of the Gallatin and Madison rivers and their tributaries. The Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement and Tourism Act was introduced after more than a decade of input from family farmers, ranchers, river runners, riverside landowners, fly shops, guest lodges, business coalitions, chambers of commerce, watershed groups, sportsmen and conservation groups, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
Tribal nations like the Eastern Shoshone, Blackfeet and Crow, whose ancestors are the original stewards of this region, also engaged with input from the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. This legislation is proof that interests as diverse as the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, Madison Valley Ranchlands Group, and Lone Mountain Land Company can find common ground and recognize the health of our region’s future is inseparable from the health of our rivers.
In straightforward terms, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act maintains the free-flow, water quality, and remarkable values of a river segment without impacting private property rights, water rights, grazing and fire management. As a Whitefish resident and whitewater paddler, Congressman Zinke is familiar with the long-standing success of the Flathead Wild and Scenic Rivers system—the three forks of the Flathead were protected by Congress in 1976. We are grateful for Zinke crafting this bill for our region and acknowledging that the Gallatin and Madison rivers deserve the same designation.
As this bill moves through the House of Representatives, we know it will need support in the Senate. We encourage Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, two leaders who know these rivers well, to introduce a companion bill in the Senate and work closely with Congressman Zinke to pass this legislation.
Jennifer Boyer, chairman of Gallatin County Commission
Bill Todd, chairman of Madison County Commission
