Gallatin Alpine Sports to host Big Sky launch event for GFP proposal on July 2
EBS STAFF
On Thursday, June 27, the Gallatin Forest Partnership unveiled a piece of proposed legislation that would permanently protect 250,000 acres of public land in the Madison and Gallatin mountain ranges.
The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act is “a realistic solution” to conserving areas and would protect drinking water, provide balanced access to outdoor recreation, conserve wildlife habitat and stop further development, according to a June 27 press release from GFP.
Without permanent protections proposed by GFP, the U.S. Forest Service protections for the Madison and Gallatin ranges could be removed or modified, the release explained, adding that “nonpartisan research [shows] nine in 10 Montanans believe it’s important to permanently protect the Madison and Gallatin ranges.”
Kathryn Eklund, GFP member and southwest Montana community conservation specialist at The Wilderness Society, stated in the release that the Madison and Gallatin ranges are some of the wildest places left in the Lower 48.
“They provide incredible wildlife habitat and help define who we are as Montanans,” Eklund stated. “They are our wild backyard, and with so much changing around us, they deserve protection now. That’s why the Gallatin Forest Partnership has developed a realistic solution.”
The vision behind the legislation was presented and well-received at the May 8 Madison-Gallatin Joint County Commission meeting hosted by the Big Sky Resort Area District in Big Sky. According to the release, nearly 2,000 citizens, business owners, and recreation advocates have endorsed GFP, including the Gallatin and Madison county commissions and the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce.
Denise Wade, co-owner of Big Sky Adventures and Tours, also called the proposed legislation “realistic.”
“It maintains recreation access for all of us—hikers, bikers, horse users, snowmobilers, skiers—and permanently protects wildlife habitat and seasonal migrations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Wade stated. “This act will forever protect the Madison and Gallatin ranges and ensure guiding businesses continue to flourish.”
GFP hosts launch events in Big Sky, Bozeman, Livingston
On Tuesday, July 2, GFP will host a community engagement event in Big Sky to discuss the proposed legislation with community members.
The “Wild Backyard Bash” event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at Gallatin Alpine Sports in Big Sky, and registration is required. The bash also took place in Bozeman on June 27, and is planned for Livingston on July 8 at Neptune’s Brewery from 6 to 8 p.m.
Big Sky’s event will include words from Denise Wade, BSRAD Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale, and Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association Founder and Advocacy Director, Adam Oliver.
GFP has been advocating for permanent protection since 2016, according to the release. The group is “a coalition of recreationists, business owners, sportsmen, landowners, and conservationists who call the Madison and Gallatin ranges home.”
