Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced last week that he is introducing the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, a proposal that includes expanding the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex by 79,000 acres while opening up timber harvest and recreational use elsewhere in the region.

Tester’s legislation is the result of a decade of collaboration between the timber industry, sportsmen organizations, ranchers and business owners.

“The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act is the perfect example of what happens when Montanans work together,” Tester stated in a press release. “This legislation will create jobs, strengthen the local economy and preserve our outdoor way of life for future generations.”

At the request of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project and with the support of the local timber industry, the legislation will implement several recreation and wilderness designations:

n 79,000 acres of wilderness

n A comprehensive trail plan to provide recreation access to the Lolo National Forest

n 2,200 acres opened to snowmobiling

n 3,800 acres open to mountain biking