River Runs Through It: Montana’s Bold Proposal for Conservation
Montana’s legendary Blackfoot River is currently dodging a triple threat of environmental headaches—including a proposed gravel pit, a looming gold mine, and a massive data center. But local ranchers, hunters, and public-land defenders aren’t just sitting around waiting for the dust to settle. They’ve joined forces to pitch a massive conservation upgrade aptly named the River Runs Through It Proposal (shoutout to the Maclean family for approving the title). The plan aims to tack on roughly 100,000 acres to the beloved Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness Areas, slap a new 30,000-acre “Nevada Mountain Wilderness” on the map, and create a much-needed highway for migrating elk and trout.
What makes this more than just wishful thinking is the alliance backing it. By blending years of compromise, the proposal throws a bone to everyone: hunters get better access to public-land elk herds, snowmobilers secure new trails, and timber interests get prioritized forest management. While the plan is still waiting for a champion in Congress to officially introduce it, political staffers are already sniffing around to see just how deep the local support runs.
To dive into all the details of this collaborative conservation push, you can read the full article at Field and Stream.
