H.R. 6788

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6788 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6788

To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the 
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 17, 2025

Mr. Downing introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the 
State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Montana Sportsmen Conservation 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that--
(1) under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public 
Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243), 9 wilderness study areas comprising 
a total of 973,000 acres of land in the State of Montana were 
set aside for the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the 
suitability of the wilderness study areas for designation as 
wilderness, in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 
1131 et seq.), with the evaluation to be completed not later 
than 5 years after the date of enactment of the Montana 
Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 
1243);
(2) between 1979 and 1986, the Chief of the Forest 
Service--
(A) completed the studies of the 9 wilderness study 
areas referred to in paragraph (1); and
(B) based on those studies, determined that 608,700 
acres of the original 973,000 acres designated as 
wilderness study areas by the Montana Wilderness Study 
Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243) were 
unsuitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System, including the 81,000 acres within 
the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area;
(3) in 2021, following a 6-year collaborative process, the 
Forest Service again determined, in the revision of the Helena 
Lewis and Clark National Forest plan, that the Middle Fork 
Judith Wilderness Study Area is unsuitable for inclusion in the 
National Wilderness Preservation System;
(4) under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 38 wilderness study areas 
comprising a total of 447,327 acres of land in the State of 
Montana were set aside by the Bureau of Land Management to 
evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for 
designation as wilderness, with the evaluation to be completed 
not later than 15 years after the date of enactment of that 
Act;
(5) in 1991, the Director of the Bureau of Land Management 
submitted to the President a recommendation on the suitability 
for designation of the areas described in paragraph (4), which 
was subsequently submitted to Congress, under which the 
Director of the Bureau of Land Management determined that 
273,828 acres in the State of Montana designated as wilderness 
study areas by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) were unsuitable for wilderness 
designation, including--
(A) the 11,380 acres of land within the Hoodoo 
Mountain Wilderness Study Area; and
(B) the 11,580 acres of land within the Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area;
(6) in 2020, following a 5-year collaborative process, the 
Bureau of Land Management, in the revision of the Missoula 
Resource Management Plan--
(A) reaffirmed that the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness 
Study Area and the Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area 
were unsuitable for wilderness designation; and
(B) recommended alternative management parameters 
for the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the 
Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area;
(7) despite the recommendations of the Forest Service and 
the Bureau of Land Management, after the completion of the 
studies for suitability of the land in the State of Montana 
designated as wilderness study areas under the Montana 
Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 Stat. 1243) 
and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)--
(A) over 1,100,000 acres of public land in the 
State of Montana remain as wilderness study areas until 
Congress acts; and
(B) over 700,000 acres of public land in the State 
of Montana currently designated as wilderness study 
areas have been determined unsuitable for wilderness 
management;
(8) if the wilderness study area designation was removed 
from each of the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area, the 
Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area, and the Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area, land managers would be able to better 
conserve and manage the areas in accordance with applicable 
land and resource management plans that retain certain 
protections for the areas, while providing for--
(A) enhanced sportsmen opportunities in the 
backcountry of Montana;
(B) improved public access; and
(C) the conduct of wildlife habitat and wildfire 
mitigation projects;
(9) the applicable land and resource management plans 
referred to in paragraph (8) were developed through a multi-
year, collaborative process supported by--
(A) resource needs and conditions; and
(B) the best available science; and
(10) following release, the respective land management 
agencies shall continue managing the areas described in 
paragraph (8)--
(A) in accordance with applicable environmental and 
administrative laws; and
(B) based on local input, multiple-use and 
sustained yield principles, and land management 
objectives.

SEC. 3. RELEASE AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF LAND COMPRISING CERTAIN 
WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS.

(a) Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately 
81,000 acres of land comprising the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study 
Area--
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 3(a) of the 
Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-150; 91 
Stat. 1244); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land 
and resource management plan most recently adopted under 
section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
(b) Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area.--The approximately 11,380 acres of land 
comprising the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the 
approximately 11,580 acres of land comprising the Wales Creek 
Wilderness Study Area--
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 603(c) of the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1782(c)); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land 
management plans adopted under section 202 of that Act (43 
U.S.C. 1712).
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