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Big Sky Connection - The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act would protect hundreds of river miles in the state. Advocates are in Washington, D.C. this week pushing for the legislation's re-introduction in Congress. Comments from KynsLee Scott, fly fishing guide based in Missoula; and Eric Ladd, CEO, Outlaw Partners based in Big Sky.
Eric Tegethoff
March 9, 2023 - Montanans are in Washington, D.C., to call for greater protections of some of the state's most iconic rivers.
Anglers, business owners and river advocates are meeting with Montana's congressional delegation to push for the reintroduction of the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act. The act would protect 385 river miles and 20 segments of river as Wild and Scenic, including parts of the Yellowstone, Madison and Gallatin.
KynsLee Scott, a fly-fishing guide based in Missoula, said clean drinking water and protecting the state's natural resources are why she is in D.C.
"I want folks from all walks of life to be able to experience the rivers that I know and love, that I grew up on, how I see them today and, potentially, in even better condition for future generations," Scott explained.
The legislation has faced opposition in the past from Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who said the designations can hinder aquatic restoration, grazing and fuels management projects. The organizations lobbying federal lawmakers this week include American Rivers, Montanans for Healthy Rivers and Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition.
Eric Ladd, CEO of Outlaw Partners based in Big Sky, said there is strong public support for this bill. A 2020 poll found nearly 80% of Montanans supported the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, and added the protections are crucial for recreation; a big economic driver in the state.
"Recreation is imperative," Ladd stressed. "Fisherman, boaters, hikers, all that type of stuff, they love the rivers more than anybody, and this legislation helps protect that resource but also continues to give them access to it, which is equally important."
Scott noted the bill is a grassroots effort Montanans have worked on for more than a decade, and added time is of the essence.
"With climate ever-changing, threats increasing, we've really got to get this thing passed in order to protect really, truly what makes Montana Montana, and that's our water resources," Scott contended.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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PNS - Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - 2024 Presidential candidates speak at CPAC, public service officials try to restore trust in government, and the Biden Administration might reverse course on detaining families.
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PNS - Tuesday, March 7, 2023 - Closing the primary care gap for Tennesseans, the focus on fish and the NW energy grid in DC, and debunking the non-traditional higher-education stigma.
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Big Sky Connection - The pygmy rabbit lives in sagebrush habitat across the West but is under threat. Groups in the region have filed a petition to protect the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act. Comments from Erik Molvar, executive director, Western Watersheds Project; Vera Smith, senior federal lands policy analyst, Defenders of Wildlife.
Eric Tegethoff
March 7, 2023 - Advocates have filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the smallest rabbit species in North America, the pygmy rabbit. It lives in the so-called Sagebrush Sea of the Intermountain West, which stretches from Oregon to Wyoming. At less than a pound, the rabbit relies on sagebrush to hide from predators and for food.
Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project and also a wildlife biologist, said wildlife agencies are neglecting this species.
"There's not a lot of current research that's happening over the last several years because there hasn't been that possibility of endangered species listing looming on the horizon. We're hoping to step up the research and step up the monitoring of pygmy rabbits and learn a lot more about this disappearing species before it's too late," Molvar said.
Groups across the West filed a petition on Monday to list the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act.
Vera Smith, senior federal lands policy analyst with Defenders of Wildlife, said because the pygmy rabbit relies on sagebrush, a threat to its habitat is a threat to the species, and added wildfires are a growing problem.
"Fire's a natural part of our western habitats and ecosystems, but with climate change fires are becoming bigger and more frequent," she said. "In the past 40 years, we've seen about 26-million acres in the pygmy habitat range burn. That's about 15%."
Smith noted invasive species like cheatgrass also increase the risk from wildfires, and a contagious and deadly virus is threatening pygmy rabbits as well.
Molvar said the species also faces threat from oil and gas development and added protecting sagebrush habitat is key.
"You can't have healthy pygmy rabbit populations without having healthy sagebrush ecosystems," he said.
