There’s a feeling I get when I step in to wild country. It’s not nervousness, but it’s close. I get that feeling every time I walk up the trail to the Fairview Plateau on the Rocky Mountain Front, or the secret trail that leads to elk and wolves.

That trail leads to a series of parks, interwoven with dark strands of timber:  black tendrils holding my fear and desire. I love it. I’m back on the Rocky Mountain Front, chasing elk, chasing mule deer and whitetail and now, wolves. 

Nearly all of the Rocky Mountain Front — about 98 percent – is officially Inventoried Roadless Area, starting in the Badger Two-Medicine area and Highway 2, heading all the way down to Roger’s Pass and Highway 200. That’s a prime piece of country. It is home to the second largest migratory elk herd in the lower 48, the Sun River Elk Herd. It is home to grizz, wolverine, mule deer, mountain goat, and bighorns. It’s one of the most biologically rich and diverse areas left in the country. For generations, Montanans have worked to manage it and use it wisely, keeping it healthy and productive. That history has lead to the made-in Montana legislation just introduced by Senator Max Baucus. It’s called the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act and it is a huge step toward maintaining the critical habitats of this special piece of Montana exactly as they are – for us today and for future generations.

We here at Montana Wildlife Federation have extolled the wildlife virtues of the Front for years. You all are probably sick of hearing about how over 4,000 elk migrate out of the Sun River Game Preserve out on to the plains, and the Sun River Wildlife Management Area. You’re more than likely aware that a buck that was poached on the Front in 2008 would have been the new state record with a Boone and Crocket typical score of 207 7/8. Stories like one where you can’t get a room in Choteau, Augusta, Fairfield or anywhere else along the Front when pheasant season opener just make you mad.

So we’re not going to talk about that. What we’re going to talk about is how the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act was born from the heart of Montana crafted by Montanans. Mike Aderhold, retired Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 4 Supervisor, said this about the process of coming up with the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act:

“All that knockin’ around during those debates, we formed relationships with people on the other side of the fence.” He’s right.

When it comes down to it, folks can’t think of many ways to improve the Rocky Mountain Front. They agreed strongly that the goal should be to keep this special place the way it is.

Back in 2007, Montana Wildlife Federation was part of the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front; a group of local sportsmen, business owners, ranchers and conservationists. 

That year, the Forest Service came up with the Birch Creek South Travel Plan. In that same era, Sen. Baucus pushed legislation that retired federal mining leases from the Front, a bill signed into law by President George W. Bush.

That was good for wildlife, but it didn’t seal the deal. It lead us to ask – what next?  What’s the plan?

The Coalition met, and decided it was time to set down exactly what we wanted in terms of permanent protection for the Rocky Mountain Front. That conversation carried on for 3 years. Finally we felt like it was time to take the proposal that we had crafted, and re-crafted, public.

The Coalition put on four public meetings in 2009. In Choteau, Helena and Great Falls, approximately 100 people attended each meeting. Augusta had about 70 people. The Coalition received numerous comments, and followed up on most of them. These meetings led to a series of meetings with other organizations, grazing lease holders, outfitters, hunting organizations and a lot of one-on-one outreach by all Coalition members.

The folks in the Coalition listened to all those concerns and folded them into the evolving proposal. (You can find all of the documents showing the changes made, etc at www.savethefront.org). What we heard boiled down to this: Everybody loves the Front. Not in some ethereal sense, but because they know what that earth smells like. They know when it’s going to blow, and they all have opinions on how to best protect what they love. We didn’t agree with some folks, and we worked hard to find consensus with those most affected, but in the end, some folks still opposed us. That’s okay. This is a free country, and people get to disagree with each other. It’s what makes America great.

The product that we ended up with was divided in to three parts. Weed management, modest Wilderness inclusions to the Bob and Scapegoat, and a new designation called a Conservation Management Area. The Conservation Management Area is tailor-made for hunters and anglers. It fits us like a broken-in Filson vest. Game carts, mountain bikes and motorized use (where appropriate) are still the law of the land. The CMA protects our hunting grounds, just as it does the Sun River Elk herd’s migration corridors and security habitat and the lambing grounds for the Bighorns of the West Fork of the Teton.

After several more meetings, and few more after that, the Coalition felt that it was time to ask a member of Congress to come and sit in and listen to what people had to say regarding the Heritage Act. Max agreed. In 2011, more than 450 people showed up to four public meetings in Choteau, Augusta, Great Falls and Helena. 89 people signed up and spoke. Out of that 89, 78 we supportive of the work that the Coalition had done, and offered comments on how they would like to see further refinements made. 11 had concerns or were simply opposed to any protective designations.

The Coalition again met with those who voiced concerns, but this time, Senator Baucus’ office officiated the meeting. After some initial conversations, clear lines were drawn on both sides of the debate, and while what has been introduced is not set in stone, and we know that some changes will come (changes that will no doubt make the bill better) we’re hopeful that something close to it is finally passed.

Senator Max Baucus deserves great thanks for his longtime dedication to preserving our hunting and fishing heritage on the Rocky Mountain Front, and in Montana. This is a big deal. We’re excited and ready to work to get the Heritage Act passed. Montana hunters and anglers always stand up for the Front. It’s our heritage, and more importantly, the Rocky Mountain Front is the American Hunter’s Birthright.

Big game needs big country. Hunters in Montana know that better than anyone. It’s time for the hunters of Montana to stand up, and make sure that our elk will always have the suite of habitats needed to conserve and protect them.

The future is being set today. The American population recently breached 310 million people and the global population has already hit 7 billion.  We need to plan ahead if we are going to keep the things that make Montana special in the pressure of the modern world.

Let’s get this done.

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