Long-time outfitter: It's time for everyone to get behind legislation

I’ve devoted my life to sharing our beloved Bob Marshall Wilderness country with folks from all over the world. For over 50 years I’ve made my living introducing this beautiful natural treasure with others. During my “retirement” I’ve been teaching folks the valuable skills of how to survive and thrive in the wilderness, including our military servicemen and women who use those skills to help defend our country’s interests abroad.

For the better part of a decade I’ve had the pleasure of working side by side with honest, thoughtful, hardworking Montanans to develop a landscape-scale solution to public land issues in the Blackfoot and Clearwater valleys. Our result is the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project.

The project is a balanced proposal. We’ve spent countless hours around the kitchen tables of our neighbors to reach an agreement that works for all of us. Recently we’ve brought in new supporters including mountain bikers. To get there we’ve all had to compromise to reach an agreement the benefits the greater good.

Last year, Sen. Tester recognized the value of our 12-year collaboration by introducing the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act — which recognizes all of our collaborative, grassroots, Montana-made efforts. Now the stewardship act is working its way through Congress.

Our government is for the people and by the people, not for a select few. Hardworking locals, folks who make their living off the land, crafted the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. It is supported by 74 percent of Montanans. Even more Republicans support it than Democrats — so where is the support of Sen. Daines and Congressman Gianforte? So far they have not listened to the people. Now is the time for them to listen and to do what we have sent them to Washington, D.C., to do: pass common-sense legislation that makes us all better off.

In a recent meeting, Sen. Daines made clear to our Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project Steering Committee that he would not support the strwardship act unless his recently introduced wilderness study area elimination bill, S.2206, advances along with it. S. 2206 has absolutely nothing to do with the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. The BCSA passage should not be tied to — or made more controversial by —any unrelated legislation.

There are countless other collaboratives in Montana who are working hard to realize their own collaborative visions in their own Montana backyards. What message does it send to them if efforts like the Blackfoot-Clearwater can’t be passed or becomes part of the all-too-familiar Washington, D.C., political football?

The stewardship act stands on its own merits. It’s time to reward collaboration. It’s time to do the right thing for Montana. We want our delegation to unite behind the legislation the way loggers, conservationists, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, businesses and more have united behind it. It’s time for Sen. Daines and Rep. Gianforte to support the bill and work with Sen. Tester to pass it into law.

In Montana, we’ve always put partisan politics aside and worked for the greater good. That is what the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act represents for our forests and our communities. It’s time to get it done.

Smoke Elser is a long-time Montana outfitter and currently resides in Missoula.