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Daines’ legislation prevents President Obama from unilaterally locking up Montana lands, ensures Montanans’ voices are heard

 Congressman Steve Daines today testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environment Regulation on the Montana Land Sovereignty Act, a bill recently introduced by Daines to prevent the President from designating new national monuments in Montana without Congressional approval and local input.

Daines’ testimony may be viewed here

Video of Daines’ testimony may be downloaded here

“My bill, the Montana Land Sovereignty Act, insists that our state and our local communities must be part of the discussion,” Daines stated in his testimony. “Any bill that has the potential to impact land management must be locally driven, and not spearheaded in Washington by the stroke of a President’s pen. That’s how we do business back home in Montana.”

During his testimony, Daines highlighted recent proposals from the Obama administration and the Department of Interior to use the Antiquities Act to unilaterally designate over a million acres of land along Montana’s Hi-Line, connecting Canada’s Grasslands National Park to the Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area, as a national monument.

“The gymnasiums in eastern Montana were full of concerned citizens—ranchers, farmers, those who had grown up for generations with roots there—around what the federal government was going to do here to take this land away from the uses of the public,” Daines said. “As many have said before, what we’re talking about is the need for the people to have a voice in this process.”

Daines recently completed a two-week statewide tour of Montana’s natural resources in order to hear first-hand Montanans’ concerns over the management of the state’s resources.  During the tour, Montanans stressed the need for more local input and bipartisan policies that take Montanans’ needs into account.

Montana Support for Montana Land Sovereignty Act

Lesley Robinson, Phillips County Commissioner, Chair of Montana Association of Counties Public Lands Committee and Vice-Chair of the Public Lands Committee for the National Association of Counties: “I appreciate that Congressman Daines is leading the way to protect Montanans’ points of view in the management of our state’s natural resources. Too often, the executive branch has abandoned the original intent of the Antiquities Act by threating to unilaterally set aside lands without allowing Montanans to have a voice in such decisions. To truly be successful, any effort has to have local support and be community driven. Decisions can’t be driven from the top down.”

Kerry White, executive board member of Citizens for Balanced Use: “The Obama administration’s abuse of the Antiquities Act is an affront to the thousands of Montanans who enjoy our state’s resources every day. The citizens of Montana depend on access to these lands for responsible resource development, multiple use recreation and jobs that support the local communities. I am thankful that Congressman Daines is fighting back against the Administration’s efforts to further restrict Montana’s lands, without any input from the people most affected by these policies.  The Montana Land Sovereignty Act is a great step toward protecting Montanans’ ability to best manage our state’s resources.”

George Trischman, Montana Stockgrowers Association member and Montana Public Lands Council Chairman: “It is important that all Montanans have a voice in these significant types of land use designations. This legislation will ensure a fair and open process for landowners and others to engage in and guarantee that our voices are heard.  We appreciate Congressman Daines foresight in bringing this legislation forward and taking a proactive approach to this important issue.”

Background on Daines’ Legislation

The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the President to create national monuments on federal lands in emergency situations to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest from imminent harm.

In recent years, the Obama administration has suggested using the Antiquities Act as a means to circumvent Congress and designate large parcels of land as “national monuments,” without Congressional approval or local input.

Congress exempted Wyoming from the Antiquities Act in 1950. Daines’ legislation would provide Montana with the same designation.

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