Zinke’s New Public Lands Plan Is Trying Something Rare

Ryan Zinke's Introduces Montana Public Lands Bill

Montana's latest public lands proposal is trying to do something that doesn't happen very often in America: give people on both sides of the wilderness debate a little of what they want.

Rep. Ryan Zinke has introduced a bill that would create about 130,000 acres of new wilderness while also opening other public lands to activities like logging, snowmobiling, mountain biking, and off-road vehicles.

According to the Montana Free Press, the proposal, called the A River Runs Through It Act, is focused largely on public lands around the Blackfoot-Clearwater area.

The bill would add new wilderness around Nevada Mountain while also setting aside other areas for recreation and forest restoration. But this isn't a case of one group getting everything they want.

The announcement brought together wilderness advocates, snowmobile and motorbike groups, outfitters, and people from communities including Seeley Lake and Lincoln. And in my opinion, that's what makes this proposal so interesting.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 10: Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) arrives to a caucus meeting with House Republicans on Capitol Hill May 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House Republicans fielded several questions from reporters about their colleague Rep. George Santos (R-NY) who was charged by federal prosecutors in a 13-count indictment that includes charges of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds on Wednesday morning. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Ryan Zinke's Public Lands Bill Faces a Tight Deadline in Congress

When it comes to public lands, things can get pretty heated in Montana. So getting people with very different ideas about how these areas should be used into the same room is a big deal.

There's also a little urgency with this bill. Earlier this year, Zinke announced that he won't seek reelection, and there are only about 40 working days left in the current House session. Whether it actually passes is another question.

Still, if it does, Montana could end up with more protected wilderness in some areas while also giving people more places to snowmobile, mountain bike, ride off-road vehicles, and potentially harvest timber.

Hopefully, we can get back to that kind of approach when it comes to solving disagreements: everybody gets a little bit of what they want.