Why we care about these lands and waters
- Grizzly bears, Canada lynx, mountain goats, elk, and a host of other wildlife depend on the Blackfoot’s wild public lands.
- Native bull and westslope cutthroat trout thrive here thanks to the clean, cold, and connected waters that feed the Blackfoot River.
- Local economies – from Seeley Lake to Ovando to Missoula – rely on fishing, hunting, boating, hiking, snowmobiling, and other outdoor recreation, as well as on forest restoration work.
The history
In the early 2000s, Wild Montana helped convene a coalition of timber mill workers, ranchers, outfitters, conservationists, snowmobilers, business owners, and others in western Montana’s Blackfoot and Clearwater Valleys. Called the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP), the coalition is rooted in the belief that when neighbors put aside differences and find common ground for the good of their community and public lands, good things happen.
The project’s genesis was in 2001, when local snowmobilers sought access to the Elsina Bowls in the Mission Mountains. Working together, motorized recreation and conservation advocates reached an agreement to secure additional winter recreation opportunities in a select area of the Missions in exchange for Wilderness designation for a portion of the West Fork of the Clearwater River.
In 2003, the Lolo National Forest amended its Forest Plan to allow winter motorized access in the negotiated area. Building on relationships developed over the past few years conservationists, snowmobilers, outfitters, timber industry representatives, business owners, and sportsmen began discussing how to develop and implement a shared vision for the future of the entire Seeley Lake Ranger District.
In 2008, all stakeholders forged an agreement to protect priority lands as Wilderness, support forest management through restoration funding, and designate permanent recreation sites. And in 2009, the BCSP achieved one of its primary goals: getting Congress to pass the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, which creates funding opportunities for forest restoration. The program enabled the BCSP to launch the Southwestern Crown of the Continent Collaborative.
According to the most recent data, the SWCC has created or maintained an average of 153 jobs, brought in $34 million in federal investments, and led to an overall investment of $57 million in the local economy. The SWCC has, so far, treated 57,040 acres for noxious weeds, restored 204 miles of stream, and maintained 3,431 miles of trails.
The conservation and recreation components of the BCSP are contained in the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, championed by Sen. Jon Tester first as part of the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act and now as a standalone bill.