More than 29,000 acres of prime fish and wildlife habitat on the Rocky Mountain Front
to be permanently removed from oil and gas development

WASHINGTON – Following an industry decision to relinquish oil and gas leases on approximately 29,000 acres of federal public lands on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today praised the action as a positive move toward conserving important fish and wildlife habitat and sustaining hunting and fishing opportunities for American citizens.

In announcing the news earlier this afternoon, Montana Sen. Max Baucus referred to the lands encompassed by the leases as “a crown jewel of the West and a sportsmen’s paradise.” Adjacent to Glacier National Park, the leases are located in the Badger-Two Medicine area of Lewis and Clark National Forest and provide crucial habitat for a range of species important to hunters and anglers, including bighorn sheep and cutthroat trout.

Sale of federal leases on the Front has been prohibited since 2006 by a congressional ban, which Baucus helped enact, although existing lease holders retain rights to develop the region.

“The TRCP applauds Senator Baucus’s dedication to safeguarding lands important to sportsmen along the Rocky Mountain Front,” said William Geer, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands and a Montana resident, “and we join the senator in thanking the companies for their decision to help conserve of some of our nation’s most valuable fish and wildlife habitat, unique landscapes and prized hunting and fishing opportunities.”

Please go to trcp.org for the complete story. -- Jay Cassell