,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cebg ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ag1 #bjbe,mr4 ,daines 7for himself and ,mr4 ,sheehy7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,natural ,resources ,a ,,bill ,to release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the ,state of ,montana1 to improve the management of that land1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,montana ,sportsmen ,conservation ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7 under the ,montana ,wilderness ,study ,act of #aigg 7,public ,law #ie-aej2 #ia ,stat4 #abdc71 #i wilderness study areas comprising a total of #igc1jjj acres of land in the ,state of ,montana were set aside for the ,secretary of ,agriculture to evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for designation as wilderness1 in accordance with the ,wilderness ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aaca et seq471 with the evaluation to be completed not later than #e years after the date of enactment of the ,montana ,wilderness ,study ,act of #aigg 7,public ,law #ie-aej2 #ia ,stat4 #abdc72 7#b7 between #aigi and #aihf1 the ,chief of the ,forest ,service-- 7,a7 completed the studies of the #i wilderness study areas referred to in paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 based on those studies1 determined that #fjh1gjj acres of the original #igc1jjj acres designated as wilderness study areas by the ,montana ,wilderness ,study ,act of #aigg 7,public ,law #ie-aej2 #ia ,stat4 #abdc7 were unsuitable for inclusion in the ,national ,wilderness ,preservation ,system1 including the #ha1jjj acres within the ,middle ,fork ,judith ,wilderness ,study ,area2 7#c7 in #bjba1 following a #f-year collaborative process1 the ,forest ,service again determined1 in the revision of the ,helena ,lewis and ,clark ,national ,forest plan1 that the ,middle ,fork ,judith ,wilderness ,study ,area is unsuitable for inclusion in the ,national ,wilderness ,preservation ,system2 7#d7 under the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq471 #ch wilderness study areas comprising a total of #ddg1cbg acres of land in the ,state of ,montana were set aside by the ,bureau of ,land ,management to evaluate the suitability of the wilderness study areas for designation as wilderness1 with the evaluation to be completed not later than #ae years after the date of enactment of that ,act2 7#e7 in #aiia1 the ,director of the ,bureau of ,land ,management submitted to the ,president a recommendation on the suitability for designation of the areas described in paragraph 7#d71 which was subsequently submitted to ,congress1 under which the ,director of the ,bureau of ,land ,management determined that #bgc1hbh acres in the ,state of ,montana designated as wilderness study areas by the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq47 were unsuitable for wilderness designation1 including-- 7,a7 the #aa1chj acres of land within the ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area2 and 7,b7 the #aa1ehj acres of land within the ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area2 7#f7 in #bjbj1 following a #e-year collaborative process1 the ,bureau of ,land ,management1 in the revision of the ,missoula ,resource ,management ,plan-- 7,a7 reaffirmed that the ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area and the ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area were unsuitable for wilderness designation2 and 7,b7 recommended alternative management parameters for the ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area and the ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area2 7#g7 despite the recommendations of the ,forest ,service and the ,bureau of ,land ,management1 after the completion of the studies for suitability of the land in the ,state of ,montana designated as wilderness study areas under the ,montana ,wilderness ,study ,act of #aigg 7,public ,law #ie-aej2 #ia ,stat4 #abdc7 and the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq47-- 7,a7 over #a1ajj1jjj acres of public land in the ,state of ,montana remain as wilderness study areas until ,congress acts2 and 7,b7 over #gjj1jjj acres of public land in the ,state of ,montana currently designated as wilderness study areas have been determined unsuitable for wilderness management2 7#h7 if the wilderness study area designation was removed from each of the ,middle ,fork ,judith ,wilderness ,study ,area1 the ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area1 and the ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area1 land managers would be able to better conserve and manage the areas in accordance with applicable land and resource management plans that retain certain protections for the areas1 while providing for-- 7,a7 enhanced sportsmen opportunities in the backcountry of ,montana2 7,b7 improved public access2 and 7,c7 the conduct of wildlife habitat and wildfire mitigation projects2 7#i7 the applicable land and resource management plans referred to in paragraph 7#h7 were developed through a multi-year1 collaborative process supported by-- 7,a7 resource needs and conditions2 and 7,b7 the best available science2 and 7#aj7 following release1 the respective land management agencies shall continue managing the areas described in paragraph 7#h7-- 7,a7 in accordance with applicable environmental and administrative laws2 and 7,b7 based on local input1 multiple-use and sustained yield principles1 and land management objectives4 #c4 ,release and improved management of land comprising certain wilderness study areas 7a7 ,middle ,fork ,judith ,wilderness ,study ,area ,the approximately #ha1jjj acres of land comprising the ,middle ,fork ,judith ,wilderness ,study ,area-- 7#a7 shall no longer be subject to section #c7;a7 of the ,montana ,wilderness ,study ,act of #aigg 7,public ,law #ie-aej2 #ia ,stat4 #abdd72 and 7#b7 shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land and resource management plan most recently adopted under section #f of the ,forest and ,rangeland ,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afjd74 7b7 ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area and ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area ,the approximately #aa1chj acres of land comprising the ,hoodoo ,mountain ,wilderness ,study ,area and the approximately #aa1ehj acres of land comprising the ,wales ,creek ,wilderness ,study ,area-- 7#a7 shall no longer be subject to section #fjc7;c7 of the ,federal ,land ,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #aghb7;c772 and 7#b7 shall be managed in accordance with the applicable land management plans adopted under section #bjb of that ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agab74