This morning Senator Tester’s bill, the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, was heard in front of the Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Sub-Committee. The bill would permanently withdraw federal mineral rights on 30,000 acres of public land in the Custer Gallatin National Forest adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and Yellowstone National Park. The bill would also eliminate the ability for proposed mines to expand onto unclaimed public land. Tester said “responsible natural resource development plays an important role in Montana’s economy, but there are simply some places where you just should not dig or drill, and the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park is one of those places.”
Thank you Senator Tester for bringing this bill which will ensure cold, clean water for trout and anglers, healthy habitat for elk and hunters, and sustainable economic activity for Montana’s communities.
