Momentum matters. When it comes to passing federal conservation legislation in Washington D.C., it's important for vocal proponents to keep a steady chorus.  When local government leaders lend their support to the cause, that drumbeat grows even louder and is hard to ignore in the halls of Congress. 

This past month, GYC and our partners at Montanans for Healthy Rivers worked with a group of local business proprietors and landowners to win two new important endorsements for the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act. The Gallatin County Commission and the Park County Commission have now officially endorsed the legislation. Through persuasive public testimony, we were even able to flip the vote of a Gallatin County commissioner who had been an opponent just a few years ago.  

The vote of the Gallatin County Commission’s support for the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act was followed by public clapping in the general meeting room – a first, according to the commission chairman, who had never heard handclapping in the chamber before. The vote was also lauded in the press by the Bozeman Daily Chronicle editorial board and in an op-ed by Casey Sheahan, CEO of Simms Fishing Company. 

In the American West, county commissioners have a lot of clout. Both county commission votes, therefore, are important outcomes. Now, more than ever before, Montana’s US Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT) - two delegates that have not taken a stance on the topic – must acknowledge the enormous support that exists for the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act. This legislation now has endorsements from county commissions in Carbon, Gallatin, Madison, and Park counties.  

Wild, free-flowing rivers are the lifeblood of Greater Yellowstone. They provide extraordinary natural scenery, habitat for aquatic species, world-class recreational opportunities, drinking and irrigation water, and so much more. The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, which would protect 385 miles of Montana’s streams, will secure these rivers’ future by adding them to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.  

The groundbreaking Montana Headwaters Legacy Act didn’t get this far overnight. It took over a decade of conversations with a wide range of people from diverse perspectives. The resulting legislation represents the next big step in Greater Yellowstone river conservation. Once passed, it will protect parts of the Yellowstone, Gallatin, and Madison, and a host of other world-class rivers as Wild and Scenic, the highest form of river protection in the U.S.  

Thanks to our champion, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act was reintroduced into the Senate in June 2021. The next step is for the legislation to receive a hearing with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. From there, the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act will need to pass in the Senate and move to the House. If passed by the House, it will then head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.  

To move the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act through Congress, it will be helpful to have the support of Montana’s other Congressional officials: Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT). With their backing, the future of Greater Yellowstone’s rivers will be secure that much sooner. If you’re a Montana resident, please help us out by writing an email to Senator Daines and Representative Rosendale TODAY!

— Charles Drimal, Deputy Director of Conservation  

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.