Sens. Baucus & Tester introduce Legislation to Protect Glacier National Park for Future Generations
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | January 31, 2011 |
| Contact: | Michael Jamison Glacier Field Office, Whitefish, MT National Parks Conservation Association (406) 862-6722; mjamison@npca.org |
Sens. Baucus & Tester introduce Legislation to Protect Glacier National Park for Future Generations
Bill would withdraw North & Middle Forks from mining and industrialization, preserving the area’s economy, air, water, wildlife and natural beauty
Whitefish, MT — The long-term preservation of Glacier National Park, Flathead River and Flathead Lake received a major boost today thanks to legislation introduced by Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, two of the park’s leading champions. The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) applauds Baucus and Tester’s legislation, which will, in conjunction with ongoing efforts in Canada, help prevent new mining, oil and gas drilling and coal bed gas extraction on both sides of the international border.
“With the support and stewardship of Montana’s congressional delegation, we know this legislation will pass,” NPCA Glacier Program Manager Michael Jamison said. “For more than 30 years Senator Baucus has joined Montanans to fight for the protection of this pristine corner of America from upstream threats. Today we are closer than ever to ensuring this legacy.”
The bill places a moratorium on future federal lands leases in the North & Middle Fork of the Flathead drainage, which flow into Flathead Lake form the southwestern boundary of Glacier National Park. These protections will help to preserve both the natural beauty of the area and its importance to the local economy; two million people visit Glacier each year spending an estimated $150 million in the Flathead Valley.
“The protection of Glacier National Park and the Flathead River is vital for the health and economic well-being of the people of Montana and for the future of our fish and wildlife,” Jamison added.
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