Jon Tester: “So that has already been done. I want to thank my colleague Senator Walsh for attempting to bring up the North Fork…”

“So that has already been done. I want to thank my colleague Senator Walsh for attempting to bring up the North Fork Watershed Protection Act for a vote. I also want to echo his frustration that once again politics is trumping good policy. The North Fork bill is a Montana-made bill. Folks back home who support this bill are from all political sides of the spectrum. It has wide bipartisan support. Members of both parties, as Senator Walsh pointed out, voted it out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Yet today two Senators--whom I would challenge to find the North Fork on a map--have decided to hold this bill up. Let me remind them what this bill does. It ensures access along the North Fork for hunters and anglers who contribute to Montana's $6 billion outdoor economy. If you want to talk about economic development, this is an incredible driver. The bill also honors a commitment to our neighbor to the north, Canada. Three years ago British Columbia signed an agreement to retire oil and gas leases on their side of the border, expecting us to protect the region as well. This bill guarantees we hold up our end of the bargain, and it ensures we pass along our outdoor way of life. I should also point out that Exxon and Conoco both have also given up their leases in this region. Why? Because this drainage feeds Flathead Lake, which is the largest freshwater body of water west of the Mississippi. It is an incredible ecosystem.…”