Political Quotes

“Montana Public Lands Wilderness Designation January 7, 1993 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) I am pleased to submit for congressional consideration and passage the ``Montana Public Lands Wilderness Act''. The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), directs the Secretary of the Interior to review the wilderness potential of the public lands. The review of the areas identified in Montana began immediately after the enactment of FLPMA and has now been completed. Approximately 470,443 acres of public lands in 46 areas in Montana met the minimum wilderness criteria and were designated as wilderness study areas (WSAs). Six WSAs containing 17,880 acres were subsequently released from further wilderness review through the Bureau of Land Management's land use planning process, and four other small areas containing approximately 5,236 acres will be studied in future land use plans and are not included in the recommendations. The remaining 36 areas were studied and analyzed during the review process and the results documented in nine environmental impact statements and two instant study area reports. Based on the studies and reviews of the WSAs, the Secretary of the Interior recommends that all or part of 15 of the WSAs, totaling 173,499 acres of public lands, be designated as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.…”