Restoring Montana’s Storied Blackfoot River
Decades of restoration efforts have begun to pay off on Montana’s most famous river.
Sport Hawk | 3.8.19
Although the health of Montana’s most iconic fly fishing destination—the Blackfoot River—has improved dramatically during the last three decades, there is still much work to do. From native cutthroat and bull trout to majestic forests of larch and lodgepole, the Blackfoot River watershed is one of Big Sky country’s marquee natural attractions. During the 1970s and 80s, abusive logging and mining practices took their toll, leaving Montanans to wonder whether they’d ever again enjoy the river that was, as author Norman Maclean put it, “cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.”
Today, thanks to years of clean-up, the Blackfoot is one of the most popular rivers in the state. The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA), introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D) in 2017, aims to continue that effort. Touted as a model of local, broad-based conservation, bipartisan support, and reasoned compromise, the BCSA would add nearly 80,000 acres to the edges of the nearby Bob Marshall Wilderness, as well as provide for designated snowmobiling units, forest restoration efforts, and local jobs in both the logging and outdoor recreation industries. According to a University of Montana poll, the act enjoys majority support from both Democrat and Republican voters in the state. The Montana Wilderness Association has produced a video highlighting the natural attributes of Montana’s most famous watershed. To learn more and voice your support, visit the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project