BOZEMAN, Mont. -- It may be winter but thoughts of sunnier days already are on people's minds in northeastern Montana.

The American Prairie Reserve, a growing, nonprofit conservation project attempting to protect Montana's grasslands, wants the public to see this unique landscape. And there are signs the public wants to see it, too.

Mike Kautz, the group's director of public access and recreation, says reservations quadrupled last year.

The conservation effort butts up against the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Kautz says there's a new hut system on the river.

"We've been working for a couple years now to really widen the options for people wanting to come and explore the grasslands," he states. "We have a hut that's on the Missouri River that, I think, can be a great stop for paddlers doing the wild and scenic Missouri River."

Kautz advises people to be prepared with a full tank of gas and all the supplies they need. The reserve is located in one of the most remote places in the lower 48 states. Reservations for huts and campgrounds are open for 2020.

APR's goal is to safeguard more than 3 million acres of public and private lands, stitching together areas near the Missouri Breaks and Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

This prairie region once was home to some of the largest mammals in North America, including bison, elk and grizzly bears. Now the group wants to bring that thriving habitat back, but Kautz notes it's important that the region remain open to the public.

"Word is getting out that these make a great place for families to go, folks looking for a chance to go out hiking, biking," he states. "They're popular during hunting season, during bird season or rifle season."

APR stewards more than 400,000 acres between Lewistown and the Fort Belknap Reservation.

A bill passed by Congress could expand opportunities for recreation on public lands in places like Montana.

The EXPLORE Act, presented to President Joe Biden last week, would help ensure public lands and recreational areas remain accessible and fund updates for old infrastructure, among other improvements. It comes as the outdoor recreation economy has grown 36% since 2012, according to an Outdoor Recreation Roundtable analysis.

Jessica Zephyrs, vice president of marketing and communications for the Adventure Cycling Association, noted cycling is up 11%, and she has seen increased interest in biking off paved roads.

"What we've really seen growth in are things like bike packing, gravel cycling, E-bike touring, guided tours," Zephyrs outlined. "Getting outside and experiencing nature in the world."

The Great American Rail-Trail could fit the bill. Announced in 2019, it is a nonmotorized trail designed so a user can cross the entire country separated from traffic. The Montana section, which will run from Yellowstone northwest through Saltese, is 25% complete, according to the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Zephyrs pointed out new and used bike sales spiked during the pandemic when more people started recreating outside. She added it is hard to tell if they're still using those bikes as other hobbies have become available again.

"The hope is that we can continue to inspire and empower people to get out on those bikes," Zephyrs emphasized. "Ride in a way that is exciting and empowering for them."

One section of the EXPLORE Act specifically supports biking on long-distance trails. New data show outdoor recreation in the U.S. generated more than $1 trillion in economic output last year, or 2.3% of the nation's gross domestic product.


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A national land trust has purchased 44,000 acres of forest in Northwestern Maine to keep it wild and free for generations to come.

The Hilton Family Forest near Jackman contains mountain peaks, waterfalls and vital habitats for rare plant and animal species like the golden eagle. It is also a popular recreational area for hiking, biking and fishing.

Tom Duffus, vice president and northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said the land will remain open to the public.

"We want to just keep things the same," Duffus explained. "What we've learned from this community so far is how important the stability of these landscapes is to them."

Duffus pointed out his organization purchased the land from the Hilton Family for $44 million and is now working with area communities on a permanent conservation solution.

Duffus stressed protecting the forest from subdivision or development contributes to the state's climate goals and improves climate and wildlife resilience. He added the land will also continue to provide revenue and jobs in the commercial sugaring, forest products and tourism industries.

"Working forests work for nature, they work for people," Duffus emphasized. "That is really the point of keeping all that going in a real sea change of land use that is happening in the forested landscapes around the country."

Maine is the most forested state in the nation and most of that forest is privately owned. Duffus noted there has been high turnover in land ownership since the 1990s, when paper companies began to sell their properties to timber investors. He added The Conservation Fund is helping to build a growing network of protected lands for the public good.

Advocates for public lands access are raising alarms about a lawsuit that could be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Utah has filed a suit arguing the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding about 18.5 million acres of land in the state unconstitutionally, saying it can't keep unappropriated land in perpetuity.

Idaho and twelve other states have joined the suit. They say federally controlled land should be transferred to states.

But Executive Director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, Nick Fasciano, said that would be disastrous for public lands and the people who use them.

"State ownership of land at this scale is a direct path to privatization," said Fasciano. "State budgets do not have the capacity to manage lands at enormous scale like this without selling it off. Idaho has a constitutional mandate to maximize the financial return of the land under its management."

The U.S. Justice Department said Utah's claims are "without merit" in a brief filed with the Supreme Court.

The BLM manages nearly 12 million acres of land in Idaho.

Outdoor recreation has been increasing in Idaho, adding nearly $4 million to the economy in 2023.

Fasciano said hunters, anglers, and other recreationists fear privatization will mean they're cut off from access to public lands.

But he noted that when Congress tried to transfer public lands to states in 2017, there was an overwhelming response from the hunting community and the legislation was dropped.

"Hunters," said Fasciano, "we spend so much of our lives on public lands that we're very invested in these things continuing to be open and public, and prepared to get pretty loud in opposition to this sort of idea."

Fasciano said public input on how lands would be managed could be reduced if the state is in charge as well.

"The federal government has the ability to hold lands in perpetuity and has the financial capability to manage them," said Fasciano. "The state does not. And so, it's not a question of local versus federal management. It's a question of whether or not these are open and accessible to the public and available for habitat for wildlife or if they're not. And that's the big fear."




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