I was pleased to read in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) re-introduced the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) to the U.S. House of Representatives last Wednesday. NREPA leaves no Roadless Areas as “sacrifice zones.” All inventoried roadless areas in the Northern Rockies bioregion would be designated as wilderness under the provisions of the Wilderness Act, totaling about 23 million acres in 5 states (Montana, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming).
Another key provision of the ecosystem-based bill implements critical habitat protection within biological linkage corridors that protect genetic interchange and migration routes important for threatened and endangered species recovery.
I did find one thing odd in the article, however. Does anyone know what Sen. Tester is talking about when he says “… top-down …?” BDC Excerpt: “NREPA ‘fails to meet the needs of the Montanans who work and live on the landscape, and represents a top-down approach to management that leads to bad bills and poor results for our state,’ Tester said.” What could be more “top-down” (“… just following orders …”) than the USFS-USDA?
He seems to be conceding that some higher power than either he, or the entire Montana delegation, is intervening. Could that higher power be the trans-national banking cartel, which he seems to have no problem with as a trusted (subordinate) member of the Senate Banking Committee? Or maybe it’s “Easterners,” a prime source for DNC Senate campaign financing?
Steve Kelly
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 3/19/21