Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced that the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed several of his bipartisan bills focused on outdoor and public land issues. These bills are now set to be reviewed by the President. The legislation aims to support gateway communities, address challenges faced by national parks and public lands, streamline the process for issuing special recreation permits, and tackle housing needs in rural areas.

Daines expressed satisfaction with the progress of these bills, stating, "I’m proud to see my bipartisan bills pass the U.S. Senate and head to the president’s desk to be signed into law. This package includes major wins for Montana’s beautiful public lands and I’ll always keep fighting for more ways to protect our outdoor way of life."

The key components of this legislative package include:

“Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act”: This bill addresses issues such as increased visitation and housing shortages in national parks and public lands. It also aims to boost visitation at lesser-known parks and requires a digital version of the America the Beautiful annual pass. The bill was cosponsored by Senator Angus King in the Senate and led by Representatives Ryan Zinke and Mary Peltola in the House.

When this bill passed through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year, Daines remarked, “Montanans know how important our gateway communities are, and supporting the areas around our beautiful national parks and public lands is critical to Montana’s economy. I’ll keep working to get this bill across the finish line.”

“SOAR Act”: The “Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act” seeks to simplify the permitting process required for accessing public lands. Due to Montana's checkerboard land ownership pattern, guides often face multiple permitting processes for a single trip. This act is designed to increase access while supporting small businesses.

“Forest Flexible Housing Partnerships Act”: This legislation reauthorizes a program allowing the Forest Service to lease underutilized administrative sites to meet housing needs in rural communities.