Montana US Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) says he’ll try to push through five natural resources bills in the lame-duck legislative session which will take place after the November election.
Sen. Daines bills include funding for the land and water conservation fund, which pays for access to public lands across Montana.
He’s also seeking approval of the Restore Our Parks Act which will provide funding for billions in deferred maintenance at national parks and the Yellowstone Gateway Act which would make permanent a mining ban on 30,000 acres adjoining Yellowstone National Park.
Sen. Daines is still pushing for the Healthier Forests Act which would create expedited arbitration rather than court fights over timber cutting permits and the Clean Water for Rural Communities Act, would authorize a water system for several eastern Montana counties.
Sen. Daines says bipartisan support means there’s a good chance the bills can be passed before the end of the year.
“Just in the last month that has gotten Republicans in the Senate, Democrats in the Senate, as well as the administration and secretary Zinke fully on board to fund this nearly $12 billion backlog we face,” Sen. Daines said.
The Republican is formally asking the leaders of the US House and US Senate to schedule the bills for votes before the first of the year.
