Troy Downing (R-MT)
Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Subcommittee Hearings Held
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act seeks to release certain lands in Montana from their wilderness study area designations. The bill targets the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area, the Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area, and the Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area. By removing these designations, the bill aims to improve land management and provide better opportunities for sportsmen. These specific areas have been determined unsuitable for wilderness designation by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Following their release, the lands will be managed according to their respective applicable land and resource management plans.
Yes
- Scored +3
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill allows land managers to conduct wildlife habitat and wildfire mitigation projects to better manage the land.
- Scored +3
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The bill enhances public access and sportsmen opportunities in specific Montana backcountry areas.
- Scored +2
Does this invest in rural communities?
The bill provides enhanced sportsmen opportunities and improved public access to Montana backcountry.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Sportsmen Opportunities: Removing the wilderness study area designation is intended to provide enhanced sportsmen opportunities in the Montana backcountry (Section 2, paragraph 8A).
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Improved Public Access: The bill aims to provide improved public access to these specific areas (Section 2, paragraph 8B).
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Wildlife and Wildfire Management: The change is intended to allow for the conduct of wildlife habitat and wildfire mitigation projects (Section 2, paragraph 8C).
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Better Land Management: Releasing the areas from wilderness study status is intended to allow land managers to better conserve and manage the areas in accordance with existing land and resource management plans (Section 2, paragraph 8).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill allows land managers to conduct wildlife habitat and wildfire mitigation projects to better manage the land. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill provides enhanced sportsmen opportunities and improved public access to Montana backcountry.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill enhances public access and sportsmen opportunities in specific Montana backcountry areas.
- 9/2/2026
- Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 8/26/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
- 12/17/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.