In marked contrast to the spectacular display of dysfunction that led to the recent government shutdown in D.C., groups on all sides of a controversial issue in Montana have learned that “all or nothing” tactics usually lead to “nothing”.
For decades, Montana’s wood products industry, environmentalists, hunters and anglers, off-road-vehicle enthusiasts and others fought bitterly over the future of our national forests.
That’s why Senator Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act (FJRA), a bill now making its way through the U.S. Senate, has garnered such favorable praise.
A diverse and bipartisan coalition of Montanans came together to focus on their commonalities and craft a plan that designates wilderness, protects recreation and puts people to work, all with the goal of improving forest management.
“Ultimately, the substance of the bill is paramount,” wrote a group of supporters in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. “But nobody should underestimate the value of the collaborative approach behind FJRA. It’s a break from the win-lose tactics of the past, an example of how we can do more by working together instead of pulling apart.”
(READ the Op/ed in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle)