Congress·Reported·S. 3527

Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act

Montana Public Lands: Remove Wilderness Study Status for Three Areas

Dec 17, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

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Next up: The Senate

The Senate must act next: a Senate floor vote.

Legislative Progress

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How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from S. 2216 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
S. 2216 (118th) →

Key Points

Congress would end “wilderness study area” rules for about 81,000 acres in Middle Fork Judith in Montana.
It would also end that status for about 11,380 acres at Hoodoo Mountain and about 11,580 acres at Wales Creek.
After the change, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management would manage these lands under their most recent local land plans instead of extra wilderness-study limits.
Supporters say this could allow better public access, more hunting and fishing opportunities, and more wildlife habitat work and wildfire risk projects.
The bill says normal environmental and public-input laws would still apply, but the areas would no longer be managed as potential future wilderness.

EnvironmentAgricultureInfrastructure

Impact Analysis

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Milestones

4 milestones4 actions

Mar 4, 2026Senate

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Feb 12, 2026Senate

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.

Dec 17, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Dec 17, 2025

Introduced in Senate

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes or news coverage recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act

Bill NumberS 3527

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.