The Montana National Forest Management Act (S. 1696), introduced by Montana Senators Conrad Burns (R) and Max Baucus (D), designates only 1.1 million of six million acres of Montana's undeveloped national forest lands as wilderness. Montana's forest lands and wilderness are home to grizzly bears and other threatened or endangered wildlife. Environmentalists feel strongly that the lands should be preserved and protected. In contrast, the lands covered by S. 1696 are not the areas most at risk of development.

S. 1696 would "release" 4 million acres of roadless wilderness areas for logging, mining, oil drilling, road construction, and other uses. Moreover, the bill does not provide adequate protection for the water resources within the wilderness areas. The bill also limits judicial review of forest management decisions concerning the use of non-wilderness lands; this is of particular concern to environmentalists because it would prevent the public from challenging agency decisions allowing logging and other activities.

Environmentalists assert that the Montana National Forest Management Act does not adequately protect Montana`s forest lands. S. 1696 was adopted 75-22 on March 26, 1992. NO is the pro-environment vote.