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H.R. 6788

U.S. House•In House Committee

Summary

H.R. 6788, the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act, was introduced in the House on Dec 17, 2025 by Rep. Troy Downing (R). It was referred to Subcommittee on Federal Lands, and last saw action on Aug 26, 2026: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Record

Text

H.R. 6788 has no co-sponsors and has not gone to a roll call.

hb6788/introduced.txt
I
  119TH CONGRESS
  1ST SESSION
  H. R. 6788
  To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the State
  of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other purposes.
  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  DECEMBER 17, 2025
  Mr. DOWNING introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
  Committee on Natural Resources
  A BILL
  To release from wilderness study area designation certain
  land in the State of Montana, to improve the manage-
  ment of that land, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
  2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
   SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Montana Sportsmen
  5 Conservation Act’’.
   SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) under the Montana Wilderness Study Act of
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243), 9 wilder-
ness study areas comprising a total of 973,000 acres
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of land in the State of Montana were set aside for
the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the suit-
ability of the wilderness study areas for designation
as wilderness, in accordance with the Wilderness Act
(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), with the evaluation to be
completed not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of the Montana Wilderness Study Act of
1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243);
(2) between 1979 and 1986, the Chief of the
Forest Service—
(A) completed the studies of the 9 wilder-
ness study areas referred to in paragraph (1);
and
(B) based on those studies, determined
that 608,700 acres of the original 973,000
acres designated as wilderness study areas by
the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977
(Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1243) were un-
suitable for inclusion in the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System, including the 81,000
acres within the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness
Study Area;
(3) in 2021, following a 6-year collaborative
process, the Forest Service again determined, in the
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
revision of the Helena Lewis and Clark National
  •HR 6788 IH
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Forest plan, that the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness
Study Area is unsuitable for inclusion in the Na-
tional Wilderness Preservation System;
(4) under the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), 38
wilderness study areas comprising a total of 447,327
acres of land in the State of Montana were set aside
by the Bureau of Land Management to evaluate the
suitability of the wilderness study areas for designa-
tion as wilderness, with the evaluation to be com-
pleted not later than 15 years after the date of en-
actment of that Act;
(5) in 1991, the Director of the Bureau of
Land Management submitted to the President a rec-
ommendation on the suitability for designation of
the areas described in paragraph (4), which was sub-
sequently submitted to Congress, under which the
Director of the Bureau of Land Management deter-
mined that 273,828 acres in the State of Montana
designated as wilderness study areas by the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) were unsuitable for wilderness
designation, including—
(A) the 11,380 acres of land within the
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
Hoodoo Mountain Wilderness Study Area; and
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(B) the 11,580 acres of land within the
Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area;
(6) in 2020, following a 5-year collaborative
process, the Bureau of Land Management, in the re-
vision of the Missoula Resource Management Plan—
(A) reaffirmed that the Hoodoo Mountain
Wilderness Study Area and the Wales Creek
Wilderness Study Area were unsuitable for wil-
derness designation; and
(B) recommended alternative management
parameters for the Hoodoo Mountain Wilder-
ness Study Area and the Wales Creek Wilder-
ness Study Area;
(7) despite the recommendations of the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land Management, after
the completion of the studies for suitability of the
land in the State of Montana designated as wilder-
ness study areas under the Montana Wilderness
Study Act of 1977 (Public Law 95–150; 91 Stat.
1243) and the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)—
(A) over 1,100,000 acres of public land in
the State of Montana remain as wilderness
study areas until Congress acts; and
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  •HR 6788 IH
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(B) over 700,000 acres of public land in
the State of Montana currently designated as
wilderness study areas have been determined
unsuitable for wilderness management;
(8) if the wilderness study area designation was
removed from each of the Middle Fork Judith Wil-
derness Study Area, the Hoodoo Mountain Wilder-
ness Study Area, and the Wales Creek Wilderness
Study Area, land managers would be able to better
conserve and manage the areas in accordance with
applicable land and resource management plans that
retain certain protections for the areas, while pro-
viding for—
(A) enhanced sportsmen opportunities in
the backcountry of Montana;
(B) improved public access; and
(C) the conduct of wildlife habitat and
wildfire mitigation projects;
(9) the applicable land and resource manage-
ment plans referred to in paragraph (8) were devel-
oped through a multi-year, collaborative process sup-
ported by—
(A) resource needs and conditions; and
(B) the best available science; and
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
  •HR 6788 IH
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(10) following release, the respective land man-
agement agencies shall continue managing the areas
described in paragraph (8)—
(A) in accordance with applicable environ-
mental and administrative laws; and
(B) based on local input, multiple-use and
sustained yield principles, and land manage-
ment objectives.
   SEC. 3. RELEASE AND IMPROVED MANAGEMENT OF LAND
COMPRISING CERTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY
AREAS.
(a) MIDDLE FORK JUDITH WILDERNESS STUDY
  13 AREA.—The approximately 81,000 acres of land com-
  14 prising the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area—
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 3(a) of
the Montana Wilderness Study Act of 1977 (Public
Law 95–150; 91 Stat. 1244); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the ap-
plicable land and resource management plan most
recently adopted under section 6 of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).
(b) HOODOO MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA
    AND WALES CREEK WILDERNESS STUDY AREA.—The ap-
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
  25 proximately 11,380 acres of land comprising the Hoodoo
  •HR 6788 IH
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  1 Mountain Wilderness Study Area and the approximately
  2 11,580 acres of land comprising the Wales Creek Wilder-
  3 ness Study Area—
(1) shall no longer be subject to section 603(c)
of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1782(c)); and
(2) shall be managed in accordance with the ap-
plicable land management plans adopted under sec-
tion 202 of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1712).
  Æ
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Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-12-17
  2. Passed House
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other purposes.

Sponsors

Rep. Troy Downing (R) sponsors H.R. 6788 alone.

Troy Downing

Rep. · R–MT-2 · Sponsor

Committees

H.R. 6788 went before 2 committees: Federal Lands Subcommittee and Natural Resources.

Federal Lands Subcommittee
Federal Lands Subcommittee
Hearings By (subcommittee) · Sep 2, 2026 · 34 Bills
Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Referred To · Dec 17, 2025 · 395 Bills

Actions

H.R. 6788 has taken 4 actions since Dec 17, 2025, the latest on Sep 2, 2026.

ChamberAction
Sep 2, 2026
House
Subcommittee Hearings HeldFederal Lands Subcommittee
Aug 26, 2026
House
Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.Federal Lands Subcommittee
Dec 17, 2025
House
Introduced in House
Dec 17, 2025
House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.Natural Resources Committee

Votes

H.R. 6788 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to H.R. 6788, as Identical bill.

Titles

H.R. 6788 goes by 3 titles, 1 of them short titles.

  • Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act — Display Title
  • Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • To release from wilderness study area designation certain land in the State of Montana, to improve the management of that land, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Lobbying

1 client hired 1 firm and 2 registered lobbyists who named H.R. 6788 in 1 quarterly filing, 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Budget/Appropriations, Clean Air and Water (quality), Natural Resources.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
TROUT UNLIMITED—Virginia11—

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

RegistrantClientsFilingsReported
TROUT UNLIMITED11—

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill.

LobbyistFirmsClientsFilings
KADEN MCARTHUR111
LINDSAY SLATER111

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
TROUT UNLIMITEDTROUT UNLIMITED2026 second_quarter$120K2nd Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files H.R. 6788 under Public Lands and Natural Resources, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 4 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; H.R. 6788’s is Public Lands and Natural Resources.

hr6788/policy-areas.txt
Public Lands and Natural ResourcesAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansScience, Technology, CommunicationsSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

H.R. 6788 carries 4 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Environmental assessment, monitoring, research to Wilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats.

hr6788/subjects.txt
Environmental assessment, monitoring, researchLand use and conservationMontanaWilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitats

Constitutional authority

The clause the sponsor cites as Congress’s power to enact H.R. 6788, as entered in the Congressional Record.

[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 17, 2025)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. DOWNING:H.R. 6788.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article 1, Section 8[Page H6024]

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com