Tester, Daines, and Gianforte’s Bill to Protect East Rosebud Creek Clears House

Landmark Bill Will Designate East Rosebud as “Wild and Scenic”

(U.S. Congress)—The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation to safeguard East Rosebud Creek by Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte.

The bipartisan legislation will protect 20 miles of the East Rosebud in south-central Montana as part of the Wild and Scenic River System.

“Montanans have fought for decades to protect the East Rosebud for future generations,” Tester said. “The finish line is in sight, and we won’t take our foot off the gas until this bill is signed into law so Montana families can fish and float on the East Rosebud for years to come.”

“Just last month, my family and two dogs hiked around East Rosebud Lake,” said Daines. “This bipartisan, Montana-driven bill is now one step closer to being signed into law so that this river is protected for future generations to come.”

“East Rosebud Creek is one of our natural treasures that deserves protection,” Gianforte said. “I met with area residents and local business owners, heard their concerns, and stand with them in wanting to conserve the creek. This bipartisan bill will ensure generations of Montanans to come will enjoy East Rosebud Creek as much as my family and I have.”

The Senate passed legislation to designate the East Rosebud as “wild and scenic” last December.

The Senate and House of Representatives must now agree to the same bill before it can go to the President’s desk to become law.

East Rosebud Creek originates in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and flows out to the prairie where it joins the Yellowstone River just west of Columbus. No private land will be impacted by this legislation.

In 1968, Congress passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to preserve rivers with cultural and recreational value in their free-flowing condition for present and future generations. Less than one-half of one percent of Montana’s approximately 170,000 miles of river is designated as “wild and scenic.”