The Headwaters Legacy Act will protect some of the West's most iconic recreational rivers—including the Gallatin River, Madison River, and Smith River as well as many other headwater streams of the Upper Missouri River—to ensure they are permanently protected from short-sighted special interests. By protecting these special rivers you are ensuring that generations of anglers, paddlers, and river recreationists will have places to fish, paddle, and enjoy.

Even if you do not call the towns and states around these waters home, they provide are the headwaters of the Missouri River--the longest river in the United States and providing just under half of the flow of the Mississippi River.

This unique legislation brings together conservationists, outfitters, and recreationalists alike, and is supported by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, American Rivers, American Whitewater, the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Gallatin River Task Force.

Montana's Senator Jon Tester has re-introduced the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act. “Protecting public lands in Montana is about preserving the livelihoods of our communities and making sure we pass on that heritage to future generations – and this bill was built from the ground up to do just that,” said Tester. “The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is built on the passionate work of ranchers, conservation organizations, recreationists, and advocates alike, and I’m proud to continue this fight to ensure that clean, free-flowing rivers, untouched by special interests, can be enjoyed by generations of Montanans to come. Together, we’ll get this bill signed into law to protect the rivers, lakes, and land that make Montana the Treasure State. ”

“Whether you like to paddle, fish, or just sit by the water and take it all in, each river in the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act offers visitors exceptional opportunities to connect with some of the most beautiful rivers on the planet,” said Kevin Colburn, National Stewardship Director for American Whitewater. “These rivers’ clean water, majestic scenery, and thriving ecology are an inspiration to all who visit, and protecting these values is a gift we can offer future generations.”  

“The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is community-driven, broadly supported, and deeply vetted legislation crafted by Montanans through a decade of public input,” said Charles Drimal of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “When passed into law, this Wild and Scenic Rivers designation will support Montana’s world class fish and wildlife populations, maintain ecological integrity, safeguard resilient river landscapes in the face of climate change and ensure the Yellowstone and Missouri headwaters remain clean and free-flowing for generations to come.”

“The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act would forever secure some of the most iconic stretches of river in the state, not only for current and future generations, but also for the benefit of Montana’s $7.1 billion outdoor economy,” said  John Sullivan, Board Chair, Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. “The Wild and Scenic designations would preserve what we love about these waterways. It would ensure they remain wild, clean and free-flowing while also preserving public access and many traditional uses of these rivers.”

“The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is our best chance of protecting some of Montana’s most cherished rivers while they’re still relatively healthy,” said Scott Bosse, Northern Rockies Regional Director, American Rivers. “Our rivers need it, local communities want it, and future generations will thank us for it.”

“Protections outlined would preserve habitat, protect future river health, and safeguard against additional impacts that face Montana’s rivers today, and in the future,” said Kristin Gardner, CESO, Gallatin River Task Force. “This legislation is a commitment to keeping Montana’s rivers like the Gallatin healthy, and ensures that we have the right tools to invest in our rivers for future generations.”

“Montana’s rivers are an iconic and critical piece of our state’s outdoor economy, providing essential habitat for healthy fisheries and an economic foundation for communities and businesses across the state,” said Marne Hayes, Director, Business for Montana’s Outdoors. “Senator Tester’s Montana Headwaters Legacy Act establishes the caliber of protections necessary to preserve these rivers today and for the future and secure their unique and irreplaceable values.”

“The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is an investment for future generations and a tool to maintain our most beautiful river corridors across Montana and our entire country,” said Brad Niva, Executive Director, Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky. “Wild rivers and their watersheds need protection so that these unique ecosystems can prosper for the next century and be an oasis for fish, wildlife and visitors alike.”

“Many wild plants that we traditionally harvest for food and ceremony grow right alongside our rivers in riparian landscapes,” said Gerald Gray, Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council. “As a people, we depend on clean water and healthy rivers. Our physiological health, spiritual wellbeing, and economy rely on them. That is why on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council we are proud to endorse the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act.”

“The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is one of the most important pieces of bipartisan legislation in our lifetimes,” said Eric Ladd, Outlaw Partners CEO. “The importance of the MHLA cannot be overstated as this will be a generational piece of legislation that our children and grandchildren will thank us for passing. Clean and healthy waterways are as logical as gravity.”

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.

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Check out this interactive map from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition to find your favorite river.

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