From the Sunday, December 10, 2006 online edition of the Great Falls Tribune . . .
A permanent ban on oil, gas and mineral exploration along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front was included in a last-minute package of tax breaks and other legislation that cleared Congress early Saturday. The legislation is now headed to President Bush, who must sign it for it to take effect.
"We expect him to do that. He has not indicated otherwise," said Barrett Kaiser, aide to Sen. Max Baucus, D.-Mont.
The bill passed the Senate by a 79-9 vote.
"This is a major, major victory for Montana. We've been working to pass meaningful protections for the Rocky Mountain Front for 30 years," said Baucus, who added the provision to the larger tax package in the final days of the Senate session.
We finally got it done. We finally protected the Rocky Mountain Front forever," he added. "Thirty years from now, our kids and grandchildren will thank us."
The drilling provision makes permanent a 1997 moratorium on Rocky Mountain Front exploration and makes it easier to retire existing leases.
Read the entire article . . .
Posted by nfpa at December 11, 2006 08:54 PM