Press conference remarks by Gov. Judy Martz on the Presidential designation of the Upper Missouri River National Monument

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January 17, 2001

I am strongly opposed, mightily disappointed, yet hardly surprised that the Clinton administration pulled one more fast one on a western state by declaring the Upper Missouri region and Pompeys Pillar as monuments. It is a sad day when our president circumvents the people he serves to capitulate to his special interest sponsors.

However, this is not the last day or the final word on this matter. A new administration in Helena and Washington are within hours of officially working together to include the habitants of Montana in the discussion of a status for the Upper Missouri River.

We will not ignore their advice. We will not spurn their participation. We will not forget the generations and the decades which demonstrate a legacy of good stewardship of this cherished region.

The designation takes in close to 500,000 acres of federal, state and private property. It also contains significant natural gas reserves, which will be questionable as to the potential for development. The designation ignores the countless hours of bipartisan work by the Central Missouri Resource Advisory Committee, appointed by Babbitt to make recommendations on management of the area.

The RAC proposed significant bipartisan solutions, and with time, I believe we could have reached consensus on the remaining controversial issues, such as oil and gas development, mining activities and timber harvesting.

President Clinton, through his Interior Secretary, chose to ignore those recommendations. Now his management plan will render the comments of the RAC no more significant than the comments from a New Yorker.

President Clinton has chosen to keep the very people who live on this land out of the loop. We look forward with optimism and hope to a new administration in Washington who will welcome us back to the table to work toward solutions together.

The decision by the Clinton administration announced today affects nearly 40,000 acres of State land, and 80,000 plus acres of private land. I applaud the Legislature for sending a strong message by passing a joint resolution opposing the designation.