{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/major-montana-wins-included-fy26-interior-appropriations-bill", "Major Montana Wins Included in the FY26 Interior Appropriations Bill", "2025-07-22", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Ryan K. Zinke", "Z000018", "zinke.house.gov", "zinke", "https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Western Montana Congressman and former Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced the inclusion of several key Montana priorities in the FY26 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. As a member of the subcommittee, Zinke has been fighting to ensure that Montanans\u2019 voices are heard, and that critical funding and policies reflect the state\u2019s unique needs. The FY26 Interior Appropriations Bill now heads to the House floor for a vote.\n\n\u201cAs a former Secretary of Interior, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how mismanagement of our public lands from Washington can hurt our communities and how good policy can make a real difference on the ground,\u201d said Zinke. \u201cThis bill gets us back to common sense management. It reverses years of top down bureaucratic regulation that choked our industries, hampered forest management and fire prevention, and shut off access to our lands. The infrastructure investments in this bill will go directly to our communities, funding clean water and allowing for growth. Montanans love our public lands and the outdoor experience; this bill supports multiple use and improves the quality of life for the people who live near and around those lands. It\u2019s a science backed, community led piece of legislation, and I am proud to support it as it heads to the house floor.\u201d\n\nThe bill includes multiple Community Project Funding (CPF) requests from Congressman Zinke that will directly improve water infrastructure in rural communities. Community Project Funding is allocated from previously authorized grant accounts, allowing elected Members of Congress to direct grant funding would otherwise be decided by unelected officials in the federal government, without increasing spending. See all of Congressman Zinke\u2019s FY26 CPF\u2019s here.\n\nGranite County Clean Water Infrastructure Project \u2013 $1.75 million\n\nAlberton Clear Water Infrastructure Project \u2013 $1 million\n\nLolo Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Phase 1 \u2013 $1.75 million\n\n\u201cI would like to thank Congressman Zinke and his team,\u201d said Daniel Reddish, Mayor of Phillipsburg. \u201cThis reflects their total commitment to rural Montana. Promises made, promises kept! Bravo!\u201d\n\nIn addition to direct funding, Zinke successfully included several important policy provisions in the bill:\n\nDelisting 3 Grizzly Bear Populations \u2013 Requires the Department of the Interior to delist the recovered grizzly bear populations in the Greater Yellowstone, Northern Continental, and Bitterroot Ecosystems from the Endangered Species Act (ESA).\n\nThe Cottonwood Fix \u2013 Reinstates a permanent fix to prevent litigious groups from abusing the ESA to delay or block forest management projects, a key victory for wildfire prevention and responsible land stewardship.\n\nWolverine ESA Restriction \u2013 Prohibits funding to list the wolverine under the ESA, consistent with longstanding scientific and state management concerns.\n\nCanadian Lynx ESA Rolled Back \u2013 Blocks enforcement of ESA provisions for the Canadian lynx, allowing more flexibility in forest management and land use.\n\nNative American Ironworker Training Program \u2013 $5 million to reinstate the successful program under the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), helping tribal members access skilled trades and employment opportunities.\n\nForest Roads Access \u2013 Submits bill language to lift restrictions on construction and reconstruction of Forest Service roads to support timber harvest and firefighting operations.\n\nGood Neighbor Authority Expansion \u2013 Encourages the Forest Service to expand use of Good Neighbor Authority agreements with states and tribes to accelerate forest management and wildfire mitigation projects on federal lands.\n\nBison on Charles M. Russell (CMR) Refuge \u2013 Prohibits the introduction of bison on the CMR National Wildlife Refuge, protecting the land\u2019s traditional multiple-use management and safeguarding ranching interests.\n\n\u201cAs someone who went through the Native American Ironworker Training Program , I\u2019ve seen firsthand the impact it can have on individuals and on tribal communities,\u201d said Tom Tanner, a graduate of the program with 32 years of experience in the ironworking trade. \u201cThis program is a smart investment in Americas future; backing the skilled workforce our country needs to rebuild roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure. It trains tribal members for careers that offer good pay, union benefits, and a path to long-term stability. This program\u2019s inclusion in the Interior bill shows a real commitment to skilled trades and job creation and I appreciate Congressman Zinke\u2019s work on this issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a retired wildlife biologist who lives within Montana\u2019s wolverine biological range, I oppose any funding of efforts to list the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act and am glad this language is included in this year\u2019s Interior Appropriations Bill,\u201d said Montana State Representative Paul Fielder. \u201cIf the decision is based on wolverine biology alone, the wolverine should not qualify as either an Endangered or a Threatened species administered under the ESA. Too often agencies use the ESA to try to carve out sub-sets of a plant or animal species home range into \u201cdistinct population segments\u201d, \u201crecovery zones\u201d or some other sub-group. The ESA refers to the Endangered Species Act, not the Endangered Distinct Population Segment Act and this language reflects that.\u201d\n\nRead the full text of the bill HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T14:40:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/major-montana-wins-included-fy26-interior-appropriations-bill"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4907849729061127, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}