Don’t wait 25 more years for more Montana wilderness areas

"We the people of Montana, grateful to God for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness of the rolling plains …"

Those words begin the Montana Constitution, adopted by Montanans in 1972. We chose these lofty phrases to capture the essence of this spectacular place we call home.

Rolling plains like those of the Missouri River country and along the Rocky Mountain Front. Grand mountains from the Snowcrest Range to the Whitefish Range. Havens of quiet beauty, from the lush Yaak to the arid Pryor Mountains.

In the spirit of that preamble, we Montanans have made a good start in protecting these treasures.

By TIM BAKER

Full Story: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20081117/OPINION01/811170304/1014/OPINION