After more than 10 years of grassroots efforts to gain widespread support in the Idaho Panhandle and into Western Montana, a bill to designate an Idaho portion of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness has been introduced in Congress.

Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) introduced the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Act of 2016. The legislation would designate approximately 13,900 acres of Idaho’s Scotchman Peaks as a Wilderness Area. 

A larger portion of proposed wilderness on the Montana side of the area northeast of Clark Fork, Idaho, apparently would have to be dealt with in a Montana-sponsored bill.  The total that's been proposed by advocates and approved by the Forest Service is 88,000 acres.

The bill still must navigate public  hearings, two houses of the 115th Congress/Rich Landers, SR Outdoors. More here.