Montanans divided on new wilderness areas

HELENA — Whether to designate new federal wilderness areas in Montana leaves state residents divided about evenly, according to a statewide poll.

Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they support designating more wilderness areas, 48 percent were opposed and 6 percent undecided. The poll’s margin of error is 4 percentage points.

The Lee Newspapers of Montana commissioned the poll conducted Dec. 13-14 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research of Washington, D.C. Pollsters questioned, by telephone, 625 people who said they were registered voters.

The federal Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to set aside certain federal lands as perpetual primitive areas, free of roads, dams, logging, mining and certain other changes. Use of motorcycles and other motorized equipment is prohibited.

A push to obtain more wilderness designations in Montana picked up recently through a Montana Wilderness Association campaign.

Montana’s 15 wilderness areas encompass 3.4 million acres, or about 3.7 percent of all land in the state. Wilderness advocates say that is not enough.

Pristine areas must be protected partly because they contribute to an image that draws visitors to Montana, strengthening the tourism industry, the advocates say. Opponents say wilderness designations restrict natural resources projects, such as logging, that would help Montana’s economy.