Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Prioritizing A Visit to Montana

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

As Montana's sole Congressman, I strongly urge you to prioritize a visit to our state before the conclusion of your final term as President. You will experience firsthand Montana's treasured public lands and abundant natural resources. I can guarantee it will be an incredibly enlightening experience, one that illustrates the beauty and integrity of the West, as well as the economic and energy potential of our great nation.

This year, Montana will help host the centennial celebration for the National Park Service. It is an incredible honor to be involved, as Montana is home to several world-renowned parks which capture the essence of America at its finest. From Glacier National Park, which I am lucky enough to have in my backyard, to Yellowstone National Park, our nation's first park, we are excited to welcome tourists from across the country and world to share in this critical moment in conservation history.

Beyond our National Parks, our abundant natural resources on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land tell an important story about the very tenets of our culture and history. Whether it's our parks, woodlands, or vast grasslands, Montana's public lands are a fundamental part of our way of life. Our farmers, ranchers, miners, and loggers literally feed, power, and shelter this nation. If you travel to Montana, I recommend you visit each of these communities that have traditionally balanced multiple uses by providing recreational access, conserving natural beauty, enhancing our local economies, and supporting countless small businesses. Unfortunately, many of my state's local communities have been hampered by decreased access to the lands off which they live.

Should you travel to Montana, I would like to offer my hospitality and host a tribal roundtable with Montana's eight sovereign nations, a town hall meeting with farmers and ranchers, and a visit to a timber mill where jobs are few and far between.

Each of our tribes are diligently working toward self-preservation and sovereignty; for instance, the Blackfeet Nation is currently in final negotiations with the Department of the Interior and Department of Justice to settle its water compact, which has been pending since the Montana Legislature overwhelmingly approved the language in 2009. Moreover, the Crow Nation has been striving to create additional jobs and enhance the economic vitality of their reservation through the coal reserves they possess. However, due to the staggering overregulation on tribal lands, they have recently had to furlough workers, threatening their ability to provide for their own members. Reservations in Montana often suffer double-digit unemployment rates. They do not want to be reliant on anyone; they want good-paying jobs so they can care for themselves. Please take the time to hear their unique perspectives and appreciate the extraordinary efforts each tribe makes to actualize on their treaty rights.

As President Theodore Roosevelt stated, "Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children." As a proud conservative, conservationist, and Montanan, I cherish our natural heritage as homage to our great nation and work to uphold President Roosevelt's promise to protect the opportunities our public lands present for generations to come. Your visit to Montana will surely capture the remarkable appreciation Montanans collectively have for all our public lands and the natural resources they possess.

From one father to another, I also encourage you to make a family trip to Montana. I can tell you first hand, the kids grow up too fast, and there is no better time spent with them than in the beauty of our National Parks, far away from cell phone coverage.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

RYAN ZINKE

Member of Congress

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