Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, made the case Wednesday for his Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act in a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill.

The measure was heard in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“This bill wasn’t drafted in a backroom in Washington, D.C. or influenced by D.C. lobbyists,” Tester said. “This bill was started over 10 years ago when folks worked with their neighbors and came to an agreement.”

Tester emphasized that the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act protects some of the last untouched landscapes in the lower 48. Missoula County signed on this week in support of the measure.

“Thousands of years ago glaciers cut through this valley to create one of the most special places in this country,” Tester added. “God doesn’t make places like this anymore and the folks who call this place home have decided they want to protect it for their kids and their grandkids.”