Before he leaves office, Rep. Ryan Zinke plans to ask Congress to protect Wilderness and recreation in the Blackfoot Valley. The “A River Runs Through It Act” looks to bring together decades of local conservation work to shape the future of 430,000 acres. The plan seeks to merge previous major conservation and recreation proposals in the area into one single landscape-scale approach, highlighting shared use. Zinke’s office says it would expand recreation and conserve public land and access, while allowing for forest restoration, timber harvests and reduction of wildfire risk. The plan proposes new trails and changes to some of the area’s Wilderness designations, including creating a new Wilderness area on Nevada Mountain. The “A River Runs Through It Act” is supported by a host of local residents, leaders and environmental, recreation and timber industry groups, who say it is an example of collaborative conservation.