New wilderness areas, increased logging requirements, and permanent recreation areas could be in Montana's future as U.S. Senator John Tester plans to reintroduce the forest bill when congress convenes.

MISSOULA — A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester says the Democrat plans to reintroduce his forest bill that would create new wilderness areas in parts of the Montana, increase logging requirements and establish permanent recreation areas.

Spokesman Aaron Murphy tells the Missoulian that the bill will be introduced at the start of the 112th session of Congress.

He says the bill will be in the same form as it appeared in the final days of the 111th Congress when it was added to a huge catchall spending measure.

That spending measure was ultimately abandoned after an outcry from conservatives who complained it was stuffed with more than $8 billion in pet projects known as earmarks.

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