On April 11th at the Rialto in Bozeman, MT and on April 18th at Art House Cinema & Pub in Billings, MT, American Rivers and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, who are members of the Montanans for Healthy Rivers Coalition (MHR) steering committee, will be presenting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour Events to bring out the crowds and get local folks excited and re-energized to get more involved in river conservation in Montana.
The Montanans for Healthy Rivers Coalition was created back in 2010 when Montana residents, business owners, sportswomen and sportsmen, and conservationists joined forces to identify and conserve the last, best free-flowing rivers in Montana. Through a decade of public outreach over 3,000 Montanans and more than 1,000 Montana businesses have voiced support for new Wild and Scenic River designations. Their largest legislative proposal to date and their current focus is passing the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, which, when passed, will protect 384 river miles within the pristine Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by adding segments of 20 rivers and streams to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, effectively doubling the current amount of Wild and Scenic River miles in Montana.
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition works with all people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations. As the only organization solely dedicated to protecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, they are tasked with understanding its ecology, cultures, politics, laws, and most importantly, how to effect long-term change.
They believe in the power of working together. They are creative thinkers and aren’t afraid to think big when it comes to achieving our goals and advancing our mission. We build authentic and trusting relationships. We believe in what we do.
A national organization, American Rivers tackles the challenges of climate change, unnecessary dams, pollution, floods, and outdated policies head on. They have a half-century of experience addressing river threats from coast-to-coast: helping partners protect vital habitat, working with communities to reduce river pollution, securing policies to ensure we all have clean, abundant water, driving solutions that reduce the risk of floods, working to remove unnecessary dams, and strengthening a river movement that adds power to all of this work.
“Our guests can expect an evening focused on water and river conservation films with ample opportunity to chat with folks from Montanans for Healthy Rivers Coalition about the current status of the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act,” says Erin Steva, Montana Conservation Associate with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “We want them to learn more about how they can get involved and help us take the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act one step closer to becoming law. They can also expect to step into a space and time where we can collectively stop and appreciate the beauty we are surrounded by through the wonderful medium of film – because who doesn’t love watching films full of stunning scenery and rad humans?!”
Steva continues, “We’re thrilled to be hosting such a well-known and well-loved film festival as we hope to inspire current and new river lovers alike to take action for Montana’s last best free-flowing rivers. They are the lifeblood of our state, and we all have a responsibility to protect them for future generations. This is the main reason why we priced tickets on the lower end at $10 and opted to cover fees because we’re really just excited to get other people excited about protecting our rivers.”
