New gas, oil and mineral leases on federal lands along the Rocky Mountain Front would be banned under a proposal by U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, which is part of a Senate appropriations bill.

A temporary moratorium on gas and oil drilling currently exists on Lewis and Clark National Forest lands along the Front, but Burns' legislation would expand that ban to include all contiguous Bureau of Land Management property in the area, for a total of about 356,000 acres.

In addition, the legislation would make the temporary Forest Service moratorium permanent on all federal lands along the Front, unless revoked by Congress due to a national emergency caused by gas or oil shortages.

The proposed legislation doesn't affect private or state lands along the Front, nor does it affect 70-plus existing leases.

"It's clear this is a critical area for habitat, recreation, agriculture, and just to appreciate the majesty of Montana," Burns said on Tuesday. "This language will prevent any new leases from being approved, and help protect the area even further.

"I've heard from groups across the spectrum, agriculturalists, conservationists, recreation folks, tribal leaders, (and) community officials, not to mention the everyday Montanans who are concerned about this area. I think this strikes a common-sense balance that benefits all parties involved."

The Rocky Mountain Front is a 110-mile, unbroken chain of limestone cliffs along the Continental Divide, which generally extends north from Highway 200, east of Lincoln, into Canada. A dramatic landscape where wide-open plains meet the Rocky Mountains, the area is home to a few ranchers and others who are outnumbered by the elk, grizzly, bighorn sheep and hundreds of other species.

Third-generation rancher Karl Rappold is thrilled with Burns' legislation, which has been years in the making.

"It's a tremendous thing," Rappold said. "I have three grandsons, and they will be able to saddle up their horses in the morning and ride along the Front just like I do.

"Some of these areas have to be preserved for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. They have the right to see the way this was created, and this will ensure there will be a Rocky Mountain Front forever."

Burns' legislation has been evolving for about two years, ever since work was halted on an Environmental Impact Statement to allow drilling in Blackleaf Canyon, one of the sensitive areas along the Front.

During that EIS process, almost 49,000 people from throughout the nation commented on the proposed project, with 99 percent wanting to keep the Front off-limits to gas and oil exploration.

In October 2004, BLM officials said that instead of the individual EIS, it would do a "landscape" analysis for the entire Front. But officials with the BLM said that work wasn't slated to begin until 2009. Part of the reason is that energy development elsewhere in the Rockies has become more of a priority; in addition, the BLM knew of Burns' and others' efforts, and that timeline gave everyone an opportunity to look at alternatives for the Front.

"That was the premise two years ago, that suspending the Blackleaf EIS would buy some time to come up with something to create this kind of win-win situation," said Don Smurthwaite, BLM spokesman. "Overall, this is good news."

Key to Burns' legislation is work by the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front -- a loose-knit group of ranchers, outfitters, county commissioners, school teachers, hunters, anglers, tribal leaders and conservation groups -- to acquire the existing leases by donation or purchase. Without Burns' bill, there was nothing to stop someone from trying to re-lease those lands in the future.

"For anybody who would be interested in trying to buy the leases and retire or donate them, they had to make sure they weren't doing so in vain," noted Nathan Birkeland, state director of conservation for the Montana Wildlife Federation, which is a member of the coalition. "This is a critical part of the equation."

Burns had said in the past that he was open to the idea of trading leases, but had stressed that leaseholders would have the ultimate control over the process.

"Conrad said 'You work on buying out those leases so the leaseholders are properly compensated, and when you get to that point I will protect it,' so that was the basis for this," Burns spokesman James Donovan said. "This legislation is Conrad holding up his part of the bargain, so the federal government isn't footing the bill for buying these leases. It's home-grown public private partnership, and that's what good legislation is all about."

One energy exploration company -- Questar -- already has agreed to donate one of its Front leases, and other companies are negotiating the transfers, according to members of the coalition.

Other coalition members, including Montana Wilderness Association and Trout Unlimited, also praised Burns effort on Tuesday for introducing the legislation.

"This is great news for anglers and hunters who cherish the Front and the first-rate fishing and hunting found there," said Dave Stalling, field coordinator for Trout Unlimited based in Missoula. "Protecting this special place ensures hunters, anglers and others continued opportunity to fish, hunt and enjoy this spectacularly wild place, and allows them to pass this important part of Montana's heritage down to future generations."

Gerry Jennings, MWA statewide president, added that this is an exciting move forward for the Front's protection, which also has been supported by Sen. Max Baucus.

"We hope this is the first step in getting permanent protection for the Front," Jennings said.

The language involving the Rocky Mountain Front was included in Tuesday's draft of the Fiscal Year 2007 Interior Appropriations Bill, which is expected to be approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee this week, and then will go on to the full Senate.

Once approved by the Senate, the bill will go to a joint House-Senate conference committee, then back to the respective houses for final passage prior to being signed into law by the president.

Reporter Eve Byron can be reached at 447-4076 or at eve.byron@helenair.com