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The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate roughly 20 rivers and streams in Montana's greater Yellowstone ecosystem and Smith River system as protected wild, scenic, or recreational rivers, covering waterways like the Madison, Gallatin, Yellowstone, Smith, Boulder, and Stillwater Rivers along with numerous tributaries. These designations aim to permanently protect the clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreational value of these streams, which support Montana's tourism, agriculture, and outdoor recreation economies and have long been used by Indian Tribes for hunting, fishing, and cultural purposes. The bill explicitly protects existing private property rights by requiring landowner consent before any federal acquisition of land within these river corridors, and it preserves existing water rights, tribal water compacts, and current hydroelectric operations on the Madison River. The Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior would jointly administer the affected segments depending on which agency has jurisdiction over the surrounding land. The Act authorizes whatever funding is necessary to implement these protections, without specifying a fixed dollar amount or strict timeline for completion.

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