Tester blasts Trump budget

Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, business leaders and public access advocates blasted President Donald Trump’s proposed budget in a telephone press conference Tuesday, saying steep cuts would negatively affect the state’s public lands and outdoor economy.

“This budget pays for closing trails, locking up lands and shuttering visitor centers,” Tester said. “This budget takes aim at Montana’s outdoor economy, which is growing by leaps and bounds and is creating thousands of jobs each year.”

The Interior Department, which manages federal lands, faces an 11 percent cut in Trump’s 2018 propo...