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Whitebark pine proposed as ‘threatened’
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Tuesday that the whitebark pine tree, which faces threats from invasive species, climate change and wildfires, be protected with a “threatened” designation under the Endangered Species Act.
Latest Environmental Reporting
Public lands: promises and peril
As a new slate of elected officials prepare to take office, campaign promises to champion public lands will be put to the test. Here’s what to expect.
Covering coal’s tracks?
A federal coal advisory council that frequently advocates expanding coal production has illegally operated in secret during the Trump administration, according to a federal lawsuit filed last week in Great Falls by the Western Organization of Resource Councils.
With Pendley ousted, BLM decisions come under new scrutiny
Now that a Montana federal judge has ousted ‘acting’ BLM Director William Perry Pendley, a slew of consequential land use decisions across the American West are coming under renewed scrutiny.
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MORE ENVIRONMENTAL COVERAGE
Jim Jensen stepping down from MEIC
During 35 years as executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, Jim Jensen fought — and won — some of the state’s most contentious battles. Now he’s retiring.
Six candidates vie for three Public Service Commission seats
Voters in districts around Missoula, Billings and Bozeman will have the chance this fall to select new leadership for the Montana Public Service Commission, the regulatory body at the center of the state’s energy politics, and an agency that has been rocked over the past year by a series of scandals.
FWS: Wolverines don’t require Endangered Species Act protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected Endangered Species Act protections for wolverines, saying the snow-dependent species does not face an imminent threat from a warming climate. The determination walks back a 2013 finding by agency scientists that wolverines are likely to be harmed by a lack of snowpack in many areas that pregnant females use for dens.
High court avoids ‘impermissible bias’ question in solar utility ruling
The Montana Supreme Court has upheld a ruling from last year in which a state District Court judge criticized the Montana Public Service Commission’s handling of a rate contract dispute between a solar power developer and NorthWestern Energy.
Double bind
Tribal leaders have worked to keep the coronavirus off their reservations because of its deadly impact on Native populations. But careful avoidance of the virus has handcuffed the tribes as they face a devastating fire season.
Lingering concerns
While it’s long been known that smoke can be dangerous when in the thick of it — triggering asthma attacks, cardiac arrests, hospitalizations and more — new research confirmed what public health experts feared: Wildfire haze can have consequences long after it’s gone.
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MORE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
Reading the weather in Bullock vs. Daines
The outcome of Montana’s Senate race will help decide control of the upper chamber of Congress, and both Steve Daines and Steve Bullock are touting their environmental credentials.
New climate plan calls for carbon neutrality by 2050
A council of 44 people appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock spent more than a year developing a climate plan. The council advanced more than 50 recommendations for the state to consider, 40 of which were unanimous.
Bullock, Tester push back on Pendley appointment
A day after Montana Gov. Steve Bullock sued to remove acting Bureau of Land Management Director William Perry Pendley from his post, public lands advocates and Montana’s Democratic senator are calling for hearings on Pendley’s nomination to lead a federal agency responsible for managing millions of acres of public lands, saying he is unfit for the position.
Full-court suppress
Land managers and the general population both are making strides toward appreciating fire’s role in healthy forest ecosystems. But concerns generated by COVID-19 could reverse some of that progress as fire managers in the Northern Rockies prepare for a wildfire response that skews heavily toward suppression.
Recovered to death?
Scientists established a grizzly bear mortality rate that allows for a stable population of the threatened species. Wildlife managers are increasingly exceeding it.
Tribal lawsuit adds to Keystone XL hurdles as feds await Supreme Court consideration
The lawsuit claims violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, and the government’s trust responsibilities to the tribes.
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