Ballot initiative seeking to expand landowners’ hunting access met with committee opposition
A ballot initiative seeking to allow landowners to hunt elk, deer and black bears on their property hit a setback when the Environmental Quality Council voted not to support the measure.
Latest Environmental Reporting
Forest Service forwards plan to keep East Boulder Mine operating
Wolverines gain federal protections under Endangered Species Act
BLM bans cyanide bombs used to control predators
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MORE ENVIRONMENTAL COVERAGE
Montana Supreme Court revokes Rosebud coal mine expansion
The Montana Supreme Court has halted an expansion of a Westmoreland-operated mine that supplies the Colstrip power plant with coal. The court’s decision vacated an 8-year-old permit that allowed Westmoreland to pull 12 million tons of coal from the Rosebud Mine located in southeastern Montana.
Judge halves wolf trapping season to protect grizzlies
In a 25-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy wrote that the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force and WildEarth Guardians established “a reasonably certain threat of imminent harm to grizzly bears should Montana’s wolf trapping and snaring seasons proceed as planned.”
Montana Land Board signs off on 328-acre Lower Yellowstone acquisition
The Wildcat Bend property is located in a riparian area east of Forsyth. It’s a “primitive” property about 2.5 river miles downstream of the Far West Fishing Access Site. The proposal was forwarded to the Land Board after the Fish and Wildlife Commission unanimously affirmed the acquisition in an October 2023 vote.
Study says Canadian coal mines put unparalleled pollution in Montana-bound waters
The concentrations of selenium and nitrate entering the Elk River and Northwest Montana’s Kootenai watershed as a result of coal-mining operations in British Columbia are likely without measured precedent, according to a new study authored by U.S. Geological Survey scientists.
The Sit-Down: Amy Fonte
Big Sky Resort aims to hit net zero emissions by 2030. In-house Sustainability Specialist Amy Fonte describes the progress — and the obstacles — on the road to green energy.
Chronic wasting disease found in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park announced that a mule deer buck inside the park’s borders has tested positive for chronic wasting disease. The detection is a first for the park, which has previously managed to dodge the always-fatal disease despite its presence in the three states that neighbor Yellowstone.
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MORE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING
Following public input, Glacier revises ticketing system
Beginning on May 24, 2024, tickets will be required to access the west side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road at West Glacier, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., until Sept. 8. Tickets will no longer be required to access the Apgar Village area at the foot of Lake McDonald.
Group sues the Forest Service to halt trout replacement project in wilderness area
The Buffalo Creek project was authorized by the Custer Gallatin National Forest in August 2023 at the behest of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which seeks to expand Yellowstone cutthroats in waters beyond their native range to create a climate refuge for the fish as the waterways they’ve historically inhabited warm.
U.S., Canada and Ktunaxa Nation to discuss coal-mining pollution in Kootenai River watershed
After years of delays and false starts, eight governments impacted by an expansive Canadian coal-mining operation are meeting on Indigenous territory in British Columbia, to discuss the future of the governments’ shared waterways.
NorthWestern Energy electric rates higher than regional peers
A 28% increase to NorthWestern Energy’s electric rates, approved this fall by the Montana Public Service Commission, has drawn criticism. Here’s how NorthWestern’s new rates compare to the utility’s regional counterparts.
New research finds shrinking number of glaciers across the West
In Montana, six named glaciers are no longer considered a glacier, including ones in Mission-Swan Range, the Crazy Mountains, the Cabinet Mountains and the Lewis Range in Glacier National Park. Montana has lost 76 glaciers since the mid-20th century.
DEQ asks public for climate plan suggestions
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has received a $3 million federal grant to generate a plan to reduce Montana’s greenhouse gas emissions. Now DEQ is asking the public to suggest shovel-ready projects to incorporate into that plan.
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