Environment
Biden rule protecting lesser prairie-chicken overturned by U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed on a 50-48 vote a resolution overturning a Biden administration rule that listed a popular Southwestern game bird under a federal endangered species designation. The White House has vowed President Joe Biden would veto the resolution if it clears Congress. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Republican-controlled House. […]
Environmental advocates warn clearcutting plan could imperil grizzlies, lynx and old-growth forests
A coalition of environmental groups has put the United States Forest Service on notice that its plan to clearcut more than 5,500 acres of forests just outside of Yellowstone National Park in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest will be challenged. The groups say in a 122-page letter to the Forest Service outlining their concerns that the […]
Public tells Forest Service to expand proposed mining ban in portion of Black Hills
RAPID CITY, South Dakota – Dozens of people told federal officials Wednesday that they not only support a proposed ban on new mining-related activity in a portion of the Black Hills, but also want the ban expanded. The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management hosted a four-hour public input meeting at the […]
Rosendale proposes defunding conservation land programs
As Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives craft a budget that cuts spending and lifts the debt ceiling that will allow the country to avoid a potentially calamitous economic implosion, Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana is proposing to cut all funding for the Land Conservation and Wildlife Fund. Rosendale, a Republican representing Montana’s eastern […]
Bills addressing environmental reviews for Montana energy, mining projects move forward
The Montana House amended the legislature’s new bill introduced in response to a Yellowstone County judge’s ruling about greenhouse gas emissions from an under-construction NorthWestern Energy power plant in Laurel on Friday to keep most of the Montana Environmental Policy Act process in place. The amended version of House Bill 971 now says that environmental […]
Depressed? Anxious? Air pollution may be a factor
In the 1990s, residents of Mexico City noticed their dogs acting strangely — some didn’t recognize their owners, and the animals’ sleep patterns had changed. At the time, the sprawling, mountain-ringed city of more than 15 million people was known as the most polluted in the world, with a thick, constant haze of fossil fuel […]
U.S. Interior secretary unveils $125 million for local climate projects
BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Interior Department will send $125 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to scores of local climate resiliency and conservation projects, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told a group of environmental reporters Friday. Speaking at the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference, Haaland promoted several aspects of the Interior Department’s agenda, including […]
Clark Fork River named one of the 10 most endangered rivers in America
The Clark Fork River, which runs more than 300 miles through Montana, has been named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers by the conservation organization American Rivers, which studies river health and produces the annual list. It’s not the first time a Montana river has made the list. The Smith River was named in 2018 […]
Montana’s air gets worse in annual report
Montana may be the “Big Sky” state, but the air beneath that large expanse may not be so healthy. In its 24th annual “State of the Air” report, the American Lung Association pointed out that the three-year average for air quality continues to deteriorate in Montana, largely due to pollution from forest fires, which sends […]
FWP developing visitor amenities at Somers Beach State Park on Flathead Lake
Somers Beach State Park on the north shore of Flathead Lake will include trails, picnic areas, and three rental cabins, but no tent sites, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In a news release this week and corresponding notice of decision, FWP said it modified its decision to remove six proposed tent campsites at […]
Bills targeting judge’s ruling on Laurel plant emissions moving forward to House floor
Two bills that aim to change Montana law in response to a judge’s ruling earlier this month regarding estimated greenhouse gas emissions from a NorthWestern Energy power plant in Laurel are headed to the House floor after clearing the House Natural Resources Committee on Monday. The committee passed House Bill 971, which was introduced by […]
Federal judge temporarily blocks new Biden WOTUS rule in two dozen states
A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday blocked in 24 states the Biden administration’s newly effective definition of waters that can be regulated under the Clean Water Act. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland, a George W. Bush appointee on retired status in the North Dakota District, issued a preliminary injunction in a case two dozen Republican […]