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The Tongue River Railroad Tries Again: The Little Engine That Couldn’t, Part 1
For my entire life, the Tongue River Railroad Company has been trying – and failing – to build a single purpose rail line to haul coal along the scenic Tongue River in southeastern Montana. Earlier this year, their permit to… Read more >
Arch Coal’s Otter Creek Mine Permit Application called “Deficient”
In what could be the largest understatement of the year coming from a Montana state agency, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) declared Arch Coal’s permit application to mine in the Otter Creek valley “deficient.” Quick background On March 8, 2010,… Read more >
Will a Coal Train Kill the Last Dinosaur?
On Wednesday, those of us who are working to protect the wildlife in southeastern Montana were surprised to learn that the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Commission was planning to vote on an easement agreement that FWP staff attorneys had negotiated with… Read more >
Fall Elk Viewing on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
September marks the time of year when lush river bottoms along the Missouri River in north-central Montana are transformed into their annual splendor. In the late afternoon hours on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR), golden light hits… Read more >
Northern Cheyenne Tribe at a Crossroads: To Develop Coal or Not?
On Sunday, over 100 people assembled for a Way of Life Gathering (Hestana Vestotse) in Lame Deer, Montana. Yellow Bird, a Northern Cheyenne non-profit group and Sierra Club, organized the event with assistance from a number of conservation and community development organizations,… Read more >
Protecting Wildlife from Toxic Coal Ash in Montana and Beyond
For decades, the coal-ash sludge ponds at the Colstrip power plant in southeastern Montana have been leaking harmful chemicals into groundwater, a blatant and well-documented violation of state and federal laws. Four years ago, nearby ranchers and residents won a… Read more >
Ospreys All Bailed Up
Carelessly discarded string may seem innocent enough, but twine can be death to osprey. An osprey’s keen eyes can spot a piece of twine from high up and then swoop down to haul it back to their nests for nesting… Read more >
Happy Birthday Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness!
First tribally designated wilderness in the country is 30 years old! You talk to any Montanan about the most beautiful, breathtaking view in the state, and most would put the Mission Mountains in the top 10. It is… Read more >
Montana economic report pushes Big Coal’s agenda; ignores environmental, social and taxpayer costs
Yesterday, the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) released a study of the potential economic impacts of developing the Otter Creek coal mine in southeastern Montana entitled, “The Impact of Otter Creek Coal Development on the Montana Economy.”… Read more >
Protecting the cultural and historic values of the Powder River Basin
Yesterday, in the beautiful Rosebud valley in southeastern Montana, hundreds gathered to celebrate and honor an important and sacred place, Deer Medicine Rocks, as a National Historic Landmark. Northern Cheyenne, Oglala Lakota, ranchers, historians, and others came to this… Read more >
