Montana On The Ground

Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.

Counties seek predator bounties as Wildlife Services funding drops

September 26, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Wildlife Services helps Montana livestock producers kill thousands of wild predators every year. But as its funding decreases, the agency may have to leave producers to their own devices, which may include bounties.

On Friday, John Steuber, Montana State Director of Wildlife Services, told the Montana Board of Livestock that Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, probably couldn’t continue killing predators without the money it gets from the state, especially from cattle producers who pitch in 50 cents to a dollar per head.

Poll finds Montanans shifting to renewable energy, more public access

September 22, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

While polls repeatedly show that a majority of Montanans value open lands for recreation, hunting and fishing, some have assumed that those in the east - where private property predominates - cared less. Now a new poll finds that eastern Montanans don’t think too differently from those in the rest of the state.

A bipartisan team of pollsters asked the opinions of more than 500 Montanans on everything from energy sources to public land issues between Sept. 1 and Sept. 8. They found that overall, a majority supports renewable energy; phasing out Colstrip instead of fighting to keep it open; funding public-land access programs; and protecting rivers with federal designations.

Hunters to BLM: Protect the habitat, protect the economy

September 19, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

It’s no secret that public-land opportunities attract millions of in- and out-of-state visitors and dollars to Montana. Now, a new study shows that a subset of users – hunters – are critical to preserving businesses in sparsely populated parts of the state where few others stray. But they’ll keep coming back only if public land habitat is preserved.

On Monday, Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics released an economic analysis showing that deer and elk hunting in four districts north of Lewistown brought in almost $4 million in 2015. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks calculated the total for the four hunting districts – 410, 412, 417 and 426 - that sit just south of the Missouri River in Fergus and Petroleum counties.

Legislators oppose changes to wolf management, hatchery trout

September 16, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks requested state legislators’ blessings for a dozen proposed bills, but two dealing with wolves and trout didn’t get the nod.

On Thursday, FWP Director Jeff Hagener stepped the Environmental Quality Council through 12 bills that would either improve FWP procedures or help preserve a few species. But Hagener got an earful from Sen. John Brenden, R-Scobey, when he described a bill intended to allow the Fort Peck Hatchery to produce a few more cold-water fish.

Legislators encourage bison hunting in Yellowstone Park

September 15, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

On Thursday, the Environmental Quality Council of the Montana Legislature sent a letter to Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk urging him to allow tribal bison hunting in the park, even though it would take an act of Congress.

“While this letter is not written at the request or on behalf of the tribes, the EQC urges you to honor any future requests from Indian tribes to hunt bison within Yellowstone National Park,” the letter said.

Montana Supreme Court rules against unlimited household wells

September 14, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

In a 6-1 ruling on Tuesday, the Montana Supreme Court upheld a district court ruling that limted the number of household wells that subdivision developers could drill without a water-permit exemption. The ruling preserves Montana’s system of water rights that gives priority of water use to owners of older water rights and could ultimately keep more water in Montana’s streams.

Writing for the majority, Justice Laurie McKinnon went into 24 pages of detail as to why a district court judge was not mistaken when he voided a rewritten 1993 Department of Natural Resources and Conservation rule that allowed developers to sink unlimited numbers of household wells without needing a water permit. In addition, the court ruled that the previous 1987 DNRC rule limiting exempt wells would stand for now.

Groups challenge Rock Creek Mine water permit

September 09, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Four environmental organizations contend that a copper-sliver mine proposed to tunnel beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness would rob the region’s streams of water.

On Aug. 31, the groups sent a formal objection to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, asking that the agency not grant a water-right permit to the Rock Creek Mine. They argue that the DNRC would be breaking three state laws if it allowed the Helca Mining Company to use the groundwater that would seep into the shafts as miners worked their way underground.

DEQ refuses gold exploration proposal a second time

September 07, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Residents and businesses in the Gardiner and Paradise valleys received another reprieve last week from the threat of a gold mine north of Yellowstone National Park.

Tracking climate-change effects on Glacier Park's goats, pikas

August 22, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

You’ll never know how many rocks look like mountain goats until you’re trying to find a goat in Glacier National Park.

As bison are to Yellowstone National Park, mountain goats are the iconic species of Glacier Park. Their image appeared on early posters advertising the park, and tourists flock to photograph the goats that frequent Logan Pass. So some find it concerning that, just like the glaciers, mountain goats might be dwindling in Glacier Park.

As drought deepens, Montana to update contingency plan

August 18, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Some areas along the High Line might be flush with water, but much of Montana is suffering from drought. Next year may not get any better, so the state wants to improve its drought plan.

On Thursday, the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee heard all the ways the dog days of summer are worsening Montana’s drought and how it’s affecting the state’s wildlife and agriculture.

Logging project wouldn't have stopped Roaring Lion Fire

August 10, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Roaring Lion Fire is causing some new wrinkles in old arguments over wildfire suppression.

The 11-day-old Roaring Lion Fire southwest of Hamilton is now nothing like the fire-storm that appeared on July 31. On that day, volunteer Rick Potts was manning the St. Mary Lookout west of Stevensville when he spotted the first tendrils of smoke. By the time, he and other lookouts could triangulate the position, the fire was billowing smoke high into the sky over the Bitteroot Mountains.

Judge halts Beaverhead Deerlodge timber project

August 03, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

A federal judge halted a timber project Friday because the Forest Service might have overstepped its bounds in bypassing the public process.

On Friday, Missoula federal District Judge Donald Molloy put a hold on the Moosehorn Ditch Salvage Timber Sale in time to halt logging scheduled to begin on Aug. 1. In so doing, he gave attorneys for the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystem Council time to press their lawsuit that the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest approved a timber sale without going through a public process as required by law.

Army Corps rushes to build questionable bypass for pallid sturgeon

July 27, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Federal conservation money is about to be squandered on a rushed dam project in eastern Montana that will do little to save an endangered fish, according to conservation groups.

Thursday is the final day for public comments on a proposed Army Corps of Engineering modification of Intake Diversion Dam on the Yellowstone River northeast of Glendive. Based upon events at recent public meetings and the accelerated decision timeline, conservation groups doubt the agency is interested in what they have to say.

State Parks mistake prompts legislative audit request

July 20, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Fish, Wildlife & Parks is scrambling to resolve a land issue that could threaten federal funding, but its efforts could now be delayed by a legislative audit.

FWP may need to come up with about $7 million, either in cash or property value, to trade for part of West Shore State Park, FWP Chief of Staff Paul Sihler told the legislative Environmental Quality Council on Wednesday. If that’s not possible, the department could lose as much as $27 million in federal Pittman-Robertson money, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Trapping quotas prompt new fisher managment plan

July 13, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Biologists don’t know how many fishers exist, but Fish, Wildlife & Parks refused to freeze the trapping of the elusive animal.

After considering reducing the fisher quota to zero in May, the FWP commission accepted a modified proposal that would create four management units for fishers and allow trapping mainly in the Bitterroot unit.

Wolf quota near Yellowstone Park remains at two

July 13, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana hunters and trappers can still kill only two wolves north of Yellowstone National Park.

On Wednesday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission decided against a FWP effort to assuage elk hunters by increasing the quota in wolf management unit 313 near Gardiner.

Bill favoring unregulated exempt wells rises again

July 12, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

State politicians are again proposing to allow subdivisions to dig hundreds of household wells to exploit groundwater without regulation, in spite of a court ruling to the contrary.

On Tuesday, a legislative committee voted to consider a potential bill that wouldn’t restrict exempt wells in the state unless they are connected together, such as for a subdivision water system.

Bullock promotes public-land support, tourism

July 11, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s largest economic driver – agriculture – has an entire state department dedicated to it. Now, Montana’s governor wants to add a new state office to promote part of the second largest: recreational tourism.

On Monday, in front an audience of about 40 sportsmen, outdoors enthusiasts and parents, Gov. Steve Bullock continued his statewide tour promoting the need for Montana to be more active in maintaining and improving public lands and public access. Not only does public land recreation contribute billions to the state economy but it makes Montanans happy.

Beaverhead hydropower project given new life

July 08, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

A Montana dam is one step closer to producing power after several delays and some political wrangling.

Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released yet another environmental assessment for a hydropower project on the Clark Canyon Dam on the Beaverhead River south of Dillon.

Ruby River case upholds recreational stream access

July 06, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s stream access laws have become a sparring point in this year’s gubernatorial race, so it’s fitting that one of the larger lawsuits in recent history appears to be settled, with Montana on the winning side.

Two weeks ago, a Madison county judge supported the cause of stream-access proponents when he ruled that the public was allowed to use a strip of land to either side of a road and bridge across the Ruby River. That was the final piece of a much larger case that the Public Land/Water Access Association filed a dozen years ago against media billionaire James Cox Kennedy after he tried to deny public access to the Ruby River, in this case via the Seylor Lane Bridge.