Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.
HELENA – Legislators, scientists and leaders of the outdoors industry were just some of the almost three dozen Montanans who traveled to Helena to voice their comments on a proposal to mine copper along a tributary of the Smith River.
Read MoreMontana’s senior senator has taken the lead in the fight against proposed mines in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem by introducing legislation that would withdraw federal mining rights north of Yellowstone National Park.
On Monday, Sen. Jon Tester introduced the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, a short but concise bill withdrawing 30,000 acres of the Emigrant Crevice area from lands that are subject to federal mine leases.
Read MoreFour 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.
Read MoreResidents 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.
Read MoreThe Montana Department of Environmental Quality has chosen the best way to finally close a Lewistown area mine, but Montana could once again be stuck with the bill.
On Friday, the DEQ published a final environmental report detailing requirements for the protection of water and soils as part of the proposed closure of the CR Kendall Mine in the North Moccasin Mountains in Fergus County. The problem is the mining company, ATNA Resources Ltd., declared bankruptcy five months ago.
Read MoreJust a month or so after the Blackfeet successfully defended culturally valuable places along Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front from oil and gas development, they may have to do the same once again to preserve some mountains to the east.
On Thursday, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management proposed extending for another 20 years an order that locks up undeveloped mineral rights on almost 20,000 acres of public land in the Sweet Grass Hills of north central Montana.
Read More