June’s record-breaking flooding in Montana illustrates the importance of risk mapping for people living in the floodplain.
Montana
Posted inArticles
What’s it like to live in a tourist town with no tourists?
After the floods, Yellowstone gateway communities are grappling with what comes next.
Posted inAugust 1, 2022: Our Fiery Future
The fires below
The world’s least understood ignition source is causing devastating wildfires across Montana’s Powder River Basin.
Posted inArticles
Honoring Blackfeet author James Welch: A Q&A with Lois Welch
The former director of the University of Montana’s creative writing program reflects on life with her late husband and the upcoming James Welch Native Lit Festival.
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Was Yellowstone’s deadliest wolf hunt in 100 years an inside job?
Veteran park service employees were involved in last year’s hunt, but one says he’s a victim of a federal ‘witch hunt.’
Posted inSeptember 1, 2022: Going Under
Flooding could breathe life into Yellowstone ecosystem
Although destructive for people, high-water events are a natural part of river systems.
Posted inArticles
The funky politics of wildfire right now
After New Mexico’s record-breaking fires, the politics of wildfire are morphing into weird configurations.
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In the wake of fires and floods
Climate disasters across the West wreak havoc on economies and livelihoods.
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Yellowstone area flooding upends lives and portends a new climate reality
Unprecedented rain and snowmelt destroyed roads and washed away bridges outside the national park.
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Worrying about the dust next door in this Montana mining town
Residents of a Butte neighborhood are concerned about what’s wafting from a nearby open-pit mine that can coat their homes and vehicles.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
Wildlife in the West: The good, the bad, the in-between
Conservation and wildlife corridors can help, but is it enough?
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
Western courts grapple with climate change
Rocky Mountain teens sue over fossil fuel-friendly policies.
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See the Western conservation projects getting Infrastructure Act money this year
Approximately $68 million will be delivered to more than 100 projects across the country — many of which are based in the West.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
A terrible lighthouse, swift treasure hunters, and a paranormal ghost town
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
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Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants
A new analysis suggests that over half of communities in the West lack the capacity to take advantage of infrastructure bill funding. Now what?
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
On ‘Yellowstone,’ and the white desire to control the narrative
We don’t share land here.
Posted inArticles
How the economy of Indian Country impacts local communities
A ‘stealth’ economy for tribes often hides billions of dollars in jobs, growth and revenue.
Posted inArticles
Dangerous levels of lead found in Montana schools
High lead levels were identified in the water of over 100 of the state’s nearly 600 schools, and only half have provided samples.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
Will we share the same dismal fate as glaciers and forests?
Two recent books look at the parallels between human, ecological and societal illness.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
The digital world’s real-world impact on the environment
From data center warehouses to cryptocurrency, technology is another energy hog.