Articles written by Amanda Eggert
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EPA nixes Montana's new water quality standards
The Environmental Protection Agency thwarted Montana lawmakers’ attempt to loosen water quality standards last week, telling the state that it acted out of turn by adopting a new regulatory framework without first obtaining federal approval. In a...
Gov. Gianforte presses to extinguish all fires in 2022 Montana wildfire briefing
Gov. Greg Gianforte asked land managers for their commitment to aggressive initial attack to extinguish all wildfires at a 2022 wildfire briefing in Helena last week. "In Montana, we do not, and will not, have a 'let it burn' policy," Gov. Greg... Full story
Poll finds three-quarters of Montanans worried about housing affordability
Housing affordability, development and Montana's changing character topped the list of issues Montanans identified as serious problems facing the state in a poll commissioned by University of Montana researchers last month. A striking majority of... Full story
The Custer Gallatin National Forest's new guiding doc
BOZEMAN - After six years and tens of thousands of public comments, one of the largest and most popular national forests in the Northern Rockies has a new forest plan to guide its management for the... Full story
Heavy wolf harvest triggers new limits near Yellowstone
The state Fish and Wildlife Commission voted last week to close wolf trapping and hunting in southwestern Montana if or when six more wolves are harvested in the region. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported that 20 wolves that roamed... Full story
A road runs through it
Road ecologists say wildlife crossings are one of the best ways to reduce wildlife-vehicles collisions and mitigate one of the most significant human impacts on ecosystems. This three-part series... Full story
How does the wildlife cross the road?
Road ecologists say wildlife crossings are one of the best ways to reduce wildlife-vehicles collisions and mitigate one of the most significant human impacts on ecosystems. This three-part series... Full story
Federal judge: At least two Public Service Commission districts are 'presumptively unconstitutional'
A federal judge issued an order yesterday blocking the state's top election official from certifying candidates running for the Public Service Commission until the constitutionality of the commission's district map has been evaluated. Read the... Full story
'Firestorm' of public comment leads FWP to rethink elk management proposals
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has backpedaled on a controversial elk management strategy after a public response that FWP Director Henry “Hank” Worsech described as a “firestorm.” Even after the department backed away from the most... Full story
Montana petitions U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist NCDE grizzlies
Gov. Greg Gianforte's office announced today that the state is petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove Endangered Species Act protections for grizzly bears in the Northern... Full story
Madison River flow returns after midnight dam repair
Near-seasonal flows to the Madison River, one of Montana's most popular fisheries, have been restored following a late-night repair last Thursday to Hebgen Dam's outflow gate. NorthWestern Energy post... Full story
Generosity, adaptation help Montana food banks meet holiday needs
Like many organizations in Montana, the state's largest food bank has struggled with labor shortages, making it difficult to get a precise count of people using its services, said Billings Food Bank CEO Sheryle Shandy. Anecdotally, though, she said...
Report: Outdoor recreation added $2.2 billion to Montana economy in 2020
While Montana's outdoor recreation economy wasn't spared the pandemic-spurred losses that swept the globe in 2020, it remained a cornerstone of the state's economy, according to a report released toda... Full story
Montana's worst drought in more than 20 years continues into fall
The drought that has dried out soils, drawn down rivers and reservoirs and challenged agricultural producers, land managers, recreationists and wildlife continues to persist as hydrologists anxiously track the progression of the La Niña weather... Full story
FAQ: Chronic wasting disease in Montana
Since chronic wasting disease, or CWD, was detected in Montana's wildlife in 2017, the affliction has become increasingly widespread. Though the CWD positivity rate among all deer, elk and moose...
The problem of the urban bear
A survey of bear headlines across Montana over the past two months reveals a perilous situation for animals that have become increasingly accustomed to living among humans: "Info sought on grizzly... Full story
Fire season 2021: Early to start, late to finish, and smoky in the middle
The state's first major winter storm dropped snow on parts of southern Montana early this week, signaling the final act of an active fire season that had prompted Gov. Greg Gianforte to issue a...
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to explore relisting the gray wolf
na's expanded wolf-hunting season earlier this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it has decided to conduct an in-depth status review to determine whether state management plans aiming to aggressively reduce wolf populations threaten the... Full story
Federal oil and gas leasing program back in play in Montana
The federal government is moving forward with oil and gas leasing on 6,277 acres of Bureau of Land Management property in Montana following a judicial order directing the Department of the Interior to resume lease sales on federal lands. The BLM...
Montanans to receive partial refunds for insurance premiums
Nearly 16,000 Montanans who purchased Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance through the marketplace are set to receive partial reimbursement for premiums paid between 2018 and 2020. The Affordable Care Act requires insurers selling plans on the...
Trout in trouble : How this year's drought has impacted Montana's treasured cold-water fisheries, and the outfitters and anglers who rely on them
On July 12, Florence-based fly-fishing outfitter Jay Dixon took a look at the forecast calling for several days of near triple-digit heat and decided to temporarily close his business during one of... Full story
Missouri River tributary runs dry after restoration project
Helena anglers are expressing concern over the loss of surface flow in Beaver Creek, an ecologically important tributary of the Missouri River, following restoration work conducted by the U.S. Forest...
High-elevation forests now burning more frequently than any time in the past 2,000 years
As climate change drives up temperatures and creates longer, more expansive droughts, the typically cool, moist high-elevation forests of the central Rockies are burning with greater frequency than any time in the past 2,000 years, according to a...
What 'waters of the U.S.' means for Montana
The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a close look at a 2020 rule that removed Clean Water Act protections from a significant number of waterways across the country, including a huge number of...
Gianforte sets wildfire priorities for 'above-normal' season
In a wildfire briefing at the state Capitol attended by more than a dozen land use and wildfire response agency leaders, Gov. Greg Gianforte said he wants to double the number of treated acres on Montana's forests and pressured the National Park...
