Montana - Western Environmental Law Center

Federal wildlife-killing program challenged in Montana

Jan 18, 2023 | News Release, Protecting Grizzly Bears, Wildlife

Today, four conservation organizations challenged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Wildlife Services predator killing program in Montana. The legal challenge also includes the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approving the program’s killing and...

NEPA Rollback

Jul 1, 2019 | Climate & Energy

Protecting NEPA – The Environmental Magna Carta The Forest Service NEPA Rollback: The NEPA rollback proposed by the U.S. Forest Service to overhaul its environmental analysis procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which will dramatically...

Protecting Public Access to Montana’s Crazy Mountains

May 21, 2019 | Climate & Energy

Protecting Public Access to Montana’s Crazy Mountains The Crazy Mountains in Montana are public lands, accessed via public National Forest System trails dating to 1925. The U.S. Forest Service has maintained and managed these trails, which are depicted on all...

VICTORY! Stopping the Bull Mountain Mine Expansion

Apr 23, 2014 | Climate & Energy

VICTORY! Stopping the Bull Mountain Mine Expansion In the foothills of central Montana near Roundup, we kept 170 million tons of coal in the ground in 2017 and defended that victory in 2022. We defeated the Bull Mountain/Signal Peak Mine expansion, arguing that the...

VICTORY! Montana Exempt Well Loophole

Mar 20, 2014 | Wildlands

VICTORY! Montana Exempt Well Loophole Rural homeowners, ranchers, and farmers in Montana and other western states have long relied on a provision of the law that affords them the opportunity to drill a small well without first obtaining a permit. It’s an approach that...

Representing Montana youths in a fight for their future

Sep 7, 2012 | Climate & Energy

Representing Montana youths in a fight for their future Montana is one of only a handful of states that recognizes a constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, including the climate. With our partners at Our Children’s Trust and the McGarvey Law Offices,...

Oil & Gas Drilling Lease Climate Challenge

Sep 6, 2012 | Climate & Energy

Montana Oil & Gas Drilling Lease Climate Challenge In Montana, leaky oil & gas drilling operations on public lands emit 1.8 billion cubic feet of methane (and perhaps far more) to the atmosphere each year. Over a 20-year lifetime of development, keeping this...