Conservation nonprofits sue feds over wolverine management A coalition of environmental groups is suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to designate critical habitat for the wolverine. The species was listed as threatened in November 2023, primarily due to the effects of climate change. Federal law requires the agency to designa...
Rural ambulance funding program in jeopardy A program aimed at keeping Montana’s rural ambulance services financially afloat is in jeopardy after federal health officials said the state cannot implement it. A provision in the “Big Beautiful Bill” prohibits states from creating new provider taxes to obtain additional federal funding. Existing p...
Out-of-state providers target Native people in $55M insurance scheme According to an announcement from State Auditor James Brown, out-of-state substance use treatment facilities have been carrying out a deceptive scheme targeting Native people in Montana, resulting in up to $55 million in fraudulent health insurance claims. PacificSource alert...
Rocky Mountain Grid Monitored as Jan. 20 Solar Storm Arrives A severe geomagnetic storm in effect today is expected to reach Earth as Arctic cold spreads into the Rocky Mountains, prompting increased monitoring of power systems and other critical infrastructure across high-elevation and rural regions. The G4 storm watch includes Montana, where...
Bison Grazing Rejected The U.S. Department of the Interior is revoking seven grazing permits in Phillips County. The decision directly impacts the American Prairie Reserve, which had been acquiring the permits to graze its herd of bison. The 1934 Taylor Grazing Act requires that grazing on publicly owned federal lands be “limited to cases wher...
Montana reports $84.1 million in hunting and fishing license tax revenue in 2024 According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections, Montana generated $4.7 billion in tax revenue in 2024. Of that total, $84.1 million came from hunting and fishing license taxes. The Census Bureau notes that state and local g...
Proposed AI Data Center Sparks Debate in Rural Montana Data centers are increasingly looking to Montana, drawn by a skilled workforce, vast open land, and a property tax rate of less than one percent. Now, a proposed artificial intelligence data center near Broadview—a town of about 130 people in rural Yellowstone County—is placing that nation...
Another record passenger year for Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport 2025 was another record-setting year for Montana’s busiest airport. Last year, 2,809,419 passengers traveled through Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, a 6.3% increase over the record-setting year in 2024. The airport’s multi-phase, $190 million East Terminal E...
Four years of legalized adult-use marijuana in Montana produce more than $1 billion in sales In the four years since Montana began allowing the legal sale of adult-use marijuana, the state’s retailers have sold more than $1 billion in product. Adult-use sales have risen enough to offset a sharp decline in purchases regulated and taxed as medic...
Wildlife expert shares how mild winters impact bear activity across Montana A milder winter in Montana has led to unusual wildlife activity, particularly among bears. However, bear activity is not influenced by warmer temperatures alone. It is primarily driven by food availability. Contrary to popular belief, bears do not hibernate in the trad...
