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natural environment

Big Sky touts water reuse as Montana panel examines expanding water recycling

Could one of Montana’s most expensive resort communities be an example of water reuse and conservation for the rest of the state? Or is the process so costly and complicated that reproducing Big Sky’s success at recycling as much as 170 to 190 million gallons of water a

Maintain the Roadless Rule on national forests | George Wuerthner

In 2001, the Forest Service passed the Roadless Rule Conservation Act. The Trump administration is seeking to rescind the Act. During a brief public comment period, 99% of the respondents opposed the idea. The Roadless Rule affected 58.5 million acres of Forest Service roadless lands and put them off-

Gardiner conservation group worried about proposed logging near Yellowstone

Gardiner conservation group worried about proposed logging near Yellowstone

A Gardiner-based conservation group is expressing concern over a U.S. Forest Service proposed treatment area near Yellowstone National Park on the Gardiner District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest. The proposed 3,000-acre Bear-Palmer project aims to reduce fire risk and “increase resilience to insect and

Gayle Joslin: Roadless Rule protects what makes Montana the 'Treasure State'

Defenders of Montana’s roadless backcountry know the importance of vigilance. Threats to the wild public lands we cherish, it seems, never end and we continually find ourselves needing to speak up on their behalf. The latest threat is a plan hatched in Washington, D.C., to end the 2001

Why is snow becoming increasingly rare?

Why is snow becoming increasingly rare?

By Stephen Beech Snow really is becoming increasingly rare, according to new research. A detailed study of weather trends in the Northern Hemisphere found that about one in four regions (24%) have seen declines in snow-covered areas, compared with 9% showing increases. The strongest overall declines occurred in Europe

How California’s war on smog and its ambitious car pollution rules made everyone’s air cleaner

How California’s war on smog and its ambitious car pollution rules made everyone’s air cleaner

(LOS ANGELES) Cars on the road today are 99% cleaner than they were in 1970. Air quality in the United States is much, much better as a result. In Los Angeles, where I live, lead levels in the air were 50 times higher in the 1970s than today, and the

It’s time for a steady, science‑based climate policy | David Andrews

Sustainability is a recognized virtue in natural resource management. The virtue of sustainability in legislation and government policy is less recognized but equally important. Businesses and individuals make plans and long-term investments based on government regulations and policy. If the rules change every few years, bad decisions are inevitable