Ellis Juhlin

From the slopes of Whitefish, researchers are using ski resorts to gather valuable data – and seeds, that could help restore forests. In some regions of Montana, over 90 percent of whitebark pines have died.

About a third of Montana is public land. A new survey by the University of Montana’s Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative suggests most Montanans want to keep it that way. Eighty-five percent of Montanans polled said they would support a ban on the sale or transfer of public land.

The Roadless Rule is back on the chopping block. And what happens next could have really big implications for Montana, the region, and the country – for grizzlies, for other endangered species, and for entire ecosystems. What do we lose, or gain, when our bedrock environmental regulations go away, along with public input on how it all happens?

More than six square miles of an aquifer under Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front has been removed from federal protections and slated for wastewater. The change comes despite overwhelming opposition from the local community.

NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about how communities are moving forward on climate solutions despite significant political headwinds.

Restrictions on mining for precious metals like gold in Montana that were put in place 30 years ago could soon be relaxed as the mining industry makes a comeback in the U.S.

Wildfire smoke settles into the Missoula valley, July, 21, 2021.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed President Trump’s nominee to lead the country’s largest land management agency. Stevan Pearce has been criticized by public lands advocates for his past support of selling off or transferring ownership of federal lands.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants union (left) with Democratic U.S. House candidate Sam Forstag (center) and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (right) at a Missoula campaign rally on May 28, 2026.

When farmers sell their crops, they usually receive six cents for every dollar you spend on the end product at the grocery store, according to federal data. But a new processing facility is giving farmers a chance to sell a particular crop locally. That could put more money in their pockets.