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On Monday Governor Greg Gianforte launched a new dashboard to keep Montanans informed on active fires burning in the state. "Across Montana, our heroic firefighters are confronting more than eighty fires that threaten our communities, infrastructure, first responders, and way of life. Ensuring Montanans receive accurate and timely information regarding these fires is more important than ever," Gov. Gianforte said. "I'm urging all Montanans to do their part to reduce wildfire...
As Montana agricultural producers strive to find adequate feed for livestock during severe drought conditions and a damaging wildfire season, the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) is issuing guidance for out-of-county or state shipments of hay to prevent the spread of noxious weeds and other invasive pests. “The need for hay far outweighs our supply right now in Montana,” said Acting Director Christy Clark. “We recognize the need to find hay for our producers, but there can be some very serious consequences if we don’t...
As severe drought conditions and wildfires persist across the state, the Montana Department of Agriculture is reminding agricultural producers of the availability of the Hay Hotline, an online tool that connects those interested in buying, selling, or donating hay or pasture. The Hay Hotline allows producers to enter new listings with descriptions of the forage they have available to sell or donate. It also provides users with an option to search for available hay or pasture. The online tool is maintained by the Montana...
Chief Justice Mike McGrath announced Tuesday that he has re-appointed Russell McElyea to continue serving as the Chief Judge of the Montana Water Court. McElyea’s appointment is effective August 1, 2021. McElyea, who started as the associate judge, has been a Water Court judge since 2012. “Russ has done an incredible with moving the adjudication process to its conclusion. He understands the mechanics of the court and what needs to be done to provide finality to water users,” said Chief Justice McGrath. “We are very lucky he i...
The Montana Water Court met a critical milestone this week with the issuance of the first final decree in the decades-long adjudication of water rights. The decree covers rights claimed by the United States on behalf of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. The decree includes 12 water basins and is the first decree issued that addresses tribal reserved water rights outside of a negotiated compact. “This marks the start of the next step in Montana’s water rights process. We look forward to issuing additional fin...
Todd Anderson has been selected as the newest Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Enforcement Division captain, stationed in Miles City. According to FWP Enforcement Assistant Chief Ron Howell, "Todd brings a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience to the position of warden captain, and will be a tremendous asset to all serving in his new role." Anderson has been with Montana FWP since 2002, but prior to that he served almost four years as a wildlife conservation officer with...
MILES CITY – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks officials are seeking information on two mule deer that appear to have been shot and left to waste on or near the last day of July in the Rosebud area. On June 30, FWP Region 7 Warden Sergeant Casey Prell responded to an area just north of Horse Creek Road, north of Rosebud, to investigate the incident. One of the deer was a buck and the other was a doe. The deer were found three miles apart, and both appear to have been shot from the road. Anyone with information about this c...
After nearly a week of intense search efforts for missing hiker Tatum Morell in the mountains near Red Lodge Montana, rescuers now believe it is unlikely she is still alive. Rescuers have been searching extensively since July 5th for Tatum. Mountain rescue teams, search dog teams, and ground search teams have put hundreds of rescue hours into searching the area, including searching all possible routes, mountain peaks, ridges, as well as the area around her tent. Search...
MILES CITY – In recent days several people have called or commented about seeing the eagles from the Main Street nest on the ground, on the Tongue River bridge, or even appearing to be injured. This is a common occurrence this time of year, as the young eagles are fledging or learning to fly at around 10 to 12 weeks old. They are the same size as adults, but they are awkward as they test out their flight skills and can appear to be injured. Eaglets will spend a considerable a...
The Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) is asking residents to remain vigilant about the presence of feral swine. Though there have been no confirmed sightings in Montana, populations are spreading and the risk of introduction to Montana is high. Feral swine are an invasive species that damage crops, pastures, and waterways, and these animals can carry diseases that spread to livestock, people, and wildlife. The biggest risk of introduction to Montana is swine crossing the border from Canada. Though, with at least 39 U.S....
The Montana Bankers Association (MBA) announced the newly elected 2021-2022 leaders of the organization’s board today, resulting from elections among the MBA membership at the 118th Annual Membership Meeting earlier in June 2021. Jake Pelczar, Senior Vice President, Bank of Montana is the newly elected Chairman of the MBA Board of Directors, with Mike Seppala, President, Western Security Bank to serve as the Vice Chair of the Board, and Desiree Elkin, Chief Credit Officer, Summit National Bank to serve as S...
Combat Raider, a military training exercise involving various aircraft, is scheduled to begin July 19 in the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC) and will conclude on July 23, 2021. Combat Raider provides joint and coalition flight training with realistic scenarios that support full spectrum operations against modern threats replicating today’s combat operations. There is a potential for increased noise levels for areas around Ellsworth Air Force Base and throughout the PRTC. A map of the airspace is available for r...
On June 16 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $500,000 in supplemental funding to the Eastern Montana Brownfield Coalition which includes Great Northern Development Corporation (GNDC), Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) and Southeastern Montana Development Corporation (SEMDC) to clean up and redevelop contaminated brownfield properties in eastern Montana. GNDC is the administrator of the Eastern Montana Brownfield Coalition. The Eastern Montana Brownfield Coalition serves the...
Director Tanya N. Garfield of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West today reminded small nonfarm businesses in nine Montana counties and neighboring counties in South Dakota and Wyoming of the July 20, 2021, deadline to apply for an SBA federal disaster loan for economic injury. These low-interest loans are to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Sept. 29, 2020. Primary Montana counties: Big Horn and C...
The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) wrapped up its 137th MidYear Meeting on Friday, June 11 in Lewistown, Montana. The event hosted over 150 attendees who gathered for three days of education, policy, fellowship and fun. Governor Greg Gianforte opened the event at the Opening General Session and gave attendees updates on the 67th Montana Legislature and The Red Tape Task Force, among other priorities of the governor’s office. Also in attendance, NCBA’s President-Elect, Don Schiefelbein, share updates from the Nat...
On April 10, Montana FFA concluded the 91st Annual State Convention hosted in Billings. The convention was nothing short of a success thanks to the students, advisors and supporters. Blue jackets reconnected from every corner of the state. For some students, this was the first time in two years they interacted with other FFA members outside of their community. Eight hands-on contests, four general sessions, career conversation seminars, a career panel, various workshops, and the company of special guests Artha Jonassaint, 202...
The 13-year saga of the Keystone XL pipeline came to a close yesterday when TC Energy, formerly TransCanada, announced that it is terminating the project. Though the pipeline project has experienced multiple turns of fortune intersecting all three branches of the federal government and multiple state regulators since it was first proposed in 2008, President Joe Biden’s January reversal of the cross-border permit that had been issued by his predecessor is widely regarded as having sealed the project’s fate. If completed, the...
On June 9 Governor Greg Gianforte received the 2021 Fire Season Briefing from state and federal agency administrators and fire management officers. “Much of Montana is currently in moderate to extreme drought conditions, increasing the risk of a severe fire season,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “With decades of combined experience and institutional knowledge, our fire managers are committed to reducing wildfire risk across the state and protecting Montanans and our home.” He continued, “All Montanans must work together...
On Tuesday Governor Greg Gianforte issued an executive order declaring a disaster in five Eastern Montana counties: Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Richland, and Roosevelt. “Recent severe thunderstorms downed power poles and lines in Eastern Montana, leaving too many residents without power. I appreciate the robust efforts the region’s electric coops made to restore power to affected communities. Today’s disaster declaration is a first step to help residents and electric coops in the area recover,” Gov. Gianforte said. “The St...
On Thursday, June 3, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) received confirmation of a second terrestrial (non-bat) rabies case in the state in 2021. A rabies-infected skunk was captured in Powder River County. One dog was exposed to the rabid skunk and is being managed for exposure to rabies. In response to the rabies diagnosis, MDOL has issued a 60-day county quarantine for dogs, cats and ferrets in Powder River County that are not currently vaccinated for rabies (MCA Title 81, Chapters 2 and 20). The quarantine is in...
Despite continued investment and efforts to fight illegal robocalls plaguing telephone customers, Mid-Rivers has recently noticed an increase in scam calls in the area that show up on caller ID as reputable local business names. Scammers are “spoofing” the caller ID (sending through fake caller ID names and/or numbers) to look like names you recognize, hoping to increase the chances of getting the called party to answer. Our own business name has been used by scammers trying to obtain personal account information. They may...
In a joint-letter with governors from South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Iowa, Governor Greg Gianforte recently urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to continue their investigation into serious allegations of anticompetitive behavior in the meatpacking industry. “Decades of consolidation in meatpacking has significantly limited the options that producers have to market their cattle and has created a situation where one segment of the beef industry has near total control over the entire market,” Governor Gian...
As established in House Bill 396 signed during the 2021 legislative session, hemp and substances derived from hemp are now approved for use in commercial feed for pets, specialty pets, and horses in Montana, so long as they do not contain more than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The Montana Department of Agriculture will regulate these new parameters for feed, feed ingredients of hemp, and substances derived from hemp in accordance with Montana’s Commercial Feeds Act and the Hemp and Cannabidiol Policy for Use in A...
Montana’s unemployment rate declined from 3.8% in March to 3.7% in April. The unemployment rate for the U.S. was 6.1% for the month. “Montana’s economic recovery depends on getting Montanans back to work into good-paying jobs, allowing our businesses to fill open jobs and meet their growing customer demand,” Gov. Gianforte said. “By ending the pandemic-related federal unemployment bonus that discourages work and by launching a return-to-work bonus, more Montanans will reenter the workforce, and Montana’s economy will contin...
Volunteer applicants are needed to serve two-year terms on Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Region 7 Citizens Advisory Council. The purpose of the southeastern Montana-based CAC is to advise FWP on various regional and statewide issues, programs and policies; to help identify areas in which the department can be more effective; to help identify emerging trends and resolve conflicts; and to offer insight and guidance from members' own experiences and constituencies. The CAC, which in this area is comprised of 10-12 members, w...
