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In recent months, three local boys have caught national attention after discovering a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex while on a fossil hunting hike in the badlands near Marmarth, ND. Brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, along with their cousin Kaiden Madsen made what they would soon learn to be a remarkable find in the summer of 2022. With the help of family friend, paleontologist, and curator of paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Tyler Lyson, the work towards...
A pair of federal court injunctions have frozen elements of a student loan repayment plan scheduled to roll out next week, with one of the rulings arising from a lawsuit filed by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Republican attorneys general in 10 other states. The injunctions, issued Monday evening by federal judges in Kansas and Missouri, temporarily block the final phase of President Joe Biden’s Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan set to go into effect July 1. That final phase included lowering the cap on m...
If you type the search word "legacy" into a search engine, you'll see it defined as "the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person's life". If you type the search words "Juvenile t-rex North Dakota" into a search engine, you'll be greeted with 6 pages of news stories covering the remarkable discovery made by Marmarth's own Fisher family. In the summer of 2022 while out on a hike, the Fisher brothers, Liam and Jessin, al...
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has received tentative approval to enroll 10 eastern Montana properties in a newly launched state program to conserve prairie habitat. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to authorize the Prairie Habitat Conservation Lease Program's first batch of agreements and signaled its support for the program's larger objective of putting 500,000 acres of eastern Montana prairie into 40-year conservation lease...
Monday, alongside Wildlife Manager Brett Dorak, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Dustin Temple held a press conference to address the status of eastern Montana's mule deer. "Our job at FWP is to manage Montana's wildlife resources by providing full contextual, transparent, accurate data with full context," Director Temple said. "Across the state, we are making the effort to ensure our management of mule deer is based on the best science and data." FWP biologists have...
Film and TV companies spent $334 million in Montana over the past two years, according to numbers released to state legislators on Monday. Television, including the filming of the "Yellowstone" franchise, was the big contributor with $275.7 million spent between July 2022 and May 2024. "Obviously very big numbers," said Gina Lavery, of Econsult Solutions, Inc., an analyst hired by the state. "These are honestly double what we saw the previous cycle, which makes sense because...
Discussing likely areas for future policy improvement in Montana's K-12 school system at a meeting in the state Capitol Monday, officials with the Office of Public Instruction highlighted teacher retention as a continued challenge across the state, noting that Montana public schools lost 2,039 educators to attrition during the 2021-22 academic year. According to the presentation, given by OPI Chief Operating Officer Julie Murgel during a meeting of key lawmakers and education...
Montana State University Extension invites community members from across Montana to attend local and county fairs this summer to see Montana 4-H program displays and events. Montana 4-H is the youth development program of MSU Extension, and for 4-H youth, the fair is a public opportunity to show what they have learned and to continue developing civil service and social skills while running events like concession stands, petting zoos or exhibits. "Time spent in 4-H allows kids...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) recently announced that summer road work on a 12-mile portion of US Highway 212 (US 212) east of Lame Deer is scheduled to commence in June. The project begins just east of the junction with Montana Highway 39 (MT 39) at the roundabout in Lame Deer and extends east. The contractor selected for work on this project is Prince, Inc. The Lame Deer – East project will include new surfacing, seal and cover (chip seal) operations, centerline and shoulder rumble strips, and upgraded s...
Beginning June 19, hunters can sign up for the Surplus License List, which is a list of leftover licenses that were not distributed by the drawing. The list will be randomized, with hunters at the top of the list contacted via email with instructions to finalize their purchase within a specified time. Resident and nonresident hunters can sign up through the MyFWP portal. This process requires hunters to keep their email address current in their ALS record. Payment of the license fee is not required to sign up on the Surplus L...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has issued a Decision Notice to proceed with a Prairie Dog Conservation Contract in Garfield and Rosebud County, Mont., eight miles north of Ingomar. The contract will conserve, protect, and enhance approximately 2,975 acres of important prairie dog colonies and associated habitat for 10 years, beginning July 2024 and continuing through July 2034. The contract would be implemented by a one-time payment of $148,750 to the affected landowner. This...
Over the next two years, dozens of cities and counties across Montana will review their local governments as called for by a voter initiative in Tuesday's primary elections. Once a decade, Montana's Constitution offers voters the chance to study and potentially change the structure of local governments. The measure appeared on primary ballots across all counties and incorporated cities or towns in the state. Voters in 12 counties and 42 cities and towns approved local...
submitted by MFBF The Montana Farm Bureau Summer Conference is set for June 10-12 in the historic cow town of Miles City. The summer conference provides an opportunity for the organization’s advisory committees to discuss current agricultural issues and concerns, and surface ideas for policy development. Events take place at the Custer County Events Center and the MCC Ag Advancement Center. “Members from across the state are excited to attend our annual summer committee meetings and foundation fund raiser. It’s been over...
The new Food and Ag Development Center specialist with an emphasis on specialty crops is Hannah Wichmann. The Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation is enthusiastic to add Hannah onto the team to help add growth and development to the community. Her role will aim on providing support to specialty crop producers, local agriculture producers, and other value-added businesses in our region as they look to start, grow, and make valuable connections on their business...
Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) recently announced the addition of a new Community Development Specialist. Dale Welliever of Wibaux comes to EPEDC from a career in business. Dale has experience from Auto Parts to Life Insurance and everything in between! Dale grew up on a farm/ranch in Wibaux County, and graduated from Wibaux County High School, Miles Community College, and MSU-Northern. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge. He has...
Trail maintenance, trail signage, weed control. These are among the projects proposed for the 2024 Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) grant program. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on these proposals. Comments will be accepted through Friday, May 24, at 5 p.m. The OHV program received 12 grant requests and proposes to award $500,000. The program receives funding through OHV/motorbike registrations, gas tax and the Summer Motorized Trail Pass revenues. Montana’s Off-Highway Vehicle Program supports projects s...
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has prepared a draft programmatic environmental assessment (EA) for the installation of regulated underground storage tanks (USTs) at new facility locations and is accepting public comment during the next 30 days. The Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and implementing rules define programmatic review as an analysis of potential environmental impacts resulting from related actions, programs, or policies. This type of review is appropriate for repetitive state actions...
On Wednesday April 24, 2024, Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) received confirmation of a rabid cow in Powder River County. The rabies-infected cow was tested after displaying neurological symptoms. Three people were exposed to the cow while administering treatment. The last documented cases of terrestrial (non-bat) rabies in Powder River County was in June 2022. This animal is the first confirmed case of rabies in Montana in 2024 and serves as an important reminder to keep pets currently vaccinated for rabies. Montana...
Low-income Montanans seeking help paying their property tax bills now have until June 1 to apply for aid through two state relief programs administered by the Montana Department of Revenue - including the flagship Property Tax Assistance Program intended to keep property tax bills from forcing low-income homeowners out of their homes. This year's application deadline, previously set for April 15, was extended in an effort to give Montanans facing substantial tax hardship more...
submitted by EPEDC Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC), along with Prairie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC), is pleased to announce the receipt of a $24,580 grant from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) for the development of a central Trailhead serving current and future trails in the Terry/Prairie County area. This grant, awarded through the Trail Stewardship Program (TSP), will fund the construction of a group area...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) and Sletten Construction are resuming operations on the Southeast Montana Bridge Preservation project. The Southeast Montana Bridge Preservation project began in the spring of 2023 and consists of rehabilitating 11 bridges in southeastern Montana. Construction on this project will continue bridge by bridge this year as MDT and Sletten Construction finish the partially complete bridges and begin work on the Colstrip Interchange Bridge. Beginning earlier this month, crews will...
submitted by Blake Fuhriman and Mike McManus Veterans Navigation Network Montana’s veterans deserve to live with dignity and independence. The Department of Public Health and Human Services is conducting an important survey to understand and improve the living conditions for Montana veterans. Workers at the Veterans Navigation Network encourage every veteran, caregiver, and family member in Montana to participate. This survey will help the state understand what veterans need to live well in their communities. It looks at heal...
On April 18th, the Bureau of Land Management adopted a long-awaited rule that aims to put conservation initiatives "on equal footing" with oil and gas leasing, grazing and other commercial uses of federal land. The rule "combines our ongoing work with a vision for conservation to help us manage lands into the 21st century," BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning said in a video announcing the rule. "It ensures that the BLM can carry out its multiple-use and sustained-yield mission...
Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) recently announced a partnership with the Montana Cooperative Development Center (MCDC) to host a series of housing conversations in Eastern Montana. These workshops will provide a platform for discussing the pressing issues of housing in rural communities and exploring innovative solutions. The first workshop will be held in Glendive on April 15th, 1-4 pm, in the courthouse basement. The second workshop will take place...
The supplemental property tax bills heading to property owners around the state this spring, made necessary by a November Supreme Court decision, represent a monumental headache for both local tax officials and homeowners. They also illustrate how the tax issue has driven a wedge between Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican seeking re-election this year, and local government leaders across Montana’s political spectrum. Nearly all of the dollars collected by Montana’s property tax system flow, directly or indirectly, to loc...
