by Michael Howell The Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC) was recently awarded $7 million dollars from the EPA Columbia River Basin Restoration Program to grant to local entities to host […]
County will not accept seasonal groundwater monitoring results this year
by Michael Howell The Ravalli County Board of Health decided last week not to accept seasonal high groundwater data for the coming season. The board has the authority to refuse […]
NIH study shows Chronic Wasting Disease unlikely to move from animals to people
by Michael Howell Thanks to the work of scientists at Rocky Mountain Lab in Hamilton, Montana hunters can feel a lot more at ease eating their venison this coming season. […]
No plan of operation yet for Sheep Creek Mine
by Michael Howell In a press release on May 2, the Bitterroot National Forest announced that it has received a Notice of Intent (NOI) to conduct mineral exploration from U.S. […]
A look at groundwater in the Bitterroot
by Michael Howell “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting.” Insightful claims are often attributed to some indubitable source to bolster their credibility. This quote is most often attributed […]
Legislative committee presses for rare earth mining at Butte
by Michael Howell The Montana Legislature’s Environmental Quality Council (EQC) voted unanimously last week to send letters of support to Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency urging them to consider […]
Collaborative research provides clues to immunity, longer life
by Michael Howell Feeling old and especially vulnerable in the face of the many variations of Flu and RSVP viruses going around? There is good reason to be concerned. Recent […]
County commissioners, conservationists oppose grizzly bear relocation
by Michael Howell Both the Ravalli County Board of Commissioners (BCC) and some conservationists have made public statements recently opposing any plans to actively reintroduce an experimental Grizzly Bear population […]
Mining company touts Bitterroot gallium deposits
by Michael Howell Leading up to its anticipated submission of a Plan of Operations for mining Rare Earth Elements (REE) at its mining claims in the headwaters of the West […]
Climate change and fisheries in the Bitterroot
by Michael Howell Close to 60 people attended a panel presentation and discussion entitled “Let’s Get Reel: threats and solutions for our waters and fisheries” sponsored by Bitterroot Water Partnership […]
Sapphire Valley Estates conditionally approved
by Michael Howell The Ravalli County Commissioners gave conditional approval last week to the Sapphire Valley Estates subdivision, a 33-lot development on a 49.22-acre parcel of formerly agricultural land near […]
City asks county for help in addressing emergency shelter issue
by Michael Howell As part of its monthly meetings on housing issues in the city and county, the City of Hamilton has recently come to focus upon emergency shelter issues […]
Commissioners adopt Community Wildfire Protection Plan
by Michael Howell Last Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Ravalli County Commissioners unanimously adopted by resolution a revision of Ravalli County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) which was originally adopted in […]
Group asks county commissioners to add hand counting of ballots
by Michael Howell The Ravalli County Republican Central Committee (RCRCC) wants to place an initiative on the upcoming primary ballot that would require a hand count of all the ballots […]
Feds initiate process to evaluate restoration of grizzly bears in Bitterroot Ecosystem
by Michael Howell Grizzly bears once ranged throughout most of the Western United States, however, their abundance and distribution were greatly diminished by excessive human-caused mortality and loss of habitat […]
County considers 11th hour changes to Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Ravalli County Commissioners held a meeting last week to consider some last minute changes to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) that would involve expanding the Wildland Urban Interface […]
Darby submits wastewater treatment plan to state
The Town of Darby submitted a compliance plan to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) last Thursday in response to the notice of violations that the agency issued last September […]
Darby denies well to proposed lodge
DEQ has concerns on negative impacts of proposed irrigation well by Michael Howell Last week the Darby Town Council denied a request for an irrigation well to serve the property […]
Landowners to get their day in court
by Michael Howell A couple of Bitterroot valley residents who sued the Forest Service for allowing public access across their land, only to have the case dismissed for being filed […]
Company aims to mine rare-earth metals in the Bitterroot
Just as the Biden administration and Congress are making major investments to expand the domestic critical minerals supply chain in the hopes of breaking our country’s dependence on China, one […]