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The Future of Drought in Montana

January 5, 2024 // NEWS: In Short

A barren wheatfield in Malta, Montana, after it was raided by migratory grasshoppers that thrive in drought conditions
Following a three-year planning process, Montana released an updated Drought Management Plan, seeking to foster drought resilience in the state and recognizing climate change as a driving factor.
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50 Years: How the Endangered Species Act Influenced Greater Yellowstone

January 2, 2024 // NEWS: Dispatch

Bald eagles were finally listed under the ESA in 1978
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, Mountain Journal looks at the landmark legislation’s impact on some of Greater Yellowstone’s keystone species.
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Two Wyoming Elk Feedgrounds in Limbo Amid CWD Concerns

December 21, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

Wyoming Game and Fish manages 22 elk feedgrounds across the state
As Wyoming Game and Fish assesses the viability of two Wyoming elk feedgrounds, concerns over the spread of chronic wasting disease at forefront.
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BLM Bans Lethal ‘Cyanide Bombs’ Used to Kill Predators

December 14, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

The EPA authorizes various federal and state agencies to use M-44 cyanide devices to kill canids, including wolves and coyotes
The ban, in place on 245 million acres for a minimum of five years, comes after M-44 cyanide devices killed non-target species including domestic dogs and injured humans.
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Lethal Rotenone Plan Aims to Trade Wilderness Rainbows for Cutthroat

December 5, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

The plan to use rotenone would kill rainbow trout in Buffalo Creek to be replaced by cutthroat
After Custer Gallatin National Forest issued a decision to kill off rainbow trout with rotenone north of Yellowstone, a Montana group filed lawsuit against the Forest Service over plan to 'poison' Buffalo Creek.
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Breeding Pair of Eastern Owl Species Spotted for First Time in Grand Teton

November 30, 2023 // NEWS: Dispatch

The barred owl is common in most states east of the Mississippi River. In Wyoming? Not so much.
The first breeding pair of barred owls recorded in the park or Wyoming has experts concerned over potential ecosystem effects.
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Will Wolverines be Listed Under Endangered Species Act?

November 21, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

The fate of the wolverine lies in the hands of the federal government
The U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service will make a determination about listing Lower 48 wolverines by Nov. 27
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Montana unveils first wolf management plan update in 20 years

November 16, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

 The Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan reflects changes in the wolf population over the past two decades
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission reduced this year’s quota from 450 to 313 wolves following slight population decreases since 2020.
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Yellowstone, Montana Officials Disagree on Bison Management

November 13, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

As it turns out, bison don't know where invisible borders exist
Montana and Yellowstone National Park have disagreed for years about how to manage Yellowstone bison. Those tensions recently ratcheted up.
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Wildland Firefighters: Slash and Burn?

November 9, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

On November 17, federal wildland firefighters face a fiscal pay cliff, which could be "calamitous" for America's forests
As wildfires rage hotter and spread faster, federal wildland firefighters are facing a fiscal pay cliff on Nov. 17, and with it a potential 50 percent slash in workforce. 
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Ecosystem Engineers: Wyoming Beavers Deployed to Repair Wetlands

November 2, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

Beavers  are expert dam builders, and their industrious behavior helps repair eroded streambeds by trapping sediments and slowly raising water levels
In Wyoming, land managers are relocating ‘nuisance’ beavers to enhance riparian areas. Their dams can even curb wildfires.
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Are Humans Killing More Grizzlies?

October 31, 2023 // NEWS: In Short

More humans are pouring into Greater Yellowstone, and diminishing food sources aren't helping grizzly-human conflicts
Since August, five Greater Yellowstone grizzlies have been killed by hunters and anglers in self-defense. Why?
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Bear Tags As Revenue Generators: How Much Will Wyoming Make Bringing Back Griz Hunt?

July 26, 2023

One of Grizzly 399's original three cubs, 587
One of the arguments states use in pushing for grizzly delisting is bringing back a trophy season to help them recoup money they've spent on bear recovery. Does the premise add up?
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Stopping A Yellowstone Hetch-Hetchy: When Private Interests Nearly Put Parts Of America's First National Park Under Water

July 28, 2019

Yellowstone Lake, site of a defeated dam
In this excerpt from John Taliaferro's new book on George Bird Grinnell, local efforts to exploit Yellowstone remind us again that past is prelude
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