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Statewide, about 60% of registered voters participated in the last election, but in Montana's four majority-Native American counties, turnout was significantly lower. Advocates for Indigenous Montanans are trying to change that for the upcoming election. (Adobe Stock)

MT advocates party like it's Election Day

Indigenous voting activists are throwing parties around Montana this weekend to encourage citizens to vote, but especially to encourage Native …

Montana has more than 30 million acres of state and federal lands, nearly one third of the state. Conservation advocates are holding a photo contest featuring people and their dogs to celebrate being outdoors. (Adobe Stock)

MT advocates promote conservation through photo competition

This is the last weekend to get involved in a photo competition designed to encourage Montanans to explore the wilderness with their pets. There …

Nonprofit organizations employed nearly 30,000 Montanans in 2019. (Artur/Adobe Stock)

Workers at MT Nonprofits Feel Burden of Ramped-Up Demand

The work of some nonprofit organizations has only increased with the pandemic and the needs that have come from it. An author and expert in the field …

There were about 4.6 million job openings nationwide at the end of 2021. (wachiwit/Adobe Stock)

Worker Shortage Hits MT Nonprofit World Hard

The country has a worker shortage - and it's leading to hard times for nonprofits. Liz Moore is the executive director of the Montana Nonprofit …

Grizzly bears were first protected by the Endangered Species Act in 1975. (Wikimedia Commons)

Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council Makes Recommendations

HELENA, Mont. -- The Montana Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council has released its recommendations to manage and protect the species, which the …

People in rural communities have higher rates of disabilities and tend to be older than in urban areas. (alonaphoto/Adobe Stock)

Rural Montanans with Disabilities Face Challenges from Home to Hospital

HELENA, Mont. -- Montanans with disabilities face multiple barriers to care in the coronavirus pandemic, and those issues are compounded in rural …

Three years after an estimated 4 million people gathered in the streets, the Women's March is taking place again across the country. (Montanasuffragettes/Wikimedia Commons)

MT 2020 Women's March Looks to Capture First March's Energy

HELENA, Mont. -- The Women's March returns to cities around the globe ahead of the crucial 2020 election. Three years ago, protestors took to the …

More than 80% of Montanans say they want more dedicated conservation funding � even if it means higher taxes. (Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management)

Survey: Montanans Support Any Means Necessary to Preserve Outdoors

HELENA, Mont. – Montanans are willing to “put their money where their mouth is" when it comes to conservation, according to a new survey…

There are more than 90 summer meal sites throughout Montana. (Missoula Food Bank)

MT Summer Meal Programs Fight Childhood Hunger

HELENA, Mont. — Summer can be a difficult time for hungry children. In Montana, about one-in-six children lives in a food insecure household …

Members of Montana's LGBT community say there is still more work to be done to achieve equality. (Red Jackal Photography/Big Sky Pride)

Big Sky State Celebrates 25 Years of LGBT Pride

HELENA, Mont. – June is Pride Month, a celebration of LGBT communities across the country. In Montana, Big Sky Pride is holding it's 25th …

Some Native Americans are turning to traditional healing methods and culture to address health disparities for their communities. (Kate Brady/Flickr)

Native American Health Inequities Often Fly Under the Radar

MISSOULA, Mont. – It was when Annie Belcourt was having her own children that she realized some of the insidious ways health disparities for …

Marne Hayes, head of Business for Montana's Outdoors, and other western business leaders were in Montana on Wednesday, defending national monuments. (Business for Montana's Outdoors)

Western Business Leaders Meet in Zinke's Home State to Urge Monuments' Protections

HELENA, Mont. – Western business leaders gathered in Montana on Wednesday to tell Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to keep national monuments the …

Missoula led the nation for volunteerism in the Peace Corps, based on the number of volunteers per capita. (Brett Holt/Flickr)

Montana Again Among Leaders in Peace Corps Volunteering

MISSOULA, Mont. – Year over year, Montana ranks near the top when it comes to producing Peace Corps volunteers, and 2016 was no different…

Bad weather has shortened the supply of blood in blood banks across the country. (PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay)

Severe Winter Leaves Blood Banks in Need

GREAT FALLS, Mont. -- The American Red Cross has issued an emergency call for help - including at its five donation centers in Montana. The …

Veterans are joining protestors of a pipeline planned to be routed through Native American land in North Dakota. (Becker 1999/Wikimedia Commons)

MT Veterans Join Standing Rock Protesters on Front Line

BILLINGS, Mont. – More than 2,000 military veterans plan to join the protest in North Dakota against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The group …

The BackPack assistance program is designed to help the nearly 48,000 children who are food insecure in Montana.(and the rest/flickr)

Children's Need for Food High Over Holidays

MISSOULA, Mont. – Thanksgiving is a time when families get together and eat wonderful food. But some Montanans are less fortunate during the …

Helena Middle School teacher Kelly Elder was selected for the highest honor for teachers in Montana. (MEA-MFT)

Teacher Selected for Highest Honor in the Treasure State

HELENA, Mont. - Kelly Elder, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at C.R. Anderson Middle School in Helena, has been selected as the 2017 Montana …

Many cities, such as Bozeman and Missoula, are celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day today. (SheltieBoy/flickr)

Cities Celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day: "Let's Call it An Awakening"

BOZEMAN, Mont. - While some cities recognize Columbus Day Monday, others will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day instead. Dozens of cities across …

Nearly one-third of the land in Montana is publicly owned, and National Public Lands Day is a chance for those who use it to help with cleanup and maintenance projects. (Bureau of Land Management/Flickr)

Montanans Celebrate National Public Lands Day by Giving Back

HELENA, Mont. – Saturday is the 23rd annual celebration of National Public Lands Day, which gives Montanans a chance to visit and explore the …

Native Americans make up about 6.5 percent of Montana's population. (EWULibraries/flickr)

Group Looks to Get Out Native American Vote in Montana

BILLINGS, Mont. – With two months left before Election Day, one group is encouraging Montana's Native American population to register to vote…

The public comment period ends Friday, July 15, on a proposal to transfer the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. (Buffalo Field Campaign)

Last Chance to Comment on Transfer of National Bison Range

PABLO, Mont. - This week is the public's last chance to weigh in on proposed legislation to transfer management of the National Bison Range to the …

A Montana bear expert will share his expertise at an international conference on bears this week in Alaska. (skeeze/pixabay)

Planning a Bright Future For Montana's Bears

MISSOULA, Mont. - Bears face serious threats worldwide and most of them are caused by humans. This week hundreds of experts on bears from more than a …

Doctor shortages are just one challenge facing small-town hospitals, and one of the topics at Sen. Jon Tester's Rural Health Summit today in Ennis, Mont. (Machineheadz/iStockphoto)

Some Rural Montana Hospitals Struggle To Survive

ENNIS, Mont. - Rural hospitals are the backbone of many small communities and experts say quite a few are in danger of closing if the government cuts …

The regular primary registration deadline in Montana is Mon., May 9. (svanblar/iStockphoto)

Regular Registration for Montana Primary Election Ends Monday

HELENA, Mont. - The primary election is coming up in about a month, on June 7 but the deadline for regular voter registration is this Monday, May 9…

Glacier National Park is among the best-known parts of the extensive system of public lands in Montana. froggidonna/morguefile)

Montana Groups Join Call to Make Public Lands More Diverse

BOZEMAN, Mont. - This summer is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and a large coalition, including the tribal group Eco Cheyenne …

The topic at Montana's Equal Pay Summit in Bozeman today is the pay gap, in a state where a woman makes 74 cents on the dollar compared to a man. (Imagesource/iStockphoto)

She Works Hard for the Money: Equal Pay Summit Today in Bozeman

BOZEMAN, Mont. - Montana's working women make on average only 74 cents on the dollar compared to men; the ninth-worst pay gap in the country…

A broad group of Americans from multiple sectors have filed

Diverse Groups Support Clean Power Plan in Court

HELENA, Mont. - A broad coalition of groups have just filed "friend of the court" briefs supporting the federal government against a lawsuit …

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Montana Republican Party's request to allow a closed primary in June. (roibu/iStockphoto)

Primaries Remain Open in Montana, For Now

HELENA, Mont. - Progressive voting advocates are praising this week's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to keep Montana's Republican primary open…

Beware of scams during National Consumer Protection Week. (cohdra/morguefile)

Montana Officials Warn of Scams During National Consumer Protection Week

HELENA, Mont. - You've heard the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This is National Consumer Protection Week and …

Montana's delegation in Washington, D.C., got mixed reviews in the 2015 League of Conservation Voters Environmental Scorecard. (pharnshot/iStockphotos)

MT Delegation's Rating Mixed in National Environmental Scorecard

HELENA, Mont. - Montana's lone congressman and one of its two senators got some of the lowest scores in the country on the League of Conservation …

Shawn Dailey, a client at the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder, which is scheduled to close by the end of the year. (Carol Dailey)

Plans to Close Montana Developmental Center Generate Concern

BOULDER, Mont. - Today a committee appointed by the governor is meeting to discuss the transfer of 52 severely developmentally disabled people from …

Conservation groups are fighting to remove a dam in Southeastern Montana in order to save the endangered pallid sturgeon. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Conservation Group Fights to Save Endangered Sturgeon

GLENDIVE, Mont. - The public has a little over a week left to offer opinions about the fight to save an ancient species of fish from localized …

About 58,000 Montanans have signed up for health insurance through the federal marketplace since November. (AARP)

Health Insurance Marketplace Enrolls 58,000 Montanans in Three Months

HELENA, Mont. - Montana is making a serious dent in its number of uninsured residents with 58,000 people enrolling or re-enrolling in health …

The fourth annual Montana Farmers Union Women's Conference is this weekend. (Montana Farmers Union)

Montana Women to Tackle Issues at Weekend Conference

BOZEMAN, Mont. - Rural Montana women will have the chance to network and tackle common issues at the Montana Farmers Union Women's Conference this …

Montana conservationists are testifying in Spokane, Wash., tonight to protest a proposed oil terminal there that could send eight oil trains a day through Montana. (vladislav danilin/shutterstock)

MT Conservation Groups Travel to WA to Oppose Oil Trains

BILLINGS, Mont. - A coalition of Montana conservationists are traveling to Washington State today to speak out against a proposed oil terminal that …

Montana's fish and wildlife got a boost as the Land and Water Conservation Fund is set to be approved as part of the omnibus spending bill in the U.S. Congress. (TPS Dave/Pixabay)

Land and Water Conservation Fund Revived in Omnibus Spending Bill

HELENA, Mont. - The Land and Water Conservation Fund is back from the dead, at least temporarily, because Congress included it in the omnibus …

Montana education advocates celebrate passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. (jdurham/morguefile)

Montana Educators Cheer Passage of Bill to Replace No Child Left Behind

HELENA, Mont. - Montana education advocates are praising the passage on Wednesday of a bill to replace No Child Left Behind. The Every Student …

Conference attendees will learn about saving the planet through soil this weekend in Billings. Credit: belfasteileen/iStock

Soil Can Save Us: Conference Teaches Farmers To Battle Global Warming

BILLINGS, Mont. - Dirt can save the planet and farmers can put the brakes on global warming. Those are the surprising conclusions of the keynote …

Lethal injection faces a major roadblock in Montana. Credit: davidhills/iStock

Death Penalty Stalemate in Montana

HELENA, Mont. - The death penalty is at a stalemate in Montana, after a judge blocked the use of a particular lethal injection drug on Tuesday…

The EPA released its final Clean Power Plan on Monday. Cold water fisheries in Montana have been affected by climate change because of reduced water volume, increased pollution and warming water temperatures. Credit: National Park Service.

EPA Clean Power Plan: Montana Connections to Coal, Fish – and Corn

LIVINGSTON, Mont. – The EPA's Clean Power Plan was finalized Monday, and the decision is connected to Montana's energy industry, agriculture …

A new poll commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation found 83 percent of those surveyed agree that Clean Water Act rules should apply to small waterways. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Water Poll: Hunters and Anglers Appreciate the Small Things

HELENA, Mont. – When it comes to keeping small streams and wetlands clean, there's little controversy among hunters and anglers. A new poll …

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling over new rules regulating mercury pollution at coal-fired power plants is unlikely to change Montana operations, as Big Sky power plants have already complied with EPA rules. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Montana Ahead of the Game in Court Ruling on Mercury

HELENA, Mont. – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday the costs of implementing smokestack technology to control mercury pollution should have …

GRAPHIC: Nearly half of Montana's children are growing up in low-income families. A new Annie E. Casey Foundation report recommends providing tools for better jobs and child care in a coordinated way to break the cycle of poverty. Graphic courtesy of Montana Kids Count/photo credit: Deborah C. Smith.

Report: Make Generational Connections to Reduce MT Child Poverty

MISSOULA, Mont. - Lifting Montana children out of poverty requires an approach that focuses on parents and children at the same time. A report …

PHOTO: Two trail-clearing and maintenance projects are scheduled in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness this fall, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Wilderness Act. Photo credit: Kyle Martens, Montana Conservation Corps

"Fifty for 50th" Celebration Brings Jobs to Montana

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Crews of young people are ready to get to work improving trails and upgrading access on public lands in Montana. The …

GRAPHIC: A report on Summer Nutrition Programs shows Montana has improved in making sure low-income children are served healthy meals when school lunchroom is closed. Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Summer Nutrition Checkup for Montana Kids

HELENA, Mont. – Summertime shouldn't be hunger time. That's the push this week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to encourage children …

PHOTO: Recreation groups have sent a letter to Congress requesting they make it easier to form partnerships to tackle trail cleanup and repairs. Repairs are needed on nearly 75 percent of the trails. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service.

Volunteers Could Dig Forest Service out of Trails "Crisis"

MISSOULA, Mont. - The Forest Service could dig out of its backlog of trail maintenance by tapping into Montanans' love of the outdoors. Recreation …

PHOTO: A blood donation can be a lifesaving gift, which is why the American Red Cross hopes people will take time out of their holiday schedules to visit a local blood center or blood drive. Photo courtesy NIH

One More Holiday Donation? Give Blood

BILLINGS, Mont. - At hospitals and clinics across Montana, the need for blood 'knows no season,' but donations tend to dry up as the year comes to a …

Help MT Charities: Take an "UNselfie" Today

HELENA, Mont. - With Cyber Monday having capped three shopping designation days, today is "Giving Tuesday," promoted in social media as #…

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MT: Community Issues and Volunteering