A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court protects Idaho rivers from what conservation groups say are harmful mining practices. The justices rejected a petition to review a case in which a California suction dredge miner conducted his operations without a Clean Water Act permit in Idaho.

The miner, Shannon Poe, was fined $150,000 in 2021 by a district court for polluting the South Fork of the Clearwater River. The Idaho Conservation League filed suit against Poe for failing to get a permit back in 2018.

Jonathan Oppenheimer, governmental relations director for the Idaho Conservation League, said the Supreme Court's decision is a victory for Idaho's rivers.

"We were concerned that it could go the other way and are pleased to see the outcome that really upholds what we see as the rule of law - that if you're going to discharge pollutants into waters of the United States, that you need to have appropriate permits and take actions to protect those waters for all Americans," he said.

Suction dredge mining uses an underwater hose to excavate gold from riverbeds. It can release dangerous metals like arsenic and mercury. Poe refused to get a permit for the mining. 21 states, including Idaho, signed on to a 'Friend of the Court' brief in support of Poe.

Dredge miners in Idaho must obtain a pollution discharge permit from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to comply with the Clean Water Act. Oppenheimer said this type of dredging is a highly disruptive practice that kicks up sediment and can harm endangered and protected species in the river, such as salmon and steelhead.

"It can impact fisheries habitat as well as the insects that grow and develop in the water and on the rocks that they are disturbing that then feed the fish and other aquatic species," he added.

Oppenheimer noted the justices' rejecting a review of this case means the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision requiring permits for suction dredge mining goes back into place, protecting waterways in the West.

Environmental advocates are urging Washington state lawmakers to require cargo ships to plug in while in port.

The Port of Seattle will require all cruise ships to use shore power by 2027, but cargo ships face no such requirement. One ship idling for 40 hours emits 30 tons of carbon dioxide and sends 22 pounds of toxic soot into the air, which can harm port workers and adjacent neighborhoods.

Teresa Bui, climate policy director for the group Pacific Environment, said the sheer volume at regional ports requires action.

"The Northwest Seaport Alliance saw visits from 1,700 cargo vessels in 2023," Bui pointed out. "While the port is vital to the state economy, there is both a climate and a public health imperative to transition away from diesel and require these ships to plug in."

A 2023 study found diesel exhaust contributes more than 80% of the cancer risk from toxic air pollutants in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Legislation to require shore power was introduced in the state House in January but did not make it out of committee. The legislation would apply to any terminal with more than 20 vessel visits per year. State lawmakers have committed more than $50 million toward port electrification.

With the third-largest container ship complex on the West Coast, Bui anticipates strong job creation.

"The additional benefit of requiring ships to plug in is there's job growth potential," Bui emphasized. "The TOTE terminal created 55 local jobs. IBEW supported this measure when it was introduced in the legislature."

A Maritime Administration estimate anticipates 100% shore power at the Port of Seattle would create hundreds of jobs over 30 years.

Environmental and wildlife conservation in Montana took hits during this year's state legislative session, including vetoes from the governor on bills that received bipartisan support.

Among bills Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed was House Bill 477, which would have phased out some single-use Styrofoam food containers in favor of those made from Montana agricultural byproducts.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula, called it "discouraging" when such a bipartisan effort is vetoed.

"Because it seems to me he did not listen to a wide variety of people, even in his own party," she said. "I think that with this particular bill, it just didn't send the right message about what our values are."

Tourism and recreation are important and growing industries in the state, and as Marler put it, "People don't come here to see trash."

Constituents can see how their lawmakers voted on conservation this session on the Montana Conservation Voters 2025 legislative scorecard.

Marler also voiced concern about weakening the Montana Environmental Policy Act, which was designed to uphold Montanans' constitutional right to a clean environment. While there was a win for habitat funding, Marler added she is seeing continued privatization of wildlife.

"It was not a great session for conservation and it was not a great session for Montana hunters," she explained. "It is becoming very hard to keep commercialization of wildlife off the books."

In renewable energy news, Gianforte vetoed the Montana Solar Shares Act, which would allow Montanans to buy shares in an energy-generating solar array. But a veto override poll for lawmakers is currently underway by mail.


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Conservationists are celebrating the protection of five miles of river frontage along the White Salmon River. The 174-acre site was purchased by The Conservation Fund more than a decade after the removal of Condit Dam. The dam was breached in 2011, draining the former Northwestern Lake. The lakebed makes up much of the acquisition.

Gates Watson, vice president of The Conservation Fund, said the removal restored a 44-mile free-flowing river.

"The dam's presence had an impact on the migration route for fish, including regional salmon populations, and disrupted Yakama Nation's right to fish and gather and hunt along this land, and with this transition that will be restored," he explained.

The land was purchased from PacifiCorp, which operated the hydroelectric dam. The site is located in the ancestral territory of the Yakama Nation. The acquisition will be managed by The Conservation Fund temporarily, before being acquired by Yakama Nation on a permanent basis.

Planning for the long-term restoration brought together PacifiCorp, Yakama Nation, The Conservation Fund and an owners association whose cabins sat near the shores of Northwestern Lake. Cabin owners had been leasing land from PacifiCorp. Site surveys were conducted to establish individual lots so owners could acquire the land under their buildings.

Watson said site planning also included a conservation easement and more.

"The vision for the completed White Salmon Corridor project is five miles of connected riparian habitat and a foot trail along the White Salmon River that is owned and managed by Yakima Nation, restoring opportunities for tribal members to access the river and fish," he continued.

The river is a breeding habitat for steelhead, Chinook and coho salmon, and researchers have found juvenile fish are returning in strong numbers.