From the Saturday, July 19, 2008 online edition of the Missoulian . . .

A federal judge in Missoula has restored endangered species protections for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies, derailing plans by three states to hold public wolf hunts in the fall.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy granted a preliminary injunction late Friday restoring protections for wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Molloy will eventually decide whether the injunction should be permanent.

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From the Thursday, July 17, 2008 online edition of the Hungry Horse News . . .

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, legislation that protects some 219 miles of waterway on the Flathead National Forest.

While the Act was passed in 1968, local rivers protected under the Act — the North Fork of the Flathead, the Middle Fork of the Flathead and the South Fork of the Flathead — were not included until 1976.

In that year, oil and gas exploration as well as Canadian coal mines were all threatening the North Fork — a situation that isn’t far removed today.

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From the Wednesday, July 16, 2008 online edition of the Missoulian . . .

Environmental groups concerned that Montana water may be threatened by potential coal-bed methane extraction and expanded coal mining in southeastern British Columbia took their concerns to Canada’s ambassador to the United States.

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There has been a lot concern over Plum Creek’s gradual shift from timber production to real estate development, particularly their recent closed-door negotiations with the Forest Service to expand permitted road easement use.

On a positive note, an article in this week’s Hungry Horse News, “Plum Creek inks massive land deal,” covers the announcement of “the largest land conservation purchase in the United States history” — the negotiated sale of about 30% of Plum Creek’s holdings in Montana to a pair of conservation groups.

From the Saturday, June 28, 2008 online edition of the Lethbridge Herald . . .

Southern Albertans who treasure the unspoiled qualities of Waterton Lakes National Park may believe the park

From the Friday, June 27, 2008 online edition of Forbes . . .

Possible coal mining and coal-bed methane extraction in southeastern British Columbia warrant investigation by an international board, a coalition of 11 U.S. and Canadian environmental groups said.

The groups on Thursday requested investigation by the International Joint Commission, a Canada-U.S. panel charged with preventing and resolving disputes under a 1909 water treaty. Possible contamination of water in the Flathead River system, which flows into Montana from Canada, is among the groups’ concerns.

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From the Thursday, June 12, 2008 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Road dust has been a Flathead County scourge for years, and residents have complained that the clouds of particulate matter were affecting their health.

The problem of road dust isn’t going away any time soon, but a University of Montana study of the North Fork Road has helped quantify the health risks. Whether that translates into immediate solutions from the county is still uncertain.

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