From the Wednesday, October 3, 2007 online edition of the Missoulian . . .
The nation’s top-level land managers are looking to meet with their Canadian counterparts in France later this month to discuss controversial mining projects planned upstream of Glacier National Park.
From the Wednesday, October 3, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
The media storm by Montana
The folks at How to Boil a Frog (yes, you read that right) have posted an absolutely hilarious and pointed video about the proposed Cline Coal Mine in the Canadian Flathead Valley. It’s well worth a click.
From the Wednesday, September 26, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester on Wednesday urged top U.S. officials to help add Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park to the “List of World Heritage in Danger,” as part of their efforts to prevent mining and drilling proposals north of the Montana border.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named the park a World Heritage site
North Fork residents Jerry and Linda Wernick were the subject of the lead story in the Sunday, September 23, 2007 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
When Jerry Wernick was a young teacher just starting his career in southern California, he was determined to build a house for himself and his wife, Linda.
Columnist Joel Connelly takes aim at B.C.’s environmental policies, including their plans for energy development on the Canadian North Fork, in the Friday, September 21, 2007 online edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . . .
As a gloves-off crusader against global warming, ex-Vice President Al Gore has labeled as a “complete and total fraud” the Canadian government’s climate change program.
[…]
What’s going to happen when Gore takes the podium at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver next Saturday, Sept. 29th?
[…]
The province has made a much-touted commitment to reduce its current greenhouse gas emissions 33 percent by the year 2020. It pledges a policy of zero net greenhouse gas emissions from existing thermal power generating plants by 2016.
[…]
While pledging to curb emissions from coal-fired power plants, however, British Columbia is feeding Asia’s carbon economy with its coal mines, and acting to facilitate major new mine projects.
It’s a political tactic nicknamed “greenwashing.” Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana has called on Premier Campbell to walk his talk.
After soliciting bids, the B.C. government has begun a process that could lead to approval of a massive coal-bed methane project proposed by British Petroleum for the upper headwaters of the Flathead River valley.
Read the entire article . . .
From the Thursday, September 20, 2007 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
Fire restrictions on public lands in Northwest Montana have been lifted, according to Flathead National Forest officials.
On private land in Flathead County, however, no open burning is allowed through the end of September.
The lifting of restrictions affects public lands in Flathead and Lincoln counties, Lake County outside of Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribal lands, plus all of Kootenai National Forest, Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park.
Fire restrictions also have been lifted in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Read the entire article . . .
From the Tuesday, September 18, 2007 online edition of the Missoulian . . .
In a pair of recent letters, Canadian leaders delivered a sharp response to Montana concerns about coal-mine plans upstream of Glacier National Park.
Yet despite the ongoing disagreement, both sides appear committed to keeping negotiations alive.
From the Tuesday, September 18, 2007 online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
Three leading Montana representatives should reconsider their efforts to intervene as officials in Canada consider potential mining and drilling on the northern side of the transboundary Flathead River Basin, Canada’s U.S. ambassador and British Columbia’s premier indicated in letters.
Ambassador Michael Wilson on Monday told Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester they were off base in proposing an international panel review environmental aspects of potential coal mining and coal-bed methane work in southeastern British Columbia. In a separate letter to Gov. Brian Schweitzer last week, Premier Gordon Campbell sent a mixed response to the governor’s proposal that state and provincial representatives meet to discuss environmental issues spanning the border. Campbell also questioned Montana’s environmental record.
“We recognize in particular that Montana’s land-use and resource development decisions elsewhere in the state mean the Flathead Basin is the only remaining major protected area in Montana,” the premier wrote. Most of the state is “pretty pristine,” Schweitzer responded Monday in a telephone interview.
Read the entire article . . .
From the Saturday, September 15, 2007 online edition of The Globe and Mail . . .
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell yesterday sent a toughly worded letter to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer declining his offer of a December meeting on cross-border environmental issues and challenging the state’s environmental performance.
Stung by a letter from Mr. Schweitzer three weeks ago that takes B.C.’s performance to task, Mr. Campbell took his own gloves off and offered up a detailed defence of the province’s environmental assessment program while casting aspersions, in diplomatic language, on the Montana record.
The two leaders are sparring over potential resource development in the Flathead River area of southeastern B.C. and the possible impact on that river as it flows into Montana. Festering for years, the issue has exploded into a war of words in the past three weeks.
Read the entire article . . .