The Montana Climate Action Project is a collaboration of partners in Montana working to find solutions, create opportunities and empower people around the issue of climate change. Our goal is to provide Montana citizens with the information and tools they need to understand climate change and make personal changes that will have a positive effect on the climate change crisis.
Over a decade of research at the U.S.D.A. (USDA) has resulted in the development of a new matrix for invasive plant management. The model was created by scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Burns, Ore., and helps land managers recognize how rangeland degradation processes vary across landscapes. ARS is USDA's chief scientific research agency. Using...
(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 20, 2012) - Officials from E.P.A. Regions seven and eight today hosted a meeting with the directors of state agriculture departments of Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The meeting, held at EPA's Region seven building in Kansas City, Kan., provided a forum for dialogue on E.P.A. programs and regulations as well as specific issues, interests and concerns of the agriculture sector. E.P.A. ...
WASHINGTON - E.P.A. (EPA) Deputy Administrator Robert Perciasepe and U.S.D.A. (USDA) Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan spent the day in rural North Carolina discussing the Obama Administration's work to strengthen rural economies. Perciasepe and Merrigan hosted a White House Rural Council meeting with local officials, community organizations, and businesses to discuss the benefits the American Jobs Act can have on rural communities and share a new report highlighting how small towns...
Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved S.1813, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), a bill to reauthorize the nation's transportation programs for 2 years, illustrating broad bipartisan support for passage by the full Senate. The legislation is cosponsored by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Commit...
Contact: Mary Kerr or Kate Gilman (EPW/Boxer): 202-224-8832 Matt Dempsey or Katie Brown (EPW/Inhofe): 202- 224-9797 Jennifer Donohue (Baucus): 202-224-2651 Luke Bolar (Vitter): 202-224-4623 E.P.W. Committee Unanimously Approves Major Bipartisan Transportation Bill Committee approval sends strong signal for broad support of important jobs bill Link to Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Ce...
October 2011 temperature "divisional rank" maps. High resolution...
Washington, DC - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of the Committee, Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Senator David Vitter (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, today released the bill text for Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the nation's transportati...
WASHINGTON -The E.P.A. (EPA) and the D.O.E.'s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) are evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining sites. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, E.P.A. is investing approximately $1 million for plans across the U.S. aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people's health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local communities, in...
Contact: Mary Kerr or Kate Gilman (EPW/Boxer): 202-224-8832 Matt Dempsey or Katie Brown (EPW/Inhofe): 202- 224-9797 Jennifer Donohue (Baucus): 202-224-2651 Luke Bolar (Vitter): 202-224-4623 Boxer, Inhofe, Baucus, and Vitter Release Bipartisan Transportation Authorization Bill, MAP-21 Markup date for MAP-21 scheduled for November Nineth Link to Moving Ahead for Progre...
WASHINGTON -The E.P.A. (EPA) and the D.O.E.'s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) are collaborating to conduct a study on the potential for solar power generation on the former Kerr McGee Chemical Facility location in Columbus, Miss. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, E.P.A. is investing approximately $1 million for plans across the U.S. aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people's health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local ...
WASHINGTON -The E.P.A. (EPA) and the D.O.E.'s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) are collaborating to conduct a study on the potential for solar or biopower potential generation on the Former Tronox Facility location in Savannah, Ga. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, E.P.A. is investing approximately $1 million for plans across the U.S. aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people's health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local...
WASHINGTON -The E.P.A. (EPA) and the D.O.E.'s National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) are evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining sites. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, E.P.A. is investing approximately $1 million for plans across the U.S. aiming to revitalize abandoned sites while protecting people's health, the environment and providing economic benefits to local communities, in...
WASHINGTON - The National Archives in collaboration with the E.P.A. (EPA) today announced the launch of a student multimedia contest, "Document Your Environment". Drawing inspiration from a collection of environmental photos from the 1970s, this contest invites students ages 13 to 18 college and graduate students to create any type of graphic art, a short video, or a poem using a Documerica photo as a prompt. The grand prize for this contest will be $500, courtesy of the Foundation f...
WASHINGTON, D.C. , October 27, 2011 - Lawmakers say environmental laws should be waived for Border Patrol operations October 27, 2011 Associated Press Kevin Freking Federal agents trying to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border say they're hampered by laws that keep them from driving vehicles on huge swaths of land because it falls under U.S. environmental protection, leaving it to wildlife - and illegal immigrants and smugglers who can walk through...
High Resolution (Credit: NOAA) The Southern Plains should prepare for ...
Significant events for September 2011. High resolution (Credit: NOAA...
(Seattle-Sept. 20, 2011) Albertsons and Whole Foods received national accolades from the E.P.A. for their work to green up refrigeration in their stores. The agency is recognizing both supermarket chains under the GreenChill Partnership, which aims to reduce harmful refrigerant emissions, protect the ozone layer and combat climate change. Albertsons Intermountain West, owned by SUPERVALU, earned an E.P.A. GreenChill award for achieving the company's challenging emissions reducti...
WASHINGTON, D.C. , September 13, 2011 - Today, the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a legislative hearing on 6 bills that would limit the President's authority to use the Antiquities Act to unilaterally designate new National Monuments within certain states. Last year, an internal document from the Interior Departmen...
September 12, 2011
Grant supports environmental education of Montana teens Contact: EPA: Lisa McClain-Vanderpool (303)312-6077; Wendy Dew (303)312-6605; EPI contact: Kelsey Stamm (406)721-8784, kelsey@ecologyproject.org (Denver, Colo.-August 25, 2011) The E.P.A. has awarded Ecology Plan International (EPI), based in Missoula, Mont., an environmental education grant of $32,200 to carry out a hands-on field science and conservation plan for Montana teens. The plan will partner te...
Energy, agribusiness top potential diversification list
By Erin Madison, Great Falls Tribune, 7/23/2009
The total economic impact of losing Malmstrom's 564th Missile Squadron in July 2007 is more than $30 million, but the Sweet Grass region holds potential to diversify its economy through energy and agribusiness as well as other means.
Those were the findings of a 12-month study funded by the Office of Economic Adjustment and the Montana Department of Commerce with the goal of helping the Sweet Grass area, which includes Cascade, Glacier, Pondera, Teton and Toole counties, weather the loss of the 50 missiles and 550 personnel. The Sweet Grass region has potential in the energy sector to offer wind energy and wind firming energy as well as renewable diesel.
Montana forests get $10 million for projects
By The Montana Standard Staff, 7/21/2009
HELENA—National forests in Montana are slated to get about $10.1 million in federal stimulus money for facilities and trails, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.
The money is part of the $274 million set aside in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress earlier this year for these uses. The money will go for projects on U.S. Forest Service lands in 32 states. "The Recovery Act projects we're announcing today are central to creating jobs and building a better, stronger economy in the future," Vilsack said in a press release.
We must pave the way on climate change action
By David McGinnis, Cathy Whitlock, Steve Running, and Jedediah Brodie, Great Falls Tribune, 7/20/2009
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a landmark climate and energy bill, making a critical first step in addressing the threats that the United States faces from the ever-increasing impacts of global warming that we scientists have repeatedly warned about for decades — but it is only a first step.
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The urgency of this long-awaited action was underscored in a multi-agency report released by the administration last month which provided the first nationwide snapshot of our vulnerability to climate change since 2001, and represents the best available climate science in the United States.
Localvores: Movement to buy Montana products helps boost agricultural economy
By Nick Gevock, Montana Standard, 7/18/2009
Tammy Hinman, an agricultural specialist for NCAT in Butte, says she prefers to buy local produce, and will spend extra for it. For Lori Stiffler, a few extra dollars spent to buy locally grown vegetables at the Butte Farmers' Market is well worth it.
The produce and other foods there are of great quality, she said. And the 55-year-old Butte resident said she feels safer knowing the fruits and vegetables she's eating are grown in Montana and not trucked hundreds, if not thousands, of miles.
Watts of savings
By Martin J. Kidston, Independent Record, 7/17/2009
Eliza Wiley Independent Record - Jack Isbell, with Solar Montana, uses a solar pathfinder to analyze the amount of light that can be harnessed from the roof of Helena Housing Authority’s administration building.
The Helena Housing Authority expects to save $2.4 million in utility costs over the next 15 years after it completes an energy upgrade of its 366 city housing units.
The project marks the first “performance contract” with a public housing authority in Montana and will allow HHA to reduce energy and water costs and apply the savings to repay the project loan.
NCAT releases new climate change publication
Addressing climate change can reduce energy costs, create green jobs in Montana
BUTTE, Mont. — The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is relea
sing a new climate change publication that highlights ways Montana consumers can address climate change while reducing energy costs and creating green jobs.
The publication, titled Changing climate, Changing future, is a guide to climate change in Montana and smart ways we all can act now to preserve our state for tomorrow’s generation.
Changing climate, Changing future details the work of the Montana Climate Change Advisory Committee, a group established by Gov. Brian Schweitzer in 2005 to study the effects of climate change in Montana and develop recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, are a major cause of climate change.
Changing climate, Changing future features dozens of resources to help Montanans reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. From ways to slash home heating bills to ideas for squeezing the most out of a gallon of gas, the resources will also help Montanans save money by using less energy.
In 2007, the Climate Change Advisory Committee produced a 450-page report with 54 recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Montana. Changing climate, Changing future provides a sampling of these recommendations, along with several success stories of Montanans already acting to reduce their own emissions.
Download Changing climate, Changing_future.[PDF/6.3MB]
Download the full Advisory Committee Report
