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Congress needs to make “mostly dead” Lava Ridge project “all dead”
As Idahoans take victory laps on the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project , proclaiming that President Trump’s executive order was “the...
Madilynne Clark
Mar 314 min read


Plastic bag bans don’t help the ocean - there are better solutions
We don’t want plastic in the ocean. Most plastic degrades slowly and we have all seen pictures and videos of marine life being harmed by...
Todd Myers
Mar 134 min read


Time to end the East/West divide on control of state lands
Note: This is a joint Mountain States Policy Center op-ed with William Duncan, a constitutional law fellow at Sutherland Institute. Among...
Madilynne Clark
Feb 183 min read


Preventing out-of-control wildfires is possible, if the government permits
Certain fuels burn hotter and faster than others, a lesson quickly taught to new firefighters. “It lights up like gasoline” was a phrase...
Madilynne Clark
Jan 313 min read


Congress should review the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan
Ranchers, miners and mineral extractors in Wyoming should be preparing deregulation lists for the incoming Trump administration and new...
Marta Mossburg
Dec 24, 20243 min read


Montana Supreme Court oversteps and makes a mess
The Montana Supreme Court’s questionable decision in Held v. Montana reads more like a policy argument than a finding of law.
Chris Cargill
Dec 21, 20242 min read


Wyoming land sale pushed through without enough scrutiny
Baffling is the only word to describe the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners’ decision earlier this month to sell the 640-acre...
Marta Mossburg
Dec 4, 20243 min read


Bah humbug to excessive federal land management
The federal government aptly fills the role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the ongoing production of western land management. In the words of...
Madilynne Clark
Dec 2, 20243 min read


Federal forest managers are tangled in their own bureaucracy
Working for the Bureau of Land Management as an initial attack firefighter during my summers in college, you would learn pretty fast how...
Madilynne Clark
Nov 20, 20244 min read


Does the 2024 election change the outlook for the Lava Ridge wind energy project?
The results of the 2024 election may blow away the controversy surrounding the proposed Lava Ridge wind energy project. More on that...
Madilynne Clark
Nov 7, 20244 min read


Idaho joins with Wyoming to support Utah’s federal lands lawsuit
Utah may have fired the first shot , but Idaho and Wyoming are also rallying to defend the right of western states to have more control...
Jason Mercier
Oct 28, 20243 min read


Federal forest management is stuck
Note: This is a joint Mountain States Policy Center op-ed with U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (Idaho) As a U.S. Senator for Idaho, a state...
Madilynne Clark
Oct 14, 20243 min read


Washington’s Initiative 2066: Promoting energy choice by protecting access to natural gas for homes and businesses
This November, Washington voters will decide if consumer energy choices deserve protection. Over the course of the last year, Washington...
Madilynne Clark
Sep 23, 20243 min read


Monumental energy permitting reform advances in Congress
A new piece of energy legislation in Congress called the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA) has made its way through the...
Sam Cardwell
Aug 21, 20243 min read


BLM ruling threatens Wyoming’s K-12 funding model
On May 16th, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a final environmental impact statement on the Powder River Basin, stating that it...
Sam Cardwell
Jul 18, 20244 min read


Artificial Intelligence can be our first line of defense in limiting the effects of wildfires
California, like many of the states in our region, has faced some of the most devastating wildfires in recent history. The "Golden State"...
Sebastian Griffin
Jul 17, 20243 min read


Now Available: The Mountain States Policy Manual
The Mountain States Policy Manual is a 200-page guide filled with facts, figures, research and more than 80 recommendations – it is an...
Jason Mercier
Jul 15, 20243 min read


Washington Governor supports huge wind project while admitting there may be “significant impacts” to hawks
Note: This article was originally published by Washington Policy Center. It is reposted with permission. “Fanaticism consists of...
Todd Myers
Jul 8, 20245 min read


19 State Coalition Challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Scope
19 States have banded together in a lawsuit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) green energy transition...
Sam Cardwell
Jul 5, 20244 min read


Governor Little issues Executive Order to resolve Idaho water fight – for now
The challenging waters of Idaho's irrigation needs became even more turbulent in recent weeks, with water users working through...
Madilynne Clark
Jul 3, 20243 min read
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