Five Victories for Montana’s Rivers in 2017

There are a number of ways that 2017 has been tough on the environment, rivers included. From the proposed repeal of the clean water rule to rolling back protections from mining waste, the fight for clean water and our wild rivers has never been more urgent. But here in Montana, we did achieve a number of victories for rivers across our state. Here are a quick Top Five Conservation victories – and we aren’t done yet!

1) Secured formal endorsements from more than 2,000 Montanans and 1,000 Montana businesses for a comprehensive Wild & Scenic Rivers bill that would protect 50+ rivers in the Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems.

2) Won key administrative protections for 105 streams, 1,071 stream miles, and 343,000 acres of riverside lands on three national forests in western Montana.

3) Inspired 9,300 river advocates from Montana and across the nation to submit comments on the proposal by a Canadian mining company to build a copper mine in the headwaters of Montana’s famed Smith River.

4) Played a major role in convincing an influential stakeholder group to quash the idea of discharging treated wastewater from the resort community of Big Sky into Montana’s Gallatin River.

5) Met with, trained, and presented to 5,475 people in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho to build support for our river protection efforts in the Northern Rockies.