Legislators hear monthly about Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks matters from constituents. Last month’s audit of the Block Management program highlighted some needed changes. This program allows public hunting access on private land through a mutual agreement with FWP. The landowners are called cooperators in the agreement while the properties are known as BMAs. These […]

Someday, Americans will look back and remember when Christmas came after Thanksgiving. Not only are more stores putting out Christmas items and decorations as early as September, now three big retailers – Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us – will be opening even earlier this coming Thanksgiving Day in a race to launch Christmas sales. […]

As commissioners for Montana’s forest counties, we know firsthand that the sharp decline in timber harvests and timber jobs since the early 1990s has been devastating to our communities. Our forests are at greater risk of burning, our remaining mills are struggling to survive without a predictable and productive timber supply and many of our […]

John Henry “Gatling Gun” Parker had earned his moniker by providing the covering fire for Teddy Roosevelt’s immortal assault on San Juan Hill. Nearly 20 years later his six-feet three-inch frame made him an easy target while charging at the head of his command, the 362nd U.S. Infantry. As the heroic Parker went down with […]

While rural Americans have already waited too long for passage of a new Food, Farm and Jobs bill, last week brought a promising new development. Conferees from the Senate and House met to begin work on the creation of a bipartisan, long-term Farm Bill. Their work could not be more timely – and they are […]

The board of Montana West Economic Development has researched the ballot issues surrounding the Kalispell Airport. We compared the economic impact of accepting FAA funds to upgrade the airport to FAA-recommended safety standards and that of not pursuing the FAA funds for upgrades or further maintenance. The results of our research: The airport has a […]

Media reports about the impact of the federal government shutdown have interestingly focused on one public impact more than any other – the loss of access to public lands. Barricaded monuments, chained gates at national parks, and refuges closed to hunting became the most visual – and often most emotional – representation of the shutdown. […]

Rather than viewing the recent slight uptick in the economy and leveling off in the national debt as a harbinger of a positive future, John Snow believes it is diverting national attention from the debt crisis that continues to pose a mortal threat to our country. Snow, who served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury […]

With our U.S. debt and liberal entitlements front and center in Washington these days, our inability to hammer out sensible and responsible solutions, both here in Montana and in Washington, is ultimately going to be blamed on the split in the Republican Party if we’re not careful. Most Republicans have common goals: limited government, fewer […]

Ever heard the one about 95 percent of the lawyers giving all the rest of them a bad name? Well, sometimes, it seems like the same is true for bicyclists. I’ve been riding a bicycle around Montana for 40 years and along the way I’ve had way too many conflicts with motorists. One point that […]

Congress is poised to begin in earnest a debate on how to fix America’s broken taxation system. Reform is sorely needed, with the U.S. tax code notoriously convoluted, out of date and considered to by many to be a competitive disadvantage for American job providers. At the center of this debate will be Sen. Max […]

In 1944, wreckage of three 33-foot diameter balloons with Japanese writing on them was found in western Montana. The FBI later reported that 6,000 such balloons were released from Japan, equipped with incendiary devices to start wildfires in the United States and Canada. No amount of high-tech spying could defend us from a terrorist whose […]

Recently the U.S. House of Representatives passed Farm Bill legislation that removed the nutrition component that provides food for children, seniors, the disabled, and others in need. If your intention was to eliminate or drastically reduce food going to those in need due to economic distress, this is the legislation you would pass. If your […]

Imagine if tomorrow morning’s headline was this: “Four hundred thousand to get one half-billion dollar boost in income.” The underlying news story announces that hundreds of thousands of people here in three states of the Northern Rockies whose good-earning jobs are behind them will share $500 million each year for the rest of their lives. […]

“What would it take for a Republican or self-identified independent to vote for a Democrat in local elections?” This is a question the small, Democratic Party inner circle establishment, mostly from Whitefish, has posed to their membership after this author has pushed the question for many years. Understand this is not your typical political party, […]