Montana

The Interior Department may see more lawsuits after announcing it would no longer require the Bureau of Land Management to create an environmental impact statement for more than 3,200 oil and gas leases in seven states. The Biden administration started work on the review four days before President Trump took office in January...

Last week, Idaho senators passed House Joint Memorial 4 which asks the federal government to remove the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species List.  The Memorial, which already cleared the House, says grizzly bears have reached recovery goals in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, and those elevated population numbers have led to conflicts between bears and both humans and other animals alike.     Fol

According to NASS, honey production in the United States dipped 4% last year to 134 million pounds.  Nationwide, there were 2.6 million colonies producing honey in 2024, a 3% increase from 2023.  However, yield per colony averaged 51.7 pounds, down 6% y...

On Wednesday, Lawmakers from across the Northwest, including central Washington’s Dan Newhouse, eastern Washington’s Michael Baumgartner, eastern Oregon’s Cliff Bentz, and northern Idaho’s Russ Fulcher introduced legislation aimed at protecting the Lower Snake River dams.  The three bills include:   ...

Bill Perry, the new President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, is a familiar name to the Northwest farming community.  Perry has been with AgWest for over 20 years, starting in rural Montana, and now working in Spokane, WA.  Looking at the Northwest farm economy, he noted that while several commodities are struggling, there are a few bright spots, such as cattle and dairy.  Despite the host ... Read

On Tuesday, Idaho senator Jim Risch and Maine senator Angus King introduced the Future Logging Careers Act, in an effort to support America’s family-run timber industry.  This legislation would allow teenage members of logging families to gain hands-on experience in the trade so they may carry on the family business. The Future Logging Caree...

Last week, Idaho senator Jim Risch and Wyoming senator John Barrasso introduced the Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health (RANCH) Act.  They say the legislation promotes resilient and healthy rangelands and effective grazing management across the West.  The RANCH Ac...

On Wednesday, Idaho Senator Jim Risch and Central Washington Representative Dan Newhouse introduced the Northwest Security Act.  The legislation would o require the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army C...

The USDA’s latest effort to get an idea of how far spread Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza is in the nation’s dairy herd is about a month old.  That is the second federal order involving milk testing for the H5N1 strain.  Alex Turner of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health inspection Service said the department’s effort includes 28 states enrolled since the start of the month, consisting of nearly 65%

Canola growers across the region are reminded to mark their calendrer for the 2025 Canola Workshop, taking place January 29th in Moscow, ID.  PNW Canola Association said this year’s event will take place the University Inn, and will include classes, speakers as well as networking opportunities.  Topics vary f...