n e s n a J n a e S FALL 201 9 A BANNER SEASON FOR OUR TRAILS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Montana Wilderness Association works with communities STANDING STRONG WITH to protect Montana’s wilderness heritage, quiet beauty, and OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS outdoor traditions, now and for future generations. It’s now been well over 30 years since MWA committed itself to preventing oil and gas drilling in the Badger-Two Medicine, and that sort of decades-long commitment is what we mean when BOARD OFFICERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS we say our work is all about the long game. Addrien Marx, Seeley Lake Mark Hanson, Missoula Wayne Gardella, Helena Larry Epstein, Essex President Immediate Past-president Treasurer Barb Harris, Helena John Larson, Kalispell Our dedication to the Badger-Two Medicine is as solid today as it was in the 1980s, when Debo Powers, Polebridge Patti Steinmuller, Bozeman Lisa Lenard, Bozeman the Reagan administration riddled the Rocky Mountain Front with oil and gas leases. President-elect Secretary Over the last few decades, we have helped eliminate all of those leases and permanently protect the entire Rocky Mountain Front from the threat of industrial development – HELENA OFFICE except, that is, in the Badger-Two Medicine, located adjacent to Glacier National Park, 80 S. Warren St. Laura Parr, Ext. 110 Bob Ronan , Ext. 101 Kassia Randzio the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the Blackfeet Reservation in north-central Montana. Helena, MT 59601 Operations Director Database Manager Development Manager [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 406-830-6035 406-443-7350 [email protected] In early 2017, we celebrated as the Interior Department canceled all remaining leases Carl Deitchman, 406-422-3008 Mike Rooney , Ext. 103 Ben Gabriel, Ext. 104 Finance Director Development Manager Keely Damara, Ext. 112 in the Badger-Two Medicine. Unfortunately, two of the leaseholders challenged those Executive Director [email protected] [email protected] Communications Coordinator cancellations in court and won, which resulted in the reinstatement of their leases. [email protected] [email protected] We immediately joined with the Blackfeet Tribe and other conservation groups as Heather Greene, Ext. 102 Courtney Wantink, Ext. 111 John Gatchell, Ext. 106 Development Director Executive Assistant intervenors on behalf of the Interior Department in its appeal of that decision. Senior Conservation Advisor [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Thankfully, one of those leases is now gone. In late September, Moncrief Oil and Gas Master LLC reached an out-of-court settlement with the Wilderness Society that FIELD OFFICES permanently retires the company’s lease. That leaves one last remaining lease, held BILLINGS FIELD OFFICE Noah Marion Allie Maloney Kate Geranios by Solenex. We’re confident that the U.S. Court of Appeals will side with the Interior 2822 3rd Ave. N. Suite 204 Policy and Advocacy Manager Northwest Montana Development Manager Billings, MT 59101 406-624-9622 Field Director of Individual Giving Department, which acknowledged under both President Obama and President Trump [email protected] [email protected] 406-529-3646 that the Solenex lease, like all other leases in the Badger, was illegally issued in the Aubrey Bertram [email protected] Eastern MT Field Director Emily Cleveland MISSOULA FIELD OFFICE 1980s and should therefore be canceled. 406-530-9639 Southwest Montana Field Director 118 W. Broadway, Suite 1 WHITEFISH FIELD OFFICE [email protected] 406-763-6681 Missoula, MT 59802 565 Spokane Ave. For MWA, permanently protecting the Badger is not just about ensuring that grizzly bears, [email protected] Whitefish, MT 59937 BOZEMAN FIELD OFFICE Kayje Booker 406-284-1747 wolverines, Canada lynx, westslope cutthroat trout, and other wildlife have the habitat 105 W. Main St., Suite 2B Alex Blackmer Policy and Advocacy Director and connectivity they need to thrive. Bozeman, MT 59715 Communications Manager 406-830-7926 Amy Robinson 406-285-8786 [email protected] Conservation Director John Todd [email protected] [email protected] More importantly, it’s about standing with the Pikuni (Blackfeet) and other Indigenous Deputy Director Jacob Foster people in helping protect places that are paramount in their histories and cultures, as the 406-544-3397 GREAT FALLS FIELD OFFICE Public Lands Field Organizer Matt Bowser [email protected] 1400 1st Ave. N. 406-370-4450 Stewardship Director Badger is to the Blackfeet and as the Crazy Mountains are to the Apsáalooke (Crow). Great Falls, MT 59401 [email protected] [email protected] That’s why, in addition to our work in the Badger- Ted Brewer Communications Director Mark Good Erin Clark Sonny Mazzullo Two Medicine, we’ve partnered with several 406-461-1427 Senior Conservation Advisor Western Montana Field Director Stewardship Coordinator members of the Crow Tribe to persuade the FALL 2019 [email protected] 406-453-9434 406-823-0477 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Forest Service to recommend Wilderness protection for the Crazy Mountains in its revision of the Custer Gallatin National Forest plan. CHAPTERS Eastern Wildlands Chapter Southwest Wildlands Chapter Madison-Gallatin Chapter Wild Divide Chapter Likewise, we’re pleased to be partnering with MONTANA 2822 3rd Ave. N, Suite 204 (Butte-Dillon) 105 W. Main St., Suite 2B 80 S. Warren St. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to Billings, MT 59101 P.O. Box 142, Butte 59703 Bozeman, MT 59715 Helena, MT 59601 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] protect areas that are significant to their cultures BADGER-TWO MEDICINE: 4 and histories. The confederation recently sent a ONE STEP CLOSER Flathead-Kootenai Chapter Island Range Chapter Shining Mountains Chapter letter to our congressional delegation in support One oil and gas lease gone and 565 Spokane Ave. 1400 1st Ave. N. 118 W. Broadway, Suite 1 one to go as we make our way Whitefish, MT 59937 Great Falls, MT 59401 Missoula, MT 59802 of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] to permanent protection a bill that will add thousands of acres to the Mission Mountains Wilderness, which adjoins A BANNER SEASON 8 Wild Montana is a publication of Montana Wilderness Association. Excerpts may be reprinted with permission. the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness. FOR OUR TRAILS Design and layout: Real World Design. Wild Montana is printed on recycled paper. This was our most successful Of course, none of our work would be possible trail stewardship season to date Montana Wilderness Association is a proud member of Montana Shares and sends a huge thanks to everyone who contributes to without you. So thank you as always for your UPDATES FROM 12 MWA through workplace giving. Montana Shares provides MWA with a reliable and consistent source of income from participants in abiding love of Montana, love that inspires and THE FIELD workplace giving campaigns. makes possible our work to safeguard the cultural The latest from MWA’s on-the- Montana Shares, PO Box 883, Helena, MT 59624 800-823-2625 • [email protected] • www.montanashares.org and ecological diversity that we are so fortunate ground work around the state to have in our state. On the cover: Trail volunteer on the CDT, Alice Creek, Lincoln Ranger District wildmontana.org www.facebook.com/wildmontana – Ben Gabriel, executive director 2 g n i b m a L n h o J s darkness was falling on our second night backpacking in the With one of the two Badger-Two Medicine, my friends and I had just managed to set remaining oil and Aup our tents in an alpine meadow and gobble down our freeze- dried dinners when we heard the rumbling of a thunderstorm gas leases retired advancing toward us. in the Badger-Two As the rain started to fall, we scrambled across the meadow for Medicine, we’re cover under some Douglas firs. In a matter of minutes, a series of blinding lightning strikes illuminated, for a split-second each, the one step closer to stand of conifers that grew at the far end of the meadow. When the safeguarding this light rain turned to a downpour, I sprinted for my tent, got inside, and bundled up in my sleeping bag as the rain pounded my rain fly z l e one-of-a-kind area F and the lightning continued to illuminate the sky. s e l r continued a h C 4 WILD MONTANA FALL 2019 5 For the Niitsitapi, We are more who have been determined than using the area ever to establish for thousands of permanent protection years, the Badger- that ensures no Two Medicine is industrial development “a cornerstone of n ever comes to this o z c l t a n F e S history and culture.” e sacred place. n e n n a e e G L Once the storm had passed, I heard, Having experienced the power of the However, Solenex LLC and Moncrief determined than ever to establish softly at first, a long drawn-out howl Badger-Two Medicine for myself, it’s challenged the cancellation of their permanent protection that ensures in the distance. A moment later came mind-numbing to think of anyone leases in a Washington, D.C. district no industrial development ever the reply from another direction. wanting to drill here. court, and in September 2018 the comes to this sacred place. Soon, there was a chorus of four court ruled in favor of both companies or five wolves howling goodbye to Thankfully, that