Northern Plains Resource Council

NORTHERN PLAINS RESOURCE COUNCIL ORGANIZES MONTANANS TO PROTECT OUR WATER, LAND, AIR, AND WORKING LANDSCAPES; SUPPORT A HEALTHY, LOCALIZED, AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY; AND BUILD STRONG GRASSROOTS LEADERS, ALWAYS CONSIDERING THE NEXT GENERATION.

AGRICULTURE, LOCAL FOOD, AND HEALTHY SOILS: NORTHERN PLAINS APPROACHED OUR WORK ON AGRICULTURE FROM SEVERAL ANGLES. WE STRIVED TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF FAMILY RANCHING OPERATIONS BY WORKING TO SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING (COOL) AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS. WE ALSO PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN EFFORTS TO REFORM MEATPACKING MONOPOLIES THAT JEOPARDIZE PROSPERITY IN RURAL AREAS AND WORKED WITH ELECTED LEADERS TO INCORPORATE SUPPORT FOR CONSERVATION AND AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS IN THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT. NORTHERN PLAINS CONTINUED OUR SUPPORT FOR LOCAL FOODS BY HOSTING THE 6TH ANNUAL MONTANA LOCAL FOOD CHALLENGE. IN ORDER TO BUILD GRASSROOTS SUPPORT FOR BOTH SOIL HEALTH POLICY AND PRACTICE, WE HOSTED MULTIPLE SOIL CRAWL EVENTS THAT DREW ATTENDEES FROM ACROSS THE STATE TO LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABLE SOIL PRACTICES. WE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE GROW MONTANA COALITION TO COORDINATE SOIL HEALTH POLICY WORK WITH OTHER GROUPS AROUND THE STATE.

CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: NORTHERN PLAINS LED EFFORTS TO PASS CPACE (COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED CAPITAL ENHANCEMENTS), LEGISLATION DESIGNED TO MAKE CLEAN ENERGY UPGRADES MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, DURING MONTANA'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WE THEN LEVERAGED GRASSROOTS SUPPORT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL TO ASSIST WITH RULEMAKING AND ADOPTION BY INDIVIDUAL COUNTIES ACROSS MONTANA. CPACE STANDS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PLAYER IN RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES. OUR GRASSROOTS EFFORTS AT THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE HELPED PREVENT THE PASSAGE OF SEVERAL BILLS AIMED AT MAKING RENEWAL ENERGY MORE EXPENSIVE AND LESS ACCESSIBLE TO MONTANANS. WE CONTINUED OUR WORK WITH RURAL ELECTRIC COOP MEMBERS TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ADVOCATE FOR TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN LOCAL CO-OPS. GIVEN THE LIMITED ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR HOME SOLAR INSTALLATIONS, OUR MEMBERS ORGANIZED SOLARIZE EFFORTS IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES TO HELP MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED ON THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES.

COAL AND COAL TRANSITION: IN ORDER TO STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF MONTANA CONSUMERS, NORTHERN PLAINS FOUGHT TO ENSURE THAT THE MONTANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION EFFECTIVELY REGULATES THE MONOPOLY ENERGY PROVIDER, NORTHWESTERN ENERGY. AT THE MONTANA LEGISLATURE, WE FOUGHT EFFORTS TO WEAKEN MONTANA'S COAL RECLAMATION LAWS AND ULTIMATELY STRENGTHENED REGULATIONS RELATED TO RECLAMATION BONDING AND SAFEGUARDING WATER QUALITY. NORTHERN PLAINS CONTINUED TO PRESSURE THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TO REQUIRE THOROUGH RECLAMATION OF TOXIC FLY ASH IN COLSTRIP. IN ORDER TO ENSURE A FAIR AND JUST FEDERAL COAL LEASING PROGRAM, NORTHERN PLAINS COLLECTED COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS ACROSS THE REGION AND HELPED A MEMBER-LEADER PROVIDE TESTIMONY TO THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE. IN THE BULL MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN PLAINS ORGANIZED RANCHERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO STAND UP FOR THEIR LAND AND WATER RIGHTS IN THE FACE OF THE PROPOSED EXPANSION OF THE SIGNAL PEAK UNDERGROUND LONGWALL COAL MINE.

NORTHWESTERN ENERGY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BUILD A METHANE-FIRED POWER PLANT IN LAUREL, MT, AND NORTHERN PLAINS ACTED SWIFTLY TO FIGHT THE PLANT'S CONSTRUCTION. THIS INCLUDED CONDUCTING A CANVASS TO DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND TO CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO OPPOSE THE PLANT. WE PARTICIPATED IN THE FEDERAL METHANE RULEMAKING PROCESS TO HELP LIMIT METHANE POLLUTION FROM OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION. WE CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE OIL WASTE IN MONTANA AND ENSURE NEWLY ADOPTED RULES WERE PROPERTY IMPLEMENTED AND ENFORCED. WE CONTINUED OUR WORK TO ADMINISTER THE STILLWATER GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT HELPED PROTECT KEY WATERSHEDS IN THE AREA OF A LARGE METAL MINE INCLUDING THE ADOPTION OF AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN TO IMPROVE GROUNDWATER MONITORING STANDARDS. NORTHERN PLAINS SUPPORTED OUR 12 LOCAL AFFILIATE GROUPS ACROSS MONTANA, AND CONDUCTED ORGANIZING ASSESSMENTS IN TWO ADDITIONAL COMMUNITIES. OUR HISTORY PROJECT CONTINUED TO DOCUMENT AND HONOR THE WORK OF NORTHERN PLAINS LEADERS, AND TO CELEBRATE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY.