Mountain Journal

Mountain Journal Mountain Journal is a nonprofit digital magazine covering the wildlife and wild lands of Greater Yellowstone and the Mountain West. Help us make impact.

Mountain Journal (find us at mountainjournal.org) is the first public-interest journalism site devoted to comprehensively exploring the relationship between people and nature in Greater Yellowstone—America's last, best and most iconic wild ecosystem. What happens here with wildlife and public lands has implications for the American West, every corner of the country, and the rest of the world. Plea

se tell your friends about us and ask them to tell 10 of their friends and so on. We are free but we rely upon your support to keep us viable when so much of America's natural heritage is at stake. Because we are set up as a nonprofit 501(c)(3), your contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you.

Anthropologist and author Sally Thompson is putting in work. In 2024 alone she's published two books and in doing so loo...
12/23/2024

Anthropologist and author Sally Thompson is putting in work. In 2024 alone she's published two books and in doing so looks to bridge a gap by tracking how Native and White cultures blend and break away.

In his latest MoJo Dispatch, Robert Chaney writes about these two serious works and how they hope to blend two worldviews at a time when the cultural chasms are vast.

In two new books, a Montana historian tracks how Native and White cultures blend and break away.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will be announcing by January 20 its decision about whether or not to remove protections f...
12/20/2024

The Fish and Wildlife Service will be announcing by January 20 its decision about whether or not to remove protections for grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act.

Former FWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator Dr. Chris Servheen, who wrote the 1993 recovery plan for grizzlies, has revised that report and sent it to FWS listing concerns over delisting. On its heels, writes Sophie Tsairis, more than a dozen groups are petitioning the agency to take Servheen's revisions into account and update the existing plan.

Weeks before the agency decides whether or not to delist grizzlies, 15 environmental groups petition for a plan revision.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Wyoming a $3 million grant for bison resto...
12/19/2024

The U.S. Department of the Interior has awarded the Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Wyoming a $3 million grant for bison restoration as part of the Biden administration's America the Beautiful Challenge.

"The money for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe will help expand the herd size and acreage of their bison program while boosting efforts to help other tribes build their own cultural herds," writes contributor Isabel Hicks in her latest MoJo Dispatch.

The Eastern Shoshone Tribe in Wyoming will use the federal funding to expand bison habitat and research.

Diane Boyd spent 40 years studying wolves on the border of Canada and Montana. In her new memoir, "A Woman Among Wolves,...
12/19/2024

Diane Boyd spent 40 years studying wolves on the border of Canada and Montana. In her new memoir, "A Woman Among Wolves," Boyd describes the incredible lengths she took to get beta for her research, including boiling traps in a “witches’ brew” of alder boughs and bark, and burying her gloves in the ground for days to remove any human scent.

MoJo contributor Tyler Allen has the MoJo review of Boyd's extraordinary debut memoir below.

Biologist’s debut memoir weaves gripping adventure into a conservation success story.

Outdoor companies want their gear to be lightweight and waterproof for a competitive edge. But dangerous perfluorochemic...
12/14/2024

Outdoor companies want their gear to be lightweight and waterproof for a competitive edge. But dangerous perfluorochemical “forever chemicals,” or PFCs, have been used to treat everything from raincoats to sleeping bag down feathers, while microplastic bits are getting into fish and bird bloodstreams.

MoJo contributor, journalist Robert Chaney, looks into why PFCs are finding their way into the gear we wear and the cookware we use.

Outdoor and camping gear’s push to stay light and dry leaves it exposed to big health risks.

Grizzly Bear 399, considered the most famous bear in the world, was killed by a vehicle in October at the remarkable age...
12/12/2024

Grizzly Bear 399, considered the most famous bear in the world, was killed by a vehicle in October at the remarkable age of 28. There are lessons we can learn and actions we can take, write Luther Propst and Ben Goldfarb.

Propst, a Teton County Commissioner, and Goldfarb an award-winning author and journalist, penned the MoJo op-ed below, and offer sage advice for how we can move forward since the passing of 399.

Photo by Charlie Lansche

Unchecked growth and exploding driving rates are endangering Greater Yellowstone’s wildlife. It’s time to take the crisis seriously.

A proposal to put 100 cabins, a restaurant and a spa on a 90-acre parcel in a rural drainage near the boundary of the Ab...
12/11/2024

A proposal to put 100 cabins, a restaurant and a spa on a 90-acre parcel in a rural drainage near the boundary of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness has reignited planning conversations in Park County.

In this excellent piece of reporting, Montana Free Press environmental reporter Amanda Eggert digs into the latest development in an ongoing discussion about growth in Park County: a potential luxury resort in the heart of paradise.

The article below was co-published with Montana Free Press.

Park County residents grapple with a high-density resort proposal in an agricultural area south of Livingston.

Noting concerns over threatened grizzly bears, Canada lynx, bull trout and North American wolverines, environmental grou...
12/10/2024

Noting concerns over threatened grizzly bears, Canada lynx, bull trout and North American wolverines, environmental groups have sued the BLM over a 17,000-acre logging project in western Montana's Garnet Mountains.

BLM representatives say the project is necessary to curb wildfires in and around the area's wildland-urban interface.

MoJo contributor Sophie Tsairis has the story, In Short, below.

Clark Fork Face Project in Montana’s Garnet Range prompts lawsuit against BLM over wildlife habitat concerns.

As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares to make a decision about whether or not to delist grizzly bears from the ...
12/05/2024

As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares to make a decision about whether or not to delist grizzly bears from the ESA, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has launched an online dashboard to track grizzly mortalities across the state.

In 2024, writes MoJo contributor Sophie Tsairis, 71 grizzly bear deaths have been recorded to date in the GYE. Nearly 30 of those mortalities have been confirmed in Montana.

As delisting decision looms, Montana increases transparency with mortality monitoring tool.

Eric Larson has worked as a water supply specialist with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service since 2013. He me...
12/03/2024

Eric Larson has worked as a water supply specialist with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service since 2013. He measures snowpack from year to year and understands how water is the most critical resource in the American West. As more people move into the Northern Rockies, Larson's data collection and reporting becomes that much more critical.

"With population growth in the West," he says, "it’s going to be even more important to manage that water tightly."

Read Isabel Hicks' MoJo interview with Larson to learn how SNOTEL data works and why we need to protect this precious resource.

Eric Larson knows how critical water is in the West. As winters get warmer, the snowpack data Larson and his colleagues collect may benefit everything from ranchers and climate scientists to reservoir managers and wildlife.

"Some philosophers claim that life has no inherent meaning and we each have to find our own," writes MoJo columnist Susa...
11/28/2024

"Some philosophers claim that life has no inherent meaning and we each have to find our own," writes MoJo columnist Susan Marsh. "But these involve producing something. Can there be meaning without a product?"

This holiday season, we decide where we stand. Read Marsh's beautiful and timely reflection in her latest column below.

In times of despair, we have a choice. Let’s choose wisely this holiday season.

A federal judge in Montana ruled earlier this month that USDA's Wildlife Services violated the National Environmental Po...
11/25/2024

A federal judge in Montana ruled earlier this month that USDA's Wildlife Services violated the National Environmental Policy Act. Judge Dana Christensen said that an environmental assessment produced by Wildlife Services did not adequately prove that its killing of problem grizzlies was justified, and ordered the agency to produce a full EIS to analyze how its wildlife management practices affect grizzly bear connectivity.

“Because Wildlife Services disregarded a substantial body of scientific evidence and unconvincingly dismissed critical concerns about the effects and effectiveness of lethally removing grizzly bears and other apex predators, the [environmental assessment] is insufficient,” Christensen wrote.

Read the story in Laura Lundquist's Dispatch below.

Montana federal judge rules the agency violated NEPA, orders EIS to analyze how its wildlife management practices affect grizzly bear connectivity.

A recent study explores the detrimental effects of large, free-roaming horse populations on chicks and juvenile sage-gro...
11/19/2024

A recent study explores the detrimental effects of large, free-roaming horse populations on chicks and juvenile sage-grouse.

"In Wyoming," writes MoJo contributor Sophie Tsairis in her latest In Short piece, "approximately 11 percent of sage-grouse habitat is within BLM herd management areas, and 80 percent of these areas currently have horse populations exceeding target goals."

A recent study explores the detrimental effects of large horse populations on chicks and juvenile birds.

We're thrilled to announce that Mountain Journal and Montana Free Press are joining forces!MTFP's acquisition of MoJo ai...
11/18/2024

We're thrilled to announce that Mountain Journal and Montana Free Press are joining forces!

MTFP's acquisition of MoJo aims to advance the missions of both organizations by combining their strengths to cover critical issues facing Montana and the Greater Yellowstone region.

Editors emphasize power of collaboration to bolster reach, impact

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently discovered chronic wasting disease in an elk in the Ruby Mountains, marking th...
11/11/2024

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently discovered chronic wasting disease in an elk in the Ruby Mountains, marking the first time an elk has been infected in the area. FWP also identified a positive infection in a white-tailed deer in the Flathead Valley, also a first for the region.

CWD is a highly contagious neurological disease affecting cervids. Read more, In Short, below.

Montana FWP urges hunters urged to help track and mitigate spread of deadly chronic wasting disease.

Nine conservation groups are suing over whether the U.S. Forest Service properly assessed six grazing allotments in Para...
11/04/2024

Nine conservation groups are suing over whether the U.S. Forest Service properly assessed six grazing allotments in Paradise Valley, and their potential effect on grizzly bear connectivity and conflicts.

“The [environmental assessment] is to be a brief concise document, but if it’s not mentioned in here at all, how is the public supposed to know you took a hard look at connectivity?” said Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto during final arguments at the U.S. District Court in Missoula on Oct. 29.

What will DeSoto's ruling mean for grizzlies in Greater Yellowstone? MoJo contributor Laura Lundquist has the Dispatch below.

Nine conservation groups file lawsuit against USFS in federal court, claiming grazing allotments in Paradise Valley could affect grizzly bear survival and connectivity.

"There was nothing to distract us anymore from Halloween," writes MoJo contributor Todd Burritt. "I saw it in the silenc...
10/31/2024

"There was nothing to distract us anymore from Halloween," writes MoJo contributor Todd Burritt. "I saw it in the silence and remoteness of the mountains. I felt it in the briefness of the sun, the weakness of its rays, our vulnerability to the wind, and the coming of the dark."

Halloween in Yellowstone has not seen quite an essay such as this from Burritt. Read on for a thought-provoking and beautiful piece of writing.

As the seasons change, life and death can blur illuminating the magic of nature in the pale moonlight of Halloween in Greater Yellowstone.

Many are mourning the loss of Grizzly 399 last week. She was killed by a vehicle south of Jackson and the memories, arti...
10/28/2024

Many are mourning the loss of Grizzly 399 last week. She was killed by a vehicle south of Jackson and the memories, articles, essays and photographs are pouring in.

Don't miss MoJo's newsletter coming to your inbox this week, dedicated solely to 399. You'll see news articles, analysis, photos, op-eds and columns in memory of the "Matriarch of the Tetons."

Don't get our newsletter? It's FREE, and you can sign up here: http://bit.ly/3UtfKxv

Below, MoJo columnist Susan Marsh writes that—even through the darkness of loss and despair—love and persistence can move us back toward the light. And urge us to keep growing.

In the wake of the passing of Grizzly Bear 399, Susan Marsh writes that even through the fog of despair, love and persistence are needed now more than ever.

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Videos

The sure-footed mountain goat lives in alpine and subalpine environments, sometimes above 13,000 feet. After age 2, you can count the rings on their horns to determine their age, and their average lifespan is between 9 and 12 years. Mountain goats, which are actually not goats but belong to the family Bovidae along with gazelles, antelope and cattle, are quite at home on sheer rock faces and near-vertical cliffs, as demonstrated by this billie captured in this incredible footage from Glacier National Park last weekend. Video by Ben Bluhm

Maddie Pellman first visited Grand Teton National Park as a 14 year old and the experience left an impression she never quite shook. Now, since launching her podcast, "Who Runs This Park," Pellman is cruising and on her way to interviewing the superintendents of every national park in America. Stay tuned for the Mountain Journal interview with Pellman, who recently had the opportunity to sit down with Chip Jenkins, superintendent of Grand Teton National Park. Check out a quick clip from her podcast with Jenkins below. Volume up!

Climbing out of slumber. March 24, 2024. Moran Junction, Grand Teton National Park. 🎥: Elk Raven Photography

Grizzly emerges in early spring
Grizzly emerges in early spring

This big sleepy guy looks like he just woke up. Likely he had. This video was taken on March 24, 2024 just east of Moran Junction in Grand Teton National Park. Bears are emerging from hibernation. Remain Bear aware and vigilant: carry bear spray and know how to use it. Many thanks to Elk Raven Photography for the video

If it can happen literally in the middle of Bozeman in summer—a black bear getting into a bird feeder—(and it did recently), then it can happen anywhere in Greater Yellowstone and other places in the Rockies. Secure any food that might be a bear attractant. It’s part of us living responsibly.

On this rainy Father's Day, our elk friends are out exploring in Gallatin Gateway and across Greater Yellowstone. Consider the fragile beings among us as we contemplate our human footprint. Wait for it... Trail cam footage courtesy Holly Pippel

Bison and the Northern Bridgers
Bison and the Northern Bridgers

The bison herd at the North Bridger Bison ranch in Sedan, Montana, moving into new pasture yesterday. Storm clouds hang over the North Bridger Mountains in the background. Video: Matt Skoglund, North Bridger Bison

Badger cam, courtesy of Holly Pippel. Members of the Mustelid family, which includes otters, weasels and wolverines, badgers are mostly nocturnal and live throughout the western U.S., Mexico and Canada. They have powerful legs and massive foreclaws used for digging dens and hunting mice, prairie dogs and ground squirrels, though they occasionally feed on certain plants and vegetables. Weighing up to 30 pounds, badgers have been known to partner with coyotes to hunt. Studies have shown that the combination of their respective hunting styles significantly increases kill rates because prey such as ground squirrels will react one way to a coyote (burrow into the ground) and another to a badger (run). Tag teaming on a hunt can raise success rates by more than 30 percent.

A mountain lion family makes a back-porch visit in the Northern Rockies. The following short video footage was captured early this morning (Feb. 16) by Natalie Perkins and Colin Nobil. Remember: humans are colonizing important habitat occupied by cougars, wolves, bears and other wildlife, not the reverse. Always remember to secure pet and other foods, don't let your pets run wild (unless you're willing to accept the risk of them meeting a predator) and be on alert yourselves (with bear spray at the ready). Note: pet food was not left out at this location and the wild cats did not bathe in the hot tub.

Last night during MoJo's "Night of the Wolves" event at The Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, Conrad Fisher of the Northern Cheyenne/Tsėhéstáno, and his nephew, MoJo board member Shane Doyle, led honoring songs for Doug Smith, Pat Byorth and wolves. The ancient songs were inspired by wolf howls. Stay tuned for a full video recording of the evening and a story recapping a night for the ages.

MoJo presents: Night of the Wolves
MoJo presents: Night of the Wolves

Join MoJo live for an evening with Doug Smith, who served for more than 30 years as senior wolf biologist for Yellowstone National Park, and Pat Byorth, longtime biologist with the state and Montana Fish and Wildlife Commissioner. Time to howl!

Yellowstone Wolves
Yellowstone Wolves

We're one week out from MoJo's "Night of the Wolves" event, a conversation with two of the Yellowstone region's most accomplished scientists and advocates. Don't miss an evening with Doug Smith, former chief wolf biologist for Yellowstone, and conservationist Pat Byorth, former Montana Fish and Wildlife commissioner. Join us at Bozeman's Ellen Theatre next Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Not in region? Not to worry! We'll be livestreaming the event as well - stay tuned. It will be a howling good time! Video courtesy NPS

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