While the youth plaintiffs have been preparing for the trial, lawmakers have been doubling down on Montana’s pro-fossil fuel laws and policies.

Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities


** First youth climate trial to start next week in Montana
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Friday, June 9, 2023
A view of Helena, Montana, where the first youth climate trial will start next week. Roger Lynn via Flickr ([link removed]) , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 ([link removed])

The highly-anticipated youth climate lawsuit trial in Montana is set to start on Monday, after a last-minute request to dismiss the lawsuit was denied ([link removed]) in a 6-1 decision ([link removed]) by the Montana Supreme Court earlier this week. The case, Held v. Montana ([link removed]) , was filed in March 2020 by 16 youth plaintiffs who argue that their right to a “clean and healthful environment” ([link removed]) guaranteed by the Montana state constitution is being violated. Specifically, the plaintiffs argue that two state laws are causing this harm: Montana’s state energy policy promoting fossil fuels, and an amendment to the Montana Environmental Policy Act prohibiting the state from
considering the climate change impacts of state projects. This is the first youth climate lawsuit to go to trial ([link removed]) anywhere in the nation. The trial is scheduled to last two weeks ([link removed]) starting June 12.

While the youth plaintiffs have been preparing ([link removed]) for the trial, the state legislature has been passing laws doubling down ([link removed]) on Montana’s pro-fossil fuel laws and policies, in part to try to undermine the plaintiffs’ arguments in Held v. Montana or support its dismissal. “In my opinion, the only thing that will fundamentally alter the state’s historic and ongoing energy policy of prioritizing the development and use of fossil fuels is a court order declaring that policy unconstitutional,” said ([link removed]) Anne Hedges, director of policy and legislative affairs at the Montana Environmental Information Center, who is serving as an expert witness for the plaintiffs.

“As youth, we are exposed to a lot of knowledge about climate change. We can’t keep passing it on to the next generation when we’re being told about all the impacts that are already happening,” said ([link removed]) Rikki Held, now 22, the lead and eldest plaintiff in the case who was 18 when the suit was originally filed. “In some ways, our generation feels a lot of pressure, kind of a burden, to make something happen because it’s our lives that are at risk.”


** BLM Restoration Landscapes: East Idaho Rivers and Plains
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In celebration of the Bureau of Land Management’s $161 million investment in Western landscape restoration projects ([link removed]) , Look West is highlighting a different " ([link removed]) Restoration Landscape ([link removed]) " ([link removed]) each day for 21 days. Today’s landscape is East Idaho Rivers and Plains, which includes the South Fork, Henry's Fork, and main stem of the Snake River, and the uplands surrounding these rivers. An investment of $7.9 million will help restore native plant communities that provide habitat for monarch butterflies, sage-grouse, and other bird and big game species.
Quick hits


** Investigation finds power lines, trash fire combined to cause Colorado's devastating Marshall Fire
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CPR News ([link removed]) | Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Anti-conservation Texas Public Policy Foundation pushes to reverse clean energy wins in Texas and beyond
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The Guardian ([link removed])


** Report: Conservation leasing could speed clean energy development on public land
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Boise State Public Radio ([link removed])


** How Montana accomplished what Colorado couldn't on land use reform
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Colorado Sun ([link removed])


** Sage-grouse likely to see increased protections, but some say more is needed
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Wyoming Public Radio ([link removed])


** Momentum builds for Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni proposed national monument near Grand Canyon
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Arizona Daily Sun ([link removed])


** Proposed reopening of old gold mine raises environmental concerns for nearby community
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Sacramento Bee ([link removed])


** Opinion: We need a new approach to wildfires
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Missoulian ([link removed])
Quote of the day
” It actually did more to confuse than to clarify, in particular around defining what might actually trigger the National Environmental Policy Act. By complicating how that is defined, [the debt ceiling legislation] will actually lead to more litigation and more confusion. That actually slows down and complicates permitting, rather than expediting it.”
—Manish Bapna, President and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Semafor ([link removed])
Picture this


** @usinterior ([link removed])
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One hundred years since its establishment as a national monument, @brycecanyonnps_gov ([link removed]) has welcomed millions of visitors from around the world to experience the park's rich past and vibrant present.

The park in Southwestern Utah is famous for the largest collection of hoodoos — the distinctive rock formations — in the world. Visitors can expect spectacular hiking, camping, dark skies, endless outdoor ranger activities and a Prairie Dog Festival.

Happy 100th @brycecanyonnps_gov ([link removed]) ! We can't wait to experience the next 💯 years.

Photo by Kent Peaslee

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