Montana Public Radio News

A Montana man was attacked by a bear Monday morning while he was archery hunting near Augusta.

Thousands more acres will now remain working forestland in northwest Montana, adding to the area's network of conservation easements. The largest piece helps fill in a gap in a string of easements, securing public access to the eastern edge of the Cabinet Mountains.

State health officials last week told lawmakers the rollout of work requirements for people on Medicaid is going well. Montana soft-launched Medicaid work requirements July 1, months ahead of the federal deadline to do so.

Two young adult grizzly bears euthanized in the Lincoln-area were quickly earning a reputation for getting into food-related conflicts. Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Vivica Crowser says the trouble started in late August. Bears are even more food-focused than normal heading into autumn this year.

Montana Democrats continue to bicker over which candidate to support in the U.S. Senate race. New campaign ads highlight the Iran war, taxes and women. And upcoming debates could be pivotal in that Senate race.

The National Museum of Forest Service History has a new center at its 31-acre campus in Missoula. It's an immersive "forest of stories" honoring the legacy of conservation in the U.S..

When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal protections for abortion access four years ago, Montana providers expected to serve more people from neighboring states with bans. But the ability to put medications in the mail upended that expectation and led to more Montanans getting abortions. A federal case in Louisiana could limit that access.

Rep. Ryan Zinke this week announced a proposal to conserve hundreds of thousands of acres in the Blackfoot Valley. The “A River Runs Through It Act” looks to bring together decades of local conservation work to shape the future of 430,000 acres.

The 2026 summer wildfire season continues, but conditions are starting to improve in parts of western Montana

Planned Parenthood of Montana announced this week it's opening a new clinic in Bozeman. The facility will open its doors next year and will provide reproductive health and abortion services. It's been more than 20 years since they've opened a new clinic.

The Trump Administration eliminated billions of dollars in available grants, and remaining funds are proving difficult to access. That includes for a Montana organization working to protect against invasive species. It's still waiting for federal money awarded eight months ago. If the money isn't approved soon, it could be gone for good.

Montana lawmakers have voted to subpoena the Secretary of State. They're ordering a record of what private voter information the office has sent to the federal government.

The search is on for a bear in the Columbia Falls-area that attacked a woman Monday. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and U.S. Forest Service investigators say a woman who was walking her dog sustained significant injuries following the attack.

The lightning-caused Nature Grove fire, 13 miles east of Hamilton, has grown to nearly 900 acres. Fire managers say it's burning in steep, dense timber and understory vegetation. They're expecting that activity to increase over the next couple of days.

With all the wildfire smoke in Montana skies this summer, have you been surprised it doesn't always smell smokey? Or that it smelled like a campfire under clear skies? It turns out there's a lot that goes into our perception of smoke and how it squares with the Air Quality Index.

Montana's Capitol building is getting a refresh with funding appropriated by the state Legislature. The multi-million dollar restoration has started at the very top.

Montana's general election ballots are finalized, including three ballot initiatives for the November election.

Psychiatrists in Montana say a major insurance company is shortchanging them through a practice called “downcoding.” Psychiatric associations have filed two complaints with state regulators.

An atmospheric river swept across the Pacific Northwest last December, dropping more than a foot of rain – and tens of millions of dollars in damages – in portions of the Cabinet Mountains. Work repairing and stabilizing a stretch of northwest Montana's flood-damaged Libby Creek is now complete.

From special education programs to building renovations, commissioners approved a package of recommendations they believe will help patch holes in Montana's public education system; chief of which is a plan to simplify the schools budget.

A school in Beaverhead County is trying to keep its doors open because the county is struggling to pull in enough tax dollars. Part of the reason the county doesn't have enough money in its coffers is because the federal government stopped paying its full tax bill on public lands.

After Montana's Attorney General made an opinion that would kick two moderate Republican lawmakers off the ballot, a district judge has issued a restraining order on the decision – keeping both lawmakers in the race.

A Libby medical clinic that diagnoses and treats people with asbestos-related diseases abruptly closed this week. Congress set up the clinic and gave Libby-area residents Medicare benefits because exposure to asbestos in the community was so widespread.

Meagher County is experiencing a unique countertrend among Montana's rural counties. According to new research, it's become known for grassroots entrepreneurship and growth. One example, the Central Montana Food Hub, aims to improve the area's business infrastructure and local food access.

The deadline has passed for Montana candidates to withdraw from their races, and all Senate candidates are still in the running — but not without a last-minute push to get the Democrat to drop out.

The Flathead National Forest has approved a plan to replace and modernize a wastewater treatment system for western Montana's Holland Lake Lodge.

The state is looking for public comment on a potential tungsten mine in the Flint Creek Range of southwest Montana. Comments will be accepted until Friday, Aug. 14.

The Bitterroot National Forest Friday raised its fire danger level to "Extreme," the highest level. Under these conditions fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely.

Montana fire officials are bracing for another round of critical fire weather this weekend. Any fires that develop over the next several days will spread rapidly and be very difficult to control.

Researchers at the University of Montana identified a unique mouse that may hold some clues for cancer research. This Andean mouse's high-elevation home is what attracted researchers.

Northwest Montana has a below-average huckleberry crop this year. That means bears are now looking for alternative food sources and getting into trouble as a result.

Bozeman and Missoula declared 100% clean electricity goals in 2019 and have been chipping away at this effort ever since. Now both cities have committed to a new renewable energy plan that gets them closer to carbon neutrality by 2030.

Back in early spring Montana's summer drought conditions were expected to be a lot worse than they currently are. June storms brought some relief, but the long-term outlook is less encouraging.

As fuel prices rise due to the Iran war, so does the cost of everything else. The grocery store is often where families feel the financial pinch first. That's because it costs more to ship food across the country. Food banks are also facing higher costs and increasing demand.

Officials say residents near a wildfire burning in Flathead County should prepare to evacuate on a moment's notice. The warning comes ahead of what has the potential to be a very active wildfire weekend in western Montana.

Gusty wind, low humidity, temperatures pushing 100 degrees and dry fuels will create critical fire weather conditions in northwest and west-central Montana Saturday.

It's been a little over four years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion. Many states have banned or severely restricted access since then. The Dobbs decision also impacted Montana, where abortion access is enshrined in the state Constitution.

A federal judge ruled in favor of conservation groups this month in a decision against allowing increased road building in the Bitterroot National Forest. The lawsuit, filed in 2024, argued federal agencies didn't take a hard enough look at the impacts of roads on threatened species.

Last year, Congress eliminated two years of federal funding for public media via a rescission package. MTPR expected to receive this funding in both 2025 and 2026. This summer drive helps us cover that second year of lost funding, which is roughly $375,000.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates Montana utilities, is closing public comment on NorthWestern Energy's controversial 20-year plan on July 28. The proposal has drawn criticism from private citizens and environmental advocacy organizations.

Some Montana nonprofits that rely on federal grants say they're not getting the funds they've already been awarded. The problem extends far beyond the Treasure State.

Plaintiffs in the Lighthiser v. Trump climate lawsuit are asking the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider their case after it was dismissed last month.