Environment

A second Montana city has set a goal to turn away from fossil-fuels by 2030. The city of Helena approved a resolution Monday to move toward 100 percent renewable electricity.

The five members of the city commission unanimously backed the measure that aims to shift the energy makeup powering the Helena area.

Yellowstone National Park has unveiled a major initiative to upgrade employee housing, which park officials say is long overdue.

About half of Yellowstone National Park’s 800 employees live in park housing. Park spokeswoman Morgan Warthin describes the quality of that housing as, “Fair to poor.”

The Bitterroot National Forest banned the creation of new, bolted rock climbing routes earlier this month, forcing climbers and conservationists to contemplate the future of the sport in the area.

In so-called “sport climbing,” climbers clip ropes into small bolts fixed in the rock to keep from falling too far should they slip off as they ascend.

A Wyoming rancher was awarded nearly $340,000 last month after disputing wildlife managers’ initial offer to pay for several livestock killed by grizzlies and wolves. 

While the large payout is unusual, Montana ranchers say it’s calling attention to funding issues for livestock losses on this side of the border.

The Environmental Protection Agency last week announced a final Superfund deal for Butte, detailing a roadmap they say will permanently clean up one of the most intractable Superfund sites in the country.