Treasure State Resources Association

Montana Supreme Court upholds housing reform laws

The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a slate of pro-construction housing laws that were proposed by a housing task force established by Gov. Greg Gianforte and enacted by the Legislature in 2023. Justice Beth Baker authored the 34-page opinion, which was unanimous among the court’s seven justices.

In a press release Tuesday evening, Gianforte called the court’s finding “a landmark victory.” “By upholding the constitutionality of our reforms, it will help bring the American dream into greater reach for Montanans across our state,” he said.

In 2023, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers passed several laws that make it easier to build new homes, especially higher-density development inside larger cities. Months later, a Bozeman-based group of homeowners, called “Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification,” sued the state, alleging that the housing laws violated Montana’s Constitution.

-Senate Bill 382 created the Montana Land Use Planning Act, which requires municipalities of 5,000 residents or more in the state’s urban counties to plan for the housing they need to accommodate population growth. It also focuses resident input on high-level planning discussions, making it harder for “not in my backyard”-style opposition to derail projects.

-Senate Bill 245, which forces cities of 5,000 residents or more to allow apartment-style housing in most areas set aside as commercial zones.

-Senate Bill 323, which requires cities with 5,000 residents or more to allow duplex housing on any home lot.

-Senate Bill 528, which requires cities to adopt regulations allowing more construction of accessory dwelling units, or secondary housing structures that share parcels with larger homes. In district court, Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification, or MAID, argued the laws would force people to live in more densely populated areas with larger buildings and more traffic. They alleged the laws represented state overreach in development and planning, which is typically under local government control. They also argued that some neighborhoods would be disproportionately affected by the laws, and that the reforms violated the state constitution’s right to participate in government.

In district court, Montanans Against Irresponsible Densification, or MAID, argued the laws would force people to live in more densely populated areas with larger buildings and more traffic. They alleged the laws represented state overreach in development and planning, which is typically under local government control. They also argued that some neighborhoods would be disproportionately affected by the laws, and that the reforms violated the state constitution’s right to participate in government.

To read the full article, please click: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/03/18/montana-supreme-court-upholds-housing-reform-laws/

-Nora Mabie, Montana Free Press, 3/18/26

Montana Supreme Court upholds housing reform laws In a press release Tuesday evening, Gov. Greg Gianforte called the court’s finding “a landmark victory.”

Keystone-like pipeline through Montana moves forward

A proposal to build a 36-inch diameter pipeline to move Canadian oil to refineries and markets in the U.S. with notable similarities to the contentious Keystone XL pipeline has officially landed before state and federal agencies.

The Bureau of Land Management has opened public comment on the Bridger Pipeline, which would traverse nine counties in Montana to allow a Canadian oil producer to transport about 550,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day into “multiple U.S. delivery points.” The preferred route stretches from north of Malta to an intersection with an existing terminal in Guernsey, Wyoming. It would follow existing pipelines through much of that stretch.

In planning documents, the Bureau of Land Management describes the Bridger Pipeline as creating a “significant and meaningful investment in the U.S. energy economy.” The agency, which administers land along some sections of the pipeline’s projected route through Montana and Wyoming, aligns with President Trump’s January 2025 executive order directing federal agencies to streamline permitting for energy projects.

But environmental groups warn that the proposal is suspiciously similar to the Keystone XL project that garnered more than a decade of intense pushback from tribes wary of the potential for water contamination and climate groups opposed to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with excavating and burning tar sand oil. Keystone XL would have cut across tribal land and water supplies to facilitate the movement of approximately 830,000 gallons of tar sands oil per day.

To read the full article, please click: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/04/04/keystone-like-pipeline-through-montana-moves-forward/

-Amanda Eggert, 4/4/26

Keystone-like pipeline through Montana moves forward PLUS: Supreme Court thwarts governor on property tax lawsuit.

USDA Forest Service to move headquarters to Salt Lake City amid restructuring of the agency

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service is moving its headquarters to Salt Lake City as part of a sweeping restructuring of the agency, according to a press release from the agency on Tuesday.

The agency said the move is designed to bring leadership closer to the forests and communities it serves.

"President Trump has made it a priority to return common sense to the way our government works. Moving the Forest Service closer to the forests we manage is an essential action that will improve our core mission of managing our forests while saving taxpayer dollars and boosting employee recruitment," Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said in the press release.

The Forest Service will transition to a state-based organizational model. Under the new model, 15 state directors will be distributed throughout the country to oversee operations within one or more states.

State directors will serve as national leaders with primary oversight of forest supervisors, operational priorities, and relationships with states, tribes, and other partners. Each state office will include a small leadership support team responsible for legislative affairs, communications, and intergovernmental coordination.

The agency said this approach is intended to simplify the chain of command, strengthen local partnerships, and give field leaders greater ability to respond to conditions on the ground.

“This is about building a Forest Service that is nimble, efficient, effective and closer to the forests and communities it serves," Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in the press release.

"This is a big win for Utah and the West. Nearly 90% of Forest Service lands are west of the Mississippi, so putting leadership closer to the lands they manage just makes sense," said Utah Governor Spencer Cox said as part of the press release.

As part of the transition, all regional offices will close. The Forest Service will shift many functions currently housed in regional offices to a network of operational service centers in the following locations:
- Albuquerque, NM
- Athens, GA
- Fort Collins, CO
- Madison, WI
- Missoula, MT
- Placerville, CA

The USDA said locations were selected based on existing workforce and infrastructure presence,
operational needs, and proximity to agricultural and natural resource stakeholders.

The restructuring will also drive a review and consolidation of facilities nationwide. Several facilities will be retained to support ongoing mission needs, including a state office in Juneau, Alaska; a national training center in Vallejo, California; and a business support service center and state office in Albuquerque.

The Forest Service said it will also consolidate leadership of its research enterprise. Multiple geographically dispersed research stations will be brought together under a single research organization located in Fort Collins. They said the changes are designed to unify research priorities, accelerate the application of science to management decisions, and reduce administrative duplication.

“Colorado is known for our outdoor spaces and nation-leading research institutions that are strengthening our forests and public lands, so it only makes sense that the U.S. Forest Service would include a location in our great state," said Colorado Governor Jared Polis said in the press release.

The agency’s Fire and Aviation Management program will retain its existing Geographic Area Coordination Center structure. The program will continue reporting to the Deputy Chief for Fire and Aviation Management at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

The agency said there will be no interruption or change to field-based operational firefighters or their positions. This structure will remain in place until the Forest Service’s wildland fire management operations are unified into the U.S. Wildland Fire Service within the Department of the Interior.

The Forest Service will provide employees and partners with detailed transition guidance as different milestones approach. Throughout the transition, the agency said frontline operations, including active forest management, wildfire response, forest restoration, recreation management, and partnerships, will continue uninterrupted.

-Kylie Strandberg, KPAX, 3/31/26

Interim Energy and Technology Committee consider bills for 2027 session regarding PSC restructuring, solar, and railroads

At the ETIC meeting held on March 26th, the committee reviewed draft legislation in preparation for the next legislative session. The committee took no action on any of the bills and it is expected that the drafts will continue to be worked on. Typically, interim committees take action on bills in the fall, though they may take action at any meeting.

Representative Carter and Senator Lammers brought a bill draft that would restructure the Public Service Commission. Instead of citizens voting for commissioners, the legislators propose to construct a nominating committee (made up of legislators, representatives from the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy, and a tribal representative) that would suggest individuals to be appointed by the Governor, who are then confirmed by the state senate with a two thirds vote. The legislators proposing this draft argue that appointed commissioners receive better credit ratings than elected, and that the commissioners will be better educated and more professional than elected officials. For a deeper read into this proposal, please go to https://www.kxlh.com/news/montana-politics/montana-lawmakers-propose-switching-public-service-commission-from-elected-to-appointed

Additionally, the committee considered a bill draft to revise the statutes regarding the Colstrip water mitigation infrastructure account (now proposed to be called the Municipal water infrastructure coal transition account as using a town name in the title is not constitutional). While this bill was vetoed by the Governor, it was then overridden by the Legislature. This draft cleans up language from the recently passed law and clarifies the process of what organizations may use the account, how they may access funds, and what the funds may be used for. To watch the discussion on the bill, please go to: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00309/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20260326/-1/57472?startposition=20260326163127&mediaEndTime=20260326165019&viewMode=3&globalStreamId=4

Senator Pope has been working on a draft to revise solar energy laws that would allow small solar power plants to be connected to the greater utility grid to power, for example “a pivot line for a sprinkler, a small business, a residence.” The power could be generated and sold back to the
same producer or to another consumer. A similar bill was passed in 2025 but was vetoed by the executive branch and a veto-override failed.

Lastly, the committee considered several versions of a bill concerning the ability of utilities to cross or place infrastructure within a railroad’s right of way.

On a lighter note, the committee heard from Dr. Michael P. Masters of Montana Technological University as he shared his “Extratempestrial Model” with legislators. In brief, the model posits that aliens are time-traveling descendants of humans. If you would like to learn more, please click:
https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00309/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20260326/-1/57472?startposition=20260326150228&mediaEndTime=20260326155837&viewMode=3&globalStreamId=4

To watch the meeting in its entirety, please click: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00309/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20260326/-1/57472

To view the bill drafts and study topics, please click: https://committees.legmt.gov/ #/nonStandingCommittees/11?tab=Meeting+Materials

Committee Explorer Explore, track, and stay informed on committee activity in Montana with the Montana Legislature Committee Explorer application. Access detailed information, monitor committee progress, and engage with the legislative process easily from your desktop or mobile device.

As AI investors eye Montana for new data centers, communities brace for water impacts

While Montana might not be viewed as an artificial intelligence hotbed, it is considered among the top states in the country with potential to “power the AI revolution.” An analysis CNBC published last July based on grid reliability and average market electricity price named Montana as the No. 3 state in the country for its potential to power data centers. Despite that, only a handful of relatively small data centers have been built in the Treasure State, and several operations have come and gone.

But the state of play could change — quickly — as proposals for new data centers garner traction in energy, economic development and political circles. Big Tech’s race to deploy AI, which the Brookings Institute has described as “the transformative technology of our time,” is spurring a corresponding rush to build data centers, massive warehouse-like buildings filled with stacks of chip-laden servers that have been likened to the “backbone” supporting AI.

The push for infrastructure to support the technology is also on display in Montana, as data center developers and energy executives work to capture a piece of a rapidly growing market. Preliminary agreements that NorthWestern Energy, Montana’s largest utility, has signed with three companies in the past 14 months have given Montanans a general idea of how much electricity these large new data centers would require, but information about their water usage is in short supply. Wary of project developers’ tight-lipped approach to discussing their proposals, environmental watchdogs warn that a hands-off strategy could turn Montana communities into “sacrifice zones” to serve the data-processing needs of some of the world’s largest companies.

Data center experts that Montana Free Press interviewed in recent weeks said the lack of transparency could be by design. Project developers have been hustling to secure hundreds of millions, or even billions, of financing dollars before local pushback and potential regulatory changes spook investors in a competitive market that some industry insiders have described as a “global arms race.”

Aaron Wemhoff, a mechanical engineer who studies data centers’ environmental impacts as part of a consortium focused on energy-efficient electronic systems, told MTFP that center developers are running up against a power supply bottleneck and opposition from nearby residents wary of environmental impacts.

“I think that is what is setting the pace of development,” Wemhoff said. “What you’re seeing is that a lot of data centers are now being built in rural locations [where] there’s a little bit less resistance and perhaps they’re getting friendlier governments.”

Whether they’re inclined to support or oppose them, many Montanans are hungry for more information, and data-center developers have been reluctant to provide it. Montana Environmental Information Center Executive Director Anne Hedges told MTFP that these companies might be looking for “easy pickings” in Montana, but residents of Butte, Billings, Broadview and Great Falls have shown an “overwhelming interest” in the topic at educational events MEIC has co-hosted. Hedges said public engagement with this issue is like nothing else she’s encountered in the 32 years she’s worked for MEIC, an environmental nonprofit that also serves as a corporate watchdog.

“We’ve had to turn people away in a room that holds hundreds,” Hedges said, referring to last month’s talk in Billings, which turned into a standing-room-only event. “It’s fascinating from an academic perspective, but certainly from the perspective of somebody who wants to get regulations in place to protect Montanans from what the richest men in America want to do.”

MEIC is concerned that NorthWestern Energy’s existing customers’ electricity bills will rise to fund power plants, substations and transmission lines to serve new data centers that might shutter in a few years’ time. Running parallel to that issue is uncertainty about what data-center development means for the rivers, lakes and aquifers that support two of the top industries in this arid state — agriculture and outdoor recreation.

Although all data centers that process large volumes of information require a cooling system, there are a variety of ways to run them. Wemhoff said there is a tradeoff involved: evaporative cooling systems require more water but less electricity. “Closed loop” or “open-air” systems typically use less water but are less efficient in that they require more electricity.

“To me, the true water footprint is the water that’s consumed on site, but you also should include the water that’s consumed in the process of generating the electricity that the data center is consuming,” Wemhoff said. Fossil fuel plants often consume significant quantities of water, contributing to a larger water-use footprint, he added.

Montanans still don’t have a fulsome accounting of these new proposals’ water impacts, but some information has been in circulation as companies like Quantica and Sabey approach their projected operational dates. This is what we know as of early February.

To read more about the data center projects, please visit: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/02/12/as-ai-investors-eye-montana-for-new-data-centers-communities-brace-for-water-impacts/

- Amanda Eggert, Montana Free Press, 2/12/2026

As AI investors eye Montana for new data centers, communities brace for water impacts Massive data centers could more than double Montana’s electricity needs. Here’s what we know about how three are expected to impact local water supplies.

Montana ranchers push for mandatory beef labeling as imported meat increases

North Central Montana -- As changes to U.S. meat labeling rules took effect earlier this year, some Montana ranchers hoped new “Product of USA” regulations would help clarify the origin of beef sold in grocery stores. But with an increase in imported lean beef trimmings being blended into ground beef products, producers say the need for transparency has become even more urgent.

In January, updated “Product of USA” labeling rules went into effect that allow beef processors to use that designation under certain conditions.

Now, some producers across Montana are adding their voices to a renewed push for mandatory country-of-origin labeling, arguing that voluntary or conditional labeling doesn’t go far enough to ensure traceability in a changing market. In January, members of the Montana Country-of-Origin Labeling Coalition held a press conference in Billings calling on Congress to reinstate mandatory COOL and restore “fair and transparent markets” for producers and consumers alike.

Mandatory COOL was repealed in 2015 after the World Trade Organization ruled that it discriminated against Canada and Mexico's livestock exports. Since then, beef labeling has been largely voluntary, leaving no federal requirement to disclose where cattle were born or raised.

At the heart of the debate is the question of how consumers can know where the beef they buy was raised and processed. With more imported beef entering the U.S. market, producers say the current labeling framework allows ground beef products to mix domestic and foreign beef without clear identification.

The western district director of the Montana Cattlemen’s Association and a producer out of Fairfield, Tim Brunner, has been among those emphasizing the uncertainty that creates for consumers.

“Now would be a great time to implement COOL, to prove and show people what you’re buying,” Brunner said. “The consumer’s going to pay the same price for beef, except now it may have more blended foreign beef in it, and they won’t even know.”

Proponents of mandatory labeling argue that it would give consumers confidence in what they’re purchasing and help U.S. producers distinguish their products in a competitive global market.

While the Montana Stockgrowers Association is not a part of the Montana COOL Coalition, Leslie Robinson, the president of the association, echoed that point, saying traceability isn’t just about marketing, it’s about safety and trust.

“We raise a very healthy, safe product in the United States, and traceability is important,” Robinson said. “Consumers should be able to know where their beef comes from and have confidence in the standards behind it.”

Currently, the labeling landscape includes both voluntary and conditional designations, but no nationwide requirement that beef products state their country of origin. That was the case before the repeal of M-COOL nearly a decade ago, and the coalition argues that turning back the clock on mandatory labeling could provide needed clarity as market dynamics shift.

As debates continue around beef imports, labeling standards, and trade policy, these Montana producers maintain that clearer rules will benefit both ranchers and consumers by making the supply chain more transparent from pasture to plate.

- Madison Collier, KTVH News, 2/11/26