Partner Spotlight
The Big Sky Institute at Montana State University is an interdisciplinary center dedicated to creating, applying, and communicating science-based knowledge. The BSI Ecological Informatics Lab brings together natural sciences, geographic information systems (GIS), statistics, modeling, information technology, and computational programming with a comprehensive goal of making ecological data more useful to society. BSI partners with several NBII Nodes to disseminate information and to create value-added tools for interacting with data.
Mountain Prairie
The Mountain Prairie Information Node is a collaborative project between the Big Sky Institute , USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center , USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center , and other partners .
This site provides biological information organized by geography and by theme. Select from the categories below to get started.
About the Node Read about the history of this regional NBII node and goals for the future.
Animals and Plants of the Region Learn about the region's native biodiversity, including birds, invertebrates, mammals, plants, and species in need of conservation.
Live Maps and Data Find maps and geospatial data related to carbon sequestration, butterflies and moths, whirling disease, and regional ecosystems.
Regional Ecosystems Discover the Great Plains, Greater Yellowstone, Northern Rockies, and Prairie Pothole ecosystems.
Regional News Read news articles related to regional natural resource issues.
Regional Themes Explore regionally-significant topics such as carbon sequestration, climate, fire, invasive species, water, and wildlife disease.
States Browse data and information organized by state.
Mountain Prairie Region
[Image: Aaron Jones, Big Sky Institute]
Mountain Prairie News
Canadian government accuses foreign interests in pipeline opposition [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
On the eve of a round of hearings on the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to carry Alberta crude across British Columbia to the Pacific coast, opening up markets to Asia, the Conservative government vowed to streamline the public review process on such projects.Toronto Globe and MailView Comments |...
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China takes the next step in energy acquisition in Canada [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
When Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. triggered a 2009 option last week, CNPC subsidiary PetroChina became an owner/operator of the MacKay River oil sands project, scheduled to open in 2014, the next step in China's methodical approach to securing a stable energy supply. A column by Campbell Clark.Toronto Globe and MailView Comments |...
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Montana judge hears arguments on moving megaloads through Missoula Co. [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
Last Friday, a Montana state district court judge heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by Missoula County and its three co-plaintiffs against the Montana Department of Transportation on allowing massive pieces of mining equipment to pass through the county on the route from Idaho's Port of Lewiston to Alberta, and the attorney for the DOT said the agency was prepared to redo the environmental asses...
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Montana FWP hearings on changes in hunting rules begin today [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will host a series of meetings on proposed changes in hunting regulations with the first hearing set for today in Hamilton.MissoulianView Comments |...
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Snowpack levels in SW Montana 80 percent below average [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
Most of Montana has snowpack levels below average, but in Southwest Montana those levels are 80 percent below average, while levels in the lower Yellowstone River basins are above 100 percent of average.Bozeman Daily ChronicleView Comments |...
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Biologists injured in Idaho helicopter crash file lawsuit [
Mon Jan 09 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
Idaho Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologists George Pauley, based in Kamiah, and Craig White, stationed in Boise, were injured when the helicopter they were riding in while attempting to dart and tag wolves, elk and moose for a study crashed on Jan. 8, 2010, have filed a lawsuit against the helicopter company, and the principals of that company are suing the firm that performed maintenanc...
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A Q&A with former Colorado National Monument head Joan Anzelmo [
Mon Jan 09 10:39:48 EST 2012 ]
The retired Park Service superintendent stands by her controversial decision not to allow a major bike race in the monument, and continues to be passionate about preserving landscapes....
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Dramatic Links Found Between Climate Change, Elk, Plants, and Birds [
Mon Jan 09 10:30:00 EST 2012 ]
Missoula, MT – Climate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing powerful and cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a groundbreaking study in Nature Climate Change.The U.S. Geological Survey and University of Montana study not only...
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Disease decimates deer populations in NE Montana [
Sun Jan 08 14:03:00 EST 2012 ]
An outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, has nearly wiped out whitetail deer populations along a 100-mile stretch of the Milk River in Montana from Malta to east of Glasgow, and game officials said it will take years for the species to recover.Billings Gazette (AP)View Comments |...
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The perilous journey of Wyoming's migrating pronghorn [
Wed Jan 04 11:20:51 EST 2012 ]
Along the 120-mile-long "Path of the Pronghorn," migrating animals cross rivers, dodge traffic, battle blizzards and navigate the infrastructure of Wyoming energy development....
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Protecting wildlife corridors remains more theory than practice [
Fri Dec 30 13:02:52 EST 2011 ]
There's a growing understanding of the scientific importance of wildlife migration corridors, but protecting them is a huge political challenge....
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Boulder, Colo., votes for energy independence -- from its utility [
Wed Dec 28 09:52:35 EST 2011 ]
After a hard-fought political campaign the town of Boulder passed a ballot initiative allowing it to create its own municipal utility in order to help reach its ambitious environmental goals....
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Jon Huntsman Jr. -- a pragmatic Westerner for the White House [
Mon Dec 26 13:07:18 EST 2011 ]
Despite poor poll showings, the worldly Jon Huntsman Jr. is the most qualified candidate in the Republican primary, especially when it comes to environmental issues....
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No matter how long you live in your small town, you'll never be a native [
Wed Dec 21 13:43:07 EST 2011 ]
In the West's rural lands, you might think you're invisible, but the old-timers -- and their dogs -- know you are there....
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Stitching habitat together across public and private lands [
Wed Dec 21 13:39:24 EST 2011 ]
Migrating animals can't read "no trespassing" signs, so it?s up to human beings to try to find ways to connect wildlife corridors that crisscross public and privately owned lands....
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In Montana, Jesus Statue Is Focus of Legal Battle [
Fri Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
An atheist group argues that a statue of Jesus at the Whitefish Mountain Resort violates the separation of church and state because it is on federal land....
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Jesus Statue, Greeting Skiers in Montana, Faces Challenge by Atheists [
Fri Nov 25 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Six-foot statue of Jesus that serves as a memorial for soldiers from World War II at Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana is at the center of an increasingly bitter battle over the legality of such symbols on federal land; an atheist group has urged the Forest Service not to reauthorize the special-use permit for the memorial, which is up for renewal. Photos...
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Bison Hunts Considered to Cull Yellowstone Park Herds [
Mon Nov 21 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
A proposal from Yellowstone National Park officials considers alternatives to the indiscriminate slaughters of previous years....
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TransCanada to Reroute Keystone XL Pipeline [
Tue Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
TransCanada agreed to adjust its intended route of the Keystone XL oil pipeline to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills region of Nebraska....
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Measure Seeks to Give Border Patrol Power to Circumvent Environmental Laws [
Mon Nov 14 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
A bill would affect the nation?s most-protected wilderness areas within the 100-mile border zone with both Mexico and Canada....
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North Dakota Flood Victims Brace for Winter [
Wed Nov 09 00:00:00 EST 2011 ]
Many North Dakota residents flooded out by the Souris River have yet to return to their homes, and now winter is almost here....
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Rich in Coal, a Tribe Struggles to Overcome Poverty [
Wed Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Leaders of the Crow Nation are trying to develop the tribe's energy resources to create more jobs. But starting a new coal project has proved difficult, and some members are pursuing wind power....
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Wyoming Dealt a Setback Over Roads on Public Lands [
Sat Oct 22 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
The State of Wyoming was dealt a setback after a federal appeals court ruled that the Forest Service has broad jurisdiction in setting the balance of uses on the lands that it manages....
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A Pipeline Divides Along Old Lines: Jobs Versus the Environment [
Thu Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Hearings over a $7 billion Canadian oil pipeline have pitched supporters who crave jobs against critics who fear a spill would be an environmental disaster....
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A Pipeline Divides Along Old Lines: Jobs Versus the Environment [
Thu Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Hearings over a $7 billion Canadian oil pipeline have pitched supporters who crave jobs against critics who fear a spill would be an environmental disaster....
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In North Dakota, Wasted Natural Gas Flickers Against the Sky [
Tue Sep 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
About 30 percent of the natural gas produced in North Dakota is burned as waste, an amount that no other domestic oil field comes close to....
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In Yellowstone, Killing One Kind of Trout to Save Another [
Wed Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Scientists are implanting radio transmitters in lake trout, an invasive species in Yellowstone National Park, to learn where they spawn and destroy eggs before they hatch....
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With Floodwaters Ebbing, Long Haul of Sandbags Awaits [
Fri Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Homes alongside the Missouri River in North Dakota have been guarded for months by millions of sandbags. Now comes the back-breaking cleanup....
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As Floodwaters Approach, Two Nuclear Plants Get Ready [
Mon Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Operators of a nuclear reactor are hunkering down to defend it against a swollen river at its doorstep....
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Flooded North Dakotans Lack Insurance [
Fri Jun 24 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
The Souris River in North Dakota had been controlled so well for so long that many residents dropped their flood insurance. Then the flood came....
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Minot, N.D., Braces for Flooding From Souris River [
Thu Jun 23 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Flood waters from the swollen Souris River had turned some residential neighborhoods of this city into lakes on Thursday....
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Flooding Brings Worry About Nebraska Nuclear Plants [
Tue Jun 21 00:00:00 EDT 2011 ]
Nuclear regulators said neither riverside plant in Nebraska was viewed as being at risk for a disaster....
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