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
Montana, Wyoming power plants make EPA's Top 20 list for emissions [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
The Associated Press' analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data on the nation's top emitters of greenhouse gases ranks PPL Montana's Colstrip plant in Colstrip as 8th in the nation, with 17.1 million metric tons of greenhouse gases emitted in 2010; and the Jim Bridger plant at Point of Rocks in Wyoming 14th, with 14.8 million metric tons of emissions.Ravalli Republic (AP)View Comments |...
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EPA map pinpoints nation's largest producers of greenhouse gases [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled an online searchable map that allows users to see the location of nearly all the nation's largest producers of greenhouse gases.New York TimesView Comments |...
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Federal judge in Idaho to hear arguments in Credit Suisse's resorts loan case [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
Tim Blixseth, co-founder of the exclusive Yellowstone Club in Montana, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Idaho against Swiss banker Credit Suisse, which plaintiffs allege embarked on a campaign of predatory lending to luxury resorts in Montana, Idaho and other locations with the plan to take ownership of those properties when they failed, and parties will make their argu...
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Lawsuit filed to stop Montana's plan to move bison to reservations [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
A state lawmaker joined with ranchers, public land advocates and property owners in a lawsuit filed in Montana's Blaine County seeking to halt the state's plan to put 68 bison that wandered out of Yellowstone National Park on the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations until a statewide plan on such relocation and an environmental assessment has been completed. Billings Gazette (AP)View Comments |...
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Wolves sighted near Jackson subdivision in W. Wyoming [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
Wildlife biologists said the sighting of wolves near the Indian Trails subdivision in west Jackson was expected, given that elk and moose are often sighted there, and residents were warned to keep track of their dogs.Jackson Hole DailyView Comments |...
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U.S. ban on uranium mining near Grand Canyon makes economic sense, too [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
In every instance where an industrial activity is banned for environmental reasons in the United States, critics decry the economic effects of such a ban, but those arguments simply do not hold water in the protests against the 20-year ban on uranium mining on a million acres of land surrounding the Grand Canyon.Durango HeraldView Comments |...
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Family puts conservation easement on Bitterroot Valley ranch in Montana [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
The 275-acre ranch on the South Burnt Fork in the Bitterroot Valley has been in Dan Severson's family for five generations, and the Severson family is the latest in Montana's Ravalli County to put a conservation easement on their land using funding from the county's Open Lands Program.Ravalli RepublicView Comments |...
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Alberta logging project draws protest [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
Environmental groups and residents of the Castle region of southwestern Alberta held a protest on Wednesday on the province's plan to allow logging on roughly 300 acres of what protesters said is important habitat for the estimated 51 grizzly bears in the region.Calgary HeraldView Comments |...
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Wyoming sage grouse groups to split $1.2M in state funding [
Thu Jan 12 12:50:00 EST 2012 ]
Wyoming has allocated $1.2 million to fund sage grouse enhancement projects across the state and $116,000 of those funds have already been distributed, with meetings set this month in Green River, Greybull, Gillette and Pinedale to discuss other projects seeking funding.Casper Star-TribuneView Comments |...
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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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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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