Northern Plains Resource Council

Clean Energy: Through a five-month door-to-door and phone canvass, we reached over 13,000 households and had more than 2,000 conversations about Inflation Reduction Act benefits and energy affordability, helping Montanans access tax credit and rebates. Our "Solarize" campaigns grew with the launch of Sweetgrass Solar near Big Timber, bringing total program impact to over 340 solar assessments and 130 installations, including more than one megawatt of local solar in Livingston alone. We strengthened the movement for community solar by energizing the Montana Community Solar Coalition ahead of the 2025 legislative session. Our members worked with Rural Electric Co-op leaders to promote transparency, integration of renewable energy production, and energy efficiency. We hosted a co-op member training to build grassroots power and promote accountability. We defended public participation and climate analysis under the Montana Environmental Policy Act, urging the Department of Environmental Quality to uphold its authority and constitutional responsibilities. We provided Montana energy ratepayers with information on pending interim rate hike applications from NorthWestern Energy and Montana Dakota Utilities and our members worked with the Public Service Commission to secure rejections of those rate hikes.

Coal Transition: In the Bull Mountains, our members raised awareness for the importance of protecting land, water, and ranching operations from damage caused by a longwall mine. We raised opposition for a dangerous state legislative bill that would have allowed coal companies to contaminate nearby water sources with limited accountability. When federal legislation was introduced to allow Signal Peak Energy to expand operation without completing an Environment Impact Statement, we mobilized to defend the EIS process, public land access, and agricultural livelihoods. We also secured a critical oversight win when the Office of Surface Mining found "reason to believe" that Montana's Department of Environmental Quality violated federal law by approving major coal mine expansions under the guise of "minor" permit revisions.

Agriculture: After years of work by Northern Plains, the USDA finalized a long-overdue rule to ensure that meat labelled "Product of the USA" must come from animals born, raised, and processed in the United States - closing a loophole that misled consumers and harmed domestic producers. We celebrated this win while continuing to push for mandatory Country-Of-Origin-Labeling (COOL) for beef and pork. We helped amplify Montana ranchers' voices on a proposed rule under the Packers and Stockyards Act that would make it easier for independent producers to challenge unfair market practices, generating 25 detailed submissions from producers to the USDA, urging them to support the rule. To build momentum for stronger reforms in the next Farm Bill, we collected over 1,000 signatures backing COOL and livestock market protections - laying the groundwork for a powerful grassroots push in 2025. Healthy Soils: We deepened our commitment to soil stewardship by expanding our community engagement and policy impact. Our affiliate group, the Golden Triangle Resource Council, hosted two soil crawls in the Great Falls area, bringing together more than 50 attendees to build local knowledge and grow our statewide soil health network. In Glendive, we led a two-day Soil Crawl in partnership with Dawson Community College and experts from Montana State University, giving 40 participants hands-on experience in regenerative practices. We also helped launch Montana's first-ever Soil Health Week and Day, coordinating with partners across the state to honor agricultural producers and raise awareness of soil as one of Montana's most vital natural resources. This recognition, which we helped pass in the 2023 legislature, laid the foundation for broader cultural and policy change. We also played a key role in shaping Montana's Climate Pollution Reduction Act proposal for soil health, helping secure $50 million in federal funding to support long-term investment in this resource. Good Neighbor Agreement: We upheld the Good Neighbor Agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater Mining Company to ensure community oversight and water protections remain strong even as plummeting palladium prices added pressure to to the mine to curtail spending and cut production. We underscored the GNA's role in safeguarding water quality regardless of the mine's economic future and secured a commitment from the company to increase financial bonding, ensuring long-term accountability for environmental standards in the midst of these uncertainties. Our members met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management to bring local concerns into national discussions about critical mineral mining. DEI: We deepened our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by supporting our ally and sister organization, Western Native Voice, and continuing our "Lessons from Indigenous Organizing" speaker series. In partnership with Western Native Voice, we helped coordinate meetings, organize allies, and engage Montanans in support of legislation to establish Indigenous Peoples' Day in Montana in 2025. Through our speaker series, we welcomed Montana Poet Laureate Chris LaTray and Crow-Cheyenne artist Ben Pease, both of whom offered powerful reflections on land, identity, and community-led organizing in Indian Country. Protecting Montana's Constitution: We defended Montanans' constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by holding the Montana DEQ accountable through public participation in environmental decision-making. We developed a strategy for defending the rights of Montanans in the face of efforts to amend our State Constitution and create a partisan judiciary in Montana.