Montana

Libertarians are pushing ballot initiatives in six Western states to vastly reduce the government's power to regulate land uses. The initiatives seek to limit regulatory takings of land by requiring the government to compensate owners for any losses.

To "end our addiction to oil", ethanol, a bio-fuel, seems a likely transportation fuel to boost. However, from an air quality and global warming perspective, if the ethanol is going to be produced from coal-fired plants, is it worth it?

In the Rockies, developers and oil and natural gas companies are vying for access to the same land -- but what could be the consequences for local communities?

Yellowstone gateway looks to guide rapid growth, change.

Steve Herbaly, a former planning director, talks about how politics gets in the way of planning.

Promised applications range from homes to guest retreats to refugee shelters.

"The Fire Next Time" deals with how talk radio divided a small town already suffering from economic and community woes dealing with land use.

Montana, which has no sales tax, wants Wal-Mart, Target, and Costco to pay a tax to offset the state's welfare costs related to the big-boxes' poor labor practices.

Columnist Steven Greenhut see the impact of smart growth in Bozeman Montana, and warns readers to "be afraid, be very afraid."

The theme at Montana's annual state conference on smart growth, was how to blend economic prosperity with smart growth and land-use planning.

Missoula deals with the loss of views and vistas in the face of increased density.

As sprawl spreads onto the vast plains of the Billings, Montana, area, a few intrepid souls talk of controlling growth.

Will a search for natural gas destroy the largest complex of U.S. wild lands outside of Alaska?

The Montana Front lands join America's heated debate over energy production and wildlife.

Amtrak President David Gunn is touring the country to garner support for the nation’s rail service, which could face huge cuts from the Bush administration.

The National Park Service -- once dismissed by the former director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget as the "world's largest lawn-care service" -- is the prime target of an unprecedented push to privatize federal jobs.

A bill to tax large-scale retail stores draws surprisingly broad support.

The rush to develop energy in the Rocky Mountain West creates conflict between private surface and sub-surface property rights.

Redeveloping Lower Manhattan requires a different kind of social vision.

Originally intended to encourage Western Development, the 1872 Mining Act, has become a lucrative giveaway to Corporate Interests.