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Legislative sessions: what lawmakers should and shouldn't do
We have dozens of policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider. These reforms can be acted on even with the challenging budget situations across the states. Here are a couple of our top recommendations for Idaho, Washington and Wyoming lawmakers

Jason Mercier
5 hours ago2 min read


The environmental mess in the Montana Constitution
The successful plaintiffs in the Held v. Montana climate-change lawsuit are suing again—although it appears they will have to begin with a district judge rather than proceeding directly to the state supreme court.

Rob Natelson
Dec 29, 20253 min read


Idaho takes another step towards its nuclear future
Governor Little’s most recent effort is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) from his Office of Energy and Mineral Resources to gather the input of the sector and stakeholders to push towards a nuclear future.

Sam Cardwell
Dec 23, 20253 min read


Migrating towards state approval for federal land projects
What’s good for the goose is also good for the gander, or so the saying goes. But this adage never seems to hold true for the federal land discussion, even when an alliance could benefit both sides of the debate.

Madilynne Clark
Dec 8, 20253 min read


"Fix Our Forests Act" may be enough to fix the backlog
Decades of federal forest managers pursuing suppression-focused tactics led to a logjam of unmanaged forests waiting to ignite. Current federal policies barely chip away at the buildup, with only 0.08% of public lands treated with prescribed fire. A rate far below the accumulation of vulnerable fuels on public lands in the mountain states.

Madilynne Clark
Dec 2, 20253 min read


Idaho is powering up its nuclear efforts
The Gem State recently took two important steps demonstrating its commitment to unleashing the potential of nuclear energy.

Sam Cardwell
Oct 8, 20253 min read


Washington state agencies discredit their own plastic bag ban study
Washington state’s ban on thin plastic grocery bags is increasing the amount of plastic used by shoppers and overall environmental harm, contrary to the intent of the law.

Todd Myers
Oct 7, 20254 min read


Idaho embraces satellite fire detection innovation
Idaho is once again in the national spotlight for its willingness to innovate and modernize. The latest effort? Fighting fires from space. During the 2025 Legislative Session, AI cameras for detecting fires became a "hot" topic of discussion.

Sebastian Griffin
Oct 2, 20252 min read


Public lands need protection and future flexibility
The proposal was loose in its oversight, not designating the specific parcels of land. This detail was the match to ignite protests against any sale or transfer of federal lands.

Madilynne Clark
Sep 4, 20254 min read


Balancing innovation and consumer protection in AI data centers
AI is not powered by magic or fairy dust. AI is powered by giant data centers crammed full of servers that consume massive quantities of electricity to train the AI models, stream videos, and move information around in milliseconds directly to your fingertips.

Sebastian Griffin
Aug 25, 20253 min read


Idaho landowners fight federal power grab
When the Supreme Court issues a ruling, whose job is it to enforce it? Everyone who’s taken high school civics can tell you the executive branch enforces the law. But what happens when the law needs to be enforced against the executive branch?

Louis Villacci
Aug 19, 20253 min read


After 50 years, the Snake River Dams have been a blessing and will continue to be
It has been fifty years since the four dams on the Lower Snake River were completed. Originally built to provide transportation, they now create the equivalent of one-third of the electricity generated in Idaho, helping balance the growing amount of wind and solar energy across the Pacific Northwest.

Todd Myers
Aug 13, 20253 min read


President Trump shows strong support for Snake River dams
With the stroke of a pen, the future of the Snake River dams is looking better. President Trump issued an Executive Order on June 12 repealing a secretly negotiated memorandum signed by President Biden that was attempting to set the path for the possible breaching of the Snake River dams.

Jason Mercier
Jun 20, 20253 min read


Idaho and the Trump Administration signal that the future is nuclear energy
The State of Idaho and the Trump Administration have taken another step towards advancing nuclear energy research. The two parties agreed...

Sam Cardwell
May 12, 20254 min read


President Trump works with Montana and Wyoming to unleash American energy
President Trump joined with miners, legislators, and stakeholders to announce his Executive Orders on April 18th aimed at revitalizing...

Sam Cardwell
May 6, 20254 min read


Montana ends its legislative session with major income tax relief
The 2025 Legislative Session is officially over in Montana. Lawmakers in the Treasure State focused on several priorities during their...

Jason Mercier
May 2, 20253 min read


Idaho officials praise EPA announcement to clarify WOTUS
Even Mark Twain, the king of idioms, would have trouble understanding the phrases in the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) waters of the US...

Madilynne Clark
Apr 28, 20254 min read


Idaho Legislature approves funding for AI fire detection equipment
During the 2025 Legislative Session, the Idaho Legislature allocated more money to the Department of Lands , especially to improve fire...

Sebastian Griffin
Apr 18, 20253 min read


Congress needs to make “mostly dead” Lava Ridge project “all dead”
As Idahoans take victory laps on the Lava Ridge Wind Energy Project , proclaiming that President Trump’s executive order was “the...

Madilynne Clark
Mar 31, 20254 min read


Plastic bag bans don’t help the ocean - there are better solutions
We don’t want plastic in the ocean. Most plastic degrades slowly and we have all seen pictures and videos of marine life being harmed by...

Todd Myers
Mar 13, 20254 min read
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