Northern Plains Resource Council

Northern Plains Resource Council is a grassroots conservation and family-farm advocacy organization founded in 1972 in Montana. It works on issues related to energy development, agriculture, water resources, and public lands across the Northern Plains, engaging ranchers, farmers, and community members. The council has influenced state and federal policy through coalition-building, litigation, and public campaigning, interacting with a wide network of regional and national institutions.

History

The group emerged amid regional responses to proposed coal mine expansions, strip mining conflicts near the Powder River Basin, and controversies over coal-fired power plant siting in Montana. Founders included ranchers concerned about impacts from surface coal mining and oil development on grazing lands near Sheridan County, Wyoming, Rosebud County, Montana, and the Tongue River Valley. Early actions intersected with cases before the Montana Supreme Court, campaigns against surface coal mining permits, and advocacy at the United States Department of the Interior. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s the council engaged with national debates shaped by events such as the development of the Northern Great Plains energy corridor, the passage of amendments to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and litigation influenced by precedents from the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. During the 1990s and 2000s the organization expanded to address oil shale proposals, coalbed methane extraction, and the rise of hydraulic fracturing, interacting with regulatory processes at the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency. More recent history includes organizing on issues of renewable energy siting, responses to Dakota Access Pipeline-related protests, and engagement with litigation trends in the Ninth Circuit and U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

Organization and Structure

The council is organized as a nonprofit membership group with local chapters, including county-based units in places like Billings, Miles City, Great Falls, and Bozeman. Governance is through an elected board of directors representing families from ranching counties such as Rosebud County, Montana and Custer County, Montana, with an executive director overseeing staff. Its structure mirrors regional networks such as the Land Trust Alliance and works in tandem with statewide organizations like the Montana Environmental Information Center and national partners like the National Wildlife Federation. Committees focus on policy areas connected to agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The council maintains legal counsel for administrative appeals and partners with law firms and litigators experienced in cases before the Montana District Courts and federal tribunals like the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Volunteer involvement is modeled on community organizing traditions tied to groups such as the Farm Bureau and National Farmers Union.

Programs and Campaigns

Programs address extraction impacts from coal mining, oil and gas drilling, and coalbed methane production; they promote sustainable practices for ranching families and protection of surface water and groundwater resources like the Yellowstone River. Campaigns have targeted large-scale proposals such as open-pit coal operations and pipeline projects similar in scale to the Keystone XL debate, while advancing alternatives like wind power and solar energy development on reclaimed lands. Community organizing initiatives include training drawn from models used by the Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch, public records strategies leveraging Freedom of Information Act processes, and monitoring of permitting processes at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Restoration and reclamation programs reference standards from the Reclamation Act era and collaborate with conservation science programs at institutions like the University of Montana and Montana State University. Education efforts engage with local school districts and extension services, and outreach has used campaigning techniques associated with the League of Conservation Voters and 350.org.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

The council has influenced state-level policy on strip mining regulations, coal mine reclamation standards, and setbacks for oil and gas operations, participating in rulemakings at the Montana Legislature and administrative hearings before the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation. Through litigation and administrative appeals, it has challenged permits issued under federal statutes such as the Clean Water Act and engaged with proceedings under the National Environmental Policy Act. Its advocacy has shaped discourse around public lands stewardship involving the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service management plans, and it has been a stakeholder in federal energy policy debates at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. The council’s testimony and briefs have been cited in proceedings alongside filings by groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, and the Montana Environmental Information Center, influencing regulatory outcomes and settlement agreements.

Partnerships and Funding

Northern Plains collaborates with a network of conservation and community organizations, including state affiliates such as the Montana Wilderness Association, national groups like the Sierra Club and National Wildlife Federation, and policy centers at universities including the University of Montana School of Law. Funders and supporters have included regional foundations and national grantmakers that also support organizations like the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Energy Foundation. It partners with legal entities such as Earthjustice for litigation, research collaborations with the World Resources Institute and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and community resilience work in coordination with groups like The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited. Funding sources combine member dues, philanthropic grants, and contributions coordinated through donor-advised structures similar to those used by environmental networks such as the Environmental Grantmakers Association.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Montana