Voices

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to remove Endangered Species Act protections from grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, the area within and near Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. This petition should be rejected by USFWS. Here’s why. The petition is not based upon the … [Read more...] about Viewpoint: USFWS must reject Gianforte’s political grizzly bear petition

As someone who’s worked in the Montana tourism industry for decades – from spending nearly 25 years at Big Sky Resort to serving as director of the Montana Department of Commerce from 2013-2016 – I know just how important small businesses are to our tourism economy. Now I run M2O Group and help local businesses and community organizations thrive in our great state. I’ve … [Read more...] about Viewpoint: Protect Montana’s small businesses

You can learn a lot by listening to what someone has to say, especially if you disagree with them. I’m not talking about learning only about what issue they might be talking about. I mean that you can learn a lot about the person you’re listening to, you learn to respect them as a person, and I think it goes the other way, too. They learn to respect you. My awakening … [Read more...] about Montana Viewpoint: The power of listening

As I pause in the liminal space between our climate efforts of 2021 and the year ahead, it’s a common refrain that repeats in my head. We at Climate Smart Missoula are always seeking inspiration to build a future that sustains us all. Climate work can be hard. So, we seek out the scientists, policy nerds, artists, and fellow organizers who help us imagine a way forward. For … [Read more...] about Sustainable Missoula: The future is not yet written

On Monday, December 20th, 2021, I announced my campaign for the Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees. As an educator with experience in public, private and nonprofit educational institutions, the son of a single mom who taught kindergarten, and a dedicated community advocate, I felt like I could offer meaningful perspective to this elected, volunteer board. I had … [Read more...] about Letters: Nevin Graves withdraws candidacy for Missoula School Board