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Court Halts Massive Illegal Old Growth Logging Project in Montana's Little Belt Mountains

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Court Halts Massive Illegal Old Growth Logging Project in Montana's Little Belt Mountains


Male American (Northern) Goshawk. Public domain.

On June 27, 2024, a federal court halted an illegal logging project on federal public lands in the Little Belt Mountains of Montana.

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council filed their lawsuit to stop the Horsefly project in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in April 2021. The project called for cutting and burning trees on 10,343 acres, which is more than 16 square miles. To enable the logging, the agency planned on bulldozing a stunning 40.7 miles of new logging roads in the Little Belt Mountains north of White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

The scope of the massive Horsefly landscape-altering proposal is alarming and because the project violated federal law, it had to be enjoined.

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The Forest Service used a number of euphemisms in a transparent attempt to disguise what used to be more honestly called logging. For instance, the agency called 3,278 acres of commercial logging ‘intermediate treatment,’ 1,049 acres of clearcutting ‘regeneration harvest,’ 409 acres of clearcutting and possible burning ‘meadow restoration,’ and 465 acres of non-commercial logging ‘rearrangement of fuels’. They’re ‘rearranging’ them alright: from forest ecosystems to stump fields.

This is an ecosystem, not a private tree farm, and so we have to maintain the habitat for sensitive wildlife species.  One of those species is the northern goshawk, which has been declining in population, and which the forest plan lists as an old-growth forest management indicator species. Due to the importance of this species, the law requires 100% of goshawk nets to be monitored annually.

In 2018, the entire Forest was surveyed for goshawks and the Forest Service found an alarming 47% decline in active goshawk nests, which the agency failed to disclose to the public in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Forest Management Act. The agency also ignored its own Forest Plan requirement to issue an evaluation report if active nests decline by 10%.”

The Court’s ruling was very straightforward on the failure of the Forest Service to follow the law. As the Order reads: “The Court agrees with Alliance that the Forest Service’s failure to disclose and evaluate the decline in active goshawk nesting territories violated both NFMA and NEPA. . . . Federal Defendants all but concede that the Forest Service’s failure to disclose the decrease in active goshawk nesting territories to the public in the EA and failure to comply with the Forest Plan requirement to conduct an evaluation report if active nests decline by 10% amounts to a violation of NFMA.” Yet the Forest Service continues to log the last remaining mature and old growth forests and goshawks are in trouble.

The Court’s order remanded the project authorization to the agency, and enjoined the project pending compliance with federal law.  We follow the law every day, and the Forest Service must also follow the law.  When a government agency violates the law, it must be held accountable in court. It’s not easy to fight the federal government, which has far more resources than we do, but nonetheless we are committed to making the government follow its own laws to protect our native wildlife and public land ecosystems. Despite attacks by politicians, intimidation tactics, and misinformation campaigns, we won’t be stopped.  We are determined to continue with this critical work.

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Please consider helping us continue to fight to protect old growth forests and make the Forest Service follow the law.



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Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 27, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Jan. 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 27 drawing

04-20-38-56-66, Mega Ball: 05

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 27 drawing

01-10-32-37-48, Lucky Ball: 09

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 27 drawing

09-21-27-28, Bonus: 06

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana app development teams from Code Girls United win Congressional App Challenge

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Montana app development teams from Code Girls United win Congressional App Challenge


Two app development teams from Code Girls United won the Congressional App Challenge in both Montana districts.

A team with Lily Kirkaldie, Charlie Kotthoff, and Danica Sabo from Great Falls won with their app ‘Cursive Create’.

The app helps teach cursive writing, which the team said is important since cursive is no longer taught in schools.

Three senior students from Browning High School, Aiyahna Green, Kalani Sun Rhodes, and Keesha Guerrero-Gobert, won with their app ‘Sspomo’.

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This app provides awareness and resources for people facing mental health challenges, and was inspired by the Blackfeet tribe.

“They were really thoughtful about their community and what was affecting the people that they knew on the reservation, and what they could actually do to help them,” said Code Girls United CEO Marianne Smith.

“What they were seeing in the community was depression and other mental health issues, so they specifically wanted to create an app that would be able to help people that were in that same situation,” said Smith.

Both teams will travel to Washington D.C. for the National Science Fair’s ‘House of Code’, where they will showcase their apps in the U.S. Capitol.

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Montana state auditor staff heads to Libby to address property questions

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Montana state auditor staff heads to Libby to address property questions


Residents impacted by last December’s flooding and windstorms had the opportunity to get answers Monday as the Montana State Auditor’s Office hosted an open house in Libby.

The event was aimed at helping homeowners across Libby, Troy and the surrounding areas surrounding in Lincoln County navigate insurance claims and recovery efforts following the severe weather that caused widespread damage.

Staff from the Montana State Auditor’s Office were on hand to answer questions from residents dealing with property and casualty insurance claims tied to the storms.

“People here in Libby and Troy and all across Lincoln County were victims of these horrible weather events that we’ve had,” said David Sanders, chief of staff for the Montana State Auditor’s Office. “A lot of people had property and casualty claims on their homes.”

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According to the Auditor’s Office, consumer protection and education are key components of the recovery process.

In addition to speaking directly with residents, officials also met with community leaders and toured damaged areas to better understand the impact of the storms.

“We just wanted to make sure that we could pull people together and show them that they are not alone,” Sanders said. “The state government can help them with some of the information they require to put their lives back together.”

The Montana State Auditor’s Office says events like this help connect residents with valuable resources as communities continue to recover from natural disasters.

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Residents are encouraged to contact the office directly for additional insurance guidance.



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