Approval

Last week Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke are asking the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Gov. Steve Bullock to issue full approval for the Montanore Project.

Montana officials are considering giving only partial approval to a $500 million silver and copper mine proposed beneath a wilderness area near the Idaho border.

Last Friday, July 31, Ravalli District Court Judge James Haynes ruled against county commissioners on their approval of a 600 unit subdivision called Legacy Ranch that would have been built near the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge. Ravalli County Commissioner Jeff Burrows said the decision will impact many subdivisions in Ravalli County and will force county planners to go back to the drawing board. R

Gov. Rick Snyder says Michigan will recognize more than 300 same-sex marriages performed during a brief window when they were allowed last year.

Senator Steve Daines joined the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today to approve construction of Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for full Senate vote.