Ranch digs in heels for fight along the Tongue river. Deep-pocketed Mars fights energy development on land. By Matthew Brown. Associated Press.
Update Jan. 9 Judge rules against candy billionaire in fight over drilling. Drilling begins. By Matthew Brown. Associated Press Writer
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
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Unfortunately, he lost his case and they will be drilling in the next few days, here in Montana, it is a shame, that you can purchase property, but don’t own what is under it….we really need to revise our land ownership laws in this state…
I’d be surprised if this is the end of the issue. Big money doesn’t like to lose. Appeals are likely..
No appeal. The judge rules against Mars, and the drilling company was on the property just hours after the decision. In order to preserve their lease, they had to drill immediately.
If a man worth $14 billion loses to a small energy company, it is quite an impressive statement as to the power and legal standing of the energy extraction industry.
SmokyMtMan,
If those same industries can hold an entire state and all the people hostage for nearly two centuries, a man with a fortune means nothing.
West Virginia should be one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, yet they are some of the poorest folks in the nation. Poor, uneducated, afraid and ruled by two dictators; coal and gas. If anyone thinks “Deliverence” was bad; WV is worse. Twenty plus years ago a movie called “Matewan” was made about the town of the same name in WV. Watch that and multiply by one hundred. It will be a good record of what WV looked like before it gets completely leveled by mountain top removal.
Speaking of unbridled wealth,
check out this scary info. I can’t claim that all this is true but I do know for a fact that some of it is, being descended from these people.
http://iamthewitness.com/doc/RothschildsTimeline-filer/frame.htm
I’m pretty shocked by the previous post by Salle. I’m also surprised an openly racist comment is allowed on the blog.
Kevin, if you lived in MT, you’d understand Get a horse
I’m intrested in seeing how this eventually turns out. Seems the primary issue is recoverable water supply for this particular ranch. If Mars pushes hard enough, maybe a landmark decision can come out of it, offering more protection for ALL Montanas working ranches.