[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6253287,"mediaKeyId","3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2","parentId",3182141,"title","Environmental activists urge protection of Blackleaf Canyon on Rocky Mountain Front","audioSeconds",322,"startMs",1928000,"endMs",2250000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2&start=1928&end=2250","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2/thumbnail_1928000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6253287/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Environmental-activists-urge-protection-of-Blackleaf-Canyon-on-Rocky-Mountain-Front","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253287-3273a46bbcb7d082d551e7d2566a4d78/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201235&Signature=d07HBaBFkKWACM0i2EdZaJR5YEQriT6t3bas8shx85SZHxbnNQJqtnFtBOV9vj5kmNaP~bgCCRCu6PhDKctgsU-5T2LHr6WNSHDo421-HJSXLQnr1BXysFl9RN8CSXMWmeVaT89sAeXe6nCkG6oKJFagBWmwzAqy8XFssPWLh8Yj-fvY6mGNjEHuCe-bug1T0RLgikqa966vTl9pUsc0GbUTaAHBhVpihmjQmaJ~nohUJzgxhjI06GFOgsZsh1r5OWb4vpOrGJZyP6pVh60lPX6VLCwvc13NgQB~s5feGtjcSc2vQDezS8eKkeOAItEQrpCawy8Zex556m4R26tY8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Missoula, MT","date","2025-05-02T20:17:30Z","article","Gabby Barrett, an environmental activist, told a Jan. 15 Missoula gathering that Blackleaf Canyon on the Rocky Mountain Front is home to intact ecosystems, cultural sites and numerous species and that Bureau of Land Management plans for drilling and related infrastructure threaten the area.

“The place I'm working on, Black Leaf Canyon, is on the Rocky Mountain Front just south of the Badger-Two Medicine, and bordering the Bob Marshall Wilderness,” Barrett said. She listed species she said remain in the area — wolves, grizzlies, peregrines, bald eagles, lynx, wolverine, pine marten, bighorn sheep, and large elk herds — and said the BLM planned as many as 18 gas wells, roads, pipelines and power lines for the area as presented in her remarks.

Barrett tied the issue to broader concerns about national-security rationales being used to open remaining roadless and intact ecosystems to development. She called the Rocky Mountain Front buffers “the last wild places on the planet” in the regional sense and urged practical engagement: write appeals, contact local chapters of conservation groups, and support campaigns opposing the wells and roads.

Barrett invited attendees to contact her and local organizers to help with campaigns to protect Blackleaf Canyon and adjacent roadless areas.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Missoula MLK Jr Day January 15 1992 \"United We Cannot Be Divided\"","oneSentenceSummary","An activist working on Blackleaf Canyon urged Missoula listeners to oppose proposed drilling and infrastructure on the Rocky Mountain Front, citing wildlife, cultural sites and intact ecosystems.","taxTitle","Missoula, Missoula County, Montana","taxId",4050,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253289,"Missoula nonprofit urges political action on rising poverty and welfare cuts",492,2263000,2755000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2&start=2263&end=2755","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2/thumbnail_2263000.jpg","/articles/6253289/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Missoula-nonprofit-urges-political-action-on-rising-poverty-and-welfare-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253289-f9cece5c1a26049f126d31f45bc75309/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201235&Signature=i1q~mirQ-F-7K1gNUsRrDbQd16HUURs-UvtJyNxJx0Efy97-OHgltm5A0vEivF89gLrVitCmLqEnZyrMRdHsByncUfyAaTfINvdxzyY0toVbe2w0ffRcD~~3W8qCwmVaCAXgDK73QGGyC~UlN6ne2s79ubrvs7VutSUTnx7vwQb9yCKgrLXnt41m5E9q2RfrGo2snujuyHsXj4fc057KXboypyaJQcWqcYRuYMJEdHpYQUPZFEh8a9rM~ECgRbtheX9U9DcDk8N-~9rlGZ3Tnd~EP3O0dFOqT7P-L00vmVejiQhQRi5iSQl2GIii-GFNWgySqo6invfD7pBF5zLH3Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Judy Smith of Women’s Opportunity and Resource Development told a Jan. 15 Missoula audience that poverty has grown in Montana and nationwide and urged attendees to use local access to government to press for alternatives to cuts in assistance.

Smith described the state’s general assistance and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) levels, saying Montana provides about 42 percent of the federal poverty level for some general assistance programs and that many recipients must spend a large share of their limited benefits on housing. “Imagine yourself as a single mom with several kids with 42% of poverty trying to find a house in this town,” Smith said.

She warned that proposals in other states to eliminate or sharply reduce benefits for low‑income families could be adopted in Montana and recounted a narrowly avoided proposal discussed in the state legislature to cut general assistance from 42 percent of the poverty level to 39 percent. Smith urged constituents to attend the legislature, question candidates about poverty policy and support programs that have demonstrated results in reducing poverty.

Smith also highlighted practical local impacts: she said more than 70 women in her program attend campus classes to move toward economic self‑sufficiency and would be affected by tuition increases and benefit cuts.

Her message was an appeal for civic participation and targeted political pressure at the state level to protect and expand anti‑poverty programs.","A Missoula representative said poverty increased in recent years, urged use of Montana’s accessible government channels, and warned that welfare reductions could deepen hardship for low-income families.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253291,"Missoula advocate calls domestic violence a ‘war against women’ at MLK gathering",276,1422000,1698000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2&start=1422&end=1698","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2/thumbnail_1422000.jpg","/articles/6253291/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Missoula-advocate-calls-domestic-violence-a-war-against-women-at-MLK-gathering","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253291-79c0abf726719844edf49b548d92b597/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201235&Signature=GbAlfxebOX4AbwqBYpIn-t0GJxyXqf1J8aR11bpTYw91XOsK7t51VI12zvob4I2sH3cfA1h3p1aH-zc-Gs0VZfWpyRxQT0gRzTSJPRe2vWu~XZ5YO3rVilY2GeHD~2ZeGPRizSibICskt6uINbRIie9NS-Nc5rO9mK32f763J74y1waZL9rUsNJFM8bIr0GX4QkOJqca1rsDYhSsIIh2vMIqMjSbtg-m2HStGXZh5uVgAnO0Vi7qSl2A~aIh~nVOiCLkWjECG81~XM9fFoaQntOKUkyDHcFsKOxkCVyjrisosgSCOaN~ZD403MiqciE6tdj3JpmsRddvCvlJg0E3Uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary Thorndike, who works at Women’s Place, told a Jan. 15 gathering in Missoula that domestic violence remains widespread and described it as “a war against women.”

“This is a war going on all around us, in our living rooms, in our bedrooms, in our streets, on our campuses,” Thorndike said, and she cited national figures when discussing the scale of the problem. “Last year, nearly 4,000 women were killed through domestic violence,” she said, adding that domestic violence is “the single largest cause of injury to women in this country.”

Thorndike recounted murders and assaults she said had occurred locally, and said her organization had received more than 1,000 calls from women in the Missoula area over the past year seeking help for rape, beatings, and other abuse. “Many of these women fear for their lives,” she said, and urged the community to stand together to prevent further deaths.

Thorndike connected the work of anti‑war activists and anti‑violence advocates, saying veterans and survivors of war can also be survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and child abuse. She called for stronger community solidarity and continued public protest against violence in all its forms.","A representative of Women’s Place told a Missoula audience that domestic violence remains pervasive and described it as a continuing ‘war against women,’ urging community solidarity and action.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253292,"Peace dividend questioned: Missoula speaker criticizes continued defense spending and urges reallocation",471,933000,1404000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2&start=933&end=1404","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2/thumbnail_933000.jpg","/articles/6253292/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Peace-dividend-questioned-Missoula-speaker-criticizes-continued-defense-spending-and-urges-reallocation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253292-0495667367bda5e1d91e4bb322c7cd15/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201235&Signature=N2UlU0rUmqFjMeYUdBHw0uC-s3icej5l9iwBCUg~Yt2B96V5lrH9zaGTvkF9HJHvQl-MYbFMIYgMcqBHizh1hDWw2jsFdXly-stw9LBFGHL36rZWhpVHhCcDGUiGcXxXfaVIv1seTUZE4Twobeww2JQv8P7TsfbZj22R~KvV-y~qV7nXmtPAgEhuwEuRNRTf0EBXcUN6Htmksq~qI3QwS4lLRvWwkkUgrlfSNmdaM1M5iLDFTAj2zzBoNmh7w-Y73RDT4g70CCeT7SpMny0TXgLxCQOYxP-xPr9PIdRCHKW4B0hUcrGVQocE3bnTAb8UWvZw8p4oGtBvmDIchDvutQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Molly, interim program director at the Jeanette Rankin Peace Resource Center, told a Jan. 15 Missoula gathering that the United States had not realized a promised “peace dividend” after the Cold War and urged redirecting defense dollars to social programs.

“Even at our currently low level of reductions, we could be rerouting 50 to $100,000,000,000 a year from the defense budget by fiscal year 1995,” Molly said. She criticized ongoing funding for programs often associated with the Strategic Defense Initiative (colloquially “Star Wars”) and named specific weapon programs and contractors mentioned during the talk. Molly said funds that once supported weapons production were being sustained by congressional allocations tied to local contractors and lawmakers’ districts.

Molly argued that defense spending does not stimulate civilian economic growth the way investments in education or health do and challenged job‑loss claims used to justify continued military outlays. “Job loss is a myth,” she said, citing comparisons between jobs created by military spending and civilian investment.

The speaker cited several national and Montana-level statistics as evidence of unmet social needs, including comments that more than 31 percent of children in Montana were hungry or at risk of hunger and that 29 percent of tax revenue went to current military funding and 23 percent to past military costs, as stated in her remarks. Molly named U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns and President George H.W. Bush when criticizing elected officials’ roles in sustaining defense contracts.

Molly urged local action and individual choices—ranging from political pressure on elected officials to consumer decisions—to reduce militarization and redirect public resources toward domestic needs such as education and nutrition programs.","Molly, interim director of the Jeanette Rankin Peace Resource Center, told a Missoula MLK Day crowd that despite the Cold War’s end the U.S. military budget remained large and that a ‘peace dividend’ has not materialized for social programs.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6253293,"Missoula speakers mark Martin Luther King Day and urge continued activism",3193,126000,3319000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2&start=126&end=3319","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3182141-d531ce4009e17ff11ff449ceddc24ea2/thumbnail_126000.jpg","/articles/6253293/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Missoula-speakers-mark-Martin-Luther-King-Day-and-urge-continued-activism","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6253293-38d0c8d20dec6853a97831a33ff55530/orig.mp4?Expires=1771201235&Signature=Um8IQkn~36x4s5-AUxZfH1ISZ0y9GoEi6vSXgAoApGbq~RTR7PfjCX7jhbFz9OuZy6roSud2ZQGtHXISER0GYGNJXI2K1MQw6NNgCEpv0J434cCy6fUTCwrUkRv4OaBzAfR4tUZUTcVjZuOQj9eVtiSZ5TqfRuHin4wMDjkq5Mi035RWKieyRKYjzKoIKKn7zb~jf92tE8hQKMhOpue6lCldkpD5iN-Vz1qYp5GHSopLmWqpHeLfyBLKRLVlBLG1~EVhbHp6fzX4OVCqgA8-kUO~Dsbh2RUCsCcm1V5C3Os6LCrzGmrm5lVPdFNqFx4SdSKNHI860WTWkbdoADipwQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Missoula residents gathered Jan. 15 to mark Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and to press for continued activism on issues they said King took up, including racial justice, poverty, and opposition to war.

At the outdoor event, Robert Dez Freeman, speaking on behalf of the Black Student Union, said King’s “dream must become ours now,” and urged attendees not to treat the holiday as a once-a-year observance. “There are 365 days in a year, and it's going to take 365 days every year to keep Doctor King's dream alive,” Freeman said.

The gathering, organized by local community groups, brought together students, nonprofit staff and long-time activists who tied King's message of nonviolent social change to contemporary local and global issues. Speakers invoked King alongside other leaders and emphasized the need for ongoing community responsibility rather than waiting for government action. Freeman said, “If you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.”

Other presenters framed King’s legacy in religious and moral terms. The final speaker read Isaiah passages and called for hope and practical solidarity, asking the crowd to “hold each other's hands” and to remember victims of violence worldwide while working for “peace, for justice, for equality, for brotherhood, and for sisterhood.”

The program included appeals to sustain activism across multiple issues rather than confining remembrance to an annual ceremony. Several speakers noted that progress has been made on race relations and legislation, but they repeatedly said that work remains on issues ranging from domestic violence and hunger to environmental protection and militarization.

Organizers opened the mic to community members and encouraged participation in local groups such as the Black Student Union and other civic organizations listed during the program.","Community speakers in Missoula used a Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. gathering to commemorate King’s life and to press for ongoing local action on civil rights, poverty, war and environmental protection.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Environmental activists urge protection of Blackleaf Canyon on Rocky Mountain Front

Missoula nonprofit urges political action on rising poverty and welfare cuts

Missoula advocate calls domestic violence a ‘war against women’ at MLK gathering

Peace dividend questioned: Missoula speaker criticizes continued defense spending and urges reallocation

Missoula speakers mark Martin Luther King Day and urge continued activism