Montanans Protest Beaverhead Oil and Gas Leases

Despite the fact that 13 wells drilled in the area since 1990 have come up dry, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is going ahead with an auction Tuesday that may bring more drilling activity into the Beaverhead valley. “Montana Trout Unlimited, the Montana Wildlife Federation and others Friday sent the U.S. Bureau of Land Management a letter challenging the agency’s auction set for this Tuesday in Billings. The groups oppose leases involving about 27,000 acres.” Susan Gallagher of the Associated Press.