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Resources
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The purpose of this section is to give the student access to all primary and secondary resources for Unit 4.3: Living in a New Montana - 1970 to 2007.
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Historical Document
"National energy problems and policies called attention to a significant energy source in eastern Montana - coal. The low-grade deposits necessitated strip mining to be economical, while Montana's low population density and alternative power sources meant little coal was needed for statewide use. Consequently, the bulk of the product left the state by train to fire-generating plants elsewhere or it stoked nearby generators and left Montana via high-voltage transmission lines. Neither alternative escaped controversy. Montana's legislature and state agencies spent the 1970s dealing with problems of strip-mining, generating plants, power transmission lines, and the like, listening to Montanans passionately expressing views on both sides of the issue. Similar debates occur today" (Montana Historical Society).
"Montana infatuated visitor and native alike. To escape urban crowding, residents and nonresidents looked to the vacant mountainsides and valleys for sites to build residences or cabins, "a place in the country." Particularly in growing, valley-bound communities like Missoula and Bozeman, conditions were right for subdivision growth. As investors purchased land for development, agriculture in the fertile valleys suffered in consequence. In both 1974 and 1975 legislators considered a moratorium on subdividing agricultural land. Hank Deschenes and Charles Bradley testified at hearings, representing the opposing views and emotional values involved. Today, Montanans continue to struggle with the issues raised here" (Montana Historical Society).
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