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Hello,
This is another installment in our regular
report to you and others here in the region on the activities of the
O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West. We want to keep you
informed about what we're doing and hope that you continue to have
an interest in the Center and its work.
From all of us at the O'Connor Center for the
Rocky Mountain West, The University of Montana
Montana's first capital
provided by William
Farr
 This 1920
photograph of Bannack, Mont., by U.S. Forest Service photographer K.
D. Swan, is a quiet reminder of the region's colorful past. When
1862 began, the whole of southwestern Montana was a part of Idaho
Territory. The Beaverhead Country was uninteresting and unsettled.
This changed in July when John Clark struck placer gold on a small
stream amid an infestation of grasshoppers, which he inevitably
called Grasshopper Creek.
Generating a bone fide
gold rush, transient  miners on the lookout for the next strike poured into
the gulches establishing bonanza camps. The gold camp on Grasshopper Creek
became Bannack, named after the local Indians. Within a few months,
it sported a population of
some 500 with close to 1,000 by Christmas. Spreading out,
prospecting miners hit on new discoveries, especially noteworthy was
Alder Gulch in 1863 some 70 miles to the east.
The
"stampeding " miners included all kinds of lawless,
primitive and colorful characters.
The growing and cosmopolitan population struggled to establish rough
law and order, first by organizing miners' courts, then vigilance
committees, and by petitioning Congress to form a new
territory. Successful Montana became a territory on May 26,
1864, with Sidney Edgerton its first governor. Governor Edgerton
chose Bannack City to be the temporary capital and ordered the
newborn legislature to meet
there. It was temporary. The very next year as miners rushed from
strike to strike, Bannack's population dwindled and it was
replaced by the new population hub of Virginia City as the
territorial seat of government.
Bannack had another
destiny--that of a ghost town and a state park, both of which were
still in the future when K. D. Swan took his photograph in 1920.
Bannack survives today in its state of "arrested neglect" because in
1953 a group of concerned citizens in Dillon, Mont., bought most of
Bannack's buildings for $1,000 and then gave this colorful place of
beginnings to the State of Montana to be preserved.
recent activities
On Feb. 1st in
Helena, Mont., Senior Fellow Pat Williams spoke at the annual
conference of the Montana Association of Elementary and Middle
School Principals. His presentation was titled “From the
Classroom to the Congress to the Classroom.”
Senior Fellow Bob Brown was the luncheon speaker at this year’s
series of Economic Outlook seminars conducted by The University of
Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, with the series
now in its 32nd year. The theme of the 2007 seminar is
“Rising Asia – Becoming Closer Neighbors.” Brown’s talk focuses on his impressions
of modern China resulting from his three visits there, most recently
when he participated in a faculty exchange in the spring 2006
semester with Prof. Zhaoying Han at Nankai University in Tianjn,
China. Prof. Han is completing the exchange by
teaching at UM this spring semester.
On Jan. 31st in
Bozeman, Mont., Center Director Larry Swanson spoke to the Montana Chapter
Soil and Water Conservation Society at their annual
meeting, discussing demographic trends reshaping the audience for
conservation policies and programs in Montana.
On Jan. 29th in Helena, Mont., Swanson spoke at a
gathering of Montana legislators and
representatives of Montana cities and counties exploring ways of
building urban-rural partnerships in areas of economic and community
development.
The program was entitled “Opportunities and Challenges in
Montana’s Urban Cities and Rural Regions,” and was organized and
hosted by the Billings Clinic, City of Billings, and Montana State
University – Billings.
On Jan. 29th in Driggs, Idaho, Swanson spoke to
members of a steering committee who are advising the Yellowstone Business Partnership in
its study of economic trends, conditions, and opportunities in the
larger Yellowstone Region of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Swanson and
the Center are assisting on the study.
On Jan. 18th in Missoula, Mont., Swanson made a
presentation at a meeting exploring workforce development needs and
opportunities in the Missoula area hosted by the Missoula Job
Service.
His presentation examined how changes in the economy and area
population were creating greater urgency for workforce development
programming in the area.
On Jan. 17th in Boulder, Mont., Swanson spoke to
members of the Jefferson County Commission, area business persons,
and citizens about important conditions and trends in the Jefferson
County area economy. Swanson and the Center are doing an
economic study of the area for the Jefferson Local Development
Corp., which will be completed in February.
On Jan. 12-14th in
Butte, Mont., Williams again convened the Progressive Leadership
Seminar.
Among the presenters was journalist Tom Kenworthy, formerly
with The
Washington Post and USA Today. During previous seminars, the
participants have heard from talk show host Al Franken and
Congressman Dennis Kucinich.
On Jan. 11th in
Helena, Mont., Williams made a presentation to Leadership
Missoula.
His talk was entitled “I’m From the Government and I Really
Am Here to Help.”
On Jan. 3rd in
Helena, Mont., the Center’s Tribal Leaders Institute conducted a
symposium for Montana ’s Native American legislators in the Capitol
Building.
The presenters were Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Dept. of Revenue’s
Dan Bucks, Don Wilson, Mark Magee and Dr. Sandra Fox.
On Dec. 13th in
Billings, Mon., Swanson was part of a community leadership program
examining local infrastructure, workforce development, and education
needs, organized and hosted by the Celebrate Billings organization – a
partnership of Billings Clinic, St. Vincent Healthcare, the Billings Gazette, Montana State University
– Billings, and the Foundation for Community Vitality. The program
was part of CB’s Billings 2020
initiative.
O
n Dec. 9th in Kalispell, Mont., Brown spoke at
the annual meeting of the Montana Logging Association. He spoke
about the rise of China in the world family of nations and the
possible effects emerging on Montana and the Montana economy.
On Dec. 4-5th in
Cody, Wyo., Swanson gave several presentations on a recent study he
and the Center did of the Park County area economy. He spoke at a noon luncheon of the Cody
Chamber of Commerce on the 4th and
at a evening community session at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center
auditorium. Then on the 5th, he spoke to the Cody Economic
Development Council. The larger area surrounding Yellowstone
Park is seeing increasing population growth and communities in the
region are attempting to better position themselves for challenges
and opportunities associated with this growth. Swanson and the Center undertook
the study under contract with the Greater Yellowstone
Coalition.
On Dec. 2nd in
Butte, Mont., Williams spoke about Montana’s “Emerging Restoration
Economy” to the annual convention of the Montana Wilderness
Association.
project
activity
During spring semester the Center’s associates
Bill Farr and Pat Williams offer a class on "Regionalism and the
Rocky Mountain West." Credit is provided in both the History
and Geography Departments. Center colleague Larry Swanson will also
provide a lecture as a part of the course.
Williams is also teaching a class this
spring semester in the College of Forestry and Conservation. The class is
offered through the college’s Wilderness Institute. "Montana
Wilderness Policy and Politics" is a two-credit course on the
25-year history of congressional efforts to provide various federal
designations to a portion of the federal lands in Montana and
Idaho.
Senior Fellow Bob Brown, along with
former state Sen. Mike Halligan, is teaching Political Science 383,
“Montana Politics: The Real Story.” Previous instructors for the course,
state Sens. Dave Wanzenried and Jim Shockley, are unable to continue
with it this semester due to the legislative session.
Director Larry Swanson
and Doug Lawrence are continuing work on a study of the economy of
the larger three-state region surrounding Yellowstone National Park
for the Yellowstone Business Partnership. The work
involves a baseline study of the region’s economy and an assessment
of possible options for reducing the impacts of seasonality on area
businesses and is being done in cooperation with Limelight
Consulting.
Swanson and the Center also are completing an economic
assessment of the Jefferson County area economy under contract with
the Jefferson Local Development Corp.
Former Congressman Pat Williams received the
Northwest Power Act Leader award from the Bonneville Power
Administration and the Northwest Power and Conservation
Council.
The award recognizes Williams’ congressional work in helping
to create the Northwest Power Act of 1980. As Montana ’s
congressman at the time, Williams authored amendments to protect
fish, particularly in the Clark Fork and Flathead waterways. He also
successfully amended the Act to assure Montana’s full and equal
representation on the Northwest Power Council.
Swanson and the Center recently completed work
examining the changing economy of the Montana-Canada cross-border
region and related U.S. – Canada business and trade in the region
under contract with the Consul General Office of Canada and its
regional office in Denver.
Swanson and the Center also completed work in support
of the preparation of an insert for the Billings Gazette entitled: “Building a
Better Billings: Investing in Our People and Our Future.” The
informational insert was funded by a grant from the Billings-based
Foundation for Community Vitality.
Brown and Center Senior Fellow Daniel Kemmis
co-authored the article “The Regional Primary – Giving the West a
Megaphone,” which was published in the winter 2007 issue of UM’s
Political Science journal “Montana’s Agenda–Issues Shaping Our
State.” In their article, Brown and Kemmis
develop arguments in support of a coordinated presidential primary
encompassing the states of the Rocky Mountain
region.
The 2006 elections created a flurry of
national and regional news stories about the election’s significance
to the Rocky Mountain West, and Senior Fellow Daniel Kemmis was
often consulted for comment and analysis. An article by
Joe Klein in the January 19 issue of Time Magazine quoted Kemmis
on the efforts of western Democrats to reclaim some of their working
class base in the region, while an article by Sasha Abramsky in the
January 22 issue of The Nation quoted Kemmis on the importance
of livable communities to the prosperity and politics of the
region.
A December
15 story by Bettina Boxall in the Los Angeles Times, on the record of the
Republican Party on public land and natural resource issues during
the time the party controlled both the presidency and both houses of
Congress, included quotes from Kemmis on why so few of the party’s
major initiatives had actually become law. In a December
31st column appearing in the Denver Post, Kemmis looked ahead to 2007
against the background of election results in the region, writing on
the challenge and opportunity facing Western Democrats in the wake
of their election successes. And the Utah Daily Herald interviewed Kemmis for a
January 2nd story on how the Rocky
Mountain West may gain additional representation in the U.S. House
as a result of plans to give the District of Columbia voting
membership.
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regional trends
Fast Growth in the
Rockies
Projected to Slow in Future
Years
During the last decade, the Rocky Mountain West
became one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. However, under
current U.S. Census Bureau population projections (March, 2005),
this growth will gradually slow, with this slowing growth
largely tied to population aging. Colorado, which grew by 31% in the
‘90s, is projected to grow by 12% during the current decade,
followed by 9% in the decade after that. Idaho, which grew by 28% in
the ‘90s, is projected to grow by 17% and 15% in the subsequent two
decades. Montana’s growth is projected to fall from 13% in the ‘90s
to 7% and 6% in each of the next two decades and to fall to as low
as 2% growth between 2020 and 2030. Wyoming’s population growth,
less than all of the other states, is projected to fall into
negative territory in this latter decade. More...
center in the news
Gazette Opinion: Urban, rural Montanans need to
talk - Billings Gazette, Jan. 31,
2007
Experts: State missing chance to invest in
growing urban areas - Missoulian,
Jan. 30, 2007
Education investment needed as cities prosper,
expert says - Billings Gazette, Jan.
30. 2007
Asian boom helps sustain state growth, experts
say - Missoulian, Jan. 27,
2007
17-Year Silence Spoke Volumes - Jackson Hole Star Tribune, Jan. 26,
2007
Expect tight Montana labor market to get
tighter, top economist says - Missoulian, Jan. 19, 2007
KRMC plans for expansion - Daily Inter Lake, Jan. 8,
2007
People Power Paradigm Pondered - NewWest, Jan. 2, 2007
Tapping the brakes - Missoulian, Jan. 2, 2007
2006: When Missoula made miracles come true
- Missoulian, Dec. 31,
2006
Will History Repeat Itself? A Look to 2007
- Aspen Daily News, Dec. 27,
2006
State economic outlooks scheduled
- Great
Falls Tribune, Dec. 20, 2006
GOP misses chance to reshape environmental
laws - Los Angeles Times, Dec. 15,
2006
Gazette Opinion: Generating community
investment - Billings Gazette - Dec.
14, 2006
Forests need modern-day equivalent of Marshall
Plan - Clark Fork Chronicle, Dec.
14, 2006
Infrastructure falling behind, economist
says - Billings Gazette, Dec. 14,
2006
Mark Rey: Public land laws are due for an
overhaul - Clark Fork Chronicle,
Dec. 12, 2006
Seasonal business finds laborers outside
U.S. - Helena Independent Record,
Dec. 11, 2006
Flathead Valley employers search the globe for
workers - Missoulian, Dec. 10,
2006
Gazette Opinion: At last, a new resort for
local government support - Billings
Gazette, Dec. 10, 2006
Report: Prepare for Park growth - Casper Star Tribune, Dec. 8,
2006
Communities urged to plan for regional
expansion - Billings Gazette, Dec.
5, 2006
upcoming events
On Feb. 7th in
Missoula, Mont., Senior Fellow Pat Williams will address the opening
meeting of the student members of MontPirg on campus. MontPirg is a
student-based Public Interest Research Group affiliated with The
University of Montana that works on major policy issues affecting
Montana.
On Feb.
14th in Missoula, Mont., Williams
will be the keynote speaker for the 40th annual meeting of the Montana Chapter
of the American Fisheries Society.
On Feb.
20th in Missoula, Mont., Center
Director Larry Swanson will speak to personnel of Lambros Realty as
part of a company breakfast meeting. He will discuss area growth and
demographic trends. On the 21st, he will speak to the Sunrise Rotary
organization.
On Feb. 28th in
Washington, D.C., Williams, along with Montana’s Gov. Brian
Schweitzer, has been invited to give the opening testimony before
the Natural Resources Committee of the U.S. House of
Representatives. The committee is beginning a series of
hearings about changes in the Rocky Mountain West.
On Mar.
2nd in Bozeman, Mont., Swanson will
attend and speak at a board and strategic planning meeting of the
Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
On Mar. 22nd in Morden, Manitoba, Swanson will make
the opening keynote address at the 2007
Manitoba Planning Conference. The
conference is entitled “Planning Works – Building for Success” and
Swanson’s presentation is entitled “Better Positioning Communities
for Successful Change.” He’ll also participate in an
extended training workshop for conference participants the following
day.
Milwaukee Station, home of the
O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain
West
recent quotes from the
region
as provided by Headwaters
News
"If the federal government started pulling back
money for fire suppression, they would be hanging us out to
dry."
Ken Mesch, disaster and emergency services coordinator
for Montana's Stillwater County,
on federal scrutiny of wildfire fighting costs for wildland-urban
interface areas in the West.
- New York
Times
01/03/2007
"This isn't the '50s. The public won't tolerate
radiation without representation."
J Truman, an Idaho resident and head of Downwinders
United,
on his group's opposition of the planned Divine
Strake
test at the Nevada Test Site.
- Deseret News
01/05/2007
"Breeding bison to be docile and meaty are the
kinds of things that affect the wildness of the
bison."
Curt Freese, a biologist working with the World Wildlife
Fund, on the hybridization of bison by
cross-breeding them with cattle.
- New York
Times
01/09/2007
"Thirty years of not doing the right thing
doesn’t warrant 30 more years of not doing the right
thing."
Suzanne Lewis, Yellowstone National Park superintendent,
about allowing Sylvan Pass to remain
open in the
winter despite high
avalanche danger.
- Casper Star-Tribune
01/19/2007
"It's so important to have air quality so we can
breathe."
Maureen Card, a Utah resident, on the inversion that has
trapped pollution along the Wasatch Front
for two weeks.
- Salt Lake Tribune
01/24/2007
links
Center Web Site
Archived Center Newsletters
Headwater's News
The University of Montana
KUFM Public Radio
The O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West
is a program of The University of Montana in
Missoula.
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