Defending the Wild and Sacred Badger-Two Medicine
From soaring limestone peaks and crystal clear creeks, to wildflower-filled meadows and aspen parklands, the Badger-Two Medicine roadless area is some of the wildest, most beautiful country in Montana. Home to a relative abundance of grizzly bears, moose, lynx, mule deer, and other rare or sensitive species, these national forest lands serve as an important corridor between Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
To the Blackfeet Nation, the area is sacred ground, a place of Blackfeet origin stories, a cultural homeland, and a source of knowledge and power that continues to sustain Blackfeet culture, spirituality, and lifeways, just as it has for generations.Â
Long threatened by the specter of oil and gas development, this ecological and cultural keystone landscape is the last section of the Rocky Mountain Front without any type of permanent protection. As we have for nearly 40 years, Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance defends these irreplaceable wildlands from threats of industrialization or mismanagement, and advocates for a long-term protected-area designation and management arrangement that reflects these public lands’ ecological and Blackfeet cultural significance.
Victory for the Badger-Two Medicine!
All Oil and Gas Leases Retired!
In September 2023, Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance, Blackfeet tribal leaders, and our partners announced the retirement of the last of 47 oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine! The announcement marked the culmination of a 40 year community and tribally-led campaign of dogged resistance to proposed oil and gas development. Hip hip hooray! Together, we did it!
Despite this great victory, there is still more good to accomplish.
The Badger-Two Medicine lacks the permanent protection it needs and deserves. Consequently, it remains vulnerable to other sources of development, shifts in management priorities, or changes in recreational use. Until a protected-area designation can be secured, our top priority is to keep these wild and sacred lands undeveloped, connected, and intact.Â
Enforce the Travel Plan
In 2009, we helped close the Badger-Two Medicine to motorized travel to safeguard wildlife, water quality, and wilderness character, as well as to better align recreational use with Blackfeet cultural values. Sadly, some people still disregard the law and ride ATVs, dirtbikes, and snowmobiles here. We work to stop illegal motorized use, as well as monitor emergent recreational uses like mountain bikes to minimize their impacts.
Improve Management
Although the revised 2021 Forest Plan, which we helped shape, provides positive management direction, it is only as good as its implementation. We engage the Forest Service and other partners to ensure management activities reflect the plan’s intended protection of the area’s ecological, cultural, and recreational values. Through our stewardship program, we boost Forest Service efforts to fight noxious weeds, monitor resource conditions, and maintain trails.
Support Greater Blackfeet Stewardship
The area commonly known as Badger-Two Medicine has been stewarded by Blackfeet people since time immemorial. Yet for too long, their voices and knowledge have been largely ignored when it comes to decision making and management. To help correct this injustice, we actively support Blackfeet-led efforts to integrate tribal knowledge and to increase tribal leadership and involvement in the stewardship of the area.
Seek Permanent Protection
Until the Badger-Two Medicine is permanently protected, its outstanding wildlife habitat, pristine waters, and cultural values remain at risk. Forging a politically viable solution for a place as unique as this is anything but straightforward. Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance is committed to working with the Blackfeet Nation and other parties for as long as necessary to find a solution that works for the land, the Tribe, and everyone who cherishes this special place.
How You Can Help
Share Your Story - Tell us why you care about the Badger-Two Medicine and want to see it protected.
News
Latest News Related to the Badger-Two Medicine
Reflections on a Monumental Victory
By Lou Bruno | October 2023 Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Daily Inter Lake on Oct. 1, as well as the Missoulian and Glacier Reporter. Lou Bruno […]
Victory for the Badger-Two Medicine
Historic settlement agreement retires last oil and gas lease, ending 40-year fight East Glacier Park – Mission accomplished! Today, for the first time in four decades, the specter of oil […]
Volunteers Needed for Badger-Two Medicine Weed Pull!
Glacier-Two Medicine Alliance is co-hosting the first annual Two Medicine Community Weed Pull and Education Event on Saturday, August 6 to help fight noxious weeds in the Badger-Two Medicine. Volunteers […]