r/ForwardMontana

Last week, the Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board voted to ban discussions to build data centers on the reservation. The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes have been approached by three companies interested in building data centers on the reservation in the last year.

Tribal Executive Board member Roxanne Gourneau said they cannot compromise their water and environment, which is why they wanted to ban all discussion and prevent data center development.

More here: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/08/13/fort-peck-tribes-ban-discussions-data-center-development/.

On Saturday, Northern Plains Resource Council is hosting a Day of Action, advocating for a two-year statewide moratorium on AI data center development. They want to make sure that the interests of everyday residents aren’t taken advantage of by wealthy Big Tech corporations.

Find an event near you: https://northernplains.org/data-centers-day-of-action/.

Keep yourself safe during wildfire season!

If you’re feeling especially tired, irritable, unfocused, physically ill, and depressed, it may be because of heavy wildfire smoke. Fires in Oregon, Washington, and Montana are making the air quality unhealthy–indexes of 150 and higher–for Montanans.

Missoula public health officials recommend people stay inside or reduce their outdoor activity when the air quality is considered “unhealthy.” Wearing N95 or KN95 masks, not cloth masks or bandannas, is a way to protect yourself from the tiny particles that make us sick.

More tips here: https://www.montanawildfiresmoke.org/.

Tribal communities in Montana are concerned about the new Medicaid work requirements, which went into effect on July 1, and how they could affect their access to care.

The changes require a person to demonstrate they work, volunteer or attend school for 80 hours each month in order to be eligible for Medicaid. Enrolled tribal members are exempt from those standards, but Indigenous health officials in Montana say it’s unclear how people are supposed to prove their status to the state health department.

Indigenous people account for about 6% of the population in Montana, but about 21% of the state’s total Medicaid enrollment. Federal money from Medicaid that flows into tribal healthcare systems has helped to close gaps left by the Indian Health Services, which is underfunded.

Tribal members have been disproportionately harmed by past changes to Medicaid and other public benefits. Requiring new documents to prove eligibility status under these requirements could be detrimental to the communities that rely on the government for healthcare.

More here: https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_24530524-303f-5b57-920f-051860f8fa75.html.

Grant cuts and changes to SNAP from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” have resulted in food banks in the Flathead and other parts of Montana needing to fill the gaps.

The number of people on SNAP in Montana has decreased by 8.4% because of revamped work requirements and more paperwork to receive benefits. Flathead County saw a drop of 11%, which is more than 600 fewer residents utilizing SNAP this June than last year.

The falling numbers don’t indicate a decrease in needs. Inflation, rising gas prices, and other affordability issues are driving people to the food bank. Over the past year, the North Valley Food Bank visits increased from 23,700 to 28,991.

More than 72,000 Montana residents are recipients of benefits from SNAP. The Trump Administration is targeting people who need food assistance by making it more difficult to access SNAP.

More here: https://flatheadbeacon.com/2026/07/31/we-just-see-more-and-more-people-flathead-food-banks-say-demand-steady-as-snap-benefits-taper-and-prices-rise/.