Year of Award
2025
Document Type
Professional Paper
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism
Department or School/College
School of Journalism
Committee Chair
Ray Fanning
Commitee Members
Nadia White, Jacob Baynham, Jacobs Hammond
Keywords
Climate Change, Flathead Lake, Coal, Fisheries, Bitterroot River, Colstrip
Subject Categories
Nonfiction
Abstract
This portfolio explores how climate-driven environmental change intersects with long-standing tensions over natural resource management, tribal sovereignty, and rural identity in Montana. It consists of three stories: a historically low water year at Flathead Lake that intensified disputes between tribal dam operators and non-tribal waterfront homeowners; the first confirmed presence of invasive smallmouth bass in the Bitterroot River, signaling warming stream conditions and ecological disruption; and a political narrative from Colstrip, where coal industry workers cling to promises of revival amid economic and regulatory decline. Each piece illustrates how climate change acts not only as an environmental force but also as a catalyst for conflict, adaptation, and evolving power dynamics in the American West. Together, these stories illuminate the complexity of local responses to loss and transformation at the intersection of climate, culture, and contested control of land and water.
Recommended Citation
Jorden, Madeline, "CLIMATE GOODBYES: REPORTING ON LOSS, CHANGE AND THE HUMAN RESPONSE IN MONTANA" (2025). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12564.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12564
© Copyright 2025 Madeline Jorden