Mars Candy billionaire, previously unknown to be owner of ranch, fights energy companies in Montana


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  1. Concerned Avatar
    Concerned

    Unfortunately, he lost his case and they will be drilling in the next few days, here in Montana, it is a shame, that you can purchase property, but don’t own what is under it….we really need to revise our land ownership laws in this state…

  2. skyrim Avatar
    skyrim

    I’d be surprised if this is the end of the issue. Big money doesn’t like to lose. Appeals are likely..

  3. SmokyMtMan Avatar
    SmokyMtMan

    No appeal. The judge rules against Mars, and the drilling company was on the property just hours after the decision. In order to preserve their lease, they had to drill immediately.

    If a man worth $14 billion loses to a small energy company, it is quite an impressive statement as to the power and legal standing of the energy extraction industry.

  4. d. Bailey Hill Avatar

    SmokyMtMan,
    If those same industries can hold an entire state and all the people hostage for nearly two centuries, a man with a fortune means nothing.
    West Virginia should be one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, yet they are some of the poorest folks in the nation. Poor, uneducated, afraid and ruled by two dictators; coal and gas. If anyone thinks “Deliverence” was bad; WV is worse. Twenty plus years ago a movie called “Matewan” was made about the town of the same name in WV. Watch that and multiply by one hundred. It will be a good record of what WV looked like before it gets completely leveled by mountain top removal.

  5. Salle Avatar

    Speaking of unbridled wealth,

    check out this scary info. I can’t claim that all this is true but I do know for a fact that some of it is, being descended from these people.

    http://iamthewitness.com/doc/RothschildsTimeline-filer/frame.htm

  6. Kevin Avatar
    Kevin

    I’m pretty shocked by the previous post by Salle. I’m also surprised an openly racist comment is allowed on the blog.

  7. bighorse Avatar

    Kevin, if you lived in MT, you’d understand Get a horse

  8. popop Avatar
    popop

    I’m intrested in seeing how this eventually turns out. Seems the primary issue is recoverable water supply for this particular ranch. If Mars pushes hard enough, maybe a landmark decision can come out of it, offering more protection for ALL Montanas working ranches.

Author

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan’s Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of “Hiking Idaho.” He also wrote “Beyond the Tetons” and “Backpacking Wyoming’s Teton and Washakie Wilderness.” He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.

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