Montana

Known for his beauty and vastness, Montana is the third largest in area and sixth smallest in population size of the lower forty-eight states. It is called Big Sky Country partly because there are no buildings to get in the way of one’s view of the horizon. The population trend is flat even though Bitterroot Valley has an increasing population, eastern Montana is experiencing a falling off in its population. There are wealthy people who have homes in Montana but Ravalli County is one of the poorest counties in the state and Montana is among the poorest states in the nation. The federal government owns twenty-five percent of the land which has been declared a national forest.

Water quality has also suffered in Montana. Erosion, construction, fires logging and decreasing water supplies have impacted water quality. Remnants of fertilizer used by farmers end up in the...