From the Monday, February 18, 2008 online edition of the Missoulian . . .

Congress is coming to Kalispell this week for a town hall meeting to discuss the proposed industrialization of Canadian wilds bordering Glacier National Park’s northern edge.

Canada’s Flathead River cuts through a valley thought to be rich with coal and coalbed methane before spilling south into Montana, where it forms the western boundary of Glacier Park.

For decades, Montana and British Columbia have clashed over energy development there, with downstream interests worried about impacts to Montana’s fish, wildlife and water quality.

Currently, two Canadian projects dominate the debate – a coal mine in the river’s headwaters and a basinwide hunt for coalbed methane by British Petroleum’s national arm, BP Canada.

On Thursday, Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both Democrats, will arrive in Kalispell to receive updates on the Canadian proposals, to gather input on what might be done, and to offer suggestions on what they think is politically possible.

[…]

Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester will meet with officials and the public at 3 p.m. Thursday in the Arts and Technology Building on the Kalispell campus of Flathead Valley Community College. The topic: proposed industrialization of Canada’s Flathead River Valley. The session is open to all.

Read the entire article . . .