17:
304:
295:(BLM). By one count, BLM alone managed 13,000 acres (53 km) of land on the Rocky Mountain Front in the state. Beginning in 2001, petroleum exploration was banned for a six-year period on Forest Service land in the front. In the fall of 2002, BLM issued new regulations making it easier to engage in oil and gas production along the Montana front. Conservationists have actively worked to protect the region from energy exploration.
102:
65:, and New Mexico it is more ambiguous. One definition of the front is that it is a "transition zone between the Rocky Mountains and the mixed grass prairie ... encompasses a wide variety of wetland, riparian, grassland, and forested habitats". By one estimate there are more than 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km) of Rocky Mountain Front land in Montana and Canada.
200:. Although most of this mountain-building has since been obliterated by additional orogeny and volcanic activity, most of it still exists in northwestern Montana. The Rocky Mountain Front in this area represents some of the highest changes of elevation within a short distance anywhere in North America. Much of this part of the front, including the
183:
mountain-building event about 115 and 55 million years ago, what is known as the
Cordilleran foreland thrust-and-fold event occurred along the east side of the Rocky Mountains in northwest Montana. The thrust-and-fold belt does not extend all the way south through Montana. Instead, it cuts west above
286:
Heavy coal, oil, and natural gas development along the Rocky
Mountain Front in Montana began in the 1970s. By the early 2000s, there were estimates of as much as 2.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas below the front in Montana, although only 200 billion cubic feet was available on leasable land. By
44:
called the Rocky
Mountain Front "a nationally significant area because of its high wildlife, recreation, and scenic values". Conservationists Gregory Neudecker, Alison Duvall, and James Stutzman have described the Rocky Mountain Front as an area that warrants "the highest of conservation priorities"
326:
The Rocky
Mountain Front in Wyoming is believed to have extensive oil and natural gas reserves. In the late 1970s, the U.S Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management attempted to open these lands to energy exploration. This led to extensive litigation and changes in federal land use regulations.
128:
began producing natural gas there in the
Pincher Creek Gas Field in the 1950s, and built a sweetening plant there in 1957. The Pincher Creek Gas Field can produce up to 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, and in the 1960s Shell Oil built a second sweetening plant near
123:
As early as 1935, it was well-recognized that significant coal resources underlay the Rocky
Mountain Front in Alberta. As of 2013, about 60 percent of all Canadian coal reserves are believed to be beneath the front in Alberta. Natural gas is also very plentiful.
221:, the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana extends only about 100 miles (160 km) south of the state's northern border. But professors Tony Prato and Dan Fagre define the front in Montana as being 50 miles (80 km) wide and 200 miles (320 km) long.
815:
Kudray, Gregory M. and Cooper, Steven V. "Montana's Rocky
Mountain Front: Vegetation Map and Type Descriptions. Report to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service." Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program,
877:
Cenozoic
History of the Southern Rocky Mountains: Papers Derived From a Symposium Presented at the Rocky Mountain Section Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado, 1973.
136:
The Rocky
Mountain Front in British Columbia and Alberta has long been inhabited by Plains Indians, and the area contains widely scattered but not uncommon Native American rock art sites.
363:, and within the Piedmont is the most heavily urbanized part of the United States between Chicago and the West Coast. The only pass through the Rocky Mountains in the area is the
323:, and Wyoming come together, is another area where the Cordilleran foreland thrust-and-fold remains largely intact. (The other is northwest Montana, as noted above.)
243:. The front forms the eastern boundary of what is called the "Crown of the Continent Ecosystem". This area of Montana is prime habitat for wildlife, including the
773:
Fitz-Diaz, Elisa; Hudleston, Peter; and Tolson, Gustavo. "Comparison of
Tectonic Styles in the Mexican and Canadian Rocky Mountain Fold-Thrust Belt." In
889:
446:
68:
The Rocky Mountain Front is such an important geologic feature that it affects the weather in North America. Warm air masses moving from the
511:" in the petroleum industry. Hydrogen sulfide can be removed from natural gas—a process called "sweetening"—by exposing it to dissolved
854:
Neudecker, Gregory A.; Duvall, Alison L.; Stutzman, James W. "Community-Based Landscape Conservation: A Roadmap for the Future." In
370:
The Rocky Mountain Front forms the eastern boundary of a triangular area of volcanic activity centered on western Colorado. Several
391:
143:
along the Rocky Mountain Front in British Columbia and Alberta but ultimately decided on a coastal route. In the early 2000s, the
279:. It is one of the few places in North America where grizzly bear habitat still extends onto the prairie. Extensive numbers of
54:
287:
2003, much of the Rocky Mountain Front in the state consisted of land owned by the U.S. federal government and managed by the
909:
745:
Brunner, Ronald D.; Steelman, Toddi I.; Coe-Juell, Lindy; Cromley, Christina M.; Edwards, Christine M.; and Tucker, Donna W.
185:
224:
Ranches cover much of the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana. The spectacular scenery also led to the creation of a number of
58:
88:", that part of the Great Plains where tornadoes are most frequent, is a direct outcome of the front's effect on weather.
851:
Bureau of Land Management. U.S. Department of the Interior. Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Land Management, November 1983.
16:
849:
Resource Management Plan: Environmental Impact Statement for the Headwaters Resource Area, Butte District, Montana.
239:
The Rocky Mountain Front in Montana contains some of the last relatively untouched native prairies in the northern
339:, the Rocky Mountain Front extends from the west-northcentral part of the border with Wyoming south to the city
863:
Sustaining Rocky Mountain Landscapes: Science, Policy, and Management for the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.
821:
Sustaining Rocky Mountain Landscapes: Science, Policy, and Management for the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.
914:
288:
130:
109:
768:
Landscape Evolution in the United States: An Introduction to the Geography, Geology, and Natural History.
929:
763:
Professional Paper No. 32. U.S. Geological Survey. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905.
364:
292:
217:
41:
861:
Prato, Tony and Fagre, Dan. "The Crown of the Continent: Striving for Ecosystem Sustainability." In
919:
139:
Development along the front is somewhat limited. In the 1940s, planners considered building the
45:
because it is largely unaltered by development and contains "unparalleled" numbers of wildlife.
761:
Preliminary Report on the Geology and Underground Water Resources of the Central Great Plains.
924:
8:
244:
819:
Long, Ben. "The Crown of the Continent Ecosystem: Describing a Treasured Landscape." In
20:
Map showing the approximate easternmost position of the Rocky Mountain Front in the U.S.
875:
Steven, Thomas A. "Middle Tertiary Volcanic Field in the Southern Rocky Mountains." In
386:
144:
870:
Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Other Earth-Shattering Disasters.
531:
303:
377:
underlie the Colorado Rocky Mountain Front as well, and decline steeply to the east.
374:
360:
189:
125:
512:
504:
410:
Fitz-Diaz, Hudleston, and Tolson, p. 149; Welsch and Moore, p. 115; Kershaw, p. 25.
340:
308:
280:
233:
229:
205:
193:
835:
A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada: Toward a Sustainable Future.
168:
164:
33:
803:
Exploring the Castle: Discovering the Backbone of the World in Southern Alberta.
782:
Walking the Big Wild: From Yellowstone to the Yukon on the Grizzly Bears' Trail.
879:
Bruce Franklin Curtis, ed. Boulder, Colo.: Geological Society of America, 1975.
352:
344:
209:
180:
172:
140:
105:
69:
507:, which is lethal if inhaled in even tiny concentrations. This gas is called "
903:
163:
The Rocky Mountain Front in Montana from the Canada–US border south to about
85:
29:
385:"The Rocky Mountain Front" is the title of an essay by noted Montana author
120:, the Rocky Mountain Front is about 12 to 19 miles (19 to 31 km) wide.
260:
240:
176:
152:
77:
884:
Backroads and Byways of Montana: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions.
756:
National Research Council. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1989.
777:
Josep Poblet and Richard J. Lisle, eds. London: Geological Society, 2010.
225:
201:
896:
David J. Wishart, ed. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2004.
789:
Across This Land: A Regional Geography of the United States and Canada.
356:
348:
228:
in the area, and some of the state's best-known guest ranches are near
197:
856:
Energy Development and Wildlife Conservation in Western North America.
747:
Adaptive Governance: Integrating Science, Policy, and Decision Making.
371:
276:
775:
Kinematic Evolution and Structural Styles of Fold- and Thrust Belts.
754:
Land Use Planning and Oil and Gas Leasing on Onshore Federal Lands.
508:
336:
148:
117:
101:
81:
62:
248:
316:
268:
37:
84:, and other kinds of violent weather which then move east. "
532:
Herring, Hal. "In Montana, the Next Arctic Refuge Debate."
320:
272:
264:
252:
73:
53:
Although the Rocky Mountain Front is clearly distinct from
858:
David E. Naugle, ed. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2011.
311:, facing north. The Rocky Mountain Front is on the right.
865:
Tony Prato and Dan Fagre, eds. New York: Routledge, 2013.
823:
Tony Prato and Dan Fagre, eds. New York: Routledge, 2013.
256:
872:
Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011.
830:
Missoula, Mont.: Mountain Press Publishing Co., 2005.
791:
Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.
28:
is a somewhat unified geologic and ecosystem area in
91:
48:
112:
is a prominent peak along the Rocky Mountain Front.
72:are blocked by the front from moving west, causing
742:Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2009.
740:Under the Big Sky: A Biography of A.B. Guthrie Jr.
733:Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective.
901:
683:Committee on Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing, p. 44.
503:In its natural state, natural gas is laced with
607:
605:
359:. Just east of the Rocky Mountain Front is the
96:
828:Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia.
812:Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001.
586:
584:
837:Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
602:
527:
525:
523:
521:
886:Woodstock, Vt.: The Countryman Press, 2011.
581:
826:Mathews, William Henry and Monger, J.W.H.
752:Committee on Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing.
749:New York: Columbia University Press, 2005.
808:Keyser, James D. and Klassen, Michael A.
805:Surrey, B.C.: Rocky Mountain Books, 2008.
784:Seattle, Wash.: Mountaineers Books, 2004.
518:
428:Neudecker, Duvall, and Stutzman, p. 229.
392:Montana, The Magazine of Western History
315:Southwest Wyoming, where the borders of
302:
100:
15:
844:Guilford, Conn.: Insiders' Guide, 2005.
902:
798:Berkeley, Calif.: Avalon Travel, 2012.
307:Aerial view of a cross-section of the
215:According to a definition used by the
151:along the front in Alberta to protect
735:Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2002.
380:
842:Scenic Driving Alaska and the Yukon.
147:was working to secure environmental
558:Scenic Driving Alaska and the Yukon
485:Geological Survey of Canada, p. 50.
196:before cutting west again to enter
13:
770:Burlington, Mass.: Elsevier, 2013.
192:and skirting the west side of the
14:
941:
894:Encyclopedia of the Great Plains.
347:. Peaks within the front include
92:Areas of the Rocky Mountain Front
49:Defining the Rocky Mountain Front
882:Welsch, Jeff and Moore, Sherry.
32:where the eastern slopes of the
725:
713:
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659:
650:
641:
632:
623:
614:
593:
572:
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550:
541:
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488:
892:"The Great Plains Region." In
794:Jewell, Judy and McRae, Bill.
479:
470:
461:
452:
440:
431:
422:
413:
404:
1:
398:
188:continues south—crossing the
910:Glacier National Park (U.S.)
419:Montana State Office, p. 46.
289:United States Forest Service
131:Waterton Lakes National Park
97:British Columbia and Alberta
7:
547:Keyser and Klassen, p. 100.
476:Mathews and Monger, p. 287.
330:
10:
946:
647:Prato and Fagre, p. 12-13.
534:Christian Science Monitor.
298:
158:
629:Jewell and McRae, p. 428.
293:Bureau of Land Management
218:Christian Science Monitor
55:both plains and mountains
42:Bureau of Land Management
759:Darton, Nelson Horatio.
458:Brunner, et al., p. 147.
447:Kudray and Cooper, p. 4.
810:Plains Indian Rock Art.
620:Prato and Fagre, p. 13.
611:Prato and Fagre, p. 12.
167:is heavily deformed by
847:Montana State Office.
638:Prato and Fagre, p. 3.
599:DiPietro, p. 182, 184.
312:
283:are also found there.
113:
21:
437:Wishart, p. xvi-xvii.
389:It first appeared in
306:
208:, has suffered heavy
110:Glacier National Park
104:
57:, in places like the
19:
915:Geography of Montana
868:Prothero, Donald R.
766:DiPietro, Joseph A.
538:Accessed 2013-07-30.
449:Accessed 2013-07-30.
26:Rocky Mountain Front
738:Benson, Jackson J.
692:Hudson, p. 290-291.
281:prairie rattlesnake
387:A. B. Guthrie, Jr.
381:In popular culture
313:
145:Nature Conservancy
114:
22:
930:Canadian Prairies
890:Wishart, David J.
801:Kershaw, Robert.
590:DiPietro, p. 182.
536:October 30, 2003.
467:Prothero, p. 190.
361:Colorado Piedmont
190:Snake River Plain
126:Royal Dutch Shell
937:
787:Hudson, John C.
780:Heuer, Karsten.
720:
717:
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505:hydrogen sulfide
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309:Lewis Overthrust
291:and the federal
206:Livingston Range
194:Colorado Plateau
945:
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940:
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936:
935:
934:
920:Rocky Mountains
900:
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728:
723:
719:Benson, p. 282.
718:
714:
710:Darton, p. 332.
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40:. In 1983, the
34:Rocky Mountains
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5:
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840:Molvar, Erik.
838:
833:Mayda, Chris.
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701:Steven, p. 75.
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494:Mayda, p. 401.
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382:
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365:Tennessee Pass
353:Mount Blue Sky
345:Arkansas River
332:
329:
300:
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181:Sevier orogeny
160:
157:
141:Alaska Highway
106:Chief Mountain
98:
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70:Gulf of Mexico
50:
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9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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797:
796:Moon Montana.
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731:Baron, Jill.
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653:
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635:
626:
617:
608:
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596:
587:
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578:Baron, p. 28.
575:
569:Heuer, p. 42.
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226:guest ranches
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182:
179:. During the
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177:overthrusting
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127:
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89:
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86:Tornado Alley
83:
79:
78:thunderstorms
75:
71:
66:
64:
60:
59:Wyoming Basin
56:
46:
43:
39:
35:
31:
30:North America
27:
18:
925:Great Plains
893:
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732:
726:Bibliography
715:
706:
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679:
674:Long, p. 32.
670:
665:Baron, p. 6.
661:
656:Long, p. 27.
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643:
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261:grizzly bear
241:Great Plains
238:
223:
216:
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162:
153:grizzly bear
138:
135:
122:
115:
67:
52:
25:
23:
202:Lewis Range
186:Three Forks
904:Categories
399:References
357:Longs Peak
349:Pikes Peak
245:black bear
210:glaciation
198:California
395:in 1987.
372:sandstone
277:wolverine
155:habitat.
149:easements
82:tornadoes
36:meet the
560:, p. 25.
556:Molvar,
513:soda ash
509:sour gas
375:horizons
343:and the
337:Colorado
331:Colorado
169:faulting
299:Wyoming
234:Augusta
230:Choteau
173:folding
159:Montana
118:Alberta
63:Montana
355:, and
341:Pueblo
275:, and
249:cougar
175:, and
165:Helena
38:plains
816:2006.
317:Idaho
269:moose
321:Utah
273:wolf
265:lynx
253:deer
232:and
204:and
74:hail
24:The
335:In
257:elk
116:In
108:in
906::
604:^
583:^
520:^
367:.
351:,
319:,
271:,
267:,
263:,
259:,
255:,
251:,
247:,
236:.
212:.
171:,
133:.
80:,
76:,
61:,
515:.
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