In March 2020, the Held v. State of Montana “climate lawsuit” was filed against the state government of Montana by a group of 16 Montana youths. They claimed that their government’s support of the burning of fossil fuels exacerbated a climate crisis, which was harming them. The case went to court in June 2023, and the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs that August. In December 2024, the decision was upheld by the Montana Supreme Court enshrining “science-based protections for children’s fundamental rights” into law.

Is there a climate crisis in Montana? This report is intended to answer this question with scientific data from government agencies, universities, and peer-reviewed literature.

Based on these data:

• Agriculture is thriving in Montana partly because of modest warming, which has brought longer growing seasons, higher levels of atmospheric CO_2, and increased nitrogen.
• Climate models overpredict warming by more than twice the observed value.
• Annual snowfalls in Montana show no sign of decreasing since 1980.
• Glacial retreat began in the early-to-mid 1800s, i.e., long before carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from human activity were significant.
• Heat waves in Montana and the United States peaked in the 1930s and have been consistently more moderate since then.
• There has been no discernible trend of increasing or decreasing precipitation in Montana since the late 1800s.
• Droughts in Montana are not increasing in frequency or severity.
• The area burned by wildfires in the United States has dropped by more than 80% since its peak in 1930.
• Floods are not becoming more frequent in Montana.
• The frequency of tornadoes in Montana has been declining.
• Air quality in the United States has significantly improved since detailed record keeping began.
• Compared to the geological past, today’s atmospheric CO₂ concentration is low.
• CO₂ is beneficial, and more of it allows plants to grow bigger, produce more food, and better resist drought, thus “greening” the Earth.

Our analysis shows no climate crisis in Montana and that CO₂ is not only beneficial but essential for life in Montana and all of Earth. Measures for combating a purported climate crisis by reducing CO₂ emissions are unnecessary, economically destructive, and would harm Montana’s citizens.

Download the complete report here:

Montana and Climate Change 2026-08-14-digital-compressed