Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by the Billings Gazette on January 18, 2026. The version shown here is abbreviated as a courtesy to BHA members and supporters. BHA encourages Montana residents to please consider supporting local journalism by reading the original in the Billing Gazette.

Through photography, storytelling and hard-earned curiosity, this conversation explores why these places matter, why they’re vulnerable, and why building a broader coalition of people who know and care about them may be one of the most important conservation challenges of our time.