The report, which was peer-reviewed by the U.S. Geological Survey, drew from 60 sources, including governmental agencies, universities and nonprofits, and found that forests in the Intermountain West were already being affected by warmer winters and less snowpack.

Also in the news, the expansion of coal mining in British Columbia has Montana and U.S. officials concerned, as waters from the Elk River drainage flow into Lake Koocanusa and existing mines in that area of B.C. have already elevated the levels of heavy metals in those waters.

In Idaho, the state Public Utilities Commission issued a decision on Tuesday that rejected Idaho Power's proposal to curtail production by wind farms during times of low demand.

And the Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs released the framework on Tuesday for the $1.9-billion program to buy fractional interests in tribal lands and return those lands to tribes.

The program is part of the $3.4-billion settlement of the Cobell class action lawsuit filed against the federal government over mismanagement of tribal assets.

This week, producer Clay Scott talks with Montana native David Thatcher about his role in the "Doolittle Raid," a 1942 bombing raid against military and industrial targets in several Japanese cities that was intended as both a retaliation for Pearl Harbor, and a morale booster at home.

Thatcher's bomber crash-landed off the coast of China, and he and his surviving crew members escaped with the help of the Chinese resistance.

Tune in at 8:25 this evening to hear Montana Public Radio's broadcast, or listen online via the Mountain West Voices' website.