Indigenous activists are reacting to news that on April 30, President Donald Trump issued a presidential border-crossing permit for the Bridger Pipeline in northcentral Montana.
The Bridger Pipeline would start in Phillips County, Montana at the Canadian border and carry Alberta oil sands down through eastern Montana.
Fort Peck Assiniboine Tribal member and Wolf Point city councilman Lance FourStar said he fought for years against the Keystone XL pipeline.
“This was all kind of new to me,” he said. “I was hoping it wasn’t real and that it was just a rumor.”
Indigenous activists and environmental groups have been rallying around the public comment period for the Bridger Pipeline’s environmental analysis.
FourStar said he’s disappointed by the presidential approval, but not surprised.
“That sinking feeling didn’t happen this time,” he said.
A spokesperson with developer Bridger Pipeline said construction is slated to begin in fall 2027. The pipeline still needs several permits to go ahead.
