Members

Northern Plains is made up of dues-paying members. Our members vote for our leaders, or can run for leadership positions themselves. It is our member leaders who govern the organization, and who represent it publicly before the news media and in testimony before public bodies. All members are entitled to submit policy resolutions to the members at our Annual Meeting, and to vote on policy resolutions there.

Northern Plains members receive our quarterly newsletter, The Plains Truth, along with other periodic information and alerts on issues. During legislative sessions, we publish our Legislative Bulletin twice a month, as well as weekly electronic bulletins for members who wish to receive them. We provide our members with opportunities to make their voices heard on important issues facing Montana.

Staff support and trainings are made available to members engaged in our issues. During legislative sessions, Northern Plains maintains a full-time citizen lobby in Helena.

To join Northern Plains, click here.

What Northern Plains has accomplished over the years, we have accomplished because of our members. Click here to read about some of our individual members.

Our Local Groups

Roughly half of Northern Plains’ members belong to one of our affiliate groups. The affiliates are part of Northern Plains, but they also work on issues in their local communities. Each affiliate group holds meetings and elects officers, and each affiliate has a voice on the Northern Plains Board of Directors. Each affiliate receives staff support from Northern Plains. Affiliates sometimes collaborate with one another on issues they have in common.

Task Forces

Most of Northern Plains’ task forces are organized to exercise leadership on specific issues. They are comprised of members who want to take a serious, hands-on role on a particular issue. Northern Plains currently has task forces working on these issues:

  • Agriculture;
  • Clean Energy;
  • Coal;
  • Coal Bed Methane;
  • Good Neighbor Agreement;
  • Tongue River Railroad.

One task force – Organization and Finance – deals largely with the overall health of the organization. Membership on this task force is limited to leaders specified in the by-laws, with two additional members appointed by the Chair.

Western Organization of Resource Councils

Northern Plains is a member and co-founder of WORC, the Western Organization of Resource Councils. We joined forces with citizens groups in North Dakota and Wyoming to form WORC in 1979 as a vehicle to help us collaborate on issues affecting the entire region (e.g., energy development). WORC is based in Billings, Montana, and shares space in Northern Plains’ office building. WORC also has staffers working out of Colorado and South Dakota, and maintains a field office in Washington, D.C.

Today, WORC has seven member groups, located in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon. Each member group is represented on the WORC Board of Directors. WORC assists these member groups by providing training for staff and leaders, conducting research on issues, helping member groups work together on issues, and keeping member groups informed of goings-on in the federal government that affect our issues.

Legal and Financial Information

The Northern Plains Resource Council is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization as described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions – including memberships, bequests, and other donations – are tax deductible according to federal law.

Our federal identification number is 81-0367205.

Northern Plains was issued a Certificate of Incorporation by the Montana Secretary of State on September 22, 1972.