Holden, William N.Owad, Kathryn Rose2018-04-042018-04-042018-04-02Owad, K. R. (2018). The Role of Geography in the Genesis and Evolution of Environmental Rights in Montana (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/31765http://hdl.handle.net/1880/106474A constitution is the repository of a society’s most cherished values and future ambitions, and offers any right enumerated therein the highest amount of legal protection. In 1972, the citizens of the State of Montana entrenched within their State Constitution the right to a clean and healthful environment, as well as several additional environmental guarantees. This constitutionalization of environmental values signified a shift in Montana’s identity from a historic natural resources colony, to a state with environmental consciousness. This case study utilized two qualitative research approaches, narrative history and document analysis, to conclude that Montanans’ development of an environmental ethic, and the consequential enshrinement of environmental rights, resulted from a combination of distinct geographic, political, historical, and social phenomena. Although Montana courts have developed a relatively strong precedent for implementing these environmental provisions, the true strength of these rights remains tentative and depends on future judicial review and citizen involvement.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.MontanaConstitutionEnvironmental RightsGeography and LawHuman Environment RelationshipEnvironmental EthicEnvironmental MovementCivil SocietyAnaconda Copper CompanySelf Executing Environmental RightsConstitutional ConventionEnvironmental LawState ConstitutionGeographyHistory--United StatesLawEngineering--Environmentalmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/31765