in the future. The State of Montana currently offers numerous tax incentives and revolving loan programs to encourage solar energy development projects. Details of those programs can also be found on MDEQ's official site. Local government In 2007, Montana published its comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan and became the seventh U.S. state to join the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Shortly thereafter, numerous local governments across the state began to develop formal climate change policies and greenhouse gas emission standards to be implemented at the local level. The standards published in the local climate change action plans are largely patterned after Montana's comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan. In 2009, Helena issued its community climate action plan. In 2011, Bozeman released its final climate action plan and so did Missoula County. Additionally, Montana State University and University of Montana also issued climate change action plans for the campus communities. In late 2011, Missoula County's Clark Fork Coalition began the process of developing climate action strategies as well. In 2018, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes began a comprehensive climate adaptation planning process. In 2018, the City of Red Lodge adopted an Energy Conservation Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of 2016 levels by 2040. Otter Creek Background In the mid 1990s the federal government purchased a large tract of property neighboring Yellowstone National Park in order to prevent a proposed gold mine from being developed on the land. As a result of the land transaction, Montana stood to lose substantial revenue from mining royalties and requested that the state be compensated for the loss. After a period of negotiation the federal government agreed to transfer its ownership in the Otter Creek coal tracts to the state. The Tracts were located in south eastern Montana, in an area rich with coal but largely undeveloped. At the time of the sale, the Tracts were surrounded by a checkerboard pattern of private property owned by a large real estate company; Great Northern Properties. Several years after Montana took ownership of the Tracts, Great Northern Properties sold its interest in the surrounding properties to Arch Coal, Inc., the second largest coal developed in the United States. In 2009, the Montana State Land Board, the body responsible for deciding how Montana's state lands will be managed, voted to seek bids from development companies interested in the Otter Creek Tracts. After the initial bidding period ended