When Tom Baratta retired from his thirty two-year career as an educator, he sought a place where he could spend his retirement savoring the untouched serenity of Montana’s open spaces. Nestled among the Bull Mountains’ ponderosa-dotted hills and unique sandstone formations, he knew he’d found just that. Reflecting on when he first fell in love with the Bulls, he noted, “The property was so beautiful, I don’t think I even looked at the house when I decided to buy the place.” The wide open landscape and big blue sky felt like home, and the spring that ran through the property stuck out to him as a symbol of the Bull Mountains’ vitality. Sure, he’d passed the entrance to the Signal Peak coal mine on his way there, but that was nearly ten miles back down the road. “We thought we were insulated by the distance away from the mine,” he said. “But we quickly learned that wasn’t the case.”
Tom hadn’t yet been there a month when two Northern Plains organizers came knocking on his door. They shared with him about the work his neighbors had been doing to protect the land and water from Montana’s only underground coal mine which extends for thousands of acres beneath the Bull Mountains. “We just had the greatest conversation for a couple hours,” he recalled of his time with those eager organizers. “It was good to find some folks with similar beliefs and similar values.” Tom joined Northern Plains that day.
Community has always been a pillar in Tom’s life. Countless adult figures shaped his childhood: teachers, neighbors, friends’ parents. “Having so many people in my life as I was growing up really developed who I was and what I wanted to do” he shared. He took this belief in community and the importance of looking out for one another into his career in special education. “It energizes me to see folks grow and to help folks be the best they can be.”
Tom carries this value with him as he navigates his role as the Chair of Bull Mountain Land Alliance (BMLA), Northern Plains’ Roundup-based affiliate. I asked him what his proudest moment was since being involved with Northern Plains. He mentioned meeting with congressional staffers, testifying before the legislature, and speaking to the director of the federal Office of Surface Mining. But it was the unity and camaraderie he felt among his neighbors while speaking at BMLA’s Rally to Protect the Bulls that stands apart in his memory. Not only was the energy that evening powerful to witness, but he could see that “folks were feeling empowered as well.”
When Tom first learned about the work his neighbors were doing to protect the place they love from the threat of coal mining, he knew the importance of what they were doing and that he wanted to be a part of it. It was his belief in the necessity of addressing the climate crisis that first motivated him to take action, but he soon found himself in the midst of a community that would come to mean so much. Tom reflected on how he’s grown during his three years of involvement with Northern Plains: “I have learned to listen and try to understand the perspectives of others. I’ve learned to celebrate small successes and live through disappointments. And I have gained a respect for the strength in building a community of committed people.” It seems he’s glad he opened the door when Northern Plains came knocking.
The Plains Truth Fall 2024 Page 4
