KATIE O'REILLY

Mountain Journal

Walking up to the Lewis and Clark County Courthouse during 2023's Held v. Montana bench trial, plaintiff Eva Lighthiser was greeted each morning with an eruption of cheers from crowds of supporters descending on the Helena courthouse.

"I saw that this work was something that really matters, that it's inspiring people," the then-17year-old recalls. "It was such a special moment."

On the witness stand, the Livingston native described "seeing climate change at my doorstep" in June 2022, when the flooded Shields River, a tributary of the mighty Yellowstone, destroyed a bridge on Lighthiser's family property.

"The Yellowstone River is the very heart and soul of my community," says Lighthiser, who in the wake of that flood and its devastating landslides helpe

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