Michael Howell is a philosopher, journalist, poet, and environmental activist, not necessarily in that order. Born in Mississippi and raised in south Texas, he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University in 1974 and his Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Montana in 1984. Following graduation, he and his wife Victoria settled in Stevensville, Montana and, with a little help from their friends, started the Bitterroot Star, a weekly newspaper which they co-owned and operated from 1985 to 2020. Victoria still works as publisher of the paper.
In his career as a journalist, Michael has won many awards from the Montana Newspaper Association. In addition, he was honored by the Montana Wildlife Federation as the Conservation Communicator of the Year in 2004. He was also at the helm in 2004 when the BRPA was awarded the Special Conservation Achievement Award from the Montana Wildlife Federation. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Burk-Brandborg Conservation Award sponsored by the Five Valleys Land Trust, and in 2006 he received the Outdoor Writer Award from the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
Michael served on the Board of Trustees of the North Valley Public Library District in Stevensville for ten years and was a founding member of the Bitterroot River Protection Association in 2000 and still sits on the Board of Directors and serves as Executive Director.