Detailed Search Help

A Detailed Search will generate a list of records that fall within the search criteria. Each record contains several pieces of information that generally mirror the information from the dropdown lists.

In a detailed search, only one item can be selected from each category. It is not necessary to select ANY items from the dropdown lists, but the more precise the query, the less time it will take to complete the report. As noted below, there are more than 50,000 records in the database, so a broad search (a large date span with no items chosen from the dropdown lists) will take longer to generate or may result in an error message.

A few things to note when conducting a search:

The Database: There are more than 50,000 records. The records begin in October 1971.

The Date Fields: Each time the report page is opened, the Beginning Date will be set at January 1st of the current year. The Ending Date will be set at the current day. New dates entered by the user will stay selected until the page is exited.

The Location Field: Regional selections (Statewide, W Montana, etc.) from the location drop down list will only display projects that cover that entire area, not every project that takes place in a county within that area.

Getting Good Results: In order to get the most accurate results from your search, it is helpful to scroll through the dropdown lists to become aware of all the possible selections. For example, an Environmental Impact Statement for a mine may be recorded in the database as a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and/or a Final Environmental Impact Statement, so a search for Environmental Impact Statement may result in no records. If your search results seem incorrect, it may be useful to double check the search criteria. As a helpful reminder, the items you selected will appear at the top of the report once it is generated.

If you need to search for more than one selection from a dropdown list, go to Advanced Detailed Report.