The Montana Main Street Program (MMSP) is an initiative of the MT State Department of Commerce. The program offers technical assistance, best practices, and funding to communities throughout the state seeking to revitalize downtown areas. The program promotes historic preservation, tourism, and economic efforts of local communities. The MMSP Guidelines explain how a community can apply to become a member of the program and be eligible for funding.
The Montana Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) was designed to simplify the tasks of identifying and acquiring natural resource information. NRIS operates a clearinghouse and referral service to link users with the best sources of information and service.
The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) “provides vision, advocacy, support and leadership for schools and communities to ensure that all studetns meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities.” The OPI website provides information on local school data, grant applications, and resources for schools and instructors. Explore the website for more information, links, and downloadable data.
Montana State University established a research and prevention program for invasive plant species in the prairie lands of Montana. The program maintains several Weed Protection Areas (WPA) in Northcentral Montana for data collection, research, and weed control. WPAs serve to keep rangelands in our region free of damaging plant species. For more information on Weed Protection Areas, canine detection methods, invasive plants, and range riders, visit their website by clicking here.
The counties of Northcentral Montana contain nearly 100 nationally registered historic places. To find registered places in your county, go to the Montana National Register of Historic Places at the State Historic Preservation Office website. And, to find out how to get a building, site, or landmark on the national register, visit the National Register of Historic Places by clicking below.
This website provides links to several different resources for housing development, including Section 8 housing, block grants, housing investment programs, lending and lending partners, census and housing data, and other funding and planning information. These resources are provided by both federal and state entities such as the USDA, HUD, and Montana Board of Housing. Follow the link to find out more.
The Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) is a statewide manufacturing outreach and assistance center staffed by full-time professionals with engineering, manufacturing, and business expertise in a variety of industries. Their website contains contact information for technical assistance providers throughout the state, opportunities for workforce training grants, case studies of successful Montana manufacturers, and resources for starting or growing your own manufacturing business. Explore the website for more information and contacts.
Montana Site Selector is a planning and economic tool that was developed to help provide business owners and entreprenuers with important data needed to start or expand a business within the state. The Site Selector aids in finding a location and facilities for businesses as well as market research, consumer demographics, surrounding services, customer analysis, and more details for sites throughout Montana. To view the user guide, click here.