W2ASACT or the Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste Action Coordinating Team, is a group of professionals from state, federal, and non-profit organizations that finance, regulate, and/or provide technical assistance for community water and wastewater systems throughout Montana. The W2ASACT website contains grant applications, guides and tips for applying to 2014 water/wastewater funding.
This resource provides information and guidance on the management of State Trust Lands. Understanding the legal aspect of trust lands allows for more effective management and strategizing for future trust land use. For more on trust lands, research, and policy, read the full report.
A major component of planning for conservation and land use is establishing partnerships among community leaders, private land owners, and governmental entities. This resource provides guiding principles on forming and maintaining an integral network of partners for effective land use practices and policy. Read more for step-by-step engagement processes and additional resources.
Sustaining Large Landscape Conservation Partnerships – Strategies for Success
This work focuses on policy-making based on collaboration between public and private landowners for the conservation of rangeland and grazing land in the Midwest. Used for ranching, recreational activities, and wildlife conservation, the grasslands of the west are highly valuable to both the public and to ranchers. This document provides recommendations for policy that provide satisfactory solutions to communities for both the conservation and use of rangelands.
Rural Voices for Conservation Coaltion Vision for Public Rangelands
Northcentral Montana’s regional economy, frontier history, rural environments, and small towns are part of our shared identity. In 2012 and 2013, residents told us that they prefer sustainable development to either a “boom & bust” scenario or continued loss of rural population. Their input guided our planning process, which included governments, organizations, and residents of 11 counties and three reservations. Working together, Vibrant Futures Consortium partners identified common goals and developed best strategies that reflect the needs and desires of communities.
We found that every town has its own economic strategies, and every community contributes to the regional economy. Diverse communities rely on one another for services and consumers. They strive to maintain essential services such as grocery stores and gas stations, to revitalize downtown areas, to attract more businesses, and to improve transportation, infrastructure and housing.
You can download the full Regional Plan, the Regional Plan Summary, the Growth Policy Review and the Report Card which can be used in the planning process for any area.
In August of 2014, the Department of Energy, in partnership with Opportunity Link, held a tribal energy forum on the Blackfeet Reservation at the Blackfeet Community College. The forum attracted tribal leaders, energy experts, and state and federal representatives from all over Montana and surrounding states to discuss the barriers and opportunities for developing energy within tribal communities. This link leads to presentations on the DOE’s Tribal Energy Program, Alternative Energy Financing and Incentives, Developing an Energy Workforce in Indian Country, and many more topics related to energy development. Click here for more information on the DOE website. A full report can be read by clicking this link.
From restoring historical buildings to enhancing septic systems, this series of case studies will highlight examples of successful small-town collaboration for economic development. Revitalizing downtown economies is the focus of these case studies set in rural towns across America. Follow the link to more stories and resources.
This weblink leads to a collection of reports specific to the state of Montana that cover a variety of topics from wildlife to economic development to land use. All of the Follow the link to see what’s available.
The Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) is committed to the well-being of the people in our region. They support efforts across an eight-state region, which includes Montana, to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable prosperity. They focus on the work of proven or promising organizations — those that have demonstrated success and those that are on the cutting edge and poised to do innovative work in poverty reduction. The foundation regularly disperses grants to organizations within their region. To find out more, follow the link.
The Baseline Indicator Data is a downloadable excel file with pertinent statistics for each county and Indian community in the region as well as the region as a whole. Various data is available on the following topics: economy, population, education, transportation, and land use. This data complements the Northcentral Montana Regional Plan and the Indicator Report Card. The data serves as a basis for measuring progress, or areas of improvement, in future economic and community development of the region. The data can be used by communities for individual evaluation and goal-setting.
Baseline Indicators data file