Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

Steering Movement, Developing Communities

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

2017 Update

613 NE Main St. Lewistown, Montana 59457 (406) 535-2591 www.snowymtndev.com

The 2017 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) was adopted on September 31, 2017 by the Snowy Mountain Development Corporation Board of Directors.

F e r g u s

G o l d e n

V a l l e y

J u d i t h

M u s s e l s h e l l

B a s i n

P e t r o l e u m

W h e a t l a n d

Executive Summary Fergus, Golden Valley, Judith Basin, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Wheatland. The SMDC region consists of a rural frontier community serving over 21,000 Montanan’s. SMDC has achieved recognition as an Economic Development District by U.S. Department of Commerce and as a Certified Regional Development Corporation

by Montana Department of Commerce. Our funding comes from local, state, and federal governments plus fees for services. We are an active member of the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA).

Who we are

Since 2001, Snowy Mountain Development Corporation has provided assistance to six Montana counties including

Snowy Mountain Development Corporations mission is to build community and economic capital within the six counties we serve. The professional, innovative staff of SMDC partners with businesses, individuals, organizations, & communities to ensure the success of businesses and completion of quality programs and projects.

What we do

SMDC is dedicated to building community and economic capital by: 

Improving business & individual skills, knowledge, and resources through quality one-on-one counseling, workshops, trainings, and technical assistance.



Building networks, collaborations, and partnerships within the region through leading by example, making referrals, and connections.



Attracting and retaining multi-generational individuals with good paying jobs, entrepreneurial spirit, quality housing, vibrant communities, and revitalized downtowns.



Creating an atmosphere conducive to successful business relocation, start-up, growth, and expansion by providing courteous, confidential, professional assistance and access to resources.



Identifying and increasing available resources for the benefit of communities, businesses, and individuals. gram partners include USDA, EPA Brownfields, BLM, MDOC, etc. Regional partners include local elected officials, area businesses owners, school officials, and many private citizens. Without the active involvement with

Partners

SMDC continues to create effective partnerships both regionally, statewide, and national. Federal and state pro-

these partners, this update would not be possible.

CEDS

The CEDS is a five year planning document serving the purpose of guiding our community region into the future. It analyzes the current conditions of the region and is then used as a roadmap to establish regional goals that work towards strengthening and diversifying individuals communities and the region as a whole. weaknesses in the current housing stock, aging infrastructure, and unqualified workforce. With additional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats determined for the region, the SWOT is used as a strategic planning tool and will assist in determining the goals and objectives necessary to improve regional community and economic development.

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S.W.O.T.

The SMDC regional SWOT demonstrates strengths in natural resources, agriculture, industry diversification, and

Table of Contents Section A. Summary Background

5

Demographics & Socioeconomic Data

5

Population Income Poverty Unemployment Rate Education Geography

6

Transportation

7

Airports Highways & Rails Infrastructure Industry Sector

8

Agriculture Coal Manufacturing & Construction Services Advantages & Disadvantages

10

Economic Factors

11

Supply Chain Land Use Additional Factors

12

Housing Broadband Section B. SWOT Analysis

13

Section C. Strategic Direction & Action Plan

15

Section D. Evaluation Framework

28

Section E. Economic Resilience

30

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Table of Contents Continued Appendix Appendix A: SMDC Board of Directors

1.2

Appendix B: Population Change

1.4

Appendix C: Age & Gender Distribution Change

1.4

Appendix D: Culture

1.5

Appendix E: Household Income Distribution Change

1.6

Appendix F: Individuals & Families Below Poverty

1.6

Appendix G: Annual Unemployment Rate

1.7

Appendix H: Educational Attainment

1.7

Appendix I: USFWS Map & Strategic Plan

1.8

Appendix J: Brownfields RLF Map

1.20

Appendix K: Industry Sector

1.21

Appendix L: Employment by Industry

1.22

Appendix M: Agriculture Industry

1.23

Appendix N: Land Use

1.23

Appendix O: Housing

1.24

Appendix P: Broadband

1.25

Appendix Q: SWOT Regional Summary

1.26

Appendix R: Community Plans

1.28

Judith Basin

1.28

Petroleum/Winnett

1.42

Roundup

1.48

Appendix S: Acronyms

1.52

Appendix T: Disaster Economic Resiliency

1.55

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Section

A

Summary Background

1. Demographic & Socioeconomic Data: Population Snowy Mountain Development Corporations region has a total population of 21,347. The region continues to see a gradual decrease in population, except for a rise of 6.5% between 2000 and 2015 in Musselshell County most likely due to its proximity to Billings, the largest city in the state, and due to development of the coal mining industry within that county. For details see Appendix B: Population Change.

As indicated on the SWOT, this region has an aging population. The median age of residence has increased from 41.8 in 2000 to 48.7 in 2015. Not only are the regions facing an aging population, but the two smallest age groups, 18-34 year olds (14.6%) and 35-44 year olds (14.7%), are the prime age for workforce, which could explain the regions lack of labor force indicated as a weakness on the SWOT. For more details see Appendix C: Age & Gender Distribution and Change.

Over 95% of the SMDC region identifies as Caucasian and although the area is not racially diverse, it is culturally diverse. Unlike much of the U.S., Montana is home to a large number of Hutterite Colonies, 50 to be exact and 12 of which are located in the SMDC region. Fergus County is also home to one of the five Amish communities in Montana. Both the Hutterite Colonies and the Amish communities help contribute to the culturally diverse SMDC region. Appendix D: Culture.

Income The SMDC regions household per capita income level ($19,385-$26,595) continues to lag closely behind the nation’s household per capita income level of $28,930. Wheatland County holds the least median household income at $32,723 and Judith Basin County holds the highest median household income at $44,602.

18.1% of households in the region have a household income of $50,000-$74,999 which accounts for the largest household income. Appendix E: Household Income Distribution.

Poverty 14.1% of individuals and 9.3% of families live below the poverty line which is slightly less than the United States.

Petroleum County has the least amount of individuals (6.8%) and families (2.4%) living in poverty vs. Golden Valley, that had the highest estimated percentage of individuals (26.6%) and families (18.1%) living in poverty. Appendix F: Individuals and Families Below Poverty.

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Unemployment Rate The region as a whole has had a decrease in unemployment rate going from 6.6% in 2010 to 4.2% in 2015. Unemployment rates do vary up to 2% between November and May due to a large population of seasonal workers, primarily in the construction industry. Appendix G: Annual Unemployment Rate

Education Higher education opportunities have expanded in the region, including online learning and workforce training opportunities. There is only one higher education facility in the region, located in Lewistown, but online learning opportunities continue to expand. Although there are not as many local higher education options, 24.5% of individuals in this region have obtained their Bachelor’s degree or higher, along with an additional 7.4% getting their associates degree. The regions high school graduation rate ranks higher (91.7%) than the nations (86.7%). Workforce training opportunities continue to expand by community organizations such as the Job Service located in Lewistown and SMDC providing various business workshops and a ninemonth leadership development course, to workforce training grant opportunities for entities through the Montana Department of Commerce and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Appendix H: Educational Attainment.

2. Geography The SMDC six-county region covers 12,328 square miles in Central Montana across a beautiful mixture of plains and island mountain ranges, punctuated by rural communities. The area prides itself on being centrally located which allows its residence the ability to travel across the state through the winding two lane highways which connect the region to larger populated communities outside of this region. The area is defined by the Missouri River to the north, the Musselshell River to the east and south, and the Little Belt, Highwood, and Crazy Mountains to the West. Island mountain ranges such as Highwood's, Little Belts, Big Snowy, Judith, North and South Moccasin, and Bull Mountains are surrounded by a sea of grass that provides forage for wildlife and the region’s livestock industry. The number one priority in the nation for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service includes the Musselshell Plains Focus Area which is an area designated to improving sage grouse habitat and upland bird habitat in Fergus, Musselshell, Petroleum counties. See map in Appendix: I USFWS Map & Mountain Prairie Region Strategic Plan.

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3. Transportation & Infrastructure Lewistown Municipal Airport Fergus County

Airports Lewistown, Stanford, Harlowton, Ryegate, and Roundup have small airports that can support light jet aircraft. In February 2017, the Lewistown News Argus reported “a study contracted by the Montana Department of Transportation credits the Lewistown Municipal Airport with having more than $23 million of direct economic impact on the Lewistown area.” Lewistown’s airport continues to

provide an economic impact and has recently acquired a new charter plane service. SMDC was instrumental in securing funds to bring water and sewer infrastructure to the Methamphetamine Treatment Center which is located on Airport property. This area is currently being developed by the Lewistown Municipal Airport to be used as a future industrial park. Stanford, Harlowton, Ryegate, and Roundup mostly only support light jet aircraft. Just outside of the SMDC region in Billings and Great Falls, larger commercial airline services are provided.

Highways & Rails Much of the SMDC region depends on Highways & Rails for shipping its goods. Highway 15 running north/south near Great Falls and Interstate 90 near Billings are the two closest main Interstate highways in the region and act as a major transport for freight from the Midwest and southern tier states to the Pacific Northwest.

Central Montana Rail (CMR) has its headquarters located in Denton and provides a short line railroad mainly used for transporting wheat within Fergus and Judith Basin Counties. SMDC was instrumental in reestablishing CMR’s rail service post flood disaster of 2011. In a May 2017 satisfaction survey, Carla Allen said, “Central Montana Rail, Inc. would not be in businesses today without the help of Snowy Mountain Development. Kathie Bailey and Crew did everything they could to help. They are very competent and work tirelessly to help in whatever capacity they can.” The CMR also operates the seasonal dinner train, Charlie Russel Chew Choo. Another company serves a limited portion of the area called the Burlington Northern/ Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad. Although BNSF discontinued its services in Lewistown, many agricultural businesses will take the extra drive to connect to the main line in Moore or Moccasin to transport their goods. Signal Peak in Musselshell County has a 35 mile rail line that runs from the mine to the BNSF main line in Broadview and at maximum capacity, Signal Peak can load seven trains per day with between 120-150 cars.

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Infrastructure The SMDC region continues to have a problem with aging infrastructure. Every community in this region has identified infrastructure as a need and aging infrastructure is indicated as a weakness on the regional SWOT. Highways, streets, water, sewer, bridges, communication systems, buildings and more are deteriorating. The communities continue to face issues finding finances for these projects, including state and federal grants, loan options, and raising taxes. Some towns have slowly made improvements to their water, sewer and streets, but aging infrastructure continues to be an issue throughout this region.

One way SMDC is working towards improving infrastructure or making properties usable is through its Brownfields redevelopment program. SMDC received a Cooperative agreement for an RLF Grant (clean up funding) in the amount of $1,567,428 in 2012; a supplemental of $240,000 awarded in 2015 and a supplemental of $300,000 awarded in 2016. SMDC was awarded a Cooperative Agreement Loan Assessment Grant in the amount of $300,000 to start in October of 2017. To date, SMDC has 19 projects with 14 projects receiving “No Further Action” letters from DEQ. These 33 projects represent nine RLF Cleanup loans and eight sub-grants creating approximately 35 jobs. Over the next three years, SMDC will complete at least 16 assessments on properties which should result in cleanup and redevelopment activity. Appendix J: Brownfields RLF Map.

4. Industry Sectors: Agriculture The agricultural sector continues to remain a steady industry in the area. Across the SMDC region there is an average of 16.7% employment in this sector. Agricultural jobs account for more than a quarter of employment opportunities in Golden Valley (31/1%), Judith Basin (31.3%), and Petroleum County (43.4%). This region is very dependent on this sector and with over 6,285,323 acres, or 76.9% acreage, throughout the region being dedicated to agriculture, this industry should continue to remain an important aspect for the communities. There is the continued threat of aging landowners selling their land and taking it out of production. Technology is also changing the way the agricultural industry works. Because of more advance equipment, there is less demand for manual laborers. Between 1960-2014 Fergus, Petroleum and Golden Valley all had a 40% or more decline in employment in an agricultural occupation. Appendix M: Agriculture Industry.

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Musselshell County continues to see an increase in job opportunities for positions related to the Coal industry. The expansion of Signal Peak, outside of Roundup, has been a major contributor to this and currently the business employs 330 individuals. According to the company’s website, “Signal Peak is Montana’s only underground coal mine, with 431 million tons of raw recoverable reserves. Signal Peak Energy finished 2013 with a strong performance mining 8.7 million short tons of clean coal. A 50% increase from 2012.” The Montana Coal Country Coalition, of which SMDC is a member, released a Coal Industry Impact Study in March of 2017. From this study, it is projected that domestic shipments of Western coal will drop between 2015-2025 due to alternative sources of energy and U.S. regulatory changes. Signal Peak has a comparative advantage for export shipments due to its close proximity to export terminals in Washington and Oregon. It is projected that this will help offset declines in domestic shipments. This also increases rail traffic on the BNSF mainline in the region due to the coal shipments to international markets. SMDC applied for and received grants for both road improvements and workforce training. SMDC continues to monitor and address the needs of coal businesses and communities as they arise and work to address coal impacts in these counties.

Manufacturing & Construction Manufacturing and construction sectors are still major contributors to the Central Montana Economy. Both industries provide an ever increasing cluster of businesses across the SMDC region. Many of the manufacturing and construction businesses across the region are the top employers in the communities with an average staff between 50-150 employees. In 2016 the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center found that between 2009-2015 manufacturing employment rose 4.7% in the U.S. but Montana manufacturing increased 10.9%.

Fergus county especially is seeing this trend. Various businesses within the county have expanded over the past few years and many are top employers in the area including Allied Steel, Hi-Heat Industries, and Spika Design and Manufacturing which all have a staff over 50. SMDC’s past work on development of the Manufacturing sector has helped it become a major economic engine.

Century Construction also recently expanded and now employs around 150 tradespeople and professionals.

Niche businesses was indicated on the SMDC regions SWOT as an opportunity for the area. Much discussion on this opportunity attributed to the fact that manufacturing and construction businesses continue to move or expand here, and many of the region is aware that this type of movement could be a great opportunity for the area in providing better paying job opportunities, which was indicated as a weakness on the regional SWOT.

Spika Design & Manufacturing in Fergus County

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Signal Peak Mine in Musselshell County

Coal

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Education, health, and social services make up the service industry and provide employment for a fairly large segment of the population. This sector accounted for an average of 41.6% employment for the region. Petroleum County accounted for the smallest percentage of jobs in this industry (11.6%) most likely due to its small population and agricultural focus. Fergus, Musselshell, and Wheatland Counties each have healthcare facilities, and those businesses are within the top ten private employers in each county. See Appendix K: Industry Sector for more detail. Fergus Counties Central Montana Medical Center (CMMC) has a staff of over 300 and provides over 11 million in salaries and benefits which gets put back into the local economy. Another health care facility in Fergus County is the Community Health Center (CHC). SMDC was instrumental in securing funds for the creation of the CHC. Today they employ 15 professionals and provide primary healthcare including mental and dental healthcare on a sliding fee scale. SMDC continues to support the CHC and has a staff member serve on their Board of Directors. Appendix K: Industry Sector, Appendix L: Employment by Industry.

5. Advantages & Disadvantages The rural communities of Central Montana bolster many advantages to urban areas. Recreational opportunities are vast. Many towns within the region have beautiful trail systems such as Lewistown, which is home to a 20 mile long City trail system. Hiking availability is also plentiful in the SMDC region and a variety of mountain ranges scatter the area leaving room for a plethora of scenic hikes. There are countless hunting and fishing opportunities throughout the region and lake, stream, or river accesses is usually only a short drive away.

Low crime rates are also an advantage throughout the region. According to a 2015 report from SafeWise, Lewistown has a violent crimes rate of 2.88 per 1000 residents and a property crime rate of 13.73 per 1000 residents. Much like Lewistown, the limited amount of crime that is prevalent throughout the region tends to be property crime and not violent crime. Many residents throughout the region rarely lock their doors and there is a sense of community where neighbors look out for each other However, since nothing is perfect, there are some current disadvantages throughout the region. As mentioned prior, the SMDC region has an aging population (median age 48.7), even compared to Montana (39.7). This contributes to the continued issue of lack of workforce and de-population. The aging population has contrib-

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Central Montana Medical Center in Fergus County

Services

uted to the abundance of vacant storefronts throughout many Vacant Crowley Building in Fergus County

downtown’s in the region. Many older community members own and used to work in these storefronts, but as they aged and retired, the building owners were unable to find new businesses to replace the ones that were lost over the years.

Education also plays a roll as a slight disadvantage within the SMDC region. Luckily, one can argue that the quality of education provided within the region is a strength as shown on the S.W.O.T. According to StartClass, who track school statistics, Fergus High School students have a passing rate of 72% on the

statewide English Language Arts (ELA) exam compared to Montana’s passing rate of 56%. Extra curricular activities are abundant and allow area youth great scholarship opportunities. The disadvantage continues to be the limited local secondary education opportunities being provided throughout the area. The region continues to lose its next generation residents, because the opportunity for local college, other than online, is limited. Compared to the Montana (29.5%), the SMDC region (24.5%) falls short of individuals obtaining a bachelors degree which most likely correlates to the fact that there are limited local secondary educational opportunities other than online.

6. Economic Factors Supply Chain The SMDC economy is largely agricultural, manufacturing, and construction based which all require a large supply chain to get their products to their customers. With the lack of main Interstate highways and close main rail lines around many of the communities, we are finding that the businesses within the region have to contract out certain work to businesses outside of the SMDC region. Although it would be more cost effective and economically beneficial to utilize local businesses, at this point, much of our economy relies somewhat on areas outside of our region.

Land Use Land throughout the region is predominantly agricultural based, the region has seen a large increase in both federal and private purchasing of agricultural land that then gets taken out of production. Not only does this hurt our economy by decreasing ag production, but it also means that regional businesses are loosing sales of equipment and other goods that those ag producers would normally buy. Additionally, during hunting season, many farmers and ranchers lease out their land for hunting. According to a study done by Headwaters Economics, “big game hunting provides more than $4 million dollars of economic benefit to Fergus and Petroleum County. The loss of ag land is detrimental to our regional economy and could become a larger issue in years to come.” Appendix N: Land Use.

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5. Additional Factors: Housing Housing continues to be a concern across the SMDC region. According to the American Community Survey (ACS), it is estimated that 72% of homes throughout the region were built before 1980 and 35% of those homes were built before 1940 creating a large housing stock of older homes including many of which have not been maintained. As shown on the SWOT analysis, housing stock is a weakness determined within the region. 49% of homes throughout the region have a value of less than $100,000. Additionally 72% of households have a monthly mortgage payment between $500-$1,500 which is concerning since home values are mostly low. Poor housing stock contributes to other areas within the regional SWOT including lack of qualified workforce, which in turn, plays a role is recruiting qualified workforce to the area which creates an even smaller labor force pool. See Appendix O: Housing for more details. SMDC is currently looking into ways to combat this issue. Recently, SMDC has developed a housing and neighborhood commercial redevelopment of a 26 acre Brownfields cleanup property. The goals is to create “workforce affordable” housing to meet the demand of workers looking for newer homes in a medium price range.

Broadband An article in the Great Falls Tribune quotes Lance Trebesch, CEO of TicketPrinting.com, a company that has employees in both Harlowton and Lewistown. Trebesch says, "to be successful in attracting businesses, we need high-speed broadband. What we need is fiber optic cable connections I would love to have that right to our business. … I would like 100 megabits down and up.” Broadband communication availability continues to progress throughout the region. In 2015 the USDA committed $30 million to Triangle Communications towards improving high speed internet services in rural Montana. Triangle Communications plans to lay new fiber-optic cable lines throughout 16 rural counties including Wheatland, Judith Basin, and Fergus County.

Additionally, according to the Fallon County Times, on March 31, 2016 “the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted significant reforms to the Universal Service Fund support program for rural telephone and Internet providers.” This impacts Mid Rivers Communication, who serves over 20,000 internet customers, many of which are within the SMDC region. “The FCC will provide about $20 billion to the nation’s rural providers over the next ten years targeted to the rural areas most in need of the money.” Although the amount Mid Rivers will receive from this is unclear, this will help the company continue to update its lines to fiber optic thus improving consumer web requirements.

As shown on the SWOT, improved broadband is a great opportunity for the region and not only will internet speed be faster with new fiber optic lines, but it will provide better opportunities for web intensive businesses and could in turn open up new telecommunication job opportunities. It will be a slow process to get fiber optic throughout the region, but the process has been started and each year more areas continue to get improved broadband capabilities. Appendix P: Broadband.

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Section

B

SWOT ANALYSIS

S

Strength

Low Crime Rate Low Crime Rate Historic Structures & Landmarks Recreation Healthy Environment Recreation Natural Resources Industry Diversification Natural Resources Quality Education Manufacturing Quality Education Healthy Environment Employment Opportunities Agriculture

High Paying Jobs

Unqualified Workforce

Aging Infrastructure

Activities For Spouses

Financial Feasibility

Aging Population

Public Transportation Housing Stock

O

Opportunities

Weakness

Lack Of Labor Force No Local Higher Education

Redeveloped Properties Volunteer Opportunities Broadband Community Partnerships Conservation Easements

Location/Remoteness De-Population Drugs/Substance Abuse Marketing

W

Grazing Groups Grazing Groups Tourism Tourism Business Loyalty Business Loyalty Online Sales Online Sales Niche Businesses Niche Businesses

Online Sales Aging Landowners Unknown Legislation Resistance To Change

Big Corporations Taking Over Smaller Businesses 13

T

Threats

Framework for iden fying and analyzing the internal and external factors that can have an impact on the viability of a project, product, place or person.

S W O T

SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis is a structured plan-

ning meth-

od to help identify the regions characteristics and determine objectives for the region. Snowy Mountain Development Corporation compiled data from various sources along with holding multiple input sessions to determine the regions SWOT.

Golden Valley County held a Town Hall meeting where a questionnaire was handed out and the public was encouraged to discuss each question as a group, to determine economic growth opportunities. An example of a question is “what barriers exist that keep you from improving your economic growth in your communities?”

Over 20 individuals participated in this meeting hosted by the USDA StrikeForce.

Fergus County held a community meeting where over 60 participating community members collaboratively created a Community SWOT Analysis to determine the communities leverage, short and long-term objectives, and barriers and risks. Not only did they address the community as a whole, but then they identified the same factors for youth within the community.

Petroleum, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Judith Basin, and Wheatland counties held public Community Listening Sessions with local elected officials and interested community members to determine area SWOT analysis and each community’s needs and worked to determine future projects within each area. Musselshell County held a Community Listening Session aimed at a SWOT analysis of the coal industry and its impact on the region. Additionally, the CEDS Planning Committee conducted a regional SWOT analysis with consideration of the community SWOTS and identified the SWOT that represents the entire region.

The results were compiled and a regional SWOT was created. Although the region has a variety of sized communities ranging from under 100 to just over 6,000 people, the various communities strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were very much the same.

The SMDC action plan was based on the regional SWOT analysis and organizational plans form the various communities it serves. Please see Appendix Q: SWOT Regional Summery and Appendix R: Community Plans for more details.

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Section

C

Strategic Direction & Action Plan Building Community & Economic Capital

M The

n o i iss

Snowy Mountain Development Corporations mission is to build

community and economic capital within the six counties we serve.

professional,

innovative

staff

of

Snowy

VISIO

Mountain

Development Corporation partners with businesses, individuals,

organizations, & communities to ensure the success of businesses and

N

completion of quality programs and projects. SMDC is dedicated to building community and economic capital by: 

Improving business & individual skills, knowledge, and resources through quality one-onone counseling, workshops, trainings, and technical assistance.



Building networks, collaborations, and partnerships within the region through leading by example, making referrals, and connections.



Attracting

and

retaining

multi-generational

individuals

with

good

paying

jobs,

entrepreneurial spirit, quality housing, vibrant communities, and revitalized downtowns. 

Creating an atmosphere conducive to successful business relocation, start-up, growth, and expansion by providing courteous, confidential, professional assistance and access to resources.



Identifying and increasing available resources for the benefit of communities, businesses, and individuals.

15

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Goals & Objectives: The following goals, objectives, and strategies are the focus of Snowy Mountain Development Corporations next five years. See Appendix S: Acronyms Goal 1: To be able to attract and retain workforce by offering a desirable quality of life, while meeting the business needs.

Objective A) To be able to offer affordable workforce housing as a recruitment and retention tool in the region.

Strategy 1: Assist communities in identifying and accessing resources to improve the quality of existing housing and develop workforce housing.

Strategy 2: Educate and prepare individuals for homeownership.

Objective B) Provide desirable recreational opportunities.

Strategy 1: Provide technical assistance to tourism and recreational start up and existing businesses.

Strategy 2: Assist communities in developing recreational and tourism amenities, attractions and assets that workers find desirable.

Strategy 3: Assist agencies and communities in marketing the community assets, quality of life, recreational and tourism opportunities.

Strategy 4: Pursue grant funds and resources to improve the visual appearance of downtown and its visitor signage and facilities.

Goal 2: Work toward communities that meet the need of businesses and individuals while allowing opportunity for economic growth.

Objective A) Encourage redevelopment of property as an effective and efficient use of resources and existing infrastructure.

Strategy 1: Assist in planning efforts of repurposing or sale of empty or vacated properties. Â

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Strategy 2: Work with public and private entities in redevelopment of property, including planning, identifying resources, and implementation.

Strategy 3: Provide technical assistance and educational workshops to disseminate information about resources; following local, state and federal regulations; and differences between commercial, residential and mixed uses of properties.

Objective B) Assist local governments and communities with improvements to water, sewer and transportation infrastructure.

Strategy 1: Work with communities on accessing and planning activities for infrastructure.

Strategy 2: Work with communities on project development and management for infrastructure.

Strategy 3: Collaborate with local governments and assist in identifying resources.

Goal 3: Expand and retain business that create a positive economic impact in the region.

Objective A) Ensure existing businesses will remain stable and successful.

Strategy 1: Provide one-on-one technical assistance to start up, struggling and expanding businesses.

Strategy 2: Conduct or assist communities in conducting technical assistance workshops to businesses Strategy 3: Assist businesses in transitioning to the next generation, sell their business to new owners, or change management.

Strategy 4: Assist businesses effectively in new markets.

Strategy 5: Meet with industry clusters to determine their needs and the best methods to provide assistance. Â

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Objective B) Foster economic growth, development and diversification through expansion and recruitment of businesses.

Strategy 1: Identify funding strategies, development of loan packages, creation of investment cooperatives and other areas of capital formation.

Strategy 2: Work with existing businesses to determine value chains and identify businesses to target for recruitment or start-up in this area.

Objective C) Expand business opportunities within the region.

Strategy 1: Educate businesses about market opportunities including government contracts, emerging niche markets, and specialized services such as Agri-Tourism.

Strategy 2: Explore and promote opportunities to improve communication and broadband services in this rural isolated region.

Strategy 3: Investigate best practices in retaining and attracting employees, educate business owners on these best practices and aid business owners in implementing these practices that are applicable.

Goal 4: Assist the region with Community Development projects.

Objective A) Explore new methods to fund projects and development alternatives in an effort to create a more sustainable, local economy.

Strategy 1: Examine the potential for using a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or Tax Economic Development District (TEDD), and if appropriate assist communities in establishing and administering these districts as a local development tool.

Strategy 2: Participate in trainings and programs such as the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA), Montana Economic Summits, and conferences to learn about and identify new alternatives to funding such as Sustainable Energy Funding Program (SEFP), investment cooperatives and others. Â

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Strategy 3: Assist communities in identifying and prioritizing projects, identifying and securing resources, and managing projects that will aesthetically improve the “quality of place.”

Objective B) Help communities preserve historic treasures including artifacts, buildings, geographic features, and cultural significance.

Strategy 1: Collaborate with local historic preservation organizations to support their efforts and align resources with appropriate projects.

Strategy 2: Support efforts by assisting with identification of financial strategies, community campaigns, and proposal writing assistance.

Objective C) Improve communication forums and usage by economic developers, community developers, governmental program managers, elected officials, non-profits, education, and private sector groups to provide support, knowledge and energy to accomplish common goals.

Strategy 1: Advocate and work as a liaison to improve communication among government, businesses, and nonprofit entities.

Strategy 2: Improve and enhance working relationships with public and private sector to facilitate access to resources and promote business to business opportunities.

Strategy 3: Help in promoting educational opportunities in the region.

Objective D) Provide leadership training and education programs to address community and business owner needs while building capacity and knowledge within the region.

Strategy 1: Continue and expand local leadership program to increase skills of leaders, potential leaders, and emerging leaders.

Strategy 2: Promote opportunities to become involved in civic and community programs and activities; and educate individuals on civic engagement and community service.

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Objective E) Ensure basic health, safety, and educational infrastructure and services remain and are improved.

Strategy 1: Assist communities and agencies in identifying and accessing resources to maintain and upgrade services.

Strategy 2: Help communities asses services and develop a plan to address needs identified.

Strategy 3: Create defensible space through public education, evaluation of homesite properties, and reduction of materials that act as fuel to wildfires.

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Ac on Plan Goal 1: To be able to attract and retain workforce by offering a desirable quality of life, while meeting the business needs.

Objective A) To be able to offer affordable workforce housing as a recruitment and retention tool in the region.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

All Counties -Lewistown CDBG Housing Rehab -Lewistown Berg Redevelopment

Assist communities in identifying and accessing resources to improve the quality of existing housing and develop workforce

Medium

-Tax Increment Finance District, New Markets Tax Credit, Private, CDBG

Ongoing

All Counties - Homebuyer Education

Educate and prepare individuals for home-

Medium

- NeighborWorks

Ongoing

Objective B) Provide desirable recreational opportunities.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

All Counties

Provide technical assistance to tourism Medium and recreational start up and existing businesses.

-Tourism Regions, SMDC, SBDC, Made in Montana Program

2019-2022

All Counties -Creekside Marketplace & Pavilion Lewistown -Roundup, Lewistown, Harlowton Trails -Roundup Swimming Pool

Assist communities in developing recreational and tourism amenities, attractions and assets that workers find desirable.

Medium

-Tourism Grant Program, Montana Main Street Program, Private, Tax Increment Finance District, Tourism Business Improvement District

Ongoing

All Counties -Lewistown ROC Nature Tourism -Lewistown & Roundup Marketing & Branding

Assist agencies and communities in mar- Medium keting the community assets, quality of life, recreational and tourism opportunities.

-Tourism Region, Chamber of Commerce, MT Main Street Program

Ongoing

All Counties -Montana Main Street Program -Tourism Grant Program

Pursue grant funds and resources to improve the visual appearance of downtown and its visitor signage and facilities.

-Montana Main Street Program

Ongoing

High

-Tourism Grant Program

Â

Goal 2: Work toward communities that meet the need of businesses and individuals while allowing the opportunity for economic growth.

Objective A) Encourage redevelopment of property as an effective and efficient use of resources and existing infrastructure.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

All Counties -Brownfields -Public/Non-Profit Owned Properties IE: Roundup Public School, Broadway -Privately Owned Properties IE: Reids, Megahertz, American Prairie Reserve

Assist in planning efforts of repurposing or sale of empty or vacated properties.

High

CDBG Planning, BSTF, RRGL (DNRC) Planning

Ongoing

All Counties -Brownfields -Public/Non-Profit Owned Properties IE: Roundup Public School, Broadway -Privately Owned Properties IE: Reids, Megahertz, American Prairie Reserve

Work with public and private entities in redevelopment of property, including planning, identifying resources, and implementation.

High

EPA, DEQ, SMDC Assessment, SMDC Brownfields, Private Funds

Ongoing

High

RCDI, EDA

Ongoing

All Counties Provide technical assistance and educa-Rural Community Development Initi- tional workshops to disseminate inforative (RCDI) mation about resources; following local, state and federal regulations; and differences between commercial, residential and mixed uses of properties.

Â

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

Â

Objective B) Assist local governments and communities with improvements to water, sewer and transportation infrastructure.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

All Counties -Winnett Waste Water

Work with communities on accessing and planning activities for infrastructure.

Medium

Coal Board

Ongoing

All Counties -Roundup Water and Waste Water

Work with communities on project development and management for infrastructure.

Medium

Coal Board, CDBG, TSEP, SRF

Ongoing

All Counties -Judith Gap Waste Water -Grass Range Waste Water

Collaborate with local governments and assist in identifying resources.

Low

USDA-RCDI

Ongoing

Goal 3: Expand and retain business that create a positive economic impact in the region.

Objective A) Ensure existing businesses will remain stable and successful.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

All Counties

Provide one-on-one technical assistance to start up, struggling and expanding businesses.

Medium

All Counties -RCDI

Conduct or assist communities in conducting technical assistance workshops to businesses.

All Counties

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

EDA, SMDC RLF, IRP

Ongoing

High

RCDI

Ongoing

Assist businesses in transitioning to the next generation, sell their business to new owners, or change management.

Low

SBA, Private consultants, SBDC, Commerce

2020-2022

All Counties -PTAC

Assist businesses effectively in new markets.

Low to Medium

PTAC

Ongoing

All Counties -Lewistown ROC Nature Tourism -Central Montana Manufacturing Alliance

Meet with industry clusters to determine their needs and the best methods to provide assistance.

Medium

RCAC, Private Funds, MMEC, PTAC

Ongoing

Â

Â

Objective B) Foster economic growth, development and diversification through expansion and recruitment of businesses.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

All Counties

Identify funding strategies, development of loan packages, creation of investment cooperatives and other areas of capital formation.

Medium

MT Cooperative Development Cen- Ongoing ter, Commerce, USDA, MT Board of Investments

All Counties -Lewistown ROC Nature Tourism -Central Montana Manufacturing Alliance

Work with existing businesses to determine value chains and identify businesses to target for recruitment or start-up in this area.

Medium

MMEC, SBA, PTAC, USDA

Ongoing

Objective C) Expand business opportunities within the region.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

All Counties -Lewistown ROC Nature Tourism

Educate businesses about market opportunities including government contracts, emerging niche markets, and specialized services such as Agri-Tourism.

Medium

All Counties -Midrivers Communications -Triangle Communications

Explore and promote opportunities to improve communication and broadband services in this rural isolated region.

All Counties

Investigate best practices in retaining and attracting employees, educate business owners on these best practices and aid business owners in implementing these practices that are applicable. Â

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

PTAC, Growth Through Ag, USDA

Ongoing

Low

Midrivers Communications, Triangle Communications

Ongoing

Medium

Other Economic Development Districts, IEDC, NDC

Ongoing

Goal 4: Assist the region with Community Development projects.

Objective A) Explore new methods to fund projects and development alternatives in an effort to create a more sustainable, local economy.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

All Counties -Lewistown Berg Redevelopment -Roundup Downtown

Examine the potential for using a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or Tax Economic Development District (TEDD), and if appropriate assist communities in establishing and administering these districts as a local development tool.

Medium

Existing TIFD, MT Codes Annotated, Ongoing Janet Cornish consulting

All Counties

Participate in trainings and programs such as the Montana Economic Developers Association (MEDA), Montana Economic Summits, and conferences to learn about and identify new alternatives to funding such as Sustainable Energy Funding Program (SEFP), investment cooperatives and others.

Medium

MEDA, IEDC, NDC, Commerce, Brownfields Regional and National Conferences

Ongoing

All Counties -Roundup Marketing Plan

Assist communities in identifying and prioritizing projects, identifying and securing resources, and managing projects that will aesthetically improve the “quality of place.”

Medium

BSTF, TSEP, Coal Board, CDBG, Commerce

Ongoing

Â

Objective B) Help communities preserve historic treasures including artifacts, buildings, geographic features, and cultural significance.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

Fergus -Historic Resources Commission

Collaborate with local historic preservation organizations to support their efforts and align resources with appropriate projects.

Medium

HRC, SHPO, MPA, Montana History Ongoing Foundation

All Counties

Support efforts by assisting with identification of financial strategies, community campaigns, and proposal writing assistance.

Medium

Lewistown Downtown Association, Ongoing Making It Happen, Art Center, Roundup Community Partners, Central Montana Foundation, Signal Peak Foundation, Golden Valley Community Foundation, Musselshell

Objective C) Improve communication forums and usage by economic developers, community developers, governmental program managers, elected officials, non-profits, education, and private sector groups to provide support, knowledge and energy to accomplish common goals.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

All Counties -Community Coordinator

Advocate and work as a liaison to improve communication among government, businesses, and nonprofit entities.

Medium

Local Government Entities, State Divisions

All Counties

Improve and enhance working relationships with public and private sector to facilitate access to resources and promote business to business opportunities.

Medium

Chamber of Commerce, State Agen- Ongoing cies

All Counties

Help in promoting educational opportunities in the region.

Medium

State Agencies, PTAC

Â

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable Ongoing

Ongoing

Â

Objective D) Provide leadership training and education programs to address community and business owner needs while building capacity and knowledge within the region.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

Resources (if necessary)

Continue and expand local leadership program to increase skills of leaders, potential leaders, and emerging leaders.

Medium

Leadership Montana, Local Governments

Ongoing

All Counties Promote opportunities to become involved -Lewistown News Argus 20 Under 40 in civic and community programs and activities; and educate individuals on civic engagement and community service.

Medium

Leadership Montana, Local Governments

Ongoing

All Counties -Leadership Central Montana -Heart of Montana Venture Network

Timetable

Objective E) Ensure basic health, safety, and educational infrastructure and services remain and are improved.

Activity Ownership

Strategy

Priority

All Counties

Assist communities and agencies in identifying and accessing resources to maintain and upgrade services.

Medium

CDBG, TSEP, BSTF, MBOI, SRF

Ongoing

All Counties

Help communities asses services and develop a plan to address needs identified.

Medium

CDBG, TSEP, BSTF, MBOI

Ongoing

All Counties -BLM Fuels Mitigation

Create definable space through public education, evaluation of home-site properties, and reduction of materials that act as fuel to wildfires.

Medium

BLM, Conservation District

Ongoing

Â

Resources (if necessary)

Timetable

Section

D

Evaluation Framework

SMDC manages a growing number of programs for our member entities, programs that typically include public sector financing. Our policy is to assure compliance with the rules and regulations that govern these programs. Our organizational performance is continually evaluated by the numerous state and federal government agencies that have entrusted our District with performance responsibilities relative to the proper management of their specific programs. These evaluations include but are not limited to, performance and financial audits, regularly scheduled reporting obligations and frequent communication with the respective agencies.

Our District’s effectiveness is also evaluated on an ongoing basis by our Board of Directors, CEDS Committee and our Revolving Loan Fund Committee through communication by staff on the progress of current projects. Project updates occur through such means as our staff meeting, Board of Director meetings, personal contacts, meetings of member entities, newsletter and website, “Town Meetings,” the EDA Annual Report and CEDS. In the “Action Plan,” we outline various performance measures, expected results, responsible parties, priority level, status and evaluation indicators to review, help keep us on track, and evaluate progress.

The status of activities and progress on objectives, including achievement of goals will be reviewed at each semi-annual Board of Director’s meeting. The Executive Director’s work plan, which identifies progress on the individual goals set, will include a listing of the goals, objectives, and activities described in this document. Activity will be on-going, but the evaluation of progress will be made at the Board of Director’s meetings.

28

Evaluation Discussion Points Before Evaluation

When Creating a Program

What is the goal/purpose of the evaluation?

Is it required?

Is it the right time to conduct an evaluation?

What data and information are needed?

Who should design the evaluation?

Who should carry out the evaluation?

Who is the audience of the evaluation?

What are their expectations?

What type of evaluation should be conducted?

How will the evaluation be used?

What problem is the program attempting to address?

What are the anticipated impacts of the program?

What are a program’s goals and objectives?

What would be considered a success?

Can success be measured?

What arrangements have been made for data collection?

Who are the people involved in a program/project?

Are there people interested in a project that may not be involved?

Have their concerns been addressed?

How long will the program last?

What is the budget for the program?

Once a Program is Underway Does a program have clearly stated goals and objectives?

Is a program making progress toward these goals and objectives?

Are any activities or program approaches impeding progress toward achievement of goals?

Are activities being conducted according to a proposed timeline?

Do improvements or adjustments need to be made in the program?

Finishing a Program Did the project meet overall goal(s)?

What components were the most effective?

What components were less effective?

What lessons learned have the potential to be replicated or transferred to other programs?

Were the results worth the cost?

Performance Measures The following criteria will be used to measure our performance for the Economic Development District (EDD) with SMDC. 

The level and frequency of participation by government, business and community leaders in projects, including Board & CEDS committee meetings.



The level at which we comply with all EDA Planning and Technical Assistance grant award and administrative conditions.



The level and frequency to which District staff interacts with communities within the region to provide assistance towards identified infrastructure deficiencies.



The level at which we meet the criteria established by of the Montana Department of Commerce’s Certified Regional Development Corporation Program.



The level at which we meet the expectations of our clients, businesses, training participants and public that we assist.



Changes noted in demographics, statistics, and profiles of the communities, including PCI wages, net worth, MHI.



Number of jobs created and retained within the region.



Investments in projects through private, public and SMDC resources, resulting in projects completed, quality of place, and resources developed.



The organization and communities increase in the eight forms of wealth including: individual, social, intellectual, natural, built, political, financial, and cultural capital.

We expect our current performance measures to be modified for future CEDS annual reports and updates, as it is a goal of SMDC to continually improve upon the present evaluation processes by establishing annual specific and measurable objectives to be met by SMDC staff.

29

Â

Section

E

Economic Resilience

Economic resiliency is a major component in regional economic development. The ability for a region to withstand, avoid, and recover quickly from downturns, disasters, and more is vital to the success of the area. Snowy Mountain Development Corporation continues to play a key role not only when major disruptions hit, but in building capacity to improve regional economic resilience.

The SMDC Regional Disaster Economic Resiliency Plan can be found in Appendix P. The plan goes into detail on the disaster and economic recovery and resiliency strategy, opportunities during postdisaster redevelopment, recovery and mitigation planning, and more. It also discusses the importance of interaction with other area plans to utilize all available resources.

Disaster and economic resiliency planning is just one of the areas that must be addressed when looking at regional economic resilience. It is important to also look at regional weaknesses and threats to determine potential causes of major disruptions within the area. One of the most commonly identified threats to the area is de-population throughout the region. This factor attributes to many additional weaknesses and threats identified on the SWOT including the lack of labor force and unqualified workforce. City governments and local businesses, especially in areas such as Lewistown and Roundup, are starting to collaborate to find solutions to enhance the community which has shown to assist in gaining newcomers to new areas. Regional partners must continue pushing to improve their areas to attract people to the area or our area populations will continue to decline.

Additionally, unknown legislation continues to be a major threat throughout the region. With the continued decrease in financial resources including state and federal funding, communities are now having to find funding elsewhere. Many times this means required projects, such as fixing streets, or updating drainage systems or street lights taking longer to complete due to the extended required time to find funding. Even worse, projects such as the construction of a convention center or event area, that not necessarily required, but can greatly enhance the communities are not getting completed because all available funds have been extinguished on necessities. Communities throughout the region continue to stay stuck in the past, barely getting by because of the fear of starting a project and then a change in legislation causes the loss of required funds.

It is important that SMDC continually prepares for major disruptions, and the strategic direction and action plan developed as part of this CEDS will prepare us and the region for shock and our area will be better equip to avoid or withstand these disruptions in the future. Appendix T: Disaster Economic Resiliency.

30Â

Appendix

1.1

Appendix A: Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on Board of Directors

1. GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES (51‐65%)

Name

Government

Posi on

Holly Phelps

City of Lewistown

City Manager, appointed by City Commission

Ross Butcher

Fergus County

Elected County Commissioner

Richard Moe

Wheatland County

Elected County Commissioner

Cody McDonald

Judith Basin County

Elected County Commissioner

Bonnie Dill

Town of Winne

Elected Council Member

Ian Reed

City of Harlowton

Public Works Director

Dean Blomquist

Golden Valley County

Representa ve

Tom Berry

Musselshell County

Elected County Commissioner

Paul McKenna

Petroleum County

Elected County Commissioner

Kay Klepey

Town of Reygate

Council Member

Harry Peck

Town of Judith Gap

Council Member

2. NON‐GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES (35‐49%)

A. Private Sector Representa ves: 6

Name Rachael Barth

Company / Enterprise ABT Companies

Posi on Owner

Bill Thomas

Thomas Dental Prac ce

Owner/Den st

Lissa Bea y

Integrated Ag Services

Owner/President

Garth French

WWC Engineering

Project Manager

Bill Edwards

Insurance Agency

Owner

Gary Barta

Barta Appraisal Services

Owner/Appraiser

B. Stakeholder Organiza on Representa ves: 1 Name Carol Schaeffer

Company / Enterprise Russell Country Tourism

Posi on Board Member

3. AT‐LARGE REPRESENTATIVES (0‐14%) Name Vacant

Organiza on

Posi on

1.2

1. Government Representa ves (51‐65%)

Number Percent

11

61%

7

39%

6

1

2. Non‐ Government Representa ves (35‐49%)

Private Sector Representa ves (at least 1)

Stakeholder Organiza on Representa ves (at least 1) 3. At‐Large Representa ves (0‐14%)

0

0%

Total Board Membership

18

100%

Wheatland County

Fergus County

Petroleum County

Judith Basin County

Musselshell County

Golden Valley County

1.3

Appendix B: Popula on Change

Population, 2000-2015* Fergus Petroleum Musselshell Golden Valley Wheatland Judith Basin County, MT County, MT County, MT County, MT County, MT County, MT

Montana

Population (2015*) Population (2000)

Population Change (2000-2015*) Population Percent Change (2000-2015*)

SMDC

U.S.

1,014,699

11,468

443

4,790

756

2,115

1,997

21,569 316,515,021

902,195

11,893

493

4,497

1,042

2,259

2,329

22,513 281,421,906

112,504

-425

-50

293

-286

-144

-332

-944 35,093,115

12.5%

-3.6%

-10.1%

6.5%

-27.4%

-6.4%

-14.3%

-4.2%

12.5%

Data compiled and formatted by Headwaters Economics Economic Profile System. The data in this table are calculated by ACS using annual surveys conducted during 2011 -2015 and are representative of average characteristics during this period.

Appendix C: Age & Gender Distribu on & Change Age & Gender Distribution and Change, 2000-2015

Change 2000-2015*

2015* Breakout 2,412

65 and over

531

2,362 3,374

45-64

791

3,467 1,020

35-44

-1,144

1,145 1,734

18-34

91

1,652 2,109

Under 18

-1,213

2,294 0

1,000

2,000

Female

Male

3,000

-1,500

4,000

-1,000

-500

0

500

1,000

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Department of Commerce. 2000. Census Bureau, Systems Support Division, Washington, D.C.

1.4

Appendix C: Age & Gender Distribu on & Change Con nued

Median Age, 2000 & 2015*

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Fergus County, Musselshell MT County, MT

Golden Valley County, MT

Judith Basin County, MT

Median Age^ (2000)

Petroleum County, MT

Wheatland County Region County, MT

U.S.

Median Age^ (2015*)

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Department of Commerce. 2000. Census Bureau, Systems Support Division, Washington, D.C.

Appendix D: Culture

Data Source: Essential Understandings of Montana Hutterites, Montana Office of Public Instruction, http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/Bilingual/EU_Hutterites.pdf, 2010

1.5

Appendix E: Household Income Distribu on Household Income Distribution, 2015* Fergus County, MT

Musselshell County, MT

Golden Valley County, MT

Judith Basin County, MT

Petroleum County, MT

Wheatland County, MT

U.S.

$26,111

$23,545

$21,562

$26,595

$25,378

$19,385

$28,930

$40,881

$39,517

$40,938

$44,602

$43,750

$32,723

$53,889

4,879

1,951

320

913

192

885

116,926,305

Per Capita Income (2015 $s) Median Household Income^ (2015 $s) Total Households

Household Income Distribution, County Region, 2015* 2.1% 1.8%

$200,000 or more $150,000 to $199,999 $100,000 to $149,999 $75,000 to $99,999 $50,000 to $74,999 $35,000 to $49,999 $25,000 to $34,999 $15,000 to $24,999 $10,000 to $14,999 Less than $10,000 0%

8.8% 10.2% 18.1% 16.3% 14.6% 14.0% 7.8% 6.3% 2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.

Appendix F: Individuals & Families Below Poverty Individuals & Families Below Poverty, 2015* 30%

26.6%

25% 20% 15% 10%

19.7%

18.1%

16.4%

15.4%

14.1% 11.5%

9.9%

9.8%

7.5%

14.1% 9.3%

15.5% 11.3%

6.8%

5%

2.4%

0% Fergus Musselshell County, MT County, MT

Golden Judith Basin Petroleum Wheatland Valley County, MT County, MT County, MT County, MT

People Below Poverty

County Region

Families below poverty

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.

1.6

U.S.

Appendix G: Annual Unemployment Rate

Annual Unemployment Rate, 2015 6%

5.4%

5.1%

5%

4.2%

4.1%

5.3%

4.2%

4.2% 3.5%

4% 3% 2% 1% 0% Fergus County, Musselshell MT County, MT

Golden Valley County, MT

Judith Basin County, MT

Petroleum County, MT

Wheatland County, MT

County Region

U.S.

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, Washington, D.C.; U.S. Department of Labor. 2016. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Washington, D.C.

County Region Monthly Unemployment Rate, 2012-2016 Unemployment Rate (%) 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Jan. 6.6% 6.7% 6.0% 5.8% 5.8%

Feb. 6.5% 6.1% 5.5% 5.4% 6.0%

March 6.3% 6.2% 5.6% 5.2% 5.5%

April 5.3% 5.1% 4.4% 4.1% 3.8%

May 4.8% 4.3% 3.5% 3.5%

June 5.4% 5.1% 3.9% 4.0%

July 5.0% 4.6% 3.6% 3.6%

Aug. 4.9% 4.3% 3.7% 3.4%

Sept.

4.5% 4.2% 3.5% 3.3%

Oct. 4.6% 4.3% 3.4% 3.7%

Nov. 4.9% 4.3% 4.1% 4.2%

Dec. 5.6% 5.3% 4.3% 4.7%

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Labor. 2016. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Washington, D.C.

Appendix H: Educa onal A ainment Educational Attainment, 2015* 40% 30%

29.9%

28.2%

20.6%

20.3% 16.8%

20% 10%

29.8% 22.8%

24.5%

18.0% 13.3%

6.1%

9.1%

7.1%

8.3%

5.8%

3.2%

0% Fergus Musselshell County, MT County, MT

Golden Judith Basin Petroleum Wheatland Valley County, MT County, MT County, MT County, MT

No high school degree

County Region

Bachelor's degree or higher

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.

1.7

U.S.

Appendix I: USFWS Map & Mountain Prairie Region Strategic Plan

1.8

1.9

1.10

1.11

1.12

1.13

1.14

1.15

1.16

1.17

1.18

1.19

Appendix J: Brownfields RLF Map

1.20

Appendix K: Industry Sector

Data complied and formatted by the Montana Department of Labor and Industries, Montana Labor Market Information, Local Area Profiles.

1.21

Appendix L: Employment by Industry

Employment by Industry, 2015*

Civilian employed population > 16 years

Fergus County, MT

Musselshell County, MT

Golden Valley County, MT

Judith Basin County, MT

Petroleum County, MT

Wheatland County, MT

1,967

357

943

254

917

732

416

104

318

96

365

2,031

2,852,402

535 249 81 521

245 121 20 180

37 10 4 33

71 10 13 84

20 10 0 28

97 18 17 61

1,005 418 135 907

9,027,391 15,171,260 3,968,627 16,835,942

191

88

20

45

14

47

405

7,226,063

101

12

2

5

5

12

137

3,094,143

208

46

10

58

4

49

375

9,578,175

405

68

10

26

1

17

527

16,074,502

1,392

372

74

166

47

104

2,155

33,739,126

387

174

16

72

21

55

725

13,984,957

417

109

16

17

0

63

622

7,198,201

360

116

21

58

8

12

575

6,996,990

13.1%

21.1%

29.1%

33.7%

37.8%

39.8%

20.3%

2.0%

9.6% 4.5% 1.5% 9.3%

12.5% 6.2% 1.0% 9.2%

10.4% 2.8% 1.1% 9.2%

7.5% 1.1% 1.4% 8.9%

7.9% 3.9% 0.0% 11.0%

10.6% 2.0% 1.9% 6.7%

10.0% 4.2% 1.3% 9.1%

6.2% 10.4% 2.7% 11.6%

3.4%

4.5%

5.6%

4.8%

5.5%

5.1%

4.0%

5.0%

5,579

Ag, forestry, fishing & hunting, mining Construction Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation, warehousing, and utilities Information Finance and insurance, and real estate Prof, scientific, mgmt, admin, & waste mgmt Education, health care, & social assistance Arts, entertain., rec., accomodation, & food Other services, except public administration Public administration

Percent of Total Ag, forestry, fishing & hunting, mining Construction Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation, warehousing, and utilities Information

County Region 10,017

U.S. 145,747,779

1.8%

0.6%

0.6%

0.5%

2.0%

1.3%

1.4%

2.1%

Finance and insurance, and real estate

3.7%

2.3%

2.8%

6.2%

1.6%

5.3%

3.7%

6.6%

Prof, scientific, mgmt, admin, & waste mgmt

7.3%

3.5%

2.8%

2.8%

0.4%

1.9%

5.3%

11.0%

25.0%

18.9%

20.7%

17.6%

18.5%

11.3%

21.5%

23.1%

6.9%

8.8%

4.5%

7.6%

8.3%

6.0%

7.2%

9.6%

7.5%

5.5%

4.5%

1.8%

0.0%

6.9%

6.2%

4.9%

6.5%

5.9%

5.9%

6.2%

3.1%

1.3%

5.7%

4.8%

Education, health care, & social assistance Arts, entertain., rec., accommodation, & food Other services, except public administration Public administration

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Commerce. 2016. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office, Washington, D.C.

1.22

Appendix M: Agricultural Industry

Data Source: 2017 Montana Economic Report, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Montana State University Extension Service, Montana State University

Appendix N: Land Use

Data Source: http://montanawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ECONOMIC-IMPACTS-OF-ELK-HUNTING-IN-HUNTINGDISTRICTS-410-412-417-426.pdf

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Appendix O: Housing

Fergus County Petroleum County

Subject

%

Es mate

Musselshell County %

Es mate

%

Es mate

Golden Valley Wheatland County County %

Es mate

Judith Basin County %

Es mate

%

Es mate

YEAR STRUCTURE BUILT

Total housing units Built 2014 or later Built 2010 to 2013 Built 2000 to 2009 Built 1990 to 1999 Built 1980 to 1989 Built 1970 to 1979 Built 1960 to 1969 Built 1950 to 1959 Built 1940 to 1949 Built 1939 or earlier VALUE Owner‐occupied units

4,558 0 15 337 360 418 674 362 498 460 1,434

2,713

4,558 0.0% 0.3% 7.4% 7.9% 9.2% 14.8% 7.9% 10.9% 10.1% 31.5%

2,713

309 0 1 36 22 35 36 32 13 13 121

143

309 0.0% 0.3% 11.7% 7.1% 11.3% 11.7% 10.4% 4.2% 4.2% 39.2%

143

2,708 12 44 292 280 289 507 99 164 137 884

1,434

2,708 0.4% 1.6% 10.8% 10.3% 10.7% 18.7% 3.7% 6.1% 5.1% 32.6%

1,434

456 0 2 30 43 63 68 25 31 6 188

238

456 0.0% 0.4% 6.6% 9.4% 13.8% 14.9% 5.5% 6.8% 1.3% 41.2%

238

1,343 0 0 97 129 123 92 131 165 124 482

593

1,343 0.0% 0.0% 7.2% 9.6% 9.2% 6.9% 9.8% 12.3% 9.2% 35.9%

593

1,327 0 19 90 126 94 218 131 129 101 419

693

1,327 0.0% 1.4% 6.8% 9.5% 7.1% 16.4% 9.9% 9.7% 7.6% 31.6%

693

Less than $50,000 365 $50,000 to $99,999 659 $100,000 to $149,999 532

13.5% 44 24.3% 36 19.6% 25

30.8% 249 25.2% 372 17.5% 129

17.4% 38 25.9% 86 9.0% 33

16.0% 138 36.1% 237 13.9% 71

23.3% 126 40.0% 143 12.0% 117

18.2% 20.6% 16.9%

$150,000 to $199,999 384

14.2% 5

3.5%

238

16.6% 25

10.5% 78

13.2% 97

14.0%

$200,000 to $299,999 504

18.6% 19

13.3% 203

14.2% 20

8.4% 42

7.1%

99

14.3%

$300,000 to $499,999 173

6.4%

3

2.1%

194

13.5% 17

7.1% 14

2.4%

60

8.7%

$500,000 to $999,999 79

2.9%

7

4.9%

18

1.3% 8

3.4% 9

1.5%

24

3.5%

$1,000,000 or more SELECTED MONTHLY OWNER COSTS Housing units with a mortgage Less than $500 $500 to $999 $1,000 to $1,499 $1,500 to $1,999 $2,000 to $2,499 $2,500 to $2,999 $3,000 or more

17

0.6%

4

2.8%

31

2.2% 11

4.6% 4

0.7%

27

3.9%

1,502

1,502 49

49

696

696

63

63

215

215

291

291

95 691 497 153 30 33 3

6.3% 46.0% 33.1% 10.2% 2.0% 2.2% 0.2%

16.3% 30.6% 30.6% 8.2% 4.1% 6.1% 4.1%

18 252 252 124 35 0 15

2.6% 36.2% 36.2% 17.8% 5.0% 0.0% 2.2%

9 27 13 6 1 4 3

14.3% 42.9% 20.6% 9.5% 1.6% 6.3% 4.8%

25 114 71 5 0 0 0

11.6% 53.0% 33.0% 2.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

14 130 69 39 34 3 2

4.8% 44.7% 23.7% 13.4% 11.7% 1.0% 0.7%

8 15 15 4 2 3 2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Economic Census, 2012 Economic Census of Island Areas, and 2012 Nonemployer Statistics.

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Appendix P: Broadband Montana Telecommunications Assets Broadband Map

Data Source: Montana Telecommunication Association, mt.gov

Data Source: Montana Department of Administration, State Information Technology Service Division, Montana Broadband Program, mt.gov

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Appendix Q: SWOT Regional Summary

Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on held various community input mee ngs between 2015 and 2017 to acquire feedback from the various communi es. Local leaders, business owners, com‐ munity organiza ons, and the general public assisted in the process of providing their input on the strengths, weaknesses, opportuni es, and threats within the area. The following is a summary of takeaways from those mee ngs.

Strengths 

Minimal crime within region.



Agriculture remains a strong in‐ dustry and the founda on of the area.



Throughout the region there con nues to be various employment opportuni es in a range of in‐ dustries.



The area provides quality educa on even with a lack of local higher educa on available.



The region has a plethora of historic structures and landmarks.



Rich natural resources along with a generally healthy environment.



There are vast opportuni es for outdoor recrea onal ac vi es.



Manufacturing con nues to grow throughout the region.

Weaknesses         

Access to public transporta on.

Unmet infrastructure needs do to the age of the structures.

Lack of qualified workforce and not enough workers to meet employment demand.

Generally less opportuni es for higher paying jobs.

Poor housing condi ons due to age of homes and lack of maintenance and upkeep.

No secondary educa onal facili es within region. Only op on is through online learning.

Lack of moderately priced housing for workforce.

Issues finding the financial feasibility of desired projects throughout the region.

Con nued growth of aging popula on which also affects workforce issues.

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Opportuni es          

Prospect of grazing groups expansion.

Con nued opportuni es for expanding tourism efforts.

Mul tude of volunteer and community partnership opportuni es.

Market for niche businesses to relocate due to quality of life.

Con nued enhancements for high speed internet especially within smaller communi es.

Opportuni es to redevelop both exis ng historic areas and unused land as needed.

Poten al conserva on easements.

Con nued possibility to increase community partnership collabora on among local governments, organiza ons, and communi es.

Enhance loyalty among local businesses and promote shop local.

Availability to provide business opportuni es such as online sales.

Threats        

Access to larger roadways and communi es.

Aging popula on with insufficient amount of people moving to the area.

Nega ve a tude toward change and growth by community members.

Con nued issues with drug and substance abuse within the area.

Aging agricultural landowners taking their land out of produc on.

Big corpora ons and online sales affec ng smaller local business sales.

Lack of enhanced and progressive marke ng to promote both businesses and individual commu‐ ni es.

Con nued threat of unknown legisla on and how it changes exis ng projects.

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Appendix R: Community Plans Judith Basin County Ac on Plan

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Petroleum County/Town of Winne Ac on Plan

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City of Roundup Growth Policy

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Appendix S: Acronyms

ADA

Americans with Disabili es Act

DNRC

Dept. of Natural Resources & Conserva on

AARA

American Recover & Reinvestment Act

DOD

Department of Defense

BBER

Bureau of Business & Economic Research

DOE

Department of Energy

B&I

Business & Industry Guarantee Program

DOLI

Department of Labor & Industry

BEAR

Business Expansion and Reten on

DPHHS Dept. of Public Health & Human Services

BIA

Bureau of Indian Affairs

DUNS Dunn & Bradstreet Business ID Number

BID

Business Improvement District

EA

Environmental Assessment

BLM

Bureau of Land Management

EAS

Essen al Air Service

BRD

MT Business Resources Division

EDA

Economic Development Administra on

BSTF

Big Sky Trust Fund

EDAC Economic Development Advisory Council

CDBG

Community Development Block Grant

EDD

Economic Development District

CDC

Community Development Corp.

EEO

Equal Employment Opportunity

CDD

MT Community Development Division

EIN

Employer Iden fica on Number

CED

Cer fied Economic Developer

EIS

Environmental Impact Statement

CEDS

Comprehensive Ec. Dev. Strategy

EPA

Environmental Protec on Agency

CEIC

Census & Economic Informa on Center

FAA

Federal Avia on Administra on

CFDA

Catalog of Federal Domes c Assistance

FCPA

Fergus County Port Authority

CIP

Capital Improvement Plan

FY

Fiscal Year

CMF

Central Montana Founda on

GAO

General Accoun ng Office

CRDC

Cer fied Regional Development Corp.

GOEO Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity

CTAP

Community Technical Assistance Program

GSA

General Services Administra on

CTAP

Community Tourism Assessment Program

GTA

Growth Through Ag

CVE

Center for Verifica on and Examina on (Veteran’s)

HBE

Homebuyer Educa on

DEQ

Department of Environmental Quality

HRC

Historic Resources Commission

DBE

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

HRDC Human Resource Development Council

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MOU

Memorandum of Understanding

IDP Industry Development Program

MPD

MT Promo ons Division

IEDC

Interna onal Economic Development Council

MVCF Musselshell Valley Community Founda on

IHS

Indian Health Services

MWTC MT World Trade Center

IRP

Intermediary Re‐Lending Program

NACo

IWT

Incumbent Worker Training

NADO Na onal Associa on of Development Org.

JSEC

Job Service Employers Commi ee

NAICS North American Industry Classifica on System

LDA

Lewistown Downtown Associa on

NDC

Na onal Development Council

LDO

Local Development Organiza on

NEPA

Na onal Environmental Policy Act

LCM

Leadership Central Montana

NOFA

No ce of Funding Availability

MACo Montana Associa on of Coun es

OJT

On the Job Training

MBDC MicroBusiness Development Corp.

OMB

Office of Management and Budget

MBOI

OSHA

Occupa onal Safety & Health Admin.

HUD

Dept. of Housing & Urban Development

Montana Board of Investments

Na onal Associa on of Coun es

MBOH Montana Board of Housing

PNEDC Pacific Northwest Ec. Dev. Council

MCDC MT Coopera ve Development Center

PTAC

Procurement & Technical Assistance Center

MCFC Montana Community Finance Corp.

QA

Quality Assurance

MDOC Montana Department of Commerce

QEP

Qualified Environmental Professional

MDOT Montana Department of Transporta on

RBEG

Rural Business Enterprise Grant

MDT

RBOG Rural Business Opportunity Grant

Montana Department of Transporta on

MEDA Montana Economic Developers Associa on

RCAC

Rural Community Assistance Corp.

MEPA Montana Environmental Policy Act

REAP

Rural Energy for America Program

MPA

Montana Preserva on Alliance

RC&D Resource Conserva on & Development

MTIP

MT Technology Innova on Partnership

RCDI

Rural Community Development Ini a ve

MJTP

Montana Job Training Partnership

RD

Rural Development (USDA)

MMEC MT Manufacturing Extension Center

RDG

Reclama on & Development Grants

MMIS MT Manufacturers Informa on System

RFP

Request for Proposals

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RFQ

Request for Qualifica ons

SWIB

State Workforce Investment Board

RHS

Rural Housing Service

TA

Technical Assistance

RLF

Revolving Loan Fund

TBID

Tourism Business Improvement District

RRGL

Renewable Resource Grant/Loan

TIFD

Tax Increment Financing District

RUS

Rural U lity Service

TIIP

Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program

SAM

System for Award Management

TQM

Total Quality Management

SBA

Small Business Administra on

TSEP

Treasure State Endowment Program

SBDC

Small Business Development Center

UI

Unemployment Insurance

SBIR

Small Business Innova ve Research

USDA

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

SCORE Service Corps of Re red Execu ves

USFS

U.S. Forest Service

SIC

VA

Veterans Administra on

Standard Industry Classifica on

SMDC Snowy Mountain Development Corp.

SOS

Secretary of State

SRF

State Revolving Fund

STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math

STTR

Small Business Technology Transfer

W2ASACT

Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste Ac on

Coordina ng Team WTG

Workforce Training Grant

WUI

Wildland Urban Interface

*Compiled by Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on

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Appendix T: Disaster & Economic Resiliency

SMDC’s region had significant damage to disasters in 2011 and 2012 impac ng businesses, individuals and the regions economy. The role of SMDC in Disaster Recovery is to provide support, and assistance to the local governments, businesses and en es within the region. The goal of SMDC is to restore the impacted areas’ economies and infrastructure to pre‐disaster levels through public and private partnerships that will iden fy needs and opportuni es for economic recovery and the ability to a ract private investments, as well as develop strategies, goals and implement mi ga on efforts to reduce the impact of future disasters.

SMDC’s disaster recovery plan includes collabora on with many local, state, and federal en following list:

es such as the

(1) Local Government En sponse personnel;

es including coun es, towns, ci es, and their departments and emergency re‐

(2) Local and State Disaster and Emergency Services;

(3) Federal Emergency Management Administra on (FEMA);

(4) Local businesses, banks, and individuals;

(5) Permi ng and regulatory agencies;

(6) State and Federal agencies as appropriate, such as DNRC or BLM for fire, DEQ or EPA for hazardous ma‐ terials/water/wastewater, MDT or US DOT for transporta on related events;

(7) Local Founda ons, Churches, Hospitals, Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Food Banks, and other Charitable Agencies

(8) Chamber of Commerce; and

(9) Project Funding Sources

SMDC’s role is long‐term recovery of the economy to pre‐disaster state. It is not duplica ve of emergency re‐ sponse efforts. While SMDC’s is a long‐term role there are immediate efforts that can alleviate the damage long term. Some of those response efforts may include:

(1) Referring en

es to appropriate response agencies.

(2) Assis ng businesses with FEMA and DES paperwork and documenta on so that they are able to access assistance programs.

(3) Assis ng human resource and charitable agencies in se ng up proper business procedures for handling dona ons and providing assistance.

(4) Facilita ng mee ngs regarding regional disaster projects and assis ng in iden fying appropriate part‐ ners for regional projects.

SMDC’s primary role of long‐term recovery includes many of the following strategies and ac vi es:

(1) Reach out to distressed businesses and government en gies, and access resources to address these needs.

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es to iden fy needs, develop recovery strate‐

SMDC’s region had significant damage to disasters in 2011 and 2012 impac ng businesses, individuals and the region’s economy. The role of SMDC in Disaster Recovery is to provide support, and assistance to the local gov‐ ernments, businesses and en es within the region. The goal of SMDC is to restore the impacted areas’ econo‐ mies and infrastructure to pre‐disaster levels through public and private partnerships that will iden fy needs and opportuni es for economic recovery and the ability to a ract private investments, as well as develop strat‐ egies, goals and implement mi ga on efforts to reduce the impact of future disasters.

Disaster and Economic Recovery and Resiliency Strategy Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 10‐3‐103 defines the following: (3) "Disaster" means the occurrence or imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resul ng from any natural or ar ficial cause, including tornadoes, windstorms, snowstorms, wind‐ driven water, high water, floods, wave ac on, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, volcanic ac on, fires, explo‐ sions, air or water contamina on requiring emergency ac on to avert danger or damage, blight, droughts, in‐ festa ons, riots, sabotage, hos le military or paramilitary ac on, disrup on of state services, accidents involv‐ ing radia on byproducts or other hazardous materials, outbreak of disease, bioterrorism, or incidents involving weapons of mass destruc on.

(7) "Emergency" means the imminent threat of a disaster causing immediate peril to life or property that me‐ ly ac on can avert or minimize.

In the event of a disaster, the Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on (SMDC), in conjunc on with its re‐ gional partners, is prepared to facilitate planning and recovery efforts as outlined in the following strategy doc‐ ument. However, this brief strategy is in no way intended to undermine or replace exis ng federal, state, or local disaster plans. This document simply establishes the District’s role in both pre‐ and post‐disaster planning and recovery.

Phase I: Pre‐disaster Preparedness The SMDC supports and encourages its communi es to: Engage in pre‐disaster recovery and mi ga on planning Regularly assess the community’s risks and vulnerabili es Inventory and organize the community’s recovery resources Engage in business con nuity planning Ensure resources are available for the elderly and those with special needs Iden fy shelters Iden fy recovery partners, as well as the type of assistance and resources they can provide Establish a meline for recovery ac vi es (immediate, short‐term, intermediate, and long‐term) Develop and disseminate a community evacua on plan Establish a communica on chain Engage the community’s residents in the planning and recovery process

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Regional Risks and Vulnerabili es The SMDC region is vulnerable to a wide variety of disasters including, but not limited to, fires, flooding, chemi‐ cal/biological warfare, dam failure, drought and extreme heat, freeze events and extreme cold, earthquakes, hazardous materials, landslides, nuclear a ack, tornadoes, vector‐borne diseases, volcanic fallout, violence, and terrorism.

Recovery and Mi ga on: SMDC Regional Challenges Small popula on dispersed over a large area Lack of comprehensive services Isola on/lack of access Limited op ons for transmi ng informa on Possibility for widespread interrup on of services High percentage of sta onary, at‐risk popula on (elderly) Lack of economic diversity Limited transit op ons Limited incomes Few liquid assets, significant amount of money ed up in land and equipment Vulnerable infrastructure Reliance on imported materials and food Loss of infrastructure due to previous disasters Community officials lack of knowledge about resources

Recovery and Mi ga on Planning Without being prepared for the complexity of redevelopment in a compressed meframe following a major disaster, local officials may struggle with recovery decisions and miss opportuni es for public par cipa on in reshaping the community’s future. To become more disaster‐resilient, local governments should plan for what must happen a er rescue and recovery opera ons are completed in order to return the community to normal or perhaps rebuild an even be er community. Through a Post‐Disaster Redevelopment Plan (PDRP or Plan), local governments can collabora vely create a long‐term recovery and redevelopment strategy in pursuit of a sustainable community.

Plans iden fy policies, opera onal strategies, as well as roles and responsibili es for implementa on that will guide decisions affec ng long‐term recovery and redevelopment of the community a er a disaster. They em‐ phasize seizing opportuni es for hazard mi ga on and community improvement consistent with the goals of local and regional comprehensive plans, with full par cipa on from the area’s ci zens.

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There are three principal benefits to having a well‐developed Plan: 1) Faster and More Efficient Recovery Without a comprehensive, long‐term recovery plan, ad hoc efforts in the a ermath of a significant disaster will delay the return of community stability. Crea ng a process to make smart post‐disaster decision and prepare for long‐term recovery requirements enables a community to do more than react, promp ng post‐disaster ac‐ on rather than me‐consuming debate. By iden fying appropriate planning mechanisms, financial assistance, and agency roles and responsibili es beforehand, a community begins the road to recovery more quickly. Be‐ ing able to show efficient and effec ve use of taxpayer dollars a er a disaster is incredibly important for the public’s percep on of the recovery.

2) Opportunity to Build Back Be er A disaster, while tragic, can also create opportuni es to fix past mistakes or leap forward with plans for com‐ munity improvements. In the immediate a ermath of a disaster, local officials are under significant pressure to restore the community to its pre‐disaster condi on. Without a guiding vision, short‐term decisions may inad‐ vertently restrict long‐term, sustainable redevelopment and overlook opportuni es to surpass the status quo.

A Post‐Disaster Redevelopment Plan strengthens the recovery process, and communi es benefit from as‐ sessing their risk levels and cra ing a long‐term redevelopment plan under “blue skies.” Local officials and the public can though ully analyze and debate issues, linking redevelopment goals with other important communi‐ ty plans. Careful thought and planning achieves a more sustainable and resilient outcome than decisions made under emergency circumstances, compromised budgets, and poli cal pressures.

3) Local Control over Recovery Developing a PDRP provides local government officials, residents, and businesses the opportunity to determine long‐term redevelopment goals and develop policies and procedures that will guide redevelopment before well ‐intended outside agencies and non‐government organiza ons rush to aid the community. While outside re‐ sources are needed and welcomed in a major or catastrophic disaster, a locally developed Plan will best chan‐ nel those resources to effec vely meet the community’s specific needs and goals. A Post‐Disaster Redevelop‐ ment Plan will show outside agencies and donors that the community is prepared to play an ac ve role in the recovery process and promote its capabili es to wisely use donated and loaned resources. There will always be rules and, occasionally, strings a ached to external sources of funding, but a community that has re‐ searched the allowable uses of federal and state assistance can be er work within their boundaries in an effort to fund projects that further local and regional redevelopment goals.

The SMDC’s communi es par cipated in the region’s comprehensive planning process. PDRPs can iden fy dis‐ aster scenarios in which opportuni es may be present to advance already‐stated visions for these communi es in a compressed meframe.

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Opportuni es to Consider During Post‐Disaster Redevelopment Disaster‐resilient land use pa erns Hazard mi ga on construc on techniques Energy‐efficient buildings Healthy community design Affordable or workforce housing Alterna ve transporta on networks Environmental preserva on and habitat restora on Sustainable industry recruitment Regionally collabora ve response systems Tornadoes, wildfires, floods, and other disasters do not confine themselves to jurisdic onal boundaries. Dis‐ placed residents, compromised infrastructure, changes in economic condi ons, hazardous materials contami‐ na on, and degrada on of sensi ve environments are some of the impacts that can affect an en re region a er a major disaster. When recovery is slow, neighboring communi es also experience these impacts for an extended period of me.

A PDRP is designed to be used in any disaster, regardless of type, as long as the damage will require long‐term redevelopment efforts. It is an all‐hazards plan addressing disasters iden fied in each county’s Local Mi ga on Strategy (LMS) and each community’s Emergency Opera ons Plan (EOP). As an economic development organi‐ za on serving Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum, Musselshell, Golden Valley and Wheatland Coun es, the SMDC will respond accordingly, u lizing the resources and informa on outlined in the region’s CEDS document.

Therefore, coun es are encouraged to incorporate PDRP strategies into their disaster planning documents.

Disaster Phases and Redevelopment Disaster management is typically viewed as a cycle with overlapping phases: 1) pre‐disaster mi ga on and emergency management preparedness; 2) emergency response; 3) short‐term recovery; and 4) long‐term re‐ covery and redevelopment.

Pre‐Disaster Phase – Mi ga on and recovery planning occurs during the pre‐disaster phase (unless a commu‐ nity is struck by a disaster before planning is complete). Once a mi ga on and recovery plan is adopted, pre‐ paratory ac vi es should be implemented on an on‐going basis during normal opera ons, which are some‐ mes referred to as “blue skies.” Plans should be tested prior to a disaster event, so that all stakeholders with a post‐disaster implementa on role are familiar with their responsibili es.

Emergency Response Phase –Emergency response ac vi es are specifically addressed in a municipality’s EOP and include immediate ac ons to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. This is the short‐ est phase of the cycle, las ng only a few days in minor disaster condi ons.

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Short‐Term Recovery Phase – The role of any plan during the short‐term recovery phase is to begin organizing for long‐term redevelopment ac vi es and guiding short‐term recovery decisions that may have long‐term im‐ plica ons (e.g., placement of temporary housing or debris sites). Short‐term recovery opera ons are ad‐ dressed in EOPs, but a recovery plan can provide direc on for transi oning to long‐term redevelopment during this phase. The short‐term recovery phase begins as the emergency response phase is winding down and will con nue un l cri cal services are restored. The dura on of the short‐term recovery phase depends on the severity of the disaster and the level of community preparedness.

Long‐Term Recovery and Redevelopment Phase – A recovery plan is used most during this phase. Long‐term recovery and redevelopment includes efforts to reconstruct and enhance the built environment, as well as re‐ cover the economy, environment, and social systems. This phase begins as short‐term recovery ac vi es are accomplished and can last from a couple years for a minor disaster to five or more years for a major or cata‐ strophic disaster.

Interac on with Other Plans The objec ve of this “Disaster and Economic Recovery and Resiliency Strategy” is to guide the redevelopment decision‐making process following a disaster in a manner consistent with local comprehensive plans (especially Future Land Use maps, where applicable), Local Mi ga on Strategies, Emergency Opera on Plans, and other relevant plans or codes, such as land development regula ons. Each of these plans, and poten ally others, has pre‐exis ng policies or procedures that affect post‐disaster redevelopment. For instance, local comprehensive plans include many policies that determine where and to what extent redevelopment can occur. Ul mately, the SMDC will help its coun es and communi es access the informa on and resources necessary for making post‐disaster redevelopment decisions.

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Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2017 Update

Adopted September 31, 2017 By the Snowy Mountain Development Corpora on Board of Directors

SMDC 613 NE Main St. Lewistown, Montana 59457 Telephone & Fax: 406.535.2591 Email: smdcdist6@hotmail.com

This 2017 CEDS Update is available at:

www.snowymtndev.com The statements, findings conclusions and recommenda ons are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administra on.

SMDC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Complaints of discrimina on should be sent to: USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. 20250‐9410

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