Thank you for making our Green Recovery workshop a great sucess! We had over 100 participants and had great discussions around Fuel and Forest, Clean Water and Environmental Remediation, Green Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency and Sutainability, Education and Training. We will be posting more information, including presentations, contact information, programs, so check back next week.

Check us out!

Some General Resources presented at the workshop:

Recovery Website

Montana Recovery Website

Contracting with government:

Local PTAC Office

Biz Opps Website

Superior, MT – Mineral County has a lot of public land—at least 87% of the county is either state or federally owned—and the County was recently awarded $50,000 to help the residents and public land managers look at economic development opportunities that benefit residents while sustaining these lands.  The money will come from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) and will enable the County to move forward with its plans for the “Mineral County Challenge,” a spin-off of the statewide “Montana Challenge” that began in 2001. 

       A unique feature of the Mineral County Challenge will be active participation by local communities, the county, and state and federal resource management agencies with the explicit recognition that economic and environmental goals and interests must complement one another rather than conflict.

The Northwest Federation of Community Organizations report The 2008 Job Gap: Tough Times forNorthwest Families reveals a widening wage gap in Montana, Idaho and Oregon. In Montana, an estimated 40 percent of available jobs pay less than the $10.95 per hour estimated living wage (based on 2007 data) for a single adult reported New West, a local media outlet. Only 15 percent of job Montana job openings paid at least a living wage for a two parent, one child, one income household. The report's finding are based on job and employment data from 2007 and thus fails to capture the worsening economic conditions of 2008.

The report defines a living wage as "a wage that allows families to meet their basic needs, without public assistance, and that provides them some ability to deal with emergencies and plan ahead. It is not a poverty wage." 

The report urges government, business, labor and communities to increase the numberof jobs that pay a living wage, to provide the education and training required for living wage jobs and to help those without access to living wage jobs. 

$40 Million tax credit allocation awarded to MCDC 
U.S. Treasury Department showcases Montana recipient of $40 million in New MarketsTax Credits

     The U.S. Treasury Department awarded $40 million in New Markets Tax Credits to the Montana Community Development Corporation (www.mtcdc.org) ofMissoula at an October 20^th ceremony in Washington, D.C. MCDC will use the credits to provide innovative business and real estate financing in low-income census tracts throughout the state.

     "We are thrilled to bring this large allocation of tax credits to Montana. And we are honored to be chosen to represent rural organizations. The Montana projects that use his tax credit program are great examples that local businesses can boost opportunity for low income people and places,” said Rosalie Sheehy Cates, executive director at MCDC.

For information related to eligible New Markets deals contact Steve Grover (406)
728 9234 x 208 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it