Evolution meets creation   

Humpback whale flippers are the inspiration behind WhalePower blades.

by Sara Stroud - 7.27.09  from Sustainable Industries.com

At first glance, a humpback whale and a wind turbine don’t have a lot in common. For that matter, neither do a shellfish and a sheet of plywood. But both sea creatures are the inspiration behind products designed using biomimicry, or looking to nature’s designs and processes to solve human problems.

For those who know where to look, biomimetically inspired products can be found in almost every corner of the marketplace, from medicine to transportation. But where the emerging field has the potential for the greatest impacts, according to advocates and practitioners, is in changing the way we think about our built environment—not only in designing individual building products, but in conceiving of entire communities as biomimetic systems, not to mention businesses, government bodies and other “systems.”

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U.S. Treasury Announces Major Grant to MCDC for Small Business Loans

 The U.S. Treasury Department announced on June 29, 2009, a $2 million grant to the Montana Community Development Corporation (MCDC) , of Missoula, for statewide business loans.  Amidst stiff national competition, MCDC received the top dollar amount awarded for its loan fund. 

The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund provides business development money to economically distressed communities.  This year 182 applicants submitted $260 million in grant and loan requests.  The Fund provided $90 million to 59 different community development financial institutions nationwide.

photo from Jon Tester's website

Senator Jon Tester's website  now contain's important information to help Montana contractors and  businesses compete for Recovery Act funded projects.  The site includes presentations and video from June 13th's Small Business Opportunites workshop in Great Falls. Contact information for Technical Assistance, Tester's field offices and other help for small business owners are also published.

--From the Ravalli Republic

The Ravalli County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) officially launched the construction of the Ravalli Entreprenuership Center (REC) Tuesday, May 26, 2009. The REC is a $3.2 million facility designed to usher in a new era of economic development, employment and education.

The 10,000 square foot center is schedule to open on October 14 and will focus on nurturing bio-sciences industries and training young workers and retraining older workers in technology skills.The REC will be an incubator that offers laboratories and office space to promote small, local start-up technology businesses. It will provide technical assistance, business coaching, mentoring, advisory boards, networking opportunities, access to capital programs, market information and office space to new entrepreneurs and existing businesses.

The Economic Development Authority projects the REC will create 253 jobs from the start up and encourage more than $11 million in private investment over the next 10 years. About 60 percent of the REC facility will be leasable space, or a maximum of 18 offices. When businesses start with the REC program, they will lease those spaces until they can sustain themselves.

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

Envision Missoula , the 2008 update of Missoula County's long range transportation plan outlines three potential scenarios for Missoula's long development and transportation future.                                   

The 'Business as Usual' scenario plans future transportation needs based on the continuation of current growth trends. Continued dispersed development means improved and larger roadways. The 'Suburban Satellites' scenario, developed from public input, centers around major multi-modal road corridors that connect moderate to high density town centers. The 'Focus Inward' scenario also rose from public workshops. This option focuses on higher density mised-use urban center and focuses transportation dollars on in-town mobilty and the Missoula-Lolo Multi-Modal  Corridors

Regional news media outlet New West Network joined the Entrepreneur's Foundation of Colorado as a way for this start-up company to invest in our communities. The concept is simple: entrepreneurial companies donate shares equal to about one percent of their equity to the Foundation. If the company is successful, those shares will have significant value and the Foundation will thus share in the success. Read more at the NewWest.net Blog.