EDA Joint Planning Resource Guide for Rural America - April 2022
Regional Tourism
Tourism is important to our region, especially in Carbon County. The document link below is an in-depth look at the tourism industry in our region as compared to the United States. This document is helpful in terms of tourism wage data and the specific industry sectors measured in the report. Each page of data is followed by a study guide page to assist in the understanding of what is being measured and why it matters.
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Regional Planning
One of our guiding documents and a comprehensive look at the region can be found in the CEDS link below. This document is a requirement of an Economic Development Administration (EDA) designated development district and contains detailed information on each of the counties in the Beartooth service area.
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Regional Data Reports
Headwaters Economics is an independent, nonprofit research group that provides original and effective research through their Economic Profile System. Reports are free and easy to use. The following reports offer an analysis of the Beartooth region over a range of subjects and assist us in project development.
BillingsWorks State of the Workforce
Click here to read the latest report.
House Bill 52 Report
The Department has streamlined its definitions of jobs and businesses supported across all of its business development programs, and is using one tool, Salesforce, to organize information provided directly from business clients, regional economic development partners and university partners. This tool will also allow the Department to better inform lawmakers and the public of impacts that are more difficult to measure. Most of the programs reauthorized by HB 52 invest in local communities with on the ground resources around the state. These aren’t solely a collection of grant programs, instead, they largely support regional technical assistance centers and professionals in communities in nearly every corner of Montana. This regional approach is critical to ensure hands-on support for business and entrepreneurs.
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Food and Ag Development Centers
Beartooth houses one of seven centers designed to help Montanans innovate and grow businesses that produce and commercialize food, agricultural and renewable energy products and processes, creating wealth and jobs in our communities and on our farms and ranches.
The FADC network supports economic development by ensuring that more of the state's food, agricultural, and energy dollars circulate in Montana. The network provides training, coaching and technical assistance.
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Coal Impact Study
Four economic development agencies collaborated to secure funding to hire a consultant to deliver a study on the impact of changes in the coal industry for a 15-county region in central and south-central Montana "Coal Country." The study included an evaluation of the economic impact, an analysis of the workforce, and strategies to diversify the regional economy.