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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2026
CONTACT: Mitch Staley, Montana Department of Commerce
HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that seven projects will each receive $1.25 million in funding through Commerce’s Montana Tourism Development Grant Program. These projects will be eligible for up to $2.75 million over the life of the grant.
“Developing tourism in a sustainable and manageable manner boosts Montana’s rural and under-visited communities by diversifying local economies, fostering community pride and creating tourism destinations that represent the qualities that make rural communities special,” said Commerce Director Marta Bertoglio.
These seven projects will receive funding:
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Carter County will receive $1.25 million for the Carter County Museum Project.
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Headwaters RC&D Area, Inc. will receive $1.25 million for the D-TOUR Project.
- The Libby Area Chamber of Commerce will receive $1.25 million for the Visit Libby: Tourism Advancement Initiative.
- The Mission Valley Ice Arena Association will receive $1.25 million for the Mission Valley Ice Arena Building Project.
- The Foundation for Montana History will receive $1.25 million for Montana Dinosaur Trail projects.
- The City of Sidney will receive $1.25 million for the Sidney Stay and Stroll Project.
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Winnett ACES, Inc. will receive $1.25 million for the Access, Heritage and a Welcoming Winnett Project.
In 2025, Choteau Area Port Authority received grant funds under the MTDG Program, then called the Pilot Community Tourism Grant, for the Choteau: Celebrating our Heritage, Cultivating our Future project. Through community engagement, marketing, strategic partnerships and long-term sustainability efforts, Choteau will turn the Weatherbeater Arena, the Old Trail Museum’s Rocky Mountain Front Interpretive Center and the Montana Dinosaur Center into major drivers of tourism and growth for the area.
Bonnie Griffis, a member of the Choteau steering committee, said, “We’ve been able to work together and help each other out and grow as a group. I’m hoping that will translate to the community as well. Having upgraded facilities, upgraded signage, having the museum play a more prominent role in tourism and in attracting people, I think it’s just overall going to help the community be more attractive.”
The MTDG Program was authorized by Senate Bill 540, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, in 2023. Using revenue from the bed tax, it supports rural and under-visited communities through improvements to tourism infrastructure, tourism product development and preservation of natural and cultural heritage.
For more information, visit commerce.mt.gov.
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