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May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and, frankly, I think every month should be, as this is such an important topic.
We all need to be vigilant in confronting the preconceptions, the bias, the stigma that discourages those in need from seeking mental health support.
Watch my video update to find out what USDA Rural Development, and other entities in Montana, are doing to make sure Montanans have the support they need.
And, as always, I invite you to stay connected, through our Twitter feed, to ensure you have the most up-to-date info about USDA RD Montana happenings.
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Click on the image above to to see an example of how our Single Family Housing Team is making an impact in rural Montana.
Come join the USDA Rural Development team! We are hiring a Single Family Housing Loan Assistant to work on-site in the State Office in Bozeman.
The position is posted on USAJobs and is scheduled to close on Monday, May 23, 2022.
This is a developmental position designed to prepare the incumbent for advancement to a higher level position in Rural Development's Single Family Housing program. The incumbent will provide a variety of technical and support functions involving loans, grants and loan guarantee programs.
For more information about this position, please contact Katina Uecker at (406) 210-9728 or Katina.Uecker@usda.gov.
(NOTE: This is not a remote or virtual position.)
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Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grant Application Period Closes May 23rd
Applications for Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training Grants are due no later than May 23rd.
This funding opportunity is a great way for eligible public bodies, as well as private and nonprofit organizations, to receive grant monies which can be used to provide technical assistance and training to help identify and plan for community facility needs.
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Funding for Critical Water Infrastructure Projects Awarded in Rural Montana
 On May 18, 2022, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Montana State Director Kathleen Williams announced several USDA Rural Development investments which will help build and improve water and wastewater infrastructure in Montana’s rural areas.
“USDA Rural Development is helping fund critical infrastructure in rural areas to provide safe drinking water and reduce waste pollution in our rivers and groundwater," Williams said.
Projects include:
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The City of Thompson Falls receiving two loans, for a combined total of $3,050,000, and a grant for $6,495,000, through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program. This funding will aid the city in upgrading their wastewater system and support the continuation of developments that are currently under construction. These funds will be used to connect 137 benefitted parcels to the city's upgraded lagoon wastewater treatment system. With this implementation, the city will increase revenues which will be used for the wastewater infrastructure's operation and maintenance costs. These Rural Development funds will support wastewater improvements which should lessen the operators' exposures to hazardous conditions and mitigate the back up of raw sewage into homes and other infrastructure as a result of failing septic systems.
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The City of Choteau receiving a loan for $2,000,000, and a grant for $1,042,000, through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program to improve the water system by upgrading and replacing 6,000 linear feet of aging waterline, developing a new water supply source, and constructing 6,200 lineal feet of 12-inch transmission main to connect the new source to the system. This project will also result in replacing 5,200 linear feet of asbestos cement pipe with PVC pipe, replacing 4,200 linear feet of ductile iron pipe with new PVC, and replacing water meters on individual water service lines. Rural Development funds, along with state and local funds, will support these water improvements and should help the city create a reliable and safe water supply for this rural community.
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The Town of Valier receiving a loan for $210,000 through the Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program to improve their wastewater system by installing influent screening, removing accumulated sludge, replacing 1,900 linear feet of collection main, and installing three required manholes. Rural Development funds, along with state and local funds, will support wastewater improvements which should lessen the operators' exposures to hazardous conditions, increase the total lagoon volume, and mitigate the back up of raw sewage into homes, the town's school and other community infrastructure.
Williams also noted, “We often take for granted that we’ll get clean water when we turn on the tap, and that our toilets will work, but all that takes focused investment and expert operation of drinking water and wastewater systems. We are honored to be part of these solutions in rural Montana, and commend the dedicated experts who operate these systems."
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Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Funding Still Available
Click on the picture above to see, firsthand, how Community Facility funding is making an impact to rural healthcare.
We still have $418,000 available in Emergency Rural Health Care grant funding and we are continuing to accept Track One Emergency Rural Health Care program applications until this funding is expended.
Facilities and projects supported through this grant must be located in Montana's rural areas with populations of 20,000 or fewer. Applications must be submitted to our Montana State Office in Bozeman and information, including eligibility requirements, may be found on page 44332 of the Aug. 12, 2021 Federal Register.
For additional questions, please contact Meggin Delaurier at (406) 585-2520 or meggin.delaurier@usda.gov.
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Business & Cooperative Services Team Hires Business Programs Specialist for Eastern Montana
Shandy Moran is the new Rural Business Cooperative Services Loan Specialist who will serve the Eastern Montana region.
This newly-created Loan Specialist position will allow USDA RD to build stronger relationships within the eastern part of the state and expand funding and resources to help rural Montana prosper.
"We are so pleased to welcome Shandy, who brings a wealth of knowledge and business-based expertise," noted USDA RD State Director, Kathleen Williams. "Our team is critical to the success of USDA Rural Development's programs, and we couldn't be more excited to bring someone onboard who knows the area, understands the communities' needs, and is driven to continue to make a positive impact in these rural areas."
Prior to joining USDA RD, Moran served as the regional Small Business Development Center director in Northeastern Montana. She is a Rural Dynamics Inc. board member, was a Small Business Development Center State Star recipient in 2020, and is an active board member for the Montana Council for Economic Education. Moran graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with an Option in Finance from Montana State University Billings.
"This position is an important investment in delivering our programs in Eastern Montana," stated Montana's Business and Cooperative Programs Director, Lad Barney. "We are excited to be doubling our efforts in that part of the state, and even more excited to have Shandy leading the way. She knows the area as well as anybody, and now we have the capacity to provide a targeted presence in Eastern Montana, build stronger partnerships with Eastern Montana's communities and leaders, and implement economically diverse projects in areas that have historically been underserved and underfunded."
For more information about Business and Cooperative Programs in Eastern Montana, contact Shandy Moran at (406) 525-5236 or shandy.moran@usda.gov.
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Visit Us at MEDA May 25-26th
The Montana Economic Developer's Association is hosting their Spring Conference May 25-26 in Anaconda.
Come meet members of our Business and Cooperative Services team and see how USDA RD is partnering with Economic Development Organizations throughout Montana to help rural small businesses thrive!
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2022 Census of Agriculture
Click on the link above to watch a message from Secretary Vilsack on the importance of being counted!
June 30, 2022 is the last day to sign up for the 2022 Ag Census. If you have never received a census and are new to NASS surveys, sign up to be counted today. You do not need to sign up if you already receive NASS surveys.
Key Dates:
- June 30, 2022 – sign up ends
- November 2022 – census mails out
- February 2023 – response deadline
- Spring/summer 2024 – data release
The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Even small plots of land - whether rural or urban - growing fruit, vegetables or some food animals count if $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures. For America’s farmers and ranchers, the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity.
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USDA Rural Development Native American Coordinator Onsite in Tribal Communities to Discuss Housing Repairs and Other Programs
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Montana's Native American Coordinator will be on location in tribal communities to meet with residents and discuss USDA Rural Development’s Single Family Housing programs, and other USDA RD initiatives, which help rural communities prosper and drive economic growth.
Community members who are interested in finding out more about USDA Rural Development's Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans, Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants, and other USDA RD programs, are encouraged to meet with the USDA RD Native American Coordinator at the following times and locations:
- May 24, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Blackfeet Nation - Blackfeet Housing Authority, 1200 SW Boundary St., Browning, Mont. 59417
- May 25, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Rocky Boy's Reservation - Chippewa Cree Housing Authority's Conference Room, 75 Laredo Rd., Box Elder, Mont. 59521
For more information about these outreach opportunities, please contact the USDA RD Native American Coordinator at (406) 812-0721.
USDA Seeks Applications for Funds to Construct Housing for Farmworkers
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is seeking applications for funding to increase the supply of affordable housing for farmworkers.
Subject to the availability of funds, the loans and grants will be provided through USDA’s Farm Labor Housing Program. Applications must be submitted electronically to USDA’s Rural Housing Service before the deadline for each round of funding.
Pre-applications for the third round of funding opened May 16, 2022. The deadline to submit pre-applications is July 15, 2022, at 10 a.m. Mountain Time // noon Eastern Time. Final applications must be submitted by Nov. 1, 2022, at noon local time.
Interested parties may email Off-FLHapplication@usda.gov to request information on how to attend. Using ‘‘Off-FLH Workshop’’ as the subject line, the email must contain:
- The borrower’s name,
- The project’s name,
- The borrower’s contact information; and
- The state where the project will be located.
For additional information, see page 23792 of the April 21, 2022, Federal Register.
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New Windows Bring A Ray of Light to Tribal Elder
Lois Shortman, a member of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribe, lives on the Ft. Belknap Reservation, in an area of the state where wind chill and winter temperatures can hover around 40-degrees below zero.
Shortman’s home has large windows that are lower to the ground, and, over time, these windows had become broken and cracked. As a Tribal Elder, Ms. Shortman didn’t have the expendable income required to replace or repair her home’s windows. So, they remained in ruin and Shortman did her best to cope with her unfavorable and unfortunate circumstances.
When another one of Montana’s harsh winters arrived, the bitter cold once again seeped in through the damaged windows and the interior of Shortman’s home grew frigid. The sub-zero temperatures threatened illness and Shortman knew she couldn’t afford to get sick.
So, Shortman decided it was time to find a solution to her window woes. Ms. Shortman contacted USDA Rural Development and obtained a Single Family Housing Repair Loan & Grant through the Section 504 Home Repair program.
With USDA Rural Development’s help, Shortman now had the financial resources she needed to have the damaged windows replaced. With new windows installed, Shortman knows she will be comfortable in her home, even when the wind howls and the temperatures drop.
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Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants – Round 2
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service funding supporting improvements to expand existing facilities, modernizing equipment and food safety requirements. Press Release. Application Deadline: 5/24/2022
USDA Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to support new investments in infrastructure for food aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storage, transportation, wholesaling, and distribution to increase capacity and create a more resilient, diverse, and secure U.S. food supply chain. Application Deadline: Open
Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP)
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program which provides loans and grants to Microenterprise Development Organizations to help microenterprises startup/grow through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund and provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro entrepreneurs. Application Deadline: Fourth Quarter, 6/30/2022.
Rural Energy for America Program Energy Audits & Renewable Energy Development Grants
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program to assist rural small businesses and agricultural producers by conducting and promoting energy audits and providing renewable energy development assistance. Application Deadline: 1/31/2023
Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Rural Development program that provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Application Deadline: Open
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Opportunities for Tribal Communities
American Rescue Plan Tribal Environmental Justice Small Grants
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA grants for federally recognized tribal governments to support and engage tribal members, and others living on tribal lands, to address local environmental and public health issues. Application Deadline: 5/20/2022
DOT Public Transportation on Indian Reservations
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
DOT supports planning, capital, and operating assistance for tribal public transit services in rural areas. Application Deadline: 5/25/2022
Tribal Colleges Extension Program
U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Capacity Applications provides funding to (1) increase Extension program capacity at 1994 Land-Grant Institutions; and (2) address special needs, take advantage of important opportunities, and/or demonstrate long-term sustained benefits of Extension projects at 1994 Land-Grant Institutions. Application Deadline: 6/7/2022
Indian Business Incubators Program Grants
Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Native American Business Incubator Act of 2020 created this opportunity for grants to establish and operate business incubators that serve tribal reservation communities. Application Deadline: 6/17/2022
MORE FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES, INCLUDING THOSE FOR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, CAN BE FOUND IN THE USDA RD "INNOVATION MATTERS" NEWSLETTER.
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We have several Resource Guides available which outline USDA RD programs that can help Montana's rural residents, businesses and communities!
- EDA Joint Planning Resource Guide: PDF
- High-speed Internet Resources for Rural America: PDF
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COVID19 Federal Rural Resource Guide: PDF
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Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Guide:PDF
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Guía de recursos conjuntos: PDF
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Joint Childcare Resource Guide: PDF
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Recreational Economy: PDF
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Recursos de resistencia y recuperación en caso de desastres: PDF
- Resources for Rural Entrepreneurs: PDF
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Rural Workforce Guide: PDF
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Tribal Report - 2019: PDF
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