Thursday, Apr. 8th, 2021

Emergency Rent, Utility Assistance Now Available for Montanans Financially Impacted by COVID-19


Governor Greg Gianforte announced that the Montana Emergency Rental Assistance program is taking applications from Montanans who have lost income and are at risk of housing instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The last year has brought real, serious challenges to hardworking Montana families through no fault of their own,” Governor Greg Gianforte said. “Emergency rental assistance will help Montanans, who have struggled financially through this pandemic, get back on their feet and remain secure in their homes.”

Funded through the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and appropriated by the Montana Legislature, this emergency rental assistance will help an estimated 8,000 Montana renters stay in their homes.

“So many Montanans have been hit hard financially by the economic fallout of the pandemic,” said Montana Department of Commerce Director Scott Osterman. “Now, assistance is here for individuals and families who have lost income because of COVID-19 and are at risk of losing their homes.”

Renters can receive a monthly maximum of $2,200 for past due and future rent payments, up to $300 for past due and future utilities including gas and electric, and $50 per month for internet. Households can access assistance dating back to April 1, 2020.

HRDC is partnering with the state of Montana to help renters and landlords apply for assistance. Community members can contact HRDC’s dedicated Emergency Rental Assistance phone number at 406-585-4894.

Household gross income cannot exceed 80 percent of the Area Median Income. For example, a family of four in Gallatin County, the household income cannot exceed $71,100. For a two- person household in Park County, income cannot exceed $47,800.

Renters will not be required to provide a co-pay, and landlords are able to apply on behalf of their renters. Payments will be made directly to landlords and utility providers.

Montanans can check their eligibility and apply now for Emergency Rental Assistance at HOUSING.MT.GOV.

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How to Open International Business

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Doing business is one of many dream jobs a modern person can have. While it requires a lot of effort and dedication, it pays off greatly with income and freedom. Not only you control the amount of money you get from your business activities, but you’re also defining what you do and what will be your next step. There’s almost no wondering as to why doing business becomes more popular among younger generations today. Now, one of the best ways to develop your business is to go global with it because it’s a relatively easy procedure with a tremendous payoff.

Steps Toward the World
Becoming international and doing business in another country has become quite a trend; at least half of the small business entrepreneurs have considered going global. And there are reasons for such high spirits as entering the international market has become much easier and safe enough recently. That’s mainly because of the technological advancements that we managed to push in the past few decades. Computers and the internet provide young entrepreneurs with the most useful and cheap resource, the information.

Learning to do business today has become a matter of a few weeks and sometimes even days or hours. The internet is full of resources providing 10 things to know about expanding marketing influence internationally and much more. At the same time, people also learned how to make enough money to start a business or even start it with minimum financial resources. As for the rest, starting an international business is a matter of only a few rather simple and cost-effective steps.

5 Steps to Open International Business

• Doing the research. As it was mentioned earlier, the key to success in business is knowledge, which is rather accessible today, with nearly anyone having an opportunity of becoming an entrepreneur with international business. As for the actual research you should do to start your business globally. Some of the first things you should study thoroughly before you set off to another country are the market and your business. While the former point is kind of obvious, the latter is often overlooked, so keep it in mind.

• Developing the right resources. Resources are not just all the money you have but also what you have to offer and how you can alter it to satisfy your potential customer. This is where you really should get a team of people that know what they do involve. Your product line should be fitting for the context of your market, your marketing campaign should amaze, and your customer reach strategy should at least look like working.

• Taking care of the formal matter. Of course, if you want to act legally in another country, you should ensure that all the documents needed for that are ready before you go. That requires some research, legal assistance, and a look through TheWordPoint reviews as the documents for business must be translated. While it seems quite like a pain, the documentation is not that hard, but it still has to be approached and handled properly.

• Establishing connections. Making friends with other local businesses is not just good and polite practice, it also gives you lots of benefits. As you just enter a new and relatively unexplored market, some things might not go as planned. That’s where you’ll need a guide to help you out in such situations. It might not be a financial or otherwise practical business help, but it can be a lifesaving piece of advice that will most likely even come for free.

• Executing your marketing strategy. Before you enter a new market, make sure it knows about you at least a little. Marketing your products to your potential customers is not only a great way to tell them something about yourself. It’s also a great way to test your marketing strategy in order to be able to alter it earlier than it might show rather slow results.


Stepping Out

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Perhaps, one of the hardest things you can do as you start doing business internationally is taking the first step. And no, it’s not about the first step described above. It’s about starting something new, leaving your comfort zone, and doing something you’ve never done before. But on the other hand, all that effort is totally worth it as the payoff for it is the experience you’re going to carry along throughout your entire life.

Elizabeth Baldridge lives up to her reputation as a bold and sincere author covering a broad variety of topics. From a young age, she was interested in learning and then sharing all that knowledge with those who had hard times understanding. That passion in particular helped Elizabeth to become proficient and very successful in her writing and education careers.

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High water is dangerous: Plan ahead and wear a PFD


When spring is in the air, snowmelt creates high water in our streams and rivers. You might want to get out there in your boat, but high water can be deadly when conditions are too extreme for safe boating.

Although it can be hard to put safety ahead of adventure when you've spent hours planning a boating trip, sometimes the only safe choice is to stay off the water. If you do go, make sure you stay safe by wearing a well-fitted personal flotation device (PFD) or life jacket when on and around the water. Even if you are only near a rapidly flowing river, wear a life jacket; it could save your life. If you fall into cold water without a life jacket on, you could drown in a matter of minutes.

There are other times, especially for less experienced boaters and floaters, when the dangers aren't apparent until they've entered the water.

Here are some tips for navigating the dangers of high water:

  • Don't boat alone.
  • Make sure someone on shore knows where you plan to put in, take out, and when you plan to return.
  • If the water is in a stage you wouldn't choose to swim in, then don't launch your boat.

Boaters should also make a study of high-water hazards and be prepared to cope with dangers like:

  • debris in the water
  • capsizing in cold water and the possibility of hypothermia
  • bridge abutments that catch debris and create swirling waves
  • turbid, muddy water that makes other hazards difficult or impossible to see

Don’t forget that high water can also cause damage and Fishing Access Site closures, and restrictions are likely as spring runoff continues. For updates on FAS closures, visit fwp.mt.gov and click Restrictions and Closures.

If in doubt, don’t go! If you have any questions, please contact Sara Smith, Boating Education Coordinator for the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Recreational Boating Safety Program, at 406-444-5280 or sarsmith@mt.gov.

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The Best Opportunities to Work from Home

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The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have all changed our lives, whether we like it or not. Yes, we have to accept lots of inconvenient terms and conditions tight now, but we also have learned lots of great things. One of such things is remote work. It seems that during the first few lockdowns, the dreams of all introverted people and freelancers have come true as they’ve got an opportunity to work from home officially.

The Bigger Picture
Yet the best things are still a little beyond the obvious. Not only the introverted people and those who already work remotely are getting lucky. As lockdowns become more and more frequent and continuous, the companies begin to offer great compensations for those who are ready to work from home. Sometimes, such salaries can be even greater than for those working full-time.


What’s more, lots of the remote career opportunities, in fact, allow you to start a new career path and switch to a totally different occupation at a rather face pace and more or less safely. The main idea here is to have just a little bit of spare time for training and part-time practice, which is more than affordable during the era of remote work. You can even start working abroad, but you’ll have to put some additional effort and check out the translation services in USA reviews to put your CV and recommendation letter in an appropriate shape. As for the careers, here are some of the hottest of them and to get you paid well enough.

5 Best Opportunities to Work from Home

• Web developer. Careers in IT, development, and computer science are some highest-paying ones as well as simply designed for remote work. Web development is the perfect start because learning web development is relatively easy, but it shows great results almost right away and offers some decent salaries of around $70,000 regardless of what company you work for.

• Web designer. If you feel more like a creative person but still want to go to IT, web design is for you. By creating various designs for different site types, you’ll be able to make as much as around $50,000 per year. At the same time, by working closely with developers, you’ll learn lots of new things and will be able to switch to IT further if you want.

• UI/UX designer. A great alternative for web design, UI/UX design is a career choice that allows you to produce true works of art. Designing convenient interfaces for websites, applications, video games, and, essentially everything else you can imagine in computers and software can be a pretty tough task to complete, depending on the final destination of design. Still, UI/UX designers make anywhere between $60,000 and $120,000, making them some highest-paid and demanded employees in IT.

• Software/website tester. Perhaps, you have considered switching to IT earlier but the need to learn lots of new things about coding and programming stopped you. Well, if it is so, then software testing is about to change your life. By finding and reporting bugs and glitches in programs or on websites will teach you the basic structure of coding and its logic, thus, allowing you to switch to IT relatively quickly and painlessly. In the beginning, you won’t make much (from $1 to $20 per 20–30-minute test) but later salaries grow as high as $70,000 per year on an entry-level.

• Translator. If IT is not your thing, then you should certainly try translation. The world needs certified translators now more than ever because the distance between people has grown, and language barriers did not vanish anywhere. At the same time, learning a new language might be not as hard as it seems. You can, for example, learn English and translate from your native language into it making enough money to go further and learn new languages too. On top of that, there are lots of tips on TranslateHub as to how to make a translator career fast enough. With a salary of around $52,000 per annum, translation is definitely a career to consider.


Into the New World

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Everything might have changed radically for lots of people, but the end of the world is certainly very far away from us. Being highly intellectual beings and adapting to all new conditions perfectly, humans always find ways to make our life easier or at least not make it harder. While jobs in IT seem very demanded and well-paid, there are still lots of careers to consider that might fit your talents perfectly as well and make you a happy and well-paid person.

Elizabeth Baldridge owes her experiences a career and all the success she enjoys today. Not being able to stay in one place, she constantly traveled throughout the world and experienced more and more new things. This paid her off very well as her sincere, detailed, and extremely useful articles made Elizabeth one of the most wanted and well-paid authors on the web.

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Tuesday, Apr. 6th, 2021

How to Choose College in the State of Montana?

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If you are not local to the state of Montana, you are yet to experience the true nature and freedom of the United States as the wilderness and the beautiful nature will take you by storm as you live and study. Starting with the Great Plains to the endless Rocky Mountains, you will definitely become inspired as you look through the list of various college choices. The magical prairies and the badlands, you will see it all as you study and visit the most beautiful places. If you want to challenge yourself in terms of educational possibilities, Montana is happy to offer something for everyone!

4 Best Colleges in Montana

Montana State University (Bozeman). It is a safe choice if you plan to major in the field of Education, Nursing, Psychology, and Mechanical Engineering among other subjects. What makes it especially attractive is the unique international student community that includes students from over 72 countries. As you submit your personal statement, remember about making it unique since it plays a major role for the admission committee. When in doubt regarding plagiarism issues, consider checking Lets Grade It to keep things accurate. MSA is also one of the best choices if you plan to focus on extensive research work and earning good leadership qualities!

Rocky Mountain College (Billings). This private educational institution is famous for its culture of stewardship and high moral standards. This college is only 90 minutes away from the famous Yellowstone National Park. This fact has also shaped its culture and attitude toward education. Of course, you can choose Airline, Commercial or Professional Pilot and Flight Crew degrees, yet you can also major in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and learn from one of the best experts in the field. It will also require a plethora of research work and written assignments, which is why do not ignore turning to professional essay writer help if you struggle with any task or need a skilled writer to proofread your work in terms of grammar and style. Rocky Mountain College is a great chance that should not be missed!

Montana Tech, Montana University (Butte). This is where the Engineering part comes into our educational equation! Montana Tech offers one of the best engineering degrees in the country, including Petroleum Engineering, General Engineering, and Mining & Mineral Engineering. Considering the state's economy, it is one of the most demanding disciplines. Still, do not let the subjects or academic requirements frighten you since these courses are taught with the help of an interactive academic experience that is always individualized.

University of Providence (Great Falls). This Roman Catholic Liberal Arts University is not only the best choice for Healthcare, Education, and Biomedical Sciences but also a unique chance to enter the 12:1 student-faculty ratio that will help you to learn in a great environment by focusing on amazing holistic learning programs. Your academic life will also include volunteering work and analysis of the possible employment options even before you graduate, which is a great bonus!

What Degree Should I Choose?
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If you would like to stay in Montana after living here even for a year, it is not even surprising as it is a mixture of beautiful nature and the warm culture that you will experience right away. Visiting Helena, Billings, or the wonderful Bozeman, you can think of anything from Agriculture and Engineering to Environmental Science and Tourism for your academic degree since these fields will always keep you employed. The trick is that you will always remain within these spectacular landscapes that you won't find anywhere else in the world. Regardless if you plan to become an essential part of the state's economy or move somewhere else, you won't be disappointed in letting Montana become an integral part of your academic career and personal growth.


Elizabeth loves exploring educational opportunities all over the world. Her posts offer simple solutions and good tips to keep you inspired. Discovering Montana, Elizabeth believes that it is a unique place on Earth where not only the beautiful nature but sincere and caring people make it so special. Follow Elizabeth to get inspired and make the right choices.

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Monday, Apr. 5th, 2021

Earth Day trail repair event at Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park

(Whitehall, MT) – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks invites the public to celebrate the 51st anniversary of Earth Day by participating in Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park’s largest volunteer event of the year.

The annual trails repair and weed management day at Montana’s very first state park will take place on Thursday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers and staff will be repairing the park’s damaged and winter-worn trails as well as removing invasive weeds to keep the park healthy and easy to use. You don’t need any experience, and tools will be provided. Please bring work gloves, sturdy shoes, a water bottle, a mask and clothing for outdoor work. If you have any tools for moving dirt or removing weeds, it is also recommended that you bring them. All trail work will be on foot.

Park staff and volunteers will meet at the group use pavilion in the campground area at 9 a.m. All volunteers will receive two vouchers to redeem later for a free tour of the caverns.

After the event, feel free to bring your mountain bike and give the newly revitalized trails a spin to congratulate yourself for being a part of something bigger. RSVPs are not required, but they are helpful and encouraged.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Emily Dickerson at emily.dickerson@mt.gov.

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Saturday, Apr. 3rd, 2021

Commission opens up applications for Madison River Work Group

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is accepting applications for the Madison River Work Group, which will work to develop recommendations to the commission on how to implement aspects of the Madison River recreation administrative rule.  

In accordance with the Madison River recreation administrative rule, which was adopted last year by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, the 12-person work group will be made up by three commercial outfitters with current Madison River Special User Permits, three non-commercial river users, two people with Madison Valley business interests that are not connected to commercial outfitting, one person trained in natural resource management not employed by FWP, one at large person whose selected qualities are largely outside the descriptions for other work group members, a Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, and a representative from the Bureau of Land Management.  

Applications for the work group will be accepted from April 2 through April 23. 

The work group will specifically focus on developing recommendations to the commission regarding:  

  • The allocation of commercial-use trips to outfitters 
  • A process to permit new outfitters on the Madison River 
  • Rule language to address all recreational use on the Madison River, including the walk/wade and rest/rotation sections 
  • Consequences of permit violations. 

FWP staff will review and forward all applications and any recommendations to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which will make a final decision on work group membership at its June meeting. 

To apply for the Madison River Work Group, fill out the application found at fwp.mt.gov and submit electronically by midnight April 23, or have postmarked no later than April 23.​ 

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Friday, Apr. 2nd, 2021

Hyalite Road Closing April 1 and Re-opening May 16 for Spring Road Breakup


Hyalite Road closes annually on April 1 – May 16 to motorized use while the road subgrade thaws and gets saturated due to snow melt.  As one of the most popular recreation destinations in Montana, Hyalite receives an overwhelming amount of traffic and the asphalt road is unable to support the repeated motorized use during the spring thaw which causes additional surface cracking and potholes.  This transition period provides a great opportunity to clean-up Hyalite, Bozeman’s well-loved backyard.  It also provides an opportunity for non-motorized recreational pursuits during the spring season.

“Hikers, bikers, runners and other recreationists all enjoy and look forward to experiencing Hyalite in a different way during this time,” said Wendi Urie, Bozeman District Recreation Program Manager.  “The plowing and winter access provides a fantastic winter opportunity.  We are thankful to Gallatin County and Friends of Hyalite for their community involvement helping continue to keep Hyalite plowed.”

Over 20,000 visitors a month explore Hyalite during the winter, and more than of 40,000 a month during the summer.  That makes Hyalite one of the most sought after destinations in Montana.  With all that love from recreationists, it is also important to take care of our backyard treasure.  Friends of Hyalite, a local non-profit providing support, conservation and year-round recreational opportunities in Hyalite will be hosting a clean-up day on Sunday, May 12 at 12:30.  Volunteers are needed to help clean up along the road, trailheads, parking lots and other heavily used areas.   We need your continued support to help keep Hyalite enjoyable to all.

For additional information please contact the Bozeman Ranger District at (406) 522-2520 or visit us online at www.fs.usda.gov/custergallatin.  For information about the Friends of Hyalite group and the clean-up day on May 12 please visit www.hyalite.org

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Thursday, Apr. 1st, 2021

Valley Garden Fishing Access Site reopens 


ENNIS –
The Valley Garden Fishing Access Site has reopened to public visitors.  

The site, about two miles northeast of Ennis along the Madison River, was closed following a flooding event in February. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff have repaired damaged areas and resolved potential safety issues stemming from the flood and ice.  

The Ennis Fishing Access Site, which was also damaged during the flood, remains closed until FWP staff can repair the road and other infrastructure.  

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Tuesday, Mar. 30th, 2021

Reminder: Leave baby animals alone, and be mindful of diseases 

Each spring, FWP receives calls from people who have picked up deer fawns or other wildlife. It’s important to remember that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer accepts, holds, or rehabilitates moose, deer, elk, and most other animals.

Oftentimes, people think they are rescuing an orphaned animal. However, it’s important to understand that wildlife care for their young much differently than humans. They have strategies to provide the highest chance of survival for their young.

One strategy that some species, particularly those species that are more commonly seen as prey (deer, rabbits, birds), use is to distance themselves from their young for many hours at a time. This helps to keep predators away from their young. For example, fawns are born without a scent and it is safer for them if their mother, who has a scent, is not nearby. This also can potentially distract a predator into focusing on the doe vs. their offspring.

FWP believes wild animals thrive better in the wild where they have plenty of natural habitats (food, water, shelter, space) and thrive better with other wildlife than with humans, who they consider an apex predator. Nature provides them the best options for survival and a better quality of life.

The potential to spread wildlife disease is also a good reason to leave young wildlife alone. Baby ground squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits can carry zoonotic diseases, which means diseases that are infectious for humans. Examples include plague, hemorrhagic diseases, and tularemia.

If you see a baby animal, whether a goose or a grizzly, keep your distance and leave it alone. Handling baby animals can be dangerous, and usually, once young animals are picked up by people they can’t be rehabilitated.

What can you do? 

  • Leave It There. It’s natural for deer and elk to leave their young alone for extended periods of time.
  • Control Your Dog. Keep your dog under control, especially in the spring when newborn wildlife is most vulnerable. Pet owners can be cited and dogs that harass or kill wildlife may by law have to be destroyed. 
  • Keep Cats Indoors. Many birds nest and feed on the ground. Young birds are also learning how to fly, making them vulnerable to cats. The bacteria in cat saliva are toxic to birds, so even if a cat does not immediately kill a bird, its bite often leads to infection and death.
  • Keep in Mind. It is illegal to possess and care for a live animal taken from the wild. 

As a wildlife agency, FWP’s priority is to keep wild animals wild. When people keep and raise elk, deer, or other animals, it habituates wildlife to humans, potentially causing problems once released back into the wild. 

Should someone bring a deer or elk to FWP, they'll be asked to take the animal back to the site where it was found.  If the animal can't be returned, it may need to be humanely euthanized. 

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News Comments

This is so typical of a sign in, which we should not have to do to check if we or some one in our party got a permit. I have been working or "creating an account" for 30 minutes and just get the same ...

Smith River permit drawing results available

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