BOZEMAN — After months of engagement and many comments from residents asking for more time to give feedback, Bozeman’s Mayor and Commission have decided to put the Unified Development Code Update timeline on hold until after the first of the year to provide additional opportunities for community engagement.

“This is not a decision that we make lightly.  We know the staff has spent a lot of time and effort meeting with community groups, setting up event engagement stations, and hosting meetings on the project,” Mayor Cyndy Andrus explained. “We’ve also heard from many residents recently who are expressing concern that they are just now learning about the project. We want to acknowledge that and allow more time for them to learn about the proposed updates and hear their comments and suggestions. Everyone deserves a chance to speak and feel heard. It is our experience that public input and suggestions often result in a better plan.”

The Unified Development Code (UDC) is the part of the city code that outlines the rules and regulations for development within the city. The city launched the update effort in the summer of 2022 to align with the city’s guiding policies and goals around growth, sustainability, and affordable housing.

Since the project kicked off in July 2022, City of Bozeman staff, consultants, and partners have attended and hosted over 70 different meetings and events. A plan for future opportunities for the public to weigh in and the new timeline for when the Commission will hear the Code Update will be developed over the next few months.

“With Commissioner Pomeroy’s resignation and the upcoming election, delaying the process until early 2024 will allow any new members of the Commission time to get up to speed and make thoughtful decisions without being rushed”, says Andrus. “Our City Code addresses complex issues like housing and growth that require robust discussions. This effort is a crucial piece of addressing some of those issues. We hope this delay shows we are listening and agree that more time is needed before we act. The UDC update provides all Bozeman residents the chance to come together in the spirit of improving our code and our community.”

More information on the project can be found at engage.bozeman.net/udc

BOZEMAN — Last summer, Montana State University student Ryan Senitte found himself presenting to C-suite members of U.S. Bank in the company’s executive board room.

He had made the finals of the company’s intern case competition and traveled from the office in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his internship was located, to the company’s headquarters in Minneapolis.

“We were the first to go, at 9 in the morning,” he recalled. “We pitched and we were like, ‘OK, that was awesome.’” 

Senitte ended up in the expansive conference room after seizing opportunities provided to him by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

Now in his third year at MSU, Senitte has excelled in the classroom, participated in three internships (so far), benefited from multiple scholarships and taken advantage of on-campus resources and events. He has visited the Bracken Center for help securing internships and participated in the annual Meet the Recruiters event to connect with potential employers. He gives back on campus by working as a volunteer tour guide, highlighting available resources to potential MSU students.

Even before enrolling at MSU, Senitte pounced on opportunities provided to high school students. He received a tuition waiver from the Montana University System for earning a 4.0 GPA at Skyview High School in Billings. He was president of Skyview’s Business Professionals of America chapter, which led to a BPA scholarship – one of many available to incoming business students.

This fall, the business college distributed about $75,000 in scholarships to new first-year and transfer students, according to Brenda Truman, assistant dean at the business college. Last fall the college awarded about $50,000 in scholarships to those first-time MSU students, who were able to apply for everything in the scholarship pool by writing a single essay, she said. Next year there will be about $100,000 in the scholarship pool, according to Truman.

The scholarships and MUS tuition waiver reinforced Senitte’s desire to attend MSU. As a young high school student, he visited the Bozeman campus with his older brother. Jabs Hall and the stock ticker that winds around the building’s atrium was pretty much the only thing he remembered from that visit, he said.

“Jabs is awesome. I love this building. It's probably one of the main reasons I came to MSU,” Senitte said, adding that after a follow-up visit during his senior year of high school, he thought, “This feels like it could be home.”

Growing up in Billings, Senitte was attracted to business at a young age.

“When I played football as a kid, I sold the most magazines out of anyone” to raise funds for the team, he said. “I liked to play football, but I liked the reward of winning prizes. I won tickets to the Cat-Griz football game from that.”

Because he enrolled in AP classes in high school, Senitte could graduate after the upcoming spring semester. However, he plans to do one more internship in the summer of 2024 and then study abroad that fall before finishing his undergraduate degree.

Business college administrators encourage students to participate in at least one internship while enrolled, though multiple are ideal, according to Truman. Internships offer a wide range of benefits, including possible job offers, but they also allow students to figure out what they don’t want to do, “which is cool. Let’s start there,” Truman said.

To that, Senitte can attest. He first interned at a U.S. Bank branch in Billings after his first year at MSU, performing credit analyses. He enjoyed learning that foundational skill and helping small businesses but strived to find work with a larger focus. Then, during the spring 2023 semester, he interned at an accounting firm, and that helped him conclude that he prefers finance over accounting.

Heading into this past summer, Senitte worked with U.S. Bank to find a program that best suited him. He landed an internship in Charlotte, working in capital markets. He enjoyed the work and learned about his associates’ career paths as he bonded with them over coffee.

He also teamed up with three other interns to compete in the company’s intern case competition. Senitte’s team, Project INTERNational, advanced through multiple rounds and was one of five teams invited to Minneapolis to present to company executives.

“We won — which was really awesome — had a little photo opp and then we went back to the airport and flew back to Charlotte,” Senitte said.

As Senitte looks ahead to next summer, he is looking into other internship opportunities with U.S. Bank in Charlotte and in New York. He thinks he has a good shot at landing a full-time job with the company after he spends his final semester as an undergraduate in Europe.

He said he has learned a tremendous amount from his internships, including technical skills, like learning the Bloomberg Terminal, and soft skills, including interviewing, communicating with clients and working with a team.

When asked about his experiences at MSU and at the internships, the genial Senitte sums them up in one word: “Awesome.”

In recent years, Montana has been growing as a destination for people looking to get away from larger cities and find something new. The state is home to a wide variety of breathtaking landscapes and open spaces, as well as a more affordable cost of living than elsewhere in the country. Whether you're a long-time resident or looking to make a move to Montana, it pays (literally) to know how much you can expect to spend on car insurance premiums. We'll take a look at the auto insurance landscape in Montana -- specifically Bozeman -- and provide some insights and strategies for getting the most out of your money and finding the best cheap car insurance in Montana.

Auto Insurance in Montana

Although auto insurance premiums can vary significantly between states and even zip codes, you'll be happy to know that Montana, for the most part, is in line with the national average. Per numbers from Renata Belasco at insurance comparison site The Zebra, residents pay only $5 a year more than the national average for car insurance in Montana -- $547 for minimum coverage and $1,440 annually for full coverage.

When we say premiums can vary significantly, we mean it -- buying your Montana auto insurance from USAA, for example, will cost you about $1,025 annually, while buying from Allstate could cost you nearly $2,700 a year.

Auto Insurance in Bozeman

Now, let's talk about Bozeman in particular. Nestled in the heart of Montana, Bozeman is known (like many cities in the state) for its outdoor beauty and vibrant community. It's a great place to start off a full tour of Yellowstone National Park, or check out attractions such as the Museum of the Rockies, the American Computer & Robotics Museum, or the Montana Grizzly Encounter. However, living in Bozeman does cost more than you might expect, and auto insurance premiums are in line with this trend.

One reason Bozeman's cost of living is notably more than the national average is because the city has a strong job market and a corresponding high demand for housing, which in turn drives up property value and rent. The housing market in Bozeman is extremely competitive, which can make it rough for prospective residents to find affordable housing. Transportation, groceries, entertainment, and, yes, auto insurance are all higher than average as well.

The Cost of Fuel in Bozeman

Driving your car can also cost quite a bit more in Bozeman. Why? For one thing, Bozeman's thriving tourist industry tends to drive up fuel costs at the pump, just as it would anywhere else. Additionally, Montana is a big state, and cities tend to be somewhat remote and far between -- which means your fuel costs are going to be higher simply because you'll be doing a lot more driving.

Bozeman's Public Transportation

But what about public transportation? Anyone coming from a larger city with an extensive train or bus network may be in for some disappointment. There's nowhere in Montana that has as extensive a public transportation network as in many metropolitan areas, and Bozeman is no exception. While the city is working toward better public transportation as part of its commitment to sustainability, you shouldn't expect more than shuttles and buses in Bozeman. While using public transportation can help save money in the form of lower fuel costs, parking fees, and less wear-and-tear on your vehicle, you may not be able to get by without a car.

Saving Money on Auto Insurance

So how can you save a few dollars on your auto insurance if you're living in Bozeman? Fortunately, there are a few time-honored strategies.

First of all, if you don't plan on driving very much, you might consider moving to a pay-per-mile insurance policy. These policies (as the name implies) charge according to how many miles you drive -- so if you work from home and your car spends a lot of time in the garage, it might be an easy way to spend less money on insurance.

You also shouldn't be afraid to shop around and compare quotes to find cheap Montana car insurance. Every company has its own underwriting criteria, and not all companies (and policies) are created equal.

Once you do find a company that meets your needs, consider bundling your home and auto insurance policies for a significant discount. If your bank account can bear the risk, you might also try increasing your deductible -- you'll pay more out of pocket if you do happen to get in an accident, but in the meantime, your premiums will be lower (and that accident, if you're fortunate, may never come).

Finally, don't be afraid to ask your insurer, whether new or old, about discounts. You can get discounts for everything from being a good student to taking a defensive driving course to installing safety and anti-theft devices on your vehicle.

BILLINGS — Admission to the Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM) will be free to all visitors beginning on Friday, October 13, 2023. The YAM received $240,000 in grant funding from the Art Bridges Foundation’s “Access for All Initiative” and is using the funds to eliminate the cost of museum admission.

The Art Bridges Foundation funding runs from 2024-2026. Along with providing the revenue previously collected from admission fees, the YAM’s grant will also fund part of the salary for a new Membership Coordinator and the cost of marketing materials to help attract new audiences to the museum. This grant is intended to develop new museum audiences and help make museums more inclusive spaces. Prior to this initiative, the YAM welcomes an average of 12,000 visitors annually.

The grant funding begins January 1, 2024, however, free admission will begin immediately at the YAM thanks to the generous support of Jon Lodge and Jane Deschner. Lodge and Deschner are generously extending the timeline for free admission in support of the Access for All mission.

The YAM will continue to offer a range of annual museum memberships. The benefits of membership include discounts in the YAM store and café, discounts on tickets to special events such as SummerFair and Masquerade, and registration discounts for the YAM’s Summer Art Academy and YAM Camp. Higher level memberships come with additional benefits including private member-only events, behind-the-scenes opportunities, and artist talks.

Art Bridges Foundation, the national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton, announced today the launch of “Access for All,” providing $40 million in funding to 64 museums nationwide. The initiative aims to increase access to museums across the country and foster engagement with local communities by covering the costs of free admission days and expanded free hours as well as programming, outreach, and community partnerships that will eliminate many common barriers to access.

Museums participating in the Access for All initiative span 36 states and Puerto Rico. Among the 64 partners representing a broad range of locations are the Howard University Gallery of Arts (Washington, D.C.); Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR); Plains Art Museum (Fargo, ND); Portland Museum of Art (Portland, ME); San Diego Museum of Art (San Diego, CA); Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY); Wichita Art Museum (Wichita, KS); and Yellowstone Art Museum (Billings, MT). The full list of participating museums can be found on the Art Bridges website.

“Everyone, no matter where they live, deserves access to art. That’s why we started Art Bridges: to support museums in deepening their connections with local communities, and to pave the way for new audiences to experience the creativity and joy that comes with seeing art,” said Alice Walton, founder and board chair of Art Bridges. “Access for All is our biggest and most ambitious effort to date, dedicating $40 million toward bridging gaps between museums of all sizes and their communities in order to foster meaningful connections and expand arts access in every region, from Peoria to Puerto Rico.”

Access for All represents a sweeping effort to get people back to museums after COVID-19 brought declines in revenue, staffing and attendance. With many museums seeing just 71 percent of their pre-pandemic attendance, the new initiative will aim to restore pre-pandemic levels – and open opportunities for all people to enjoy American art by reducing barriers to access and strengthening community relationships.  

Of the participating 64 museums, all current partners of Art Bridges, 80 percent have annual operating expenses under $10 million. The majority charge admission fees and will be able to provide new free admission opportunities through Access for All. Others will use the Access for All funds to sustain or extend current free admission policies.

“We are thrilled to launch Access for All, a historic partnership with cultural institutions across the country to make it easier for people in every U.S. region to see and experience art. At Art Bridges, we can’t wait to see our trusted partners get creative and deliver impact to their communities,” Alice Walton said. “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confident Access for All will not only help to rebuild museum attendance but also bring more people than ever into museum galleries and reshape the arts world as one that is open to all.”

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About Art Bridges Foundation

Art Bridges Foundation is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States. Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 220 museums of all sizes and locations on nearly 700 projects across the nation, impacting over 4.1 million people, to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges Collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices. For more information, visit artbridgesfoundation.org.

BOZEMAN — Doralyn Rossmann, a longtime faculty member in the Montana State University Library who has been serving as the library’s interim dean since August 2022, has been selected as the library’s new dean after a national search. She will begin her new position Oct. 16.

“We are delighted to welcome Doralyn to this important leadership role at MSU,” said Robert Mokwa, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Rossmann’s innovative ideas and experience in strengthening and broadening connections between research and education through the many services offered by the MSU library, and her knack for building strong relationships with students, faculty and staff, stood out during her interview. Rossmann’s vision for a modern library that serves both the needs of an R-1, land-grant university, as well as the broader needs of the state of Montana, was inspirational and resonated highly with our campus community.”

Rossmann has worked at MSU since 2001. In addition to her current role as the library’s interim dean, Rossmann has earned the rank of professor and has served as head of the library's Collection Development department and head of the Digital Library Initiatives department.

“I'm thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to serve as the dean of the MSU Library,” Rossmann said. “Our library is doing incredible work for our community, and I'm excited to be able to plan into the future by leading in my new role."

Rossmann was one of two finalists who interviewed on campus this week. The interview process included meetings with faculty, administrators and students. Members of the public were also invited to participate in an open forum and submit comments online.

Rossmann has taught a variety of courses at MSU ranging from social media practices to public budgeting and management. Her research has resulted in numerous article and book publications about the role of social media in our information society, fiscal transparency and resource allocation, and scholarly communication and open access.

In addition, Rossmann has served on Faculty Senate and Budget Council and co-founded the DEAL program. Her professional service extends to organizations such as the Coalition for Networked Information, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, and the National Information Standards Organization. In 2022, she was chosen to deliver a lecture as part of the Provost's Distinguished Lecturer Series. Prior to coming to MSU, she worked in libraries at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Rice University and the University of Wyoming. 

Rossmann has bachelor’s degrees in English and political science and a master's degree in library science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also has a master's degree in public administration from MSU.

Rossmann replaces Kenning Arlitsch, who served as dean from 2012 to 2022.

Mokwa expressed appreciation to members of the search committee and to its chair, Stephanie Gray, dean of Gallatin College MSU.

“We had a pool of very strong candidates, and I am grateful to Dean Gray and the members of the search committee for their dedicated efforts to engage the library staff and faculty, and the entire MSU community, in the search process,” Mokwa said.

BOZEMAN — Two films directed by Montana State University graduates will be screened during the Montana Film Festival in Missoula, which takes place Oct. 12-15 at the Roxy Theater, 718 S. Higgins Ave.

Jake Ames, who graduated from MSU in 2022, wrote and directed “Haystacks,” a Western that features a vagabond whose idea of freedom is threatened after being caught trespassing by a landowner. “Haystacks” will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, and again at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15.

Kayla Arend wrote and directed “Leaving Yellowstone,” which lists Spike Lee as executive producer. After graduating from MSU in 2013, Arend moved to New York and received her MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she now works as an adjunct professor. “Leaving Yellowstone” is a thriller about a woman whose relationship with her boyfriend becomes strained during a winter vacation to Yellowstone National Park. The film will be shown at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14.

For more information about the film festival or to purchase tickets, visit: www.montanafilmfestival.org.

BOZEMAN, MT – Bridger Ski Foundation’s (BSF) 55th Annual Ski Swap will take place November 4-5, 2023 at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Bozeman. Steeped in tradition, the event attracts local legends and newcomers alike, with more than 10,000 items for sale. 

Skiers and riders will find equipment ranging from cross-country skis to fat powder skis, snowboards, poles, backpacks, helmets, boots, winter clothing, and more. In addition to consignment items from individuals, the Ski Swap also carries both new and used inventory from local retailers.

For those who want to make room for new gear, you can pre-register all of your consignment items online (preferably by October 31) and then drop everything off on Friday, November 3 between 10 am and 7 pm at the Fairgrounds. All sales take place in person, and BSF retains a 20% commission on sold items. You can pick up any unsold items at the end of the day on Sunday.  

Bridger Ski Foundation expects 5,000 people to come through the swap throughout the weekend. “It’s a ski swap, but it’s also a celebration,” says BSF Communications Director Jenny White. “People willingly (and cheerfully) stand in line—some of them hours before the doors open.” You will also find local organizations and sponsors with information tables and giveaways. This year, BSF will award $50 Golden Tickets to local youth, and they will offer ski waxing services as well.

BSF takes a 20% commission if a consignment item is sold. With thousands of items going out the door, it is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit club, which provides ski programs for more than 1,000  youth and adults and also grooms a vast network of Community Nordic Ski Trails, including snowmaking at Sunset Hills. “For BSF, the Ski Swap is also a community service. It gives the people of Montana easy access to more affordable ski gear. Instead of things gathering dust in someone’s garage for 20 years, we’re getting those items circulating back into the community.” 

Intermountain Health has signed on to be the title sponsor of this year’s BSF Ski Swap, and a number of local businesses have also committed to supporting the Bridger Ski Foundation through this event. “It takes a village,” says White. “Bozeman has always been about keeping skiing a grassroots activity, and the BSF Ski Swap is a huge part of that.” 

BSF Annual Ski Swap Hours:

Friday, November 3, 10 am - 7 pm: Drop off your consignment items. (Register them on the website first.) 

Saturday, November 4, 10 am - 6 pm: Sale! $5 admission fee. Children under 12 free. (BSF members & Community Nordic Trail Pass holders get in free at 9 a.m.)

Sunday, November 5, 10 am - 2 pm: Sale! $2 admission and free after 12pm. Any sales tags marked “discount” will have a 50% markdown on Sunday. 

2 pm - 5 pm: Unsold Item Pick-up.

MORE INFO: www.bridgerskifoundation.org/skiswap

SKI SWAP PRO TIPS

BSF Membership & Trail Pass perks. Want to get into the Ski Swap early and for free? Purchase an annual membership to BSF or a Community Nordic Trails Membership to support the trails BSF grooms. 

Selling items? Clean them up so they sell better. Be sure to register each item online first so that BSF can pre-print your sales tag with a bar code on it. 

Cash: You’ll need cash when you drop off consignment items in order to pay the $1 per item fee. You’ll also need cash if you’re paying the admission fee ($5 Saturday, $2 Sunday). But don’t worry, you can pay for any items you purchase with a credit card.

Sunday deals. Many sellers opt to drop the price of their items by 50%  on Sunday. Great deals can be found on day two!

Don’t forget to pick up items. If you have items on consignment, you can check online to see whether or not they’ve sold. Sellers must pick up their unsold items between 2 and 5 p.m on Sunday. Any items left unclaimed by 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 5, 2023 are permanently retained by Bridger Ski Foundation and may be donated to local nonprofits in need. For example, Big Sky Youth Empowerment (BYEP) will begin choosing ski gear for their programs at 5 pm. 

Payout: BSF will mail checks to sellers for the amount of their sold item(s), minus the 20% consignment fee.

Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day and is the perfect opportunity to share the progress the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition and its members have made in enhancing the behavioral health system in our region.

The Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition is a group committed to enhancing the behavioral health system of care in the region to be complete and responsive across the continuum, including health promotion, prevention, intervention, and recovery. The coalition is funded by the Montana Healthcare Foundation and the State Diversion Grant. 

The coalition includes representatives from Gallatin County, the City of Bozeman, Bozeman Health, Community Health Partners, the Help Center, Montana State University, Connections Health Solutions, HRDC, Greater Gallatin United Way, Gallatin City-County Health Department, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Attorney’s Office, Gallatin County school districts, Intermountain, Youth Dynamics, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, AWARE, Montana Healthcare Foundation, and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.

In the last year, the coalition has made great progress in its mission to implement an appropriate system of prevention, intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation for community members so every person receives the right services in the right place, every time.

“It takes a team to serve our community’s behavioral health needs; no one provider can do it all. We have made great progress in implementing crisis services, and are working on implementing a lot of other great ideas to better serve youth and adult needs across the behavioral health continuum. I am grateful and excited for the collaborative spirit of our coalition making this work possible,” said Kirsten Smith, Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition Coordinator.

The coalition is working to implement the Crisis Now model of care, which has key elements of providing someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. Below are highlights in each of those areas from our coalition members. Read the Gallatin Behavioral Health Coalition’s full summary report here. 

Someone to Call:

The Help Center, our local 988/crisis line provider, gives real-time access to a live person every moment of every day for anyone who is in crisis, having suicidal thoughts, in emotional distress, or concerned about someone. 

They answer an average of 300 behavioral health calls a month. They are able to stabilize and de-escalate 75% of those who call them. Using the caller’s own strengths, support systems, the robust 211 and mental health database, and the Help Center’s crisis follow-up services –their work reduces demand on other community services. For the other 25%, callers are referred to community and medical services. 

For 24/7 help, you can reach the Help Center at 988 or 406-586-3333.

“We have been serving Gallatin County since 1971 and are proud to work alongside our coalition colleagues to address the needs of our growing community and help our community members access the services they need, 24/7,” said Mandy St. Aubyn, Development & Communications Coordinator, Help Center, Inc.

Someone to Respond: 

Gallatin Mobile Crisis, established in July 2022 and staffed by Connections Health Solutions, is an emergency behavioral health response program for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The team is composed of local behavioral health professionals who provide on-scene evaluations, treatment, and crisis intervention. The team currently operates 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Since January, 84% of people have been successfully supported in the community and did not require a higher level of care. This service is keeping these folks safe at home and in our community, and out of our emergency department and jail.

“It has been our privilege to serve the community as the mobile crisis response provider and gain the trust of so many who have allowed us to be there during an extremely difficult time,” said Paige Bichler, MSN, RN, vice president of clinical operations for Connections Health Solutions. “We are proud of the work we’ve done to date alongside members of the coalition and are grateful for the continued support of the community. We look forward to continuing to provide those in need with the highest quality of care, right when they need it.”

Somewhere to Go:

Bozeman Health provides Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) adjacent to the emergency department at Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center and is open 24/7/365. The PES area is designed to deliver an enhanced level of care that provides a calming and therapeutic environment for patients experiencing acute behavioral health needs in our community. 

This year, the PES unit’s crisis interventionists conducted an average of 144 therapeutic encounters monthly between January and July. This service means more people are able to access behavioral healthcare for their crisis needs close to home. 

“Bozeman Health is proud to deliver this vital, therapeutic care environment for our community, said Dr. Kathryn Bertany, Bozeman Health CEO. “The health system continues its commitment to providing large portions of the behavioral health continuum, including integrated behavioral health in our clinics, outpatient psychiatry, crisis stabilization in our PES area, and inpatient psychiatry and hospitalization.”   

Bozeman – On Tuesday, October 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will join the Deputy Mayor of Bozeman and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to highlight $1,605,660 from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help the City of Bozeman enhance their Sustainable Organics Management Program to provide year-round recycling and composting services for organics and food waste. EPA is also providing $632,629 to the state of Montana to improve solid waste management planning and data collection in communities across the state.

“EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funds are helping communities across the nation reuse waste and reduce local and global environmental impacts,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker.  “We are proud to support a growing program that will serve Bozeman residents for many years to come. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funding to expand and create new waste management facilities in Montana is part of EPA’s largest recycling investment in 30 years.”

EPA’s grant award will help the city create a Bozeman Sustainable Organics Management Program with new residential collection infrastructure to provide single- and multi-family households with year-round diversion services for organic waste, including food waste. These investments include the purchase of carts, collection trucks, technology improvements and program education and outreach to residents and businesses. The city estimates the program will serve up to 7,000 households by 2026 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,950 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

BOZEMAN — Montana State University’s Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity, or CAIRHE, in collaboration with a research center in Utah, has launched a new project that aims to address health in areas struggling with persistent poverty, including areas in Montana and other states. The work is supported by a $9.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. MSU’s portion of the award is $2.4 million. 

The new grant brings together the expertise of researchers at MSU’s CAIRHE; the Center for Health Outcomes and Population Equity, or HOPE, at Huntsman Cancer Institute; and the University of Utah to expand their impact through two initiatives that address poverty as a fundamental cause of cancer-related inequities. The joint project is known as HOPE & CAIRHE 2gether, or HC2. 

The grant is part of the National Cancer Institute’s Persistent Poverty Initiative. As part of this initiative, National Cancer Institute program officers and staff scientists provide expertise, data and other resources to assist the university research teams. The initiative’s goal is to empower institutions, clinics, communities and tribes to collaborate and develop a cancer prevention and control research program that focuses on and serves people living in persistent poverty.  

The grant’s co-principal investigators are Dr. Alexandra Adams, CAIRHE director and a faculty member in MSU’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Letters and Science, and David Wetter, senior director of cancer health equity science and director of the Center for HOPE. Wetter is also a Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Presidential Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. 

“The poverty level for a family of four is an income of $30,000 a year or less,” Wetter said. “Unfortunately, people living in poverty have a far greater likelihood of getting almost every type of cancer, and it’s critical to eliminate this inequity if we are to meaningfully reduce the pain and suffering due to cancer.”  

Social factors, such as living in poverty, being uninsured, having unstable housing or lacking access to healthy foods can put a person at a higher risk of getting cancer or lead to later stages of diagnosis with worse outcomes, Wetter explained. 

Adams noted that the inequities for Native American communities are especially severe.  

“Cancer rates in Native American communities are extremely high as a result of multiple inequities in health care, income and food availability, among other issues,” Adams said.  

One part of the grant is led by Emily Tomayko, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology and a CAIRHE researcher. Tomayko leads a project aimed at lowering the risk of cancer in Native American populations across four states by studying the social factors that affect health and by promoting family wellness.  

The project uses a culturally tailored, family-based wellness program called Turtle Island Tales. Tomayko and Adams developed the research-based program in partnership with eight tribes across the United States. Tribal nations in four states, including Montana, collaborate with CAIRHE on the project. 

Another part of the grant will be led by Chelsey Schlecter, a researcher at Huntsman Cancer Institute and assistant professor of population health sciences at the University of Utah. That project will address the social factors of health related to tobacco use. Using tobacco greatly increases the risk of getting cancer, and its use is concentrated in areas where people are experiencing poverty and are medically uninsured, according to Wetter. 

Wetter noted that both projects will benefit from the interstate collaborations. 

“We have Montana experts involved in our Center for HOPE tobacco use project and Utah experts involved in the CAIRHE project,” Wetter said. “Because of these collaborations, it gives us the opportunity to have a much greater impact with respect to reducing health inequities.” 

According to the National Cancer Institute, long-term goals of the Persistent Poverty Initiative are to conduct research that fosters cancer prevention efforts, as well as to promote programs that help reduce the risk of cancer among people living in poverty.  

Founded in 2014, CAIRHE is a multidisciplinary network of researchers, faculty members and students spanning multiple colleges and MSU academic departments. In addition to funding faculty research projects and smaller pilot projects that are working with Native and rural partners across the state, CAIRHE facilitates mentorship for junior faculty to help them become independently funded researchers who hold the highest level of grant funding from the NIH or other national grant-awarding agencies.