The Montana Stockgrowers Association announces the 2024 nominations for the Montana Environmental Stewardship Award are open. Each year, MSGA honors a Montana ranch that exemplifies environmental stewardship and demonstrates a commitment toward improved sustainability within the beef industry. While the program highlights industry stewardship, it also provides cattlemen with examples and ideas

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is accepting ice fishing contests applications for the 2023-2024 season. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits. Applications for fishing contests may be approved, approved with conditions, or denied by the FWP Fisheries Division in Helena. Conditions placed on contests may help to minimize fish mortality,

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Licensing Bureau is soliciting proposals from conservation organizations that are interested in conducting a competitive auction or lottery for some 2024 licenses. Licenses available for auction include bighorn sheep, Shiras moose and mountain goat. Licenses available for auction or lottery include mule deer and elk. The Montana Administrative Rules

Action For Eastern Montana has a new Senior Companion Program to help seniors remain int their homes. A senior companion is a volunteer who provides limited help to other at-risk seniors to help keep them independent. There is no charge to the client for receiving these services from a senior companion. Examples of services provided include: •Read/write letters, fill out forms or

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in Montana State director Kathleen Williams has announced that USDA is investing more than $16 million with three local business development corporations to create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in rural Montana. The recipients include Great Northern Development Corp. in Wolf Point. Great Northern Development

Gov. Greg Gianforte announced last week that Montana’s unemployment rate remained at an all-time low of 2.3 percent in May, bucking national trends as the country’s unemployment rate rose from 3.4 to 3.7 percent. In 2022, average annual wages in Montana grew at the fifth fastest rate in the nation, according to recently released data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester, with the support of the Montana delegation and Gov. Greg Gianforte, last week introduced a historic bill to finalize the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Settlement in the U.S. Senate. “After years of effort and good faith negotiation, it’s time to pass our bipartisan bill to resolve Montana’s final Indian water rights settlement,” Daines said.