U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont, noted that some items that Montanans expressed concerns about were not included in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act that gained additional support last week. During a conference call with state media members, Tester said his priority was that the bill addressed child care, senior care, housing and veterans. The bill did not include a new requirement

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Omaha District) will be conducting tests at the Fort Peck Dam in spring and early summer of 2023 in an effort to learn whether endangered pallid sturgeon can successfully spawn in the wild. The Fort Peck Tribes, U.S. Senator Steve Daines, agricultural interests and area residents oppose the plan. There are approximately 160 pumps near the dam, providing irrigation

Five Montana Indian tribes and two state agencies have been awarded Department of Justice grants totaling $6,631,190 to support services to victims. The funding is from the Office of Victims of Crime. Individual tribes or organizations receiving funds for Fiscal Year 2021 from the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside Formula Grant Program: Victim Services Projects include: •Fort Peck Assiniboine

Following severe drought and disastrous farming conditions, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., has announced $500,000 in United States Department of Agriculture funding to the Montana Department of Agriculture to provide stress assistance and mental health resources for agricultural producers across the state through the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. “Between historic drought and hail

The Economic Transformation, Stabilization and Workforce Development Advisory Commission voted unanimously to recommend using $7.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to strengthen and diversify Montana’s agricultural industry through targeted investments in value-added agriculture projects during its meeting on Thursday, Oct. 27. The Montana Department of Agriculture proposed the

Montana State University Extension will host a webinar series to offer farm and ranch women the opportunity to be part of Annie’s Project, a national program focused on management skills. The series will be offered virtually each Monday evening from 6 to 8:30 p.m. from Nov. 8 to Dec. 13. The sessions will feature Jolene Brown, a farmer, author and professional speaker who will share business

An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed transportation costs caused by drought, which are now covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated the program this year to include feed transportation costs as well as lowered the threshold for when assistance for

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued legal guidance last week on the status of the Biden administration’s federal vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The guidance follows Knudsen’s initial guidance issued earlier this month to help Montana workers understand their rights. Knudsen says Biden’s claims in his Sept. 9 speech that federal contractors will be subject to mandatory