Community Development

At Bear Paw Development, working to improve the operability and condition of public facilities has been a continuous goal for over 50 years.  Providing basic essential services, such as clean drinking water, is part of every local government’s responsibility to its citizens.  By partnering with Bear Paw Development and utilizing the resources we offer, local governments are able to provide these important services at an affordable rate to their residents. 

Public facilities that are part of the portfolio of projects Bear Paw Development works with include wastewater systems, drinking water systems, storm drainage systems, solid waste management, dams and bridges.  Other public facility projects we have been involved with include retirement, medical, and senior citizen centers, transit facilities and recreational facilities.  If a project doesn’t easily fit into one of these areas, Bear Paw Development’s staff is always willing to discuss the details to determine how best we can be of assistance.

Infrastructure and public facility projects are often very expensive.  Depending on the project, they range in cost from a few thousand dollars to several million.  We work with local officials and others to develop a funding package for projects that will accomplish the goal in the most affordable way possible.  Since 2007, Bear Paw Development has leveraged over $31.7 million in federal, state and local funds for infrastructure projects in our five-county Economic Development District. 

Bear Paw Development utilizes grant and loan funds from various state and federal programs, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, US Department of Agriculture - Rural Development (RD) programs, Montana Coal Endowment Program (MCEP), Renewable Resource Grant and Loan (RRGL) program and the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program.  We use these and other finance programs, either by themselves or in combination with one another, to help you and your community devise funding packages that are viable, affordable and assure that your project is successful.