Governor Schweitzer Releases Report on Montana’s Restoration Economy

Governor Brian Schweitzer http://governor.mt.gov/ today released a report on Montana’s restoration economy. This study estimates the economic benefits from restoration by completing a case study on the Silver Bow Creek Superfund site in the Upper Clark Fork Basin to determine what types and how many jobs are involved in the restoration industry. The results of this research will provide a baseline for the economic benefits of other mine restoration work, such as the restoration of Milltown Dam.

"Good-paying jobs are being created every day in Montana for men and women operating back-hoes and driving dump trucks who are working to correct mistakes of the past," Governor Schweitzer said. "They’re working in our watersheds and forests, on our rangeland, and in mine and land reclamation projects. It’s a new restoration economy where workers are upgrading hometown water-systems and revitalizing watersheds as well as Main Streets."

Study Highlights:

* One project, the Milltown project, will result in approximately 3,563 jobs over the course of the project. The 3,563 jobs includes, 1,240 jobs in restoration and 2,323 jobs in other industries. An estimated $113 million will be spent on the project through its completion.

* The study results indicate that 31.52 jobs and $2.59 million in economic activity are created for every million dollars of funding spent on restoration. About 35% of restoration jobs are in the construction industry, with 15% of jobs in environmental consulting and 10% of jobs in government oversight, research, and education.

* The average wage paid in restoration is higher than in similar jobs in other Montana industries. Over 98% of the wages paid to restoration construction workers in the case study were paid to the local workforce. However, like most construction workers, restoration workers had a non-continuous work pattern because of the seasonal nature of the industry. Further, the movement of construction workers between the restoration project and other construction projects suggests that many restoration construction jobs do not require a specific skill set.

The full report is available at: http://www.ourfactsyourfuture.org/admin/uploadedPublications/3669_Restoration.pdf