MEDA -Montana Economic Developers Association

• Eastern Montana is emerging as a stronger tourism player, even without the marquee national parks that define the western experience.

  The report reveals that while overall drive-through visitation in eastern Montana increased by a modest 3% between 2018 and 2023, the region saw a dramatic rise in economic impact.

• Multiple Groups Working Together to Create an “Endless Buffalo Prairie” in Montana

  To bring this vision into modern conservation economics, Fort Peck is partnering with other Montana groups to quantify the measurable ecological benefits of bison grazing through a biodiversity credit program.

Big Sky Economic Development Montana

• Laurel, Montana (near Billings) Chosen for New 32-Bed Mental Health Facility.

  Beyond capacity concerns, the Laurel location is expected to improve access for families and care teams who often travel long distances across the region’s vast geography.

City of Bozeman Economic Development

• Is Artificial Intelligence the Scrooge of Christmas Art in Bozeman, Montana? “Artgate”

  Until someone figures it out, at least we can count on one constant: Bozeman’s holiday spiders are now the most unintentionally iconic mascots in Montana — glowing above Main Street, blissfully unaware that they’ve become the Switzerland of the AI art wars.

Great Falls Montana Development Alliance

• GFDA Top Ten for 11-30-25

  Several “old” proposed housing projects have come back on the radar, those that were not viable even 5 years ago but might pencil under todays market conditions. If you have attempted to get more housing built in the Great Falls region in the past and are thinking of pulling those plans off the shelf, we would be happy to take a look, please reach out to Jake Clark at [email protected] or 1-406-403-4937.

Montana Business

• Helena, Montana’s Trxstle Makes Stuff to Carry the Stuff You Need to Catch Fish

  Trxstle, (say “trestle”) based in Helena, Montana, is a rapidly growing company founded by engineers John Smigaj and Morgan Misek that designs and manufactures gear for outdoor enthusiasts, particularly for carrying fishing and hunting equipment.

• Missoula wants AI to help stop the leaks…water that is.

  Missoula’s water system is finally getting ahead of the leaks, proving that sometimes the best way to stop losing water is simply to start listening to it.

• 592 of 600 data implementers surveyed said their attempts to realize business value was a failure. 

  Adoption of AI is not being financially realized at the enterprise level.

• Renewable-heavy regions tend to reduce the need for water-intensive cooling methods for data centers.

  Traditional thermal power plants—coal, gas, and nuclear—consume large amounts of water for cooling and steam generation, meaning that electricity from these sources has a hidden water footprint.

Montana Energy and Transportation

• Kansas and Arizona Senators Unite in Bipartisan bid to Boost Public Transit Funding for Small Cities

  They’ve proposed legislation to increase the Section 5307 grant allocation for the STIC program from 3 percent to 5 percent. This increase is aimed to improve public transportation in cities sporting populations of 50,000 to 200,000, an upgrade that would not require additional federal spending but would instead redirect existing funds to cater to the areas of highest need.

Montana’s 21st Century Education Initiative – “You Should Care…”

• Georgia High School Students Push Frontiers of Genetic Engineering at Global iGEM Competition. What Is Your High School Doing?

  At this year’s competition, Asian high school teams outnumbered U.S. teams by nearly 10 to 1—120 teams from Asia compared to just 14 from the United States. China’s teams alone, backed by national investment in STEM talent and biotech infrastructure, captured the majority of top honors. Lambert was the only American team to place in the high school global top 10.

• How Ice Cream Saved Missoula by Michael Orford

  Prepare yourself for a wild ride through Missoula, Montana. Create your own experience in this gamebook that places you in the driver’s seat or rather the bicycle seat. You will encounter friends and enemies, bullies and trolls, local wildlife and more. With your good friend Sam at your side and a triple scoop from the Big Dipper, your summer adventure is just beginning. Only you can choose the path you take. Can you help ice cream save Missoula?

• Is Social Media anti-social? Why you need to go meet a new friend.

  Strengthening real-world social ties, even in small everyday ways, may be one of the most powerful tools we have to improve both individual and collective mental health.

VR/AR, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Artificial Intelligence, The Internet of Things and Montana

• What is Polymarket and is it impacting elections, decisions that leaders make and our future so people can bet on outcomes?

  Polymarket taps into incentives—people put real money behind what they truly believe will happen.

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