[Geysers] Bozeman Chronicle article: Federal funds for YNP and vicinity

[Freund, Udo]

Federal windfall coming home
By mailto:scottm at dailychronicle.comHYPERLINK
"mailto:scottm at dailychronicle.com"SCOTT McMILLION
<mailto:scottm at dailychronicle.comHYPERLINK>  Chronicle Staff Writer 
The huge spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend includes $194
million for projects in Montana and Yellowstone National Park.
While few parts of the state will go without, some of the biggest
appropriations come to the Bozeman area.
Montana State University will receive almost $24 million for research
projects ranging from weed management to brucellosis vaccines to
electrochemical engineering.
The bill pays for new water projects in Bozeman, Belgrade and
Livingston, land purchases near Yellowstone and even $300,000 for
restoration of the Story Mansion on South Willson Avenue in Bozeman.
The overall bill, known as an omnibus spending package, combines nine
spending bills into one mammoth item totaling $388 billion, enough to
provide something for every U.S. Senate and House district in the
nation. Critics often decry some of the contents as "pork," but they
often are important to constituents.
"There's a lot to be proud of in this bill," said Sen. Conrad Burns,
R-Mont., who was deeply involved in it through his seat on the
Appropriations Committee.
"Omnibus bills are notorious for including some unnecessary baggage and
some provisions that by themselves would never pass," Burn said. "But I
feel overall we've got a pretty good bill here."
Montana "comes out on the positive side" on this bill, he added. The
state traditionally sees $1.50 or more in federal spending for every
dollar it sends to Washington in the form of taxes.
Annette Trinity-Stevens, an MSU spokeswoman, said much of the money will
circulate in the local economy.
"About two-thirds of research spending is for salaries" for people who
live in the community, she said.
The appropriated money also helps move projects "to the next level of
complexity and competitiveness," she added.
While the majority of the money goes to schools or local governments, it
funds a big variety of items, from wolf control to developing better
cattle feed, from airport and hospital improvements to land purchases
for conservation.
The money "will help create jobs and boost the state's economy," Sen.
Max Baucus, D-Mont., said in a statement. "We did very well in this
year's appropriations process."
Construction projects in Yellowstone also get some of the money.
The renovation of the Old Faithful Inn gets $9.8 million, a federal
courthouse at Mammoth Hot Springs gets $2.7 million, and $1.5 million
has been set aside for a new entrance station at West Yellowstone.
Development of snowcoaches for the park also picked up another $1
million.
Here are some of the appropriations for the Bozeman vicinity and around
the state.
EUR MSU Hi-TEC Electrochemical Engineering: $5 million
EUR Fork Peck Reservoir, $5 million for roads leading to fishing access
sites and $7.2 million for a fish hatchery.
EUR MSU Center for Zero-Emissions Research and Technology: $4 million
EUR MSU Technical Assistance for Small Water Systems: $4 million.
EUR Yellowstone Park, new courthouse at Mammoth Hot Springs: $2.7
million
EUR MSU Animal Bioscience Facility: $2 million.
EUR Rural water projects in Belgrade, Manhattan, Livingston, Butte,
Helena and Drummond: $2 million.
EUR Land purchases near Yellowstone: $3.5 million.
EUR MSU, Life in Extreme Environments: $1.5 million.
EUR MSU Microdevice Fabrication Facility: $1.5 million.
EUR New west-entrance station in Yellowstone: $1.5 million.
EUR Blackfoot Challenge land purchases: $18.3 million
EUR Whirling disease research in Bozeman: $1.3 million
EUR MSU Undaunted Stewardship (ranchland conservation): $1 million.
EUR Wolf and other predator control in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming: $1.3
million.
EUR Bozeman city water infrastructure improvements: $1 million
EUR Restoration of the Union Pacific Dining Lodge in West Yellowstone:
$400,000.
EUR Montana Wolf Management: $320,000
EUR Methamphetamine reduction programs: $750,000.
EUR MSU fish and wildlife habitat programs: $900,000.
EUR Bozeman, Abaertern Academy Distance Learning Program, $500,000.
EUR Gardiner, Brucellosis quarantine facility: $864,000.
EUR Livingston, Yellowstone River planning and flood control projects:
$283,000.
EUR Missoula, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's new headquarters building:
$300,000.


Thanks,
Udo Freund
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