AGP Executive Report

Montana Business & Trade: Gov. Greg Gianforte leads a 30-member delegation to India and Sri Lanka to expand markets for Montana producers and universities, with a focus on sectors including agriculture and energy. Insurance: Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho completed its acquisition of Mountain West Farm Bureau Insurance, creating a larger regional insurer serving Idaho, Washington, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Ag & Fuel Costs: Farm Bureau highlights how record diesel prices are squeezing harvest operations and pushing up both farm and transportation costs, while some states move to ease the burden for farmers. Higher Ed & Workforce: MSU-Northern won about $2.5 million over five years to strengthen student support, academic pathways and job transitions. Energy & Critical Minerals: Sen. Steve Daines urged continued U.S.-China engagement on rare earth supply chains, warning the real risk sits downstream in processing and manufacturing. Wildlife & Safety: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reported a grizzly bear shot and killed by a landowner in the Trego area after a close-range encounter. Local Economy: A Lightcast study says Miles Community College contributes about $17.7 million annually to the local economy.

Higher Ed & Workforce: MSU-Northern won about $2.5 million over five years to expand student support and career pathways, with the first-year award at $457,704. Energy & Agriculture Costs: The American Farm Bureau reports diesel prices rose $2.60 per gallon year-over-year heading into harvest, driven by tight fuel markets and supply disruptions. Local Economy & Education: Miles Community College says a Lightcast study puts its annual economic footprint at $17.7 million, supporting 342 jobs. Critical Minerals & Trade: Sen. Steve Daines urged continued U.S.-China engagement on rare earths supply chains rather than retreat. Livestock & Policy: Montana Stockgrowers Association opened registration for its 142nd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Billings (Dec. 3–5), including a pre-convention Water Symposium. Public Safety & Wildlife: FWP says a grizzly was shot and killed by a landowner in the Trego area after a close encounter. Local Governance & Data Centers: Butte-Silver Bow may move toward a temporary data center ban while it drafts longer-term zoning rules. Agri-Food Promotion: Montana Pulse Crop Committee launched the “Montana Pulse Pantry Giveaway” to boost newsletter signups. State Leadership: Gov. Gianforte announced a trade mission to India (Oct. 5–9) focused on manufacturing, agriculture, critical minerals, and quantum industries.

Tourism & Hospitality: Auster at Dome Mountain in Paradise Valley opens Oct. 4 with cabins, an 18-hole golf course, river/outdoor activities, and a quick-casual restaurant—an Arthur Blank investment aimed at giving locals a nearby gathering spot. Energy & Environment: Montana’s air-and-water quality lands at 46th in U.S. News’ 2026 Best States, even as the state ranks 15th for opportunity and 16th for education. Public Lands & Recreation: Rep. Ryan Zinke’s “A River Runs Through It Act” would expand restoration areas, adjust wilderness and recreation zones, and settle long-debated wilderness study areas near Helmville and Ovando. Agriculture & Water: Montana Stockgrowers opens registration for its Dec. 3–5 Billings convention, with a pre-conference Water Symposium focused on ranching water administration. Energy Infrastructure Debate: MSU’s Wheeler Center hosts an Oct. 27 lecture on data centers in Montana—pros and cons—amid ongoing local concerns. Legal/Mining: A court vacated DEQ’s Clearwater gravel mine permit, citing violations of Montanans’ constitutional participation rights. Transportation Costs: States move to curb diesel and gasoline prices as supply disruptions push costs higher, with Montana farmers feeling the squeeze.

Montana Energy & Regulation: Montana officials are weighing NorthWestern Energy’s revised Integrated Resource Plan, with MEIC urging fixes in resource adequacy, risk assessment, modeling, load forecasts, and demand response ahead of the PSC decision. Mining & Public Participation: A Montana court vacated the Clearwater gravel mine permit, rejecting DEQ’s attempt to keep it alive and reinforcing constitutional limits on how public input is handled. Local Development & Retail: Whole Foods is set to come to Missoula as the anchor tenant of the Midtown Commons Project on Brooks Street, with the project expected to wrap around 2028. Housing & Cost Pressure: Missoula homebuyers are feeling higher mortgage rates, with lenders saying fewer buyers qualify and prices are cooling. Manufacturing & Jobs: Montana Knife Company opened its doors for National Manufacturing Day tours and is hiring across manufacturing and administrative roles. Tourism & Community Assets: Livingston commissioners will discuss a proposed welcome sign for Exit 330, funded through a Montana Department of Commerce rural tourism grant. Infrastructure Bids: Great West Engineering is taking bids for a Jefferson County bridge decking replacement project near Cardwell. Wildlife & Roads: Highway 93 North’s Post Creek Hill project is set to resume next spring with wildlife-crossing and safety upgrades.

Workforce & Education: Montana Labor Commissioner Sarah Swanson was elected chair-elect of NASWA, boosting the state’s voice on jobs and workforce development. Energy & Infrastructure: Montana officials praised repeal of power plant emission rules, while watchdog groups criticized the move; meanwhile, Montana’s debate over data centers continues as a new poll finds nearly 75% of voters oppose new facilities locally or nearby. Agriculture & Rural Resilience: FEMA designated the Fort Peck Reservation and nearby trust land as disaster areas after severe winter storms, unlocking USDA emergency credit for producers; Montana Agri-Women is also set to focus on cottage industries. Healthcare Costs: Montana AG Austin Knudsen urged consumers to file for compensation tied to multistate generic drug price-fixing settlements. Local Business & Community: Roosevelt County commissioners approved buying a former National Guard readiness center in Culbertson to repurpose it for a fire hall and community uses. Tech & Tourism: Purple will bring guest WiFi to Pursuit’s mountain attractions across Montana and beyond.

Antitrust & Consumer Relief: Wyoming AG Keith Kautz is urging consumers to check eligibility and file claims for compensation tied to a multistate settlement over alleged generic drug price-fixing, with a portal and deadline guidance for purchases between 2009 and 2019. Local Film & Community Impact: Livingston residents and a local food pantry are reacting to a controversial downtown production (“Pawn Shop”) that includes ICE-themed scenes and has caused road closures and access problems. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Billings plans a targeted graffiti cleanup on the Rimrocks using firefighters rappelling down the face of the cliffs. Mining & Permitting: A Montana court vacated DEQ’s Clearwater gravel mine permit, strengthening constitutional public-participation protections. Agriculture & Fire Risk: A Choteau-area hay producer alert warns about spontaneous haystack fires driven by recent rain plus heat and fermentable grain hay. Weed Control Funding: Montana’s Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant cycle opens for FY2027, with up to $75,000 per project and a Jan. 6, 2027 deadline. Ranching & Public Lands: Montana Stockgrowers is seeking to intervene in a federal case over bison grazing permits on Phillips County allotments. Energy & Construction: MDT reports progress on the U.S. Highway 89 Choteau South project, including paving starts and ongoing bridge work. Housing & Labor: Tacoma is seeing a rise in tenant unions that bargain with landlords over living conditions. Critical Minerals Watch: Red Mountain Mining says it is advancing antimony exploration across projects in Australia and the U.S., including drilling at its Armidale antimony-gold project.

Data Centers & Water: Fergus County residents want a data center working group to set rules on size, water use, noise, and roads, after concerns about “hyper scale” campuses like the Broadview project. Public Lands & Wildlife: FWP is taking public comment on a proposed 99-year Hannah Ranch conservation easement near Moore to protect 3,652 acres and keep working cattle ranching while expanding hunting access. Energy & Industry: DEQ has started a public comment period on Quantica’s proposed Madison Aquifer well for a hyperscale AI data center, with the project described as the first Montana water supply using a programmatic assessment template. Manufacturing Growth: VACOM says its Lewistown operations are adding staff as U.S. demand grows, projecting a 30% workload increase by year-end. Local Business Recognition: Spika Design & Manufacturing in Lewistown was named Montana Small Business Persons of the Year by the SBA. Community & Housing: Whitefish approved growth-policy changes clearing the way for 60-foot buildings downtown under state law. Agriculture & Health: Avian influenza is surging in Minnesota turkey flocks, while Montana reported only backyard cases. Food Jobs: Maketū Pies in Montana is reportedly going up for sale, with up to 21 jobs potentially affected if the Bay of Plenty factory closes when its lease ends in December.

West Bank Oversight Fight: US Senate Republicans blocked a measure that would have required reporting to Congress on rising violence in the West Bank, including deaths of Americans—setting up another flashpoint over Israel policy and aid restrictions. Social Media Age Checks: Meta agreed to stricter age verification in a $17B lawsuit, but the hard part is how to reliably separate teens from adults without easy workarounds. Montana Agriculture & Research: MSU wrapped up its wheat and barley variety survey, highlighting top performers like Dagmar, Vida and Bobcat, while MSU also hit a new record with $308.7M in annual research spending. Data Centers in Montana: MSU’s Wheeler Center announced an Oct. 27 lecture on data centers’ pros and cons, reflecting growing local debate over energy and farmland impacts. Food Manufacturing Watch: Montana Group told Maketū Pies staff it plans to sell the factory and propose closing when the lease ends in December. Fuel Prices: GasBuddy reported Montana regular gas averaging $4.53 in the week ending Sept. 19, with notable low points in several counties. Skilled Trades Pipeline: Montana youth and educators continue to get workforce boosts through programs and grants tied to hands-on training.

Tungsten Market Watch: A new market outlook says tungsten concentrate demand is set to keep climbing, with forecasts ranging widely on market size but agreeing on strong growth through the 2030s. Gift Card Compliance: California passed SB 1078 to give gift card issuers transitional relief, letting some physical cards with the old $10 cash-out threshold keep selling until Dec. 31, 2028. Geothermal Policy Push: InnerSpace Action named Drew Nelson as executive director to expand geothermal advocacy after legislative wins across six states. Workforce Training: INSTALL expanded apprenticeship recognition in the West, adding approvals tied to contractor demand, including reciprocity in Montana. Montana Drought Relief: USDA designated 16 primary and 21 contiguous Montana counties as natural disaster areas, unlocking emergency ag credit and low-interest loans for drought-hit producers. Water Infrastructure: President Trump signed HB 7250 extending Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System authorization through 2028. Energy & Land Use: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks opened public comment on a Hannah Ranch conservation easement and other environmental assessments, while a separate proposal could reshape national forest roadless protections near Big Sky. Food Supply Chain: Big Sky Food and Wine Festival organizers donated hundreds of pounds of leftover food to local food banks.

Energy & Utilities: The Pacific Northwest is stepping up energy conservation, adding 182 average megawatts in cost-effective savings in 2025—up 14% from the year before—helping the region stay on track for its 2022-27 power plan targets. Water Infrastructure: Crews are replacing the 110-year-old St. Mary Diversion Dam near Babb, routing water through a temporary canal while adding fish-protection features. Mining & Materials: Gov. Greg Gianforte toured Graymont’s Indian Creek limestone operation in Broadwater County, highlighting how lime supports construction, agriculture, water treatment, and local jobs. Construction & Permitting: A Missoula judge ordered a Blackfoot Clearwater gravel pit permit to be eliminated after finding Montana DEQ violated the state constitution over environmental review and public participation. Outdoor Recreation Policy: The U.S. Forest Service is moving to open more national forest trails to dirt bikes and ATVs, drawing pushback from conservation and nonmotorized groups. Local Business & Jobs: Lee Enterprises is acquiring the Great Falls Tribune, expanding its Montana newsroom footprint. Workforce & Economy: Montana’s unemployment held at 3.2% in August, with Dawson County at 2.7%. Energy Costs: GasBuddy reports Montana midgrade prices around $4.87 statewide for the week ending Sept. 19, with county-by-county lows and highs.

Energy & Fuel Costs: Montana gas prices dipped for the first time in four weeks, with GasBuddy reporting an average of about $4.56/gal statewide (down 1.4 cents week over week), though prices remain higher than a month and a year ago. Agriculture: Rising diesel costs are squeezing Montana farmers as harvest ramps up; one Bozeman-area potato operation says fuel is now a major line item, with AAA putting Montana diesel around $6.29/gal recently. Grid & Power Infrastructure: The U.S. Department of Energy is pushing transmission upgrades with SPARK grants, aiming to boost capacity and reliability without new land-heavy builds—an approach that matters as electricity demand climbs. Clean Energy: A new report says “repowering” aging solar farms could unlock major new solar output by swapping old panels for modern ones, potentially pairing with storage to meet growing peak demand. Local Business & Jobs: Montana’s National Guard held “Headquarters for a Day” in Kalispell to brief leaders on missions and capabilities, including the region’s combat sustainment support role. Industry Leadership: Par Pacific named Jerry Stumbo EVP for refining and logistics, signaling a continued focus on reliability and operational performance.

Energy & Reliability: The U.S. Department of Energy renewed an emergency order keeping Colorado’s Craig coal plant running through year-end, citing regional reliability needs as battery storage delays and rising demand strain the Northwest power grid. Fuel Costs: GasBuddy reports show Montana drivers seeing mixed prices in the week ending Sept. 19, including the lowest midgrade at $4.49 in Missoula County and $4.78 in Broadwater County, while diesel remains higher statewide (with Fergus County’s low at $5.99). Agriculture: Rising diesel prices are hitting Montana farmers hard, with one Bozeman-area potato operation estimating fuel costs in the thousands as harvest machinery and generators run on diesel. Workforce & Training: Montana’s education pipeline continues to expand, including MSU opening a new nursing education building in Billings and Silver Bow County colleges awarding 550 degrees and certificates in 2023-24. Community & Defense: The Montana National Guard held “Headquarters for a Day” in Kalispell to brief leaders on missions and capabilities, including helicopter orientation flights.

Endangered Species Act shake-up: A leaked U.S. Fish and Wildlife memo would narrow what counts as an illegal “take,” potentially letting development and industrial projects harm habitat without triggering enforcement—critics warn it could weaken protections for Montana grizzlies and bull trout. Recreation access proposal: The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public input on a travel rule that would presume most national forest trails open to ATVs, dirt bikes, and 4x4s unless marked closed, raising concerns about wildlife, erosion, and shared-use conflicts. Energy & jobs in focus: Montana State University opened a new nursing education building in Billings, while local job fairs in Northwest Montana highlighted hiring across trades and technical roles. Fuel watch: GasBuddy reports show Montana regular and diesel prices hovering around the mid-$4s for regular and mid-$6s for diesel in the week ending Sept. 19, with notable county-by-county lows. Outdoor travel note: Canada’s Chief Mountain border crossing near Glacier National Park is set to close Sept. 30 for the season.

Montana Energy & Rates: Northwest Power and Conservation Council data shows energy efficiency gains across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, with conservation up 14% from 2024 to 2025—an effort aimed at keeping up with rising demand. Fuel Prices (Montana): GasBuddy reports a patchwork of low points across the state, including regular gas at $4.24 in Big Horn County, $4.29 in Gallatin County, and $4.39 in Park County, plus diesel lows like $5.89 in Deer Lodge County and $6.05 in Sweet Grass County (week ending Sept. 19). Healthcare Workforce: Montana State University opened a new nursing education building in Billings (Sept. 23), part of a statewide expansion backed by major private investment to boost training capacity and clinical partnerships. Legal/Industry: ExxonMobil’s ongoing cleanup cost fight with Montana Department of Transportation continues, with the company previously suing MDT and also pursuing recovery from a long list of other parties. Infrastructure & Planning: A Montana Supreme Court ruling keeps Butte’s data center initiative moving back toward a ballot, extending a debate over electricity, water, and local impacts. Agriculture & Community: The Lewistown Area Chamber of Commerce announced the first Harvest Train on the Charlie Russell Chew Choo (Oct. 2), a farm-to-table event highlighting Central Montana producers.

Montana Energy & Courts: ExxonMobil’s latest fight with the Montana Department of Transportation over cleanup costs adds another chapter to a long-running East Billings dispute, with the company previously suing multiple parties tied to decades of road-material production. Data Centers & Water: A look at eastern Montana’s data-center debate highlights how projects like Quantica’s Big Sky Campus are drawing interest while opponents warn about electricity and water impacts. Agriculture & Community: Central Montana’s Lewistown Area Chamber is launching the Harvest Train on Oct. 2, a farm-to-table ride celebrating local ranchers and farmers. Workforce & Schools: Malta Public Schools says it couldn’t find a qualified band teacher, while Ronan Charter Academy is expanding a hybrid path to keep students enrolled. Health & Industry: MSU opened a new Billings nursing education building funded by major private support, aiming to boost training capacity for Montana’s care workforce. Business & Finance: Federal prosecutors are seeking $84.2M tied to Tether-linked transactions in a Montana-based payments case.

Pharma Supply Chain Watch: Montana AG Lynn Fitch joined a 20-state push urging the Trump administration to block Chinese low-quality and unsafe drug ingredients from entering the U.S., citing workarounds around FDA safeguards tied to compounded GLP-1 ingredients. Immigration Detention Scrutiny: A new GAO audit says ICE wasted more than $20 million on detention warehouse expansion plans it later moved to sell, pointing to weak planning and costly stop-starts. Broadband Expansion: Gov. Gianforte announced Spectrum’s fiber buildout in Cascade County, adding service to 1,200+ homes and businesses in previously unserved areas, backed by ConnectMT and federal BEAD funding. Education & Workforce: MSU opened a new Billings nursing education building funded by a $101M Jones donation, while rural staffing shortages left Malta schools without a band teacher and Ronan Charter Academy expanded hybrid options to keep students on track. Energy Costs at the Pump: Diesel prices remain a strain for truckers, farmers and ranchers as Wyoming reports near-$6 averages and Montana fuel prices stay volatile. Local Governance: State officials say the Capitol’s iconic copper “Montana” statue can’t be feasibly repaired, with plans to scan and replicate it for the renovation.