$25,000 in Gallatin County Area Gap Rewards Announced – 07.17.2012
Posted July 17, 2012 Press
“We are excited about these projects and the positive impact this work will have on the future of
Gallatin County and other adjoining counties,” said Jerry Grebenc, community program manager
for the Sonoran Institute and administrator of the grants.
The following organizations were awarded with grants:
Future West – Park County: Amount awarded $5000This project will create a comprehensive Park County Atlas that will display through maps, charts,
graphs, photos and text, many of the natural, cultural, economic, and demographic features of Park
County. The atlas will be used to update the Park County Growth Policy. Learn more about Future
West at:
www.future-west.org
Gallatin Valley Land Trust: Amount awarded $5000The grant will help the Land Trust with two projects. The first is to encourage local food production
by connecting private landowners with vegetable producers who need land to grow their products.
The second project is to partner with other organizations to place a bond measure on the
November 2012 ballot that would help fund acquisitions of new parks, trails, natural areas and
stream corridor protection around Bozeman. Learn more about the Land Trust at:
http://www.gvlt.org/
Gallatin Growth Solutions: Amount awarded $4,000GAP funds will help facilitate the Gallatin Valley 2050 project which will bring diverse stakeholders
(the four local governments, the development community, businesses, conservation groups, and
interested citizens) together to create a shared vision of Gallatin Valley in 2050. The visioning
process would be used to create regional, sustainable infrastructure and land-use plans. Learn
more about Gallatin Growth Solutions at:
http://gallatingrowthsolutions.org/
Greater Gallatin Watershed Council: Amount awarded $2,250
GAP funds will help the Watershed Council pay for costs associated with the Council’s Fall
Speaker’s Tour, including advertising and outreach, bus rental fees, planning and coordination,
travel stipends for speakers. The Watershed Council is seeking sponsors and additional grant funds
to cover tour food, a portion of the coordination costs, and informational materials for tour
attendees. Learn more about the Council at:
http://www.greatergallatin.org/
Park County Environmental Council: Amount awarded $5000Funding for this project will help the Council lead an outreach campaign to determine the feasibility
of reinstating zoning in the four-mile wide area immediately surrounding Livingston, Montana. The
outreach will be directed at both citizens and local officials. Learn more about the Council at:
http://www.envirocouncil.org/
Trout Unlimited: Amount awarded $3,750The proposed project is focused on the residential and commercial growth in Park, Gallatin, and
Madison Counties that depends on permit-exempt, individual ground water wells. Trout Unlimited
will engage citizens across these three counties to provide public comment on exempt-well
management strategies. Learn more about the Madison/Gallatin Chapter and Joe Brooks Chapter
(Livingston) at:
http://www.mgtu.org/ and
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Brooks-Chapterof-Trout-Unlimited/164403560337909
Grebenc indicated that the Sonoran Institute set up an advisory committee made up of local
individuals to assist in reviewing the applications and awarding $25,000 in grant funds.
A second round of GAP Grant awards is scheduled for this coming fall.
The Sonoran Institute inspires and enables community decisions and public policies that respect
the land and people of western North America. The Institute is a nonprofit organization that is
working to shape the future of the West.
For more information, visit www.sonoraninstitute.org.