RED LODGE - The communities of Red Lodge and Cooke City will receive more than $10 million in federal grants for roadway and wastewater infrastructure improvements.
The U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced the grants Thursday.
In a press release, the agency said the Cooke Pass-Cooke City-Silver Gate County Water and Sewer District in Cooke City will receive a $7.6 million grant to construct a new wastewater collection and treatment system to support local businesses in an area impacted by recent natural disasters.
This EDA investment will be matched with $1.9 million in local funds and is expected to create or retain more than 20 jobs and generate $280,000 in private investment, according to grantee estimates.
The City of Red Lodge will receive a $2.9 million grant for roadway and stormwater infrastructure improvements to support business growth and provide resilience against future flooding, the press release states. This EDA investment will be matched with $717,000 in local funds.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all communities in Montana and across the country have the resources needed to recover from natural disasters and to grow strong, resilient, and prosperous local economies,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in the press release. “These EDA investments ensure that Cooke City and Red Lodge will have the infrastructure needed to support local business growth.”
“The U.S. Economic Development Administration works closely with communities to support locally led regional economies,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Cristina Killingsworth. “These projects in Cooke City and Red Lodge will provide resilient infrastructure and create the foundation to encourage business growth and development in the region.”
According to the press release, the Cooke City project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District (NRMEDD).
The Red Lodge project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by Beartooth Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. (Beartooth RC&D). EDA funds NRMEDD and Beartooth RC&D to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.
These projects are funded under the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023, which provided EDA with $483 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas that received a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Act [fema.gov] as a result of Hurricanes Ian and Fiona, wildfires, flooding, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2021 and 2022. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage [eda.gov] for more information.
