ABOUT

Production of a CEDS document is required to be recognized as an Economic Development District by the U.S. Economic Development Agency (EDA). At Sweetgrass Development, our CEDS document is our mission statement. It is the core of what we do. It is the result of a local planning process, a survey of economic conditions, and a guide to growing North Central Montana. Our CEDS is also a 5-year action plan and a living document which is continually updated to guide our Scope of Work for each year.

​

This Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a resource for Sweetgrass Development to accomplish the following:

• "The region will have a diversified age population with services, recreational, economic opportunities to support the populace and serve as a destination for young and old."

• "The region will contain unique and individualized communities with updated infrastructure, adequate and affordable housing, a strong business presence and vibrant economy, with flexibility for continued growth and expansion."

• "The region will serve as a corridor to Glacier National Park providing leisure activities for locals as well as visitors."

• "The development within the region will connect citizens and visitors worldwide through technology and infrastructure."

• "Preserve the local heritage and improve the quality of life while protecting the environment."

​

The Board of Sweetgrass Development partnered with the Montana State University Extension Local Government Center (MSU-LGC), Browning Community Development Corporation (BCDC) and Southeastern Montana Economic Development District (SEMEDD) to prepare the five-year plan.

​
This CEDS document was developed by staff and Board of Sweetgrass Development and SEMEDD. Seven community meetings were held throughout the region, facilitated by MSU-LGC and notes provided by the staff of BCDC. The citizens of the region were heavily involved in the identification of community opportunities and challenges and the development of an action plan.

Focus groups and economic analysis were conducted during the summer and fall of 2011. A draft of the CEDS document was circulated for review by the Board of Directors, staff, and Strategy Committee in October. A final draft was available for public comment in November and submitted to EDA in December 2011. EDA approval was granted at the end of January 2012.

​

For our 2017 edition, we repeated this process with an increased focus on economic resilience. We are rewriting our CEDS in 2022 and will have more information about town halls soon!