Montana Coal Board Grant Program
The Montana Coal Board provides financial assistance in the form of grants to enable local jurisdictions to adequately provide for the expansion of public services or facilities needed as a direct consequence of coal development activities, including coal mines or coal-using energy complexes, or resulting from a major decline in those activities. The Coal Board provides grants to assist local governmental units in planning for and meeting the needs for a variety of public facilities or services. The total amount of grants to state agencies and or governing bodies of federally recognized Indian tribes cannot exceed seven percent of the annual allocation to the Coal Board.
Eligible Projects
Under state law, eligible projects include “governmental services that are needed as a direct consequence of an increase or decrease of coal development or of an increase or decrease in the consumption of coal by a coal-using energy complex.” A list of projects previously funded by the Coal Board is included on this website.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants eligible to receive financial assistance under the guidelines of this program include local governmental units (cities, towns, counties, school districts, water and sewer districts, etc.), state agencies, and governing bodies of federally recognized Indian tribes. An eligible governmental unit “may apply for a grant to enable it to provide governmental services that are needed as a direct consequence of an increase or decrease of coal development or of an increase or decrease in the consumption of coal by a coal-using energy complex.”
The governing body of a city, town, county, or school district, any other local or state governmental unit or agency, or the governing body of a federally recognized Indian tribe may apply for a grant to enable it to provide governmental services that are needed as a direct consequence of an increase or decrease of coal development or of an increase or decrease in the consumption of coal by a coal-using energy complex. (90-6-208, MCA)
Under 90-6-209 MCA, a grant to an Indian tribe may not be approved by the Coal Board unless:
- the governing body of the tribe has agreed:
- to waive its immunity from suit on any issue specifically arising from the transaction of a grant obtained under this part; and
- to the adjudication of any dispute arising out of the grant transaction in the district court of the first judicial district of the State of Montana; and
- approval of the transaction has been obtained from the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior whenever approval is necessary.
