Community Benefits

Prior to the inception of The Big Sky Resort Area District the community of Big Sky struggled to maintain many crucial services due to the lack of available funding. Now, thanks to resort tax dollars, Big Sky is able to maintain those services with highly qualified individuals and state of the art equipment.

Below is a list of the community services funded by the Big Sky Resort Area District during the 2008-2009 appropriation period.

	Blue Water Task Force 2008-2009 Big Sky Resort Tax funds were critical to the success of each of the Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) three main programs: 1) community water quality monitoring, 2) watershed resource assessment (which includes the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program), and 3) community education. Under the community water quality monitoring program, BWTF conducted quarterly water quality sampling events and biannual macroinvertebrate sampling events (stream bugs) on the Gallatin River and its tributaries. BWTF has been collecting long-term water quality and stream bug data on the Gallatin River and...
	Gallatin County Sheriff's Office With the funding from the Big Sky Resort Area District, The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office is able to have deputies stationed in the Big Sky and Madison areas. The funding allows the Gallatin County Sheriff to provide general law enforcement services and the associated support functions to the people of the Big Sky Area in a more timely fashion. All of our deputies are Search and Rescue Coordinators. These individuals set up Incident Command Posts and give direction and add a calming effect in a crisis situation. Sergeant Matt...
	Friends of the Big Sky Community Library Funding of $54,320 from the BSRAD covered 80% of the Big Sky Community Library’s budget for the 2008-2009 year. We remained open to the public twenty hours weekly serving greater Big Sky residents and visitors with a full service non-profit library. In addition to several adult educational programs sponsored by the Friends of the Library, our new enlarged space was made available to other local organizations such as the Big Sky Institute for evening programs. Children’s programming remains extremely popular. Monday morning StoryTime attracted so many...
	MSU's Big Sky Institute and Extended University The Big Sky Community Education Partnership works to bring resources from Montana State University to the Big Sky community via MSU’s Big Sky Institute (BSI) and Extended University. In June 2008, the Big Sky Resort Tax Area District (BSRAD) awarded funds to support the Big Sky Community Education Partnership - Phase 1. The purpose of the MSU & Big Sky Community Education Partnership - Phase 1 was to identify the educational needs and wants of the Big Sky community, by asking the community itself, and to establish a distance learning...
	Northern Rocky Mountain RC&D - Noxious Weed Committee The Gallatin/Big Sky Noxious Weed Committee has continued to build a successful grassroots noxious weed program over the past five years along the Gallatin River Corridor, from the entrance of Yellowstone National Park to Four Corners, thanks to assistance from the Big Sky Resort Area District. This program is educating thousands of local citizens about noxious weed control every year as well as providing on-site assistance to a wide variety of landowners. The program also has established a comprehensive weed mapping program with agency partners and is able to facilitate treatment...
	Northern Rocky Mountain RC&D - Hazardous Fuels Reduction Program The Program The Northern Rocky Mountain Resource Conservation & Development Area NRM-RC&D)and Gallatin County Extension have joined forces to assist landowners with creating a survivable space around their homes to reduce the risk of wildfire and provide management practices that increase forest health. The program provides technical assistance for landowners to develop and implement a hazardous fuels mitigation plan. The cost share assists landowners with paying for fuels reduction work clearing, thinning, and trimming vegetation). County professionals provide direct technical assistance to guide landowners through this process. NRM-RC&D uses Big Sky Resort Area...
	Arts Council of Big Sky Programming Through the continued support of the Resort Tax, the ACBS has been able to bring top quality national entertainment to Big Sky. The funds that were awarded to the ACBS for the 2008-09 resort tax year helped us secure the bands for the 2009 summer concert series, and the funds were used to produce eight free shows. For the July 4 concert this year, the ACBS decided to spend a little more money to bring in Mingo Fishtrap from Austin, Texas, and a higher quality sound and light production. The results...
	Big Sky Post Office The Big Sky Resort Area District has been critical to permit the Big Sky Post Office to continue to provide a convenient level of retail service. The last time the United States Postal Service performed a survey in Big Sky, they learned that Big Sky residents preferred a centrally located post office for mail delivery and wanted expanded retail service hours, including service on Saturdays. Without the assistance of the resort tax, we could not continue to provide the expanded service levels we have today, and would be forced...
	Big Sky Community Corporation The BSCC was privileged to be awarded several grants and rollovers to provide monies for final engineering and permitting for the planned improvements at the Big Sky Community Park, ball field activities and improvements, tennis program support, public services, and construction of the Spur Road Trail. Parks and Recreation - Grant monies were used to support a variety of Big Sky Community Corporation programs this past year including: rerouting the road to the Community Tennis Courts that are located at Ophir School, purchase of wind guards, balls, and nets for...
	Big Sky Transportation District - Skyline The Big Sky Transportation District, operating services for the third year as Skyline, continued to see growth in ridership. For this Fiscal Year (July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009) ridership increased for both the local service, as well as the intercity service (known as the “Link Express”). The Big Sky Resort Area District continues to be the largest single source of local funding to support Skyline, and in FY 09, the support allowed Skyline to lease new, modern transit buses to be used for the local service. ...
	Gallatin Canyon Consolidated Rural Fire District The Big Sky Resort Tax Funds have helped the Gallatin Canyon Consolidated Rural Fire District make the second of three payments on the fire engine with 6 wheel drive, a 1,000 gpm pump with pump-and-roll capabilities, and a compressed-air foam system that effectively extends water supply by five times. The engine carries 1,800 gallons of water, a full assortment of structure and wildland firefighting tools, and provides seating for 6 firefighters. The fire engine is designed to suppress both structural and wildland fires with all-season and off-road capabilities. ...
	Big Sky Search & Rescue The most significant success of Big Sky Search and Rescue over the past year is the continuation of our rapid response to those needing assistance in the back country surrounding the Big Sky area. We conducted 20 rescues including 3 water rescues and five searches for a total of 25 missions last calendar year. The support of our operation by the Big Sky Resort Area District in providing equipment and training to our volunteers has been invaluable. BSSAR also finally broke ground and has a foundation completed for the new...
	Women In Action The Women In Action Mental Health program was created based upon need and request by the Ophir School for support, as well as through the generous donations and support of this community. Since its inception in January 2007, the WIA Mental Health program has served roughly over 45 families and 75 kids in the Big Sky Community. Currently, the program is funding 8 hours per week, and from January 2009 to present, we have already served 40 families and 46 kids. Thanks to resort tax funding, for over...
	Big Sky Chamber of Commerce The funds allocated to the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce by the Resort Tax Board each year give us the opportunity to maintain our projects and improve our promotional efforts in the best interest of Big Sky businesses. Resort Tax is instrumental in our ongoing success, and in our ability to continue to bring more visitors to Big Sky each year. This year, Resort Tax funded, among other items, our new website design, new visitor guides, computer upgrades, and direct flight marketing. Please visit www.biggestskiinginamerica.com for a look at the winter marketing...
	Big Sky Ski Education Foundation Throughout the continued support of the resort tax, Big Sky Ski Education Foundation has been able to maintain existing equipment and purchase new equipment that helps us host major events. The equipment is also utilized for training sessions that BSSEF provides for its programs. The events that BSSEF hosts bring in numerous families to the resort and community. Last year we had over 2,500 participants in all events that were hosted by the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation, thanks to the money received from the resort tax board....
	Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association The 2008-2009 Buck Ridge Trail grooming project funded in part by The Big Sky Resort Area District continues to be a very good project for the maintenance and grooming of The Buck Ridge Trail System. Scheduled groomings are Mondays and Thursdays each week starting in mid December and ending late March or early April depending on snow conditions. BSRAD funding for this project makes for a much more safe and enjoyable riding season.
	Big Sky County Water & Sewer District No. 363 This year, Resort Tax funded $200,000 for debt service cost sharing and $50,000 to update the GIS Aerial Photographs of the Big Sky area.