DNRC reports on House Bills 6, 7 and 8: grants, planning cycles and loan deadlines
March 17, 2026 | 2026 Legislature MT, Montana
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Autumn Bahr, deputy administrator of the Conservation and Resource Development Division at DNRC, briefed the committee on implementation of House Bills 6, 7 and 8, which together fund renewable resource grants, reclamation grants and a suite of loans for water and reclamation projects.
Bahr said HB6 provided roughly $10.14 million in renewable resource grants and that the department has obligated multiple infrastructure, planning and irrigation grants; out of 41 infrastructure project grants, seven were under contract and one completed. She noted the agency's planning grant cycles and popular emergency grant program and pointed to recent flooding in Lincoln County where DNRC staff have been assisting local applicants for emergency funds.
On HB7 (roughly $6.3 million in reclamation development grants) Bahr said there are 16 project grants authorized and several planning grants awarded. For HB8 (renewable resource loans), DNRC reported authorization of new loans totaling more than $36 million and reauthorization of roughly $84.5 million; many loan awards await applicants' readiness and the transcripted deadline for applications tied to the biennium was May 15. Bahr and committee members discussed matching requirements, federal cost shares for regional water authorities and the agency's process if a grantee does not take up an awarded loan within the biennium.
Bahr said HB6 provided roughly $10.14 million in renewable resource grants and that the department has obligated multiple infrastructure, planning and irrigation grants; out of 41 infrastructure project grants, seven were under contract and one completed. She noted the agency's planning grant cycles and popular emergency grant program and pointed to recent flooding in Lincoln County where DNRC staff have been assisting local applicants for emergency funds.
On HB7 (roughly $6.3 million in reclamation development grants) Bahr said there are 16 project grants authorized and several planning grants awarded. For HB8 (renewable resource loans), DNRC reported authorization of new loans totaling more than $36 million and reauthorization of roughly $84.5 million; many loan awards await applicants' readiness and the transcripted deadline for applications tied to the biennium was May 15. Bahr and committee members discussed matching requirements, federal cost shares for regional water authorities and the agency's process if a grantee does not take up an awarded loan within the biennium.
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