Senators announce $4 million for Miles City research station

Stimulus money will upgrade pay for critical upgrades for Fort Keogh

(BIG SANDY, Mont.) – The Fort Keogh agricultural research station in eastern Montana is about to become a lot more efficient, thanks to federal Jobs-Stimulus Bill money announced today by  Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Fort Keogh, near Miles City, will receive $4 million from the recently passed Jobs-Stimulus Bill to complete a building remodel started five years ago. The research station completed phase one of the remodel but was unable to complete the second phase do to a lack of resources. Phase two will bring the building up to code by modernizing the air and heating systems.

The renovation will also expand lab space so new scientists can conduct cutting-edge research. With the renovated space, Fort Keogh hopes to attract additional visiting scientists and graduate students.

“If you want the definition of a ‘shovel-ready’ project, this is exactly it,” said Fort Keogh Research Leader Mark Peterson. “This money will complete a long overdue remodel so we attract leading scientists. The research they do will help cattle ranchers throughout the Great Plains area.”

"Combing jobs and research is a good investment in our economy," Baucus said. "The cattle industry is a vital component of Montana's heritage, as well as our future. Ensuring that they have access to top notch research means investing in the research facility and this money does just that."

“Agriculture is Montana’s number one industry,” Tester said.  “This money will create jobs now to renovate a facility that will provide jobs for generations. Fort Keogh is a leading the way on cattle research and a state-of-the–art facility will allow them to help Montana's cattle producers even more."

Fort Keogh is a 55,000-acre federal research station outside of Miles City. The primary research focus is on rangeland beef cattle.

To date, the federal stimulus bill is investing more than $1 billon in Montana.