The Rocky Mountain West is undergoing rapid and dramatic demographic and economic changes tied to domestic migration patterns and economic restructuring.  Advances in information technology and communications infrastructure allow both companies and individuals to more freely locate themselves. Quality of life has thus become a critical factor in economic development; and the Rocky Mountain West's spectacular landscapes and small, yet sophisticated urban centers are a strong magnet. People are migrating to the interior West in record numbers, making it the fastest growing region and the fastest growing economy in the United States.

Montana struggles to cope with these forces from a unique position within the Rocky Mountain West. Communities in different parts of this very large, physically diverse state face quite different circumstances. Montana lacks any truly large city or dominant urban center.  Rather, Montana's seven major economic regions -- those centered around the cities of Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula -- serve as the state's engines for economic growth and diversification.

Montana on the Move seeks to help Montana's regional
communities strengthen and unify local economic development
efforts by providing professional support to community
leaders for: