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2023Annual Reporthello@bigskyrail.orgwww.bigskyrail.org
To provide for the reestablishment of safe, reliable, andsustainable passenger rail service across southern Montanathat increases opportunity and contributes to the health andwell-being of people across the state and beyond.VISIONTo lead the expansion and enhancement of passenger railservice throughout Montana and the greater northwest regionfor the development of economic, environmental, social, andcomprehensive benefits, now and into the future.MISSION
ABOUT THISREPORTTo support BSPRA’s efforts to restore passenger rail service across southernMontana, we would invite you to take direct action. There are multiple ways youcan help us achieve our goals. To learn more about how you can support BSPRA,visit our website at www.bigskyrail.org. At the top of the home page hover over the“Get Involved” menu tab and several link options you can click to follow will appear. From here you can download and send aletter to your congressionalrepresentatives to encourage them tosupport the restoration of passenger railservice. Or sign up to join our mailing listto stay up-to-date with what BSPRA isdoing. Or sign up to become a BSPRAvolunteer. Or explore our online shopthat’s full of some great and uniquemerchandise, and every purchase goesto support our efforts to restorepassenger rail service across Montana’ssouthern tier. Or you can make a directcash donation. There are many ways youcan help support our goals, so weencourage you to visit our website todayand choose the one that best suits you. ALL ABOARD MONTANA!
Welcome to our inaugural annual report of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority (BSPRA)! We convened our first board meeting in January 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hit the groundrunning and over the past two years we’ve built a nationally respected organization that has put us on thecusp of restoring passenger rail service through southern Montana and beyond. Not only did we help writeportions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is why discontinued Amtrak routes across the countryare now being analyzed for restoration, but that legislation contains resources to implement renewedservice. I say renewed because we’re not merely looking to restore exactly what existed in the 1970s but,rather, to create excellent passenger rail service that Montanans need and deserve in the 21st century.In a world where political rancor and acrimony is the rule and not the exception, we’ve demonstrated thepossibility of a different path. BSPRA is 20 counties strong, stretching from Idaho to North Dakota andincluding three tribal nations, BNSF Railway, Amtrak, and the Montana Department of Transportation. Thepartners associated with BSPRA span the political, ideological, demographic, and geographic spectrum.We’ve shown how local governments can catalyze big change, and that something like passenger rail canbe a touchstone for agreement, knitting our state and nation back together again.This year, 2023, is proving to be the singular most important year for passenger rail in over four decades—certainly since we lost the North Coast Hiawatha in 1979. In 2024, the Federal Railroad Administration willmake recommendations to Congress on which long-distance passenger rail routes to restore or new onesto create. And we are doing everything in our power to ensure that Montana and the Greater NorthwestRegion of America are represented on that list. To do so, we need your continued help and involvement,which you’ll learn more about in this report. Together, we can do this. All aboard!Dave StrohmaierBSPRA Board ChairBSPRA is 20 countiesstrong, stretching fromIdaho to North Dakotaand including threetribal nations, BNSFRailway, Amtrak, andthe Montana Departmentof Transportation.Chairman's Message
OFFICERSDave StrohmaierCHAIRJason StuartVICE-CHAIRMary HensleighSECRETARYJerry McDonaldTREASURERCOUNTIES & DIRECTORSTina ToyneBig Horn CountyDarrel FolkvordBroadwater CountyDan OlsenButte-Silver BowScott MillerCarbon CountyKevin KrauszCuster CountyJason StuartDawson CountyScott MacFarlaneGallatin CountyElena GaglianoGranite CountyMary HensleighJefferson CountySteve StanleyLake CountyDiane MagoneMineral CountyDave StrohmaierMissoula County
Bill BergPark CountyTerry JenningsPowell CountyDennis TeskePrairie CountyBob LeeRosebud CountyJerry McDonaldSanders CountyTyrel HamiltonStillwater CountyRuth BakerTreasure CountyEdward AndersonWibaux CountyEX-OFFICIO DIRECTORSMartin CharloCSKTNorma GourneauNorthern Cheyenne TribeLuella BrienCrow TribeJim TylickBNSF RailwayRob StapleyMontanaDepartment ofTransportationChase KitchenAmtrak
Greetings fellow Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority supporters, It’s a pleasure to meet you on paper, and I look forward to connecting with you in person. Like many of you,my ties to passenger rail in Montana run deep. My great grandmother on my mom’s side, Lenna Grebe,homesteaded in Sumatra, Rosebud County in 1915. Like many in her day, she was a focused and resilientindividual that relied on passenger rail to help develop their homestead. According to my great uncle, “in theSpring of 1916 she shipped her horse, a cow and personal belongings from Stickney, SD to the homesteadnear Sumatra.” From there she and her husband built a life of work and family in Eastern Montana. There areseveral references to the train trips between Stickney, SD, Billings, MT and the homestead. No surprise, my first official out of state sightseeing trip occurred via rail transport. In elementary school, myfolks drove to the train station in Malta. We traveled from Malta by rail to Chicago, IL to visit relatives ofgreat grandmother Lenna. It was my first out of state travel and I loved every minute of it. Rail made it moreexciting. Since then, I have been able to share this cherished experience with my daughters, traveling viapassenger rail on the Atlantic coast.Rail is affordable, efficient, and always a fun experience. It is the perfect way to take in the countryside andactually enjoy the trip. I could not be more enthused and optimistic to embark on this exciting journey ofbringing passenger rail to Southern Montana. Our rural and urban communities alike will benefit frompassenger rail. In a connected world, we grimace at the look of our inbox after spending a day or two on theroad. Imagine keeping up with your work, taking in our stunning Montana views and not sweating the icyroads or construction. Whether you are tribal member looking to connect with tourists seeking to purchaseyour Native crafts or traveling for your job, a rural resident seeking a simpler way to get to town for medicalappointments, or just looking to have a more fulfilling travel experience—Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority isyour place to get involved! Thank you, board members and volunteers. As you look over this report you will see – it’s all comingtogether. If this is the first you are learning about all this…find a way to get involved, build support in yourcommunity, and stay engaged via social media. All Aboard! Let’s make passenger rail in southern Montana a reality– with your help we’ll make it better andmore successful! Sincerely,Jess PetersonBig Sky Passenger Rail Executive Director I could not be more enthusedand optimistic to embark on thisexciting journey of bringingpassenger rail to SouthernMontana. Meet the Executive Director
Jess PetersonExecutive DirectorAllison CorbynPartnershipsMaggie TupperOffice Services ManagerEXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAMMary Jo FoleyCommunications& MembershipKelly FogartyEvents & OperationsLia BiondoGov't RelationsKristen AlbersChief Financial Officer
Over the more than two years since it was formed, BSPRA has hit severalmilestones and seen several successes in advancing our goal of restoringpassenger rail service through southern Montana. Among the majorhighlights/achievements for BSPRA are:TimelineTraveling through seven states,Amtrak’s North Coast Limited/Hiawathaconnected Chicago, Illinois to Seattle,Washington. Operating for more than80 years, the discontinuation of this linein 1979 severed access to passenger railto the largest cities in Montana andNorth Dakota and small towns inbetween. As a result, a vast expanse ofthe Greater Northwest Region lackspassenger rail service.The benefits of restored service aremany. Today, more than 2,000 milesfrom the Great Lakes to the Pacific and800 miles from Great Falls to Denver nolonger have access to passenger railservice. It’s time to provide passengerrail service to all of America.November 2020 – BSPRAofficially founded by initial12 member countiesJanuary 2021 – First BSPRAboard meetingAugust 2021 – First BSRPAAnnual Conference held inLewistownMay 2021 – BSPRArecognized with the NationalAssociation of Counties 2021National AchievementAward in TransportationNovember 2021 – Congressenacts the historic BipartisanInfrastructure Law, includingBSPRA’s recommendedlanguage for a federal study ofexpanding Amtrak long-distance passenger rail serviceacross the nation—with anemphasis on serving ruralAmericaBSPRA Annual ReportRestoringPassenger Rail toSouthern Montanaand Beyond
TimelineCreates jobsTransform the economy of Montanaand the Greater Northwest—benefitting rural, tribal, and urbancommunities alikeProvides affordable, safe, cleantransportation year-round forhealthcare, education, commerce,and tourism along the North CoastHiawatha routeUpgrades rail lines for freight andpassenger serviceAugust 2022 – BSPRA, withregional partners, creates,organize and hosts the first-everGreater Northwest Passenger RailSummit in Billings, bringingtogether federal, state, local, tribaland host railroad officials todiscuss the restoration andimprovement of passenger railservices across the GreaterNorthwest regionMarch 2023 – BSPRA submitteda Corridor ID Programapplication to the FederalRailroad Administration toconduct service developmentplanning for the North CoastHiawatha routeMarch 2023 – Treasure Countybecomes the 20th Montanacounty to join BSPRAApril 2023- BSPRA awarded a$25,000 grant from the MontanaHealthcare Foundation toconduct rural/tribal engagementmeetings across the stateBSPRA Annual ReportThe Benefits ofRestoringPassenger Rail
HIGHLIGHTS1 2 3Push for Big Sky RailExpansionFrom Bradley Warren andKULR8 News, this videocoverage includes aconversation with SenatorJon Tester about theInfrastructure Investmentand Jobs Act, Amtrak, ruralAmerica having a seat atthe Amtrak Board ofDirectors table, and theefforts of Big Sky PassengerRail, including the recentMontana HealthcareFoundation $25,000K grant.In Rural Montana, aHope That Biden WillReopen the Rails ~TheNew York Times“Residents of the very ruralparts of the state have totravel 175 miles to get on aplane or to seek medicalservices,” said DavidStrohmaier, a MissoulaCounty commissioner who isone of those behind the newlyformed Big Sky Passenger RailAuthority to raise money andlobby for a return topassenger rail in southernMontana. “Rural communitiessee it as an economicdevelopment opportunity butalso as a social lifeline forresidents who might not haveany other means to travellong distances for necessities.”Big Sky PassengerRail Authorityreceives $25,000grant for rural,tribal engagementThe Big Sky Passenger RailAuthority is pleased toannounce it has beenawarded a $25,000 grantby the Montana HealthcareFoundation to conductpassenger rail communityengagement in three ruraland three tribalcommunities in southernMontana. Tribal nationsinclude the ConfederatedSalish and Kootenai Tribes,Crow Tribe, and NorthernCheyenne Tribe. In addition to those specific milestones, BSPRA has, since its founding, maintained astrong presence and following amongst media outlets. News about BSPRA and its workis not just regularly featured in print, radio and TV news stories from Montana andNorth Dakota media outlets, but has regularly been featured in major national mediaoutlets and has even found its way into publications from around the globe. In its shorthistory, BSPRA has quickly become one of the most prominently featured organizationsin media stories concerning efforts to expand or improve America’s passenger railnetwork. Some of our more recent major headlines include:
HighlightsAmtrak, Big Sky Passenger Railexplore service connectionsThe Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority andits county members across the state joinedAmtrak in a call this week regarding theagency's “Throughway” service — thevarious tools the railroad uses to bringremote riders to a train stop.4Push continues for restoringpassenger rail to southernMontana (The MontanaStandard)“This is the largest investment inpassenger rail since Amtrak’s creation, 50years ago, and will create safe, efficientand climate-friendly alternatives formoving people and freight,” the fact sheetdeclared.5KFGM Missoula CommunityRadio InterviewMuse Talk Radio’s Becca Kelley talks for 90minutes with Big Sky Passenger RailAuthority Chairman and Missoula CountyCommissioner, Dave Strohmaier andFundraising Chair and citizen volunteer,Dan Bucks about restoring the North CoastHiawatha to southern Montana andbeyond.67Montana Passenger RailEfforts just took a big stepforwardEfforts to make it possible for you to travelby train across Montana's "SouthernRoute" are taking a big step forward thisweek, with the request for the federalgovernment to launch a rail corridor study.
Get Involved.BSPRA serves as proof-positive of the incredibleinfluence volunteers can have in driving projects andpublic policy. Volunteers have played a critical role inthe BSPRA since its foundation and continue to do sotoday. Our branding and our website weredeveloped by volunteers. Our social mediaengagement and outreach is directed by volunteers.Without the passionate involvement and support ofour volunteers, the inaugural Greater NorthwestPassenger Rail Summit in 2022 would not have beenpossible. Volunteers serve across our committeesand in some cases even lead committees thatoversee critical areas for BSPRA like fundraising.There are so many ways, both big and small, thatyou as an individual can help lend a hand towardsrestoring passenger rail service through southernMontana. The BSPRA may be leading the way as anorganization, but we and our efforts are only asstrong as the people supporting us.BSPRA AnnualReport '23
PublicEngagementEngaging Tribal & RuralCommunities in theDevelopment of PassengerRail Services in Southern MT.In 2023, BSPRA received a grant from the MontanaHealthcare Foundation (MHCF) to conduct publicoutreach with the purpose of better understandingthe nature and significance of renewal of servicealong the previous North Coast Hiawatha route as itpertains to the economic and social well-being(“social determinants of health”) for residents in therural and tribal communities along the rail corridor.BSPRA held public meetings in six communities,including three in tribal/reservation communities. Allmeetings offered a virtual attendance option. Inaddition, following meetings, an online survey wasprovided to all attendees allowing for additionalfeedback and for distribution to others who wereunable to attend any of the scheduledmeetings.Meetings conducted6meetings intribal/reservationcommunities3survey respondents 98Impact SnapshotTranscripts of the meeting recordings, a summaryreport of the survey responses, and some specificcomments from meetings can be found in the PublicEngagement Report.over 90 percent ofattendees/respondents wereenthusiastically in supportof the reinstatement ofpassenger rail services.
"By working together, wecan renew and expandpassenger service inMontana and to alldirections beyond "$25,000DONATIONS RECIEVED$271,611B S R P A F I N A N C I A L S U M M A R YP R O J E C T E D I M P A C TIn Grant FundingBSPRA proposes renewing passenger service on the former route of the North Coast Hiawatha (NCH)with trains running twice daily in each direction between Chicago and Seattle/Portland—traversingsouthern Montana and North Dakota along the way. The route will welcome global and nationalvisitors to 500 miles of the scenic grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, to Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood and—in combination with the Empire Builder—Yellowstone, Glacier, Theodore Roosevelt, NorthCascades, and Olympic National Parks. The NCH will transform the economy of the GreaterNorthwest region, revitalizing rural communities and tribal nations and providing access forunderserved citizens to health care, education, other services, and civic resources often unreachablein winter when highways become unreliable or hazardous. The NCH route will serve as a key catalystfor creating or renewing other passenger rail routes in the American West and Canada includingnorth-south routes running from the Empire Builder at Shelby, MT through (a) Billings to Denver and(b) Butte to Salt Lake City—and will help reawaken a 21st century rail renaissance in western NorthAmerica.
F I N A N C I A L S U M M A R Y
F I N A N C I A L S U M M A R Y
F I N A N C I A L S U M M A R Y
ENGINEER$5,000DONORSTRANSCONTINENTAL BUILDER$25,000THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT.2022-2023 BUSINESS & ORGANIZATION PARTNERSRAIL DIRECTOR$10,000
DONORSBig Horn County Broadwater County Butte-Silver Bow Custer County Dawson County Gallatin CountyGranite County Jefferson County Missoula County Park County Powell County Sanders CountyTHANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT. MEMBER COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS2022-23 GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS Lewis and Clark County Dawson County Tourism Improvement District Dawson County Economic Development Council MUNICIPAL PARTNERSBearcreekBridgerColstripDeer LodgeDrummondForsythGlendiveLavinaLivingstonMissoulaPhilipsburgPolsonThree ForksWhitehall Thompson Falls
DONORSTHANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT.2023 BSPRA ANNUAL CONFERENCEBUTTE—AUGUST 2023Copper Level ($1,000)NorthWestern EnergyDorsey & Whitney LLPEVENT SPONSORSGold ($500) BNSF RailwayVisit Southwest Montana Bus Tour 2021 BSPRA ANNUAL CONFERENCELEWISTOWN—AUGUST 2021Quandel ConsultantsKLJJacobsHDRGREATER NORTHWEST PASSENGER RAIL SUMMITBILLINGS, MT—AUGUST 2022JacobsPlatinum ($4,000)Gold ($3,000)HDRSilver ($2,000)American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners - AAPRCOBronze ($1,000)All Aboard WashingtonBNSF RailwayCity of BoiseDJ&ADorsey & WhitneyNorthWestern EnergyQuandel Consultants, Inc.Washington Corps - Montana Rail LinkSupporter ($500)Association of Oregon Rail and Transit AdvocatesCommunity Planning Association of SouthwestIdaho (COMPASS)David Evans & AssociatesFirst Interstate BankGranite Peak EnvironmentalMissoula Metropolitan Planning OrganizationMountain LineUtah Rail Passengers AssociationHilltop Securities, Inc.Stifel Public F inanceTHREE FORKS CONFERENCE (FORTHCOMING)
DONORSTHANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT.LESS THAN $500Aimee McQuilkinAlex PhilpAllen HartAndrew CzornyAnne S HausrathAugust WagemanBarbara JonesBarb ThomanBarry E GreenBradley LaytonBrigitta LeeCaleb ShalzChad LavachekCharlene WoodcockCharles LargayCharles WambekeCielo MacaColleen CaseyDan BucksDave CourtneyDave StrohmaierDavid NiceDeanna BocknessDeborah HansonDiane MagoneDouglas NicholsDoug RandDuncan LutesElena GaglianoForsyth Chamber of CommerceFredrick BuntGary MolineGary WirtJackson SchollJacob SimonichJames PreteJames TilleyJay and Janet CornishJean DahlmanJef JourdanJerome (Jerry) McDonaldJill DeppelJon EllingsonJohn WolvertonJuan SanchezJudy LavachekKathleen McCartKent SmithLawrence DiNardoLeopold WetulaLinda BicknellLynn ReddingMark BayukMark SomervilleMarshall SwearingenMatthew ParkerMaxwell MiltonMichael SweetMitchell GolfMontana SilversmithsNan JacksonPaul PaciniPaula GriebPeter ReissPhilipsburg Brewing CompanyQuinn's Hot Springs ResortRalph ZimmerRichard BakkerRichard BrussRichard NewmanRichard VanAkenRick PonthanRickey D ClevengerRobert ThadenRobin BiffleRoger DiBritoRuss FletcherSean CallahanShawn SwiftStephen GossSue LawrenceSusan ConnorSuzie NakasianTenney FordThure JohnsonTimothy TooheyTom SharrattVicki WatsonViolet PlummerMary HensleighRed Oxx MFG. INCBill BergHeather Jernberg$1000+$2500+$500+Jason ParryKim WhittemoreMichael Schwab StudiosRimrock Art and FrameStrohmaier for Commissioner$10000+Bridger Aerospace
If you are interested in serving on any of the BSPRA committees, wewould invite and encourage you to visit our website and fill out avolunteer form at www.bigskyrail.org/volunteer-signup. And ofcourse signing up for a committee is not the only way to volunteer!Living in Montana is not a requirement-- We have volunteers fromall over the country, lending their support to expand long-distancepassenger rail service across Montana and beyond.Whether it’sdriving the local effort to have your county join BSPRA or assistingand supporting your county’s BSPRA director with fundraisers andpublic awareness campaigns in your local community, there are somany ways that you can become involved and help BSPRA fulfill itsmission of bringing passenger rail service back to southernMontana, and we hope you will consider lending your time andtalents to our cause. BSPRACOMMITTEESOne of the best ways to supportBSPRA is to join one of ourcommittees as a citizen volunteer. Allof our committees with the exceptionof the Executive Committee haveseveral citizen volunteers who serveon them. Here is a short list of eachcommittee, the committee chairman,and the work that each committeedoes:Communications Committee (chairman, Jason Stuart) –drives communications and public outreach about theBSPRA and its workFinance Committee (chairman, Jerry McDonald) –develops the annual budget and sets fiscal policiesFundraising Committee (chairman, Dan Bucks) – createsand directs fundraising efforts and campaignsGovernance Committee (chairman, Rich Wallace) – draftsinternal policies and proceduresPlanning & Resource Development Committee(chairman, Dan Olsen) – assesses passenger railinfrastructure needs and operationsSIGNUP.
Closing Thoughts.We hope this Annual Report has given you insight into BSPRA as an organization, our mission, our goalsand our achievements to date. And we hope you will join together with us – whether as a businesspartner, an individual donor or a volunteer – to help us achieve our goal of delivering a transformationalinfrastructure project for Montana and the wider region. By working together, we can restore passengerrail service to southern Montana! And in doing so, we will breathe new economic life into our communities– urban, rural and tribal – provide our residents with a tremendous social benefit that raises the standardof living in every community it touches, lessen the wear and tear on our state highway system, andbenefit our environment by reducing carbon emissions. There are few public projects projects of any kindthat can have so much positive impact and benefit for so many people. This one can. So we say again: All Aboard Montana!As you consider your support for the BSPRA we’d like to let you know of some of the upcoming events wehave, some of which you may be able to join either virtually or in person. The BSPRA holds its monthlyboard meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. (MST). As a subdivision of MontanaState Government, BSPRA is subject to Montana’s open meeting laws and all of our full board andcommittee meetings are publicly noticed and posted on our website at www.bigskyrail.org. All membersof the public are welcome to join in and listen as the BSPRA conducts its business. BSPRA AnnualReport '23
www.bigskyrail.orgCONTACTINFORMATIONwww.bigskyrail.org(406) 624-5522hello@bigskyrail.org