BONNER, Mont. — Each year, Missoula County awards $90,000 in grants to implement recreation projects, and applications are now open for this year's funding.
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One success story from this funding is Bonner School, which revamped its playground area.
"The playground that was here, I mean, it was great, and it served a lot of kids in the Bonner community for a lot of years. But it was outdated," Bonner PTA President Annie Bahm told MTN.
Bonner students love the new and improved playground, which was funded by around $50,000 from two cycles of Missoula County’s Community Parks and Recreation Grants Program.
"It's not just for the school kids, right? It's open after hours and on the weekends and during the summertime. And it's just a really nice asset, I think, for our community and the kids to have," Bahm said.
The playground is just one piece of the renovation process.
"The second part of our project is getting some more independent components out here for the kids, including like an ADA swing. And then we're also hoping to do a volleyball court that was requested by the older students and then some basketball backboards," Bahm said.
For those with a project idea for their community in Missoula County's rural areas, applications for this year’s funding are now available.
"It can be everything from park improvements, so playground equipment, picnic tables, picnic shelters, signage, trail improvements, so fencing and tread work, and implementing new trails in parks even," Parks, Trails, and Recreation specialist Bethany Gunther detailed.
Thirty thousand dollars is the maximum that can be requested, and all awardees must match 25%.
"The applicant has approximately 16 months to complete the projects before funding expires June 1st of 2028," Gunther said.
The deadline to apply is Oct. 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
"We're just trying to improve park infrastructure out there so that community members who live in rural communities within Missoula County don't have to drive all the way into Missoula to utilize these facilities," Gunther said.
CLICK HERE for more information or to apply.
