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$15 million in Superfund dollars will promote Butte, Anaconda heritage tourism

Posted: Jan 9, 2013 7:13 PM by Katy Harris KXLF News

$15 million of Superfund cleanup money will help promote a heritage tourism plan for Butte and Anaconda.

The plan is to have tourists visit historical points of interest in Butte and Anaconda while traveling to Montana National Parks.

You could see professional points of interest signs on the interstate, at entry points to the communities, and around town.

The plan is to also make sure those points of interest are accommodating with parking, bathrooms, clean sidewalks and garbage cans.

This Heritage Tourism Plan is designed to create revenue that would then be put back into preserving historic buildings and uphold the local economy.

Butte Silver Bow Historic Preservation Officer Jim Jarvis says, "The hope is ultimately to figure out a way to entice more of those travelers to come and visit Butte and Anaconda, come to understand our history and our heritage, soak up some of the atmosphere and of course spend their money along the way."

The project should get rolling this summer when the funding becomes available.

Jarvis hopes to create a heritage tourism council of local residents.