Our towns and cities and rural ways of life are founded on the shoulders of Montanans working together. This sense of community is a valuable resource, one we must again nurture as Montana prepares to enter the 21st century.
Great changes are at hand.
Our populace also grows more diverse as retirees, professionals, and service providers are drawn here by Montana's inspirational landscape, spaciousness, and a quality of life many find diminished outside our borders. Together, Montanans of all walks of life must seek ways to find agreement, to equitably and effectively resolve these and other important issues. Many citizens are rising to this challenge with a renewed desire to participate in public debate, to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives. In response, the 1993 Montana Legislature awarded a grant to the Office of the Governor to encourage public participation, and to provide a forum for cooperative and innovative problem-solving, particularly regarding natural resource issues. As Governor, I hereby create The Montana Consensus Council.