The seminar on Friday called "Paying for the Recession — Rebalancing Montana’s Economy” held in Kalispell attracted experts and researchers from the state’s universities as well as business leaders.
Pat Barkey is an economist at the University of Montana. He said that the climate for growth has improved significantly in the last eight months, especially for energy and agriculture.
Local experts at the seminar say the regional economy has benefited from tourism, with nonresident travelers spending $232 million in Flathead County.
They cited a record 2.2 million visitors to Glacier National Park as helping boost the local economy.