The Bozeman Brief

Complete coverage of Bozeman city government.

Board provides extensive feedback on Urban Forest Management Plan preliminary draft, focuses on canopy goals and implementation details
Urban Parks and Forestry Board

Board provides extensive feedback on Urban Forest Management Plan preliminary draft, focuses on canopy goals and implementation details

The Urban Parks and Forestry Board spent much of its July 23 meeting reviewing a 100-plus-page preliminary draft of the city's 10-year Urban Forest Management Plan, pressing consultants and staff on how aggressive canopy coverage goals would be funded and implemented, and whether the plan adequately addresses tree protection in new development.

July 23, 2026
Cemetery expands cremation options as ash burial project progresses
Urban Parks and Forestry Board

Cemetery expands cremation options as ash burial project progresses

The Urban Parks and Forestry Board heard that Sunset Hills Cemetery has shifted dramatically toward cremations over three decades and is nearing completion of a veterans cemetery project that will offer in-ground ash burial lots by fall. The 73-acre facility has sufficient land to meet demand for the foreseeable future.

June 25, 2026·Listen · 6:12
Urban Parks and Forestry Board

Board reviews master plan for 3.5-mile Cattail Creek Corridor Park trail

The Urban Parks and Forestry Board heard details about a proposed shared-use trail connecting existing parks along Cattail Creek from Valley Center Drive to Bozeman Pond Park. The plan prioritizes native vegetation restoration and community gathering spaces, with initial construction funding from development fees and federal grant opportunities.

May 28, 2026·Listen · 5:26
Urban Parks and Forestry Board

Parks and Forestry Board approves 2026-27 work plan unanimously

The board aligned five focus areas with proposed projects including the Cattail Creek corridor anchor route and updates to the Urban Forest Management Plan. Preliminary findings show ash trees have declined significantly in the city's public tree canopy since 2016.

April 23, 2026·Listen · 7:12
Urban Parks and Forestry Board

Parks board approves urban forest update plan with added review session

The Urban Parks and Forestry Board unanimously backed a community engagement strategy for updating the city's forest management plan, adding a fifth work session to allow better review of public feedback. The board also approved the Bikeville Community Park master plan after confirming environmental protections will be in place.

March 26, 2026·Listen · 10:36

About The Bozeman Brief

The Bozeman Brief is the fastest way to keep up with Bozeman city government. Each week we transcribe and summarize every public meeting of the City Commission and its 13 advisory boards, then publish short conversational recaps so residents, journalists, and business owners can stay current without spending their evenings watching hours of council video.

Coverage is automated using the CivicCast AI platform — a podcast episode, written article, draft minutes, and searchable transcript are generated from each meeting within 24 hours. We link back to the source video and official agenda on bozeman.net so you can always verify the details.

What we cover

  • City Commission — regular and special meetings, budget hearings, and votes on ordinances and resolutions.
  • Community Development Board & Planning Commission — zoning changes, subdivision review, and land-use policy that shapes how Bozeman grows.
  • Transportation & Sustainability Boards — Streamline bus service, bike infrastructure, and climate-plan implementation.
  • Historic Preservation, Parks, Library, and other advisory boards — the full slate of citizen committees that advise the City Commission.
  • Downtown BID & URD — downtown economic development, streetscape, and parking.

Recurring topics include affordable housing, short-term rentals, growth policy updates, water-supply planning, and capital improvement projects. If it happens in a Bozeman public meeting, we cover it.

Why we built this

Local journalism has thinned out everywhere, and most residents don't have time to watch three-hour meetings. The Bozeman Brief turns those meetings into accessible audio so civic information stays within reach. It's not a substitute for the Bozeman Daily Chronicle — it's a complement, giving you the raw civic record in podcast form.

New episodes drop within 24 hours of each meeting. Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or follow the RSS feed.