Residents and local advocates urged the Ravalli County Board of County Commissioners on June 10 to press federal officials about recent layoffs and budget proposals affecting the National Institutes of Health'9s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton.

The speakers emphasized the lab'9s local economic importance and urged the commissioners to take public steps, including publishing a letter and contacting state and federal representatives.

Julie Baron Potter, a Hamilton resident, said the lab supports local jobs and incomes and warned that federal cuts threaten the community. "These figures underscore the profound impact the lab has on our local community and economy," Potter said, citing a 2023 University of Montana estimate that the lab supports about 1,500 Montana jobs, $89,000,000 in after-tax household income and $232,000,000 in annual business revenue.

Why it matters: Multiple speakers tied federal personnel and budget changes at Rocky Mountain Laboratories to household income, local business revenue and housing-market effects. Commissioners said they had not received direct federal notifications but invited residents to provide documentation and requests for information.

Key facts and public requests

- Several residents asked the board to publish a letter and contact state and federal officials to seek restoration of positions and to press for continued lab operations. Jan Smith and Eileen Hollingsworth voiced similar requests during public comment.

- Tom Tunney asked whether commissioners were aware of an NIH visit; commissioners said they had not been contacted directly and offered to try to obtain information when asked. Commissioner responses in the meeting noted they had no formal federal notice on hand.

- Becky Peters summarized news reports and an employee letter saying an administration proposal would cut the NIH budget and restructure institutes; Peters said the proposal would shrink the agency from 27 institutes toward 15 and cited a figure of $27.5 billion for a reduced NIH budget as reported by NIH employees who wrote a letter. Peters said about 300 NIH employees signed that letter.

- Several residents, including Archie Thomas, estimated local payroll impacts from recent staff reductions and urged the commissioners to act as a matter of local economic stewardship.

Commissioner and staff responses

Commissioners made no formal motion at the meeting on the laboratory issue. Commissioners said they had not yet received direct federal notifications about lab staffing and that, if constituents supply specific requests or documentation, the county office would attempt to obtain relevant information. At one point a county official said, "I can get that information for you," in response to a request for data on how many employees lost jobs.

Distinction between public comment and formal action

Speakers repeatedly requested the board produce and send a public letter to state and federal representatives; however, the transcript records no motion or vote to direct the board'9s staff to prepare or send such a letter during the June 10 meeting. The meeting record shows public comment was received and commissioners acknowledged the concerns; no formal county resolution or letter was adopted on the record.

Ending

Speakers encouraged continued engagement and asked commissioners to monitor the upcoming NIH visit and other federal developments. The meeting record shows the board accepted public comment and indicated staff would try to gather information when formally requested, but no further agenda action on the lab was recorded at that session.