REPORT ON STATE SOIL CONSERVATION 

 COMMIT EE MEETING 



The State Soil Conservation Committee 

 met in Lewistown June 22 - 23. The 

 Basic Memorandum of Understanding 

 Agreement form was approved for use 

 by districts in requesting assistance from 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 

 These forms will be distributed by the 

 Executive Secretary as soon as a supply 

 is printed. The Committee urges dis- 

 tricts to enter into this new agreement 

 which offers assistance in other Conser- 

 vation activities such as water, recreation, 

 watershed, wildlife, etc., as well as 

 soil. Districts will be expected to raise 

 and update their long term Conservation 

 Program. A strong desire was voiced 

 for the need for a Supplemental Memor- 

 andum of Understanding between districts 

 and ASCS to better clarify each others 

 responsibilities and assistance to one 

 another in the Conservation field. Ex- 

 ecutive Secretary was directed to work 

 on this- 



State Lands - It was suggested supervisors 

 can and should accept more responsibility 

 in promoting Conservation on these lands 

 and to help the State Land Board in prob- 

 lems they have in this connection. It was 

 suggested that Mons Teigen, Commissioner 

 of State Lands, meet with the board regu- 

 larly with the view of coordinating efforts. 

 State Law is broad in its statement that 

 districts promote and coordinate Soil 

 & Water Conservation on all lands within 

 their boundaries. 



Roadside Seeding : Joe Asleson explained 

 that the Highway Department have asked 

 for specifications on grass seeding. He 

 also stated that the Highway Department 

 is authorized by law to spend 5% of their 

 funds for research. Negotiations are in 

 process now to get researcn m now to 



seed roadsides. Montana has varied con- 

 ditions. The Committee asked the Secre- 

 tary to follow up on this, encourage 

 experiment station to study, encourage 

 supervisors to talk with County Commiss- 

 ioners. The opportunity to harvest hay 

 from roadsides should be explored. The 

 Highway Department reports no contracts 

 have been let this year for seeding sec- 

 ondary roads pending agreements with 

 County Commissioners. Contracts for 

 seeding Primary Roads are quite involved 

 Big Sandy and Choteau Districts would 

 like to get roadside seeding contracts. 

 Federal funds cannot be used by local 

 governments for work they do themselves 

 must be contracted to private enterprise. 



Soil 

 is 

 gone 

 but 

 taxes 



go 

 on - 



Keith 

 Duncan 



Joplin. 

 Montana 



Range Management problems and ways of 

 getting to ranchers with information was 

 discussed. . Joe Asleson stated bulletins 

 were actually very ineffective. Pete 

 Jackson stated that meeting with ranchers 

 in cost return meetings and the setting up 

 of certain ranchers (with their permission) 

 as examples, was probably the best way to 

 get improvements in range management. 

 The work of Bob Ross, SCS; Carl Parker 

 of Extension, and others were cited as 

 good examples of interesting ranchers in 

 better Range Management and should be 

 expanded 



Tree Planting Program - Use of Field 

 Windbreaks are still controversial in 

 Montana but much promise is being shown 

 with single row plantings. Districts should 

 be encouraged to take on tree planting pro- 

 jects. 



Gas & Oil Commission - Carl Hunter stated 

 that an investigation has to be done, some 

 action should be taken, in which the Gas & 

 Oil Commission is allowing flooding of 

 oil wells to deplete fresh water supplies 

 and contaminate others. It was suggested 

 the Association bring pressure on legisla- 

 tors to get funds for State Engineer to ad- 

 minster Underground Water Code to 

 suggest this to MASWCD directors. This 

 would help get investigation. 



Change of Name approved - Reserve Soil 

 and Water Conservation District application 

 was approved to change their name to 

 Sheridan County Soil and Water Conserva- 

 tion District. All districts have made 

 application to change their name to include 

 "Water". 



State Committee Budget - At the request 

 of directors of Montana Association SWCD, 

 the committee agreed to submit a supple- 

 mental budget for Aid to Districts, This 

 money if appropriated is to be used for 

 Administrative expenses of districts, 25% 

 such seems to be distributed to each dis- 

 trict on a basis of number of operator s» 

 and 75% of such seems on a basis of needs 

 as determined by the State Committee. 



Watershed Applications were received and 

 approved for the following: Shotgun Water- 

 shed in Roosevelt County which involves 

 90 operators and 250,000 acres. Whitehall 

 Watershed which is primarily a 6, 000 acre 

 drainage project and involves 30 farmers. 

 An application for Crooked Creek in Carbon 



County and Wyoming was referred to 

 Wyoming authorities. 



