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O. M.Ueland, Editor, School of Mines, Butte, Montana 



O F F I Gl A L Kl W S B U L LET I N g 



JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1964 



3 0864 1004 5753 3 



Frank Thompson 



Your Association President Sez: At this time I'd 

 like to extend my appreciation to all of you that 

 attended the convention in Great Falls. We had the 

 largest attendance in some years to take part in an 

 Annual Convention. 



The meeting started out with a bang and you kept 

 the ball rolling at top speed. Everyone exhibited 

 a very happy smile and it was expressed in word 

 and deed. 



The resolutions that your supervisors passed, 

 pointed to the need for more legislative action. 

 This calls for more work by the supervisors them- 

 selves. Two years ago most of the supervisors 

 performed a worthy service to the association and 

 their districts by contacting their legislators before 

 the legislature convened. Before the next legisla- 

 ture meets, it will be necessary for you to work 

 with your representatives and senators again to keep 

 them informed. Best wishes for the coming year. 



,) There's one trouble with 



Russian Roulette - not enough 

 Russians are playing it. 



Governor Babcock Appoints Fred Sanborn 



Governor Babcock reappointed Fred Sanborn of 

 Great Falls to a new four year term on the State 

 Soil Conservation Committee. He was selected 

 from a list of five recommended by the MASWCD. 



The SSCC met in Helena on January 7, and re- 

 organized' Fred Sanborn was elected chairman, 

 John Schroeder, Vice Chairman, and Ole Ueland, 

 Executive Secretary. Other members are Carl 

 Hunter, and Wm. O'Ewart. Ex-office members-are 

 Torleif Aasheim, Joe Asleson, Lowell Purdy, and 

 Her shell Hurd. 



Major items of business were hearing reports and 

 discussing ways of meeting the serious noxious weed 

 problem in the State. It was decided the Executive 

 Secretary should encourage SWCD's to assist in 

 making surveys, in educational efforts to create an 

 awareness, to encourage formation of weed districts 

 and to otherwise work for control and eradication. 



Also of very serious concern was the pi'operty tax- 

 ation problem of private irrigation facilities. Lower 

 Willow Creek Drainage District Commissioners 

 and counsel, together with Attorney General, USDA 

 counsel, FHA, Montana Water Board, met with the 

 committee to discuss what approach would be best 

 to take to get relief. It was decided the committee 

 would assist in bringing this to the attention of other 

 irrigation and drainage districts, to gain support 

 for the Lower Willow Creek Drainage District to 

 take a case to the supreme court to get a declara- 

 tory judgment stating that irrigation facilities of 

 Irrigation and Drainage Districts are in effect state 

 property and therefore not subject to taxation. 



Governor Babcock visited with the committee and 

 volunteered to help as he could, and that he was 

 sincerely interested in all of our efforts^ 



Many so-called minds should be 

 closed for repairs. 



