, WATER COXSERVANCY DISTRICTS cont. ) 

 •1 finance medium sized water projects and to 

 . oUect from each of the various types of water 

 . . iieficiai-ies by special assessments and thru 

 rxxation. 

 AS the situation is now the Montana Water Con- 

 servation Board, which is a construction agency, 

 is able to collect only from irrigation water 

 users, and these cheaper to build projects have 

 been pretty much con structed. To continue 

 to build water projects, other users who benefit 

 would be asked to pay pai-t of the cost. The 

 recreationist and the businessman on main 

 street could contribute through taxation, or special 

 assessments; Flood control and industrial uses 

 could be collected for. 



This type of district could also be used to 

 implement the use of P.L. 566 of USDA and the 

 Small Projects Act of Bureau of Reclamation 

 as well as our ouwn Montana Water Conservation 

 Board. 



Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors 

 in Montana need to take a good look at a type 

 Water Conservancy District that can better meet 

 our needs, to get legislation written in such a 

 way that duplication is avoided, etc. 



REPORT ON NACD PUBLIC LANDS COMMITTEE ^ 



By Art Christensen 

 "Progress in Using Available Tools in Achieving 

 Coordinated Resource Development" was the 

 central theme of the meeting of the NACD Public 

 Lands Committee held July 26 - 28 in Alturas, 

 California. O. M. Ueland of Butte and Art 

 Christensen of Dillon represented Montana. 



The Public Lands Committee's main function 

 is to promote and support a development and 

 management program for the nearly two billion 

 acres of public land in the U.S. This Committee 

 recognized that these lands constitute an important 

 and vital part of the wealth and heritage of the 

 American people. Public as well as private land 

 should be protected and managed in a manner that 

 will enable these lands to contribute their greatest 

 potential to the economy of the nation. 



Representatives from the eleven western states 

 work together on this common goal in cooperation 

 with the several land manning agencies. 



Representatives from eleven State and Federal 

 agencies were present at the Alturas meeting. 

 Each explained their program and how it would fit 

 into the overall program. 



The all important factor of putting our water to 

 beneficial use before it is lost to down stream 

 users is probably the greatest need and incen- 

 tive to have this type of tool available. 



DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR SAYS NO 

 TO SUSPENDING 160 ACRE LIMITATION 



On July 28, Senator Mete alf and Congressman 

 Olsen met with Assistant Secretary of Interior 

 Holum and others, regarding the proposal of 

 SWCDs in the Watershed above Cayon Ferry 

 "to suspend the excess land provision of the 

 Federal Reclamation Laws to lands in the frain- 

 age area above Canyon Ferry Project", and were 

 advised that the Department of Interior would not 

 support such a proposal. 



The only concession that seemed possible would 

 be to obtain legislation that would provide for the 

 historical 160 acre limitation, "or its equivalent in 

 Class one land. " 



Olsen and Metcalf were advised that nowhere 

 in the nation has the 160 acre limitation been 

 removed. There is precedent only for the 

 proposal to use the language or the system of 

 permitting a larger acreage by creating class- 

 ification of land. 



Congressman Olden and Senator Metcalf and 

 Interior people will meet with the State Com- 

 mittee and local people concerned in Dillon 

 th(^ middle of September to decide the next step 

 lo lake. 



The group was in general agreement that a new 

 "C. C. C. " program was needed. This alphabetical 

 designation would stand for COOPERATION, 

 COORDINATION, COMMUNICATION. It was pointed 

 out that 2,200 counties and 44 states have special 

 planning groups for community development. 



The "Grass Roots Inventory of Conservation Needs" 

 for all the lands in the eleven Western States is 

 nearing completion Some areas of the report 

 need adjustment and reappraisal. When the report 

 is complete it will be a valuable tool to be used in 

 planning our overall land use policy. It was felt 

 that this report would have its greatest value at the 

 local level, and districts are urged to review and 

 refer to it often. 



The second day of the meet included a toiu: of the 

 Surprise Valley and Vya Soil Conservation 

 District renewal project of California and Nevada. 

 This scenic area is an excellent example of States 

 and Districts working together for the overall 

 development of an area. Modoc County of California 

 is similar to much of Montana. A 100 day growing 

 season, 10 - 13 inch rainfall, 5,000 ft. elevation, 

 and a beef cattle industry are characteristics of the 

 area. 



"Have you any children, Mr. 

 Smith ?" "Yes — three." 



"Do they live at home with 

 you ?" 



"Not yet, they're still unmar- 

 ried." 



