Of^WENTION SI ORY 



Frank Thompson 

 giving president I 

 Report 



Dr. Leo Johnson 

 Pres. M.S.C. 

 Giving Banquet 

 Speech 



John Schroeder 

 giving State Soil 

 Conservation 

 Committee Report 





The Annual Meeting of the MASWCD in Lewistown 

 was fruitful in many ways. Enthusiasm was 

 evident in all committee meetings. Those who 

 attended came away with a feeling of accomplish- 

 ment. Old friendships were renewed and new 

 friendships made by everyone. 



One of the most interesting aspects of the con- 

 vention was a talk given by Mollis Williams, 

 Deputy Administrator of the Soil Conservation 

 Service in Washington, D.C. In his talk, he 

 covered the Watershed Program. He emphasized 

 that SWCD's should keep control of these develop- 

 ments. 



On the subject of Conservancy Districts and 

 Watershed Improvement Districts, Mr. Williams 

 wai-ned that the local people should be working 

 together and organize themselves so this is 

 possible. He stated: "I feel at this moment in 

 time every district has an unparalleled opportunity 

 to become the resource development leader of 

 every community in the land, with wider powers 

 to make decisions and to act, but this will not just 

 happen." "The district, in my opinion, must 

 decide if they will take on some broader powers 

 of responsibility; if not, there will be improvement 

 district, conservancy districts, or whatever you 

 want to name them, that will rise up in power and 

 assume the responsibilities that will submerge 

 your activity. " "As a tribute that I have paid and 

 with the analysis that I have given with the 

 specialists that you have had and the rest that 

 you command, I don't believe there is any other 

 group that can handle these broader responsibilities 

 as well or as good as you without a quarter of a 

 century of experience. A Board of Supervisors is 

 to the soil and water conservation districts is 

 about what a school board is to a school district. " 



"Now, let's don't be weak; let's face up to the 

 need and Lord goodness this is going to vary 

 in degree and a lot oi judgement has got to be 

 exercised and that's something you can't buy 

 over the counter, judgment. I hope the soil 

 conservation district supervisor will not detain 

 to take on these larger responsibilities. " 



Dr. Leon Johnson, President of Montana State 

 College, was the banquet speaker. Dr. Johnson 

 told those in attendance that conservation doesn't 

 necessarily mean conserving something in the 

 historical manner. Rather, he said, conserva- 

 tion also means exploitation of resources in an 

 intelligent manner. "Exploitation," he said, 

 "can mean conservation since it can eventually 

 result in the fruition of our hopes and desires 

 for making Montana the great state it is destined 

 to be. " 



He said that statewide studies must be conducted 

 on our river and stream resources because 

 "Water is the lifeblood of Montana. Montana has 

 three great raw materials which must be exploited, 

 he said, and these are water, recreation and 

 youth. " 



An outstanding panel was made up of Don Ryerson, 

 Extension Range Specialist, John Reichel, Great 

 Falls Banker, Carl W. Bell, President of Montana 

 Chamberof Commerce, Jim Moore, Two Dot 

 Rancher, and Art Christensen who represented 

 Homer Turner of the Plant Foods Association, 

 and Gordon Holte, SWCD Supervisor, panel 

 moderator. 



Many examples of the way conservation and de- 

 velopment of soil and water and related renewable 

 resources were well illustrated. This panel 

 represented various facets of the economy: the 

 stockgrower, the businessman, the banker, the 

 educator and the technician. (Cont. Page 6) 



