STATE RECREATION PLAN 



Bob Coonejr, Chief Recreation Planner, reported 

 to the Executive ConBidttee of RAD recently that 

 the Recreation Plan, which his Department assem- 

 bled with the assistance of material gathered 

 from the various sources, has been approved by 

 the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. 



Land and Water Conservation Funds can be used 

 by cities, counties, and State agencies. Funds 

 alloted must be related to need as expressed In 

 the state-wide recreation plan. 



Nearly $1,000,000 of matching funds are avail- 

 able from this source for fiscal 1966-67. 



Cooney stated that they Intend to distribute 

 250 copies of the plan to cooperating groups 

 and agencies. The plan consists basically of 

 and Inventory and statements as to: 1) Supply; 

 2) Demand; and 3) Needs. Putting the plan to 

 work Is now the test. Cooney described the 

 plan as a living thing and that additions ana 

 changes will always be needed. The Bureau of 

 Outdoor Recreation has given his department 

 until March, 1967 to up-grade this plan. 



Cooney reported tnat many cities and counties 

 throughout Montana have already made applica- 

 tion for various kinds of recreational develop- 

 ments. In time, a problem of developing cri- 

 teria and setting priorities will have to be 

 made. 



Soil & Water Conservation Districts, with the 

 assistance of Technical Action Panels, have 

 contributed to this plan by naking an inventory 

 of private recreational businesses and enter- 

 prises in each county in Montana. It is an- 

 ticipated that the Soil 6. Water Conservation 

 Districts, Technical Action Panels and Fish 

 and Game Department will team up to review and 

 up-date these inventories and make plans for 

 their use and distribution. 



BITTF-RROOT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT RECEIVES 

 APPROVAL 



AREA BOUiroARY CHAMGES BEING MADE 



Beginning January 1, Soil Conservation Service 

 is reducing the number of their service areas 

 in Montana from seven to six. 



This means a change in boundaries and many 

 districts will find their service coming from 

 a different area office. 



The MASWCD voted to change their boundaries 

 to conform to the Soil Conservation Service 

 boundaries. However, present Directors will 

 serve out their terms. 



The absent-minded professor who went to mow 

 the iawn with a carpet sweeper wasn't half as 

 embarrassed when he discovered his mistake as 

 was the school teacher who smiled and spoke eery 

 friendly to a gentleman and then discovered that 

 she didn't know him. By way of an explanation 

 she said, " Oh pardon me sir, I thought you were 

 the father of one of my children". 



The RC&D Application of the Bitterroot and 

 Missoula Counties is one of 10 approved by the 

 USDA in the United States under recent congress- 

 ional appropriations. 



W. P. "Buster" Dufour, Granite County Work 

 Unit Conservationist, has been named by the SCS 

 as Project Coordinator. 



The RC&D Project will plan the area's total 

 resource development using the facilities of 

 local, state, and federal agencies. It is an- 

 ticipated the work plan will include production 

 studies, processing of agricultural commodities, 

 marketing of fruits and vegetables, checking 

 opportunities for feed lot or packing plants, 

 valley-wide weed control, improved recreation, 

 and accelerated conservation on individual farms 

 and ranches. Developing water resources for 

 flood prevention, agricultural use, industrial 

 and municipal use, and recreation utilization 

 will be included in the plan. 



RC&D is a "Project" approach toward carrying 

 out a comprehensive plan. 



STATE SOIL CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING 



A highlight of the State Soil Conservation 

 Committee meeting held in Havre prior to the 

 Montana Association of Soil & Water Conservation 

 Districts Annual Meeting, was the presentation 

 by local ranchers of an application for a 

 Watershed Project on Newlan Creek in Meagher 

 County. This would be primarily an irrigation 

 project involving water storage of about 

 10,000 acre feet. 



The Committee also toured the proposed Beaver 

 Creek Watershed Project in Hill County. This 

 is primarily a recreation-irrigation-flood 

 control project. 



The State Soil Conservation Committee is 

 negotiating with the Montana Water Conservation 

 Board and the Montana Fish & Game Department 

 for working agreements (Memorandums of Under- 

 standing), which v7ould be of value to Soil and 

 Water Conservation Districts. 



