fecreation and Wildlife - Frank Thoir>pson - >1ACD has established a 

 major standing committee to handle district programs in the area of recreation 

 and wildlife. The general policy of this committee is to respond to pressure 

 in a logical, responsible manner with proper concern given to the landowners 

 and agriculture. We feel recreation can be of great value to our state and 

 the local community with proper planning. Little conflict of interest should 

 arise. In addition, it is our contention that the rural people are true 

 environmentalists and should be considered as such when wildlife plans and 

 programs are developed. 



Farm Forestry - Don Naegeli - I recently attended a meeting of the 

 Woodland Council in Helena. We discussed a variety of subjects including 

 forest practices, extension .publications , insects, timberland taxation, 

 incentive forestry program, subdivision and water pollution control. 



MACD Councilman - Carl Johnson - The Annual NACD Council Meeting was held 

 in Houston, Texas during the Conservation District's National Convention. 



Major items of business that were considered included the approval of 

 the actions of the National Board of Directors during 197 3, confirming the 

 election of National Directors and acting on many resolutions of national and 

 regional concern. 



Major resolutions that generated considerable debate were relocation of 

 offices by USDA, the return of national land use legislation for field hearings 

 and the new RECP cost-sharing program. 



DISTRICT DOINGS 

 F ergus County CD - Metro reported that District personnel are working on 

 conservation planning now. The District office has been helping many 

 cooperators complete Form 600 for water rights permits to the Water 

 Resources Division. 



Dawson CD - Dick Powell, Hank Lille jord, Keith Warrenburg, all of the 



1st Security Bank, were in attendance to discuss what could be done 



about grasslands being broken up and the economic affects of it. In 



some cases, the livestock enterprise may be affected. In some cases these 



lands may be susceptible to erosion hazards. Try to get people to check on 



their soil surveys before breaking up grasslands. Getting some articles in 



major farm magazines was suggested. A tour on farmland was suggested. 



Smaller meeting in local areas was suggested. 



Valley CD - The town of Opheim recently voted into the Conservation District. 



The new Supervisors, Donald Potter and Gordon Crandall, were welcomed as 



new Board members and signed the Oath of Office. 



Park CD - The Board plans to incorporate the Goodyear Awards Report in their 

 Annual Plan of Work for 1974. 



Judith Basin CD - The Board of Supervisors have sponsored two RC&D organiza- 

 tional meetings in Stanford and attended other meetings in Lewistown. Dr. 

 Allen B. Jergo , CES , working with the Bitterroot RC&D Project spoke at the 

 last meeting. He told of the project activity in the Bitterroot and the 

 goals and policies of RC&Ds. There is a lot of interest in multi-county 

 RC&D projects in central Montana. 



FORESTRY INCENTIVES - Don Drummond, Forestry Div/ision, DNRC 



The federal government is intensifying its efforts to help increase the 

 production of wood products from small privately owned forest land tracts under 

 the new Forestry Incentives Program sponsored by the Agricultural Sta±)ilization 

 and Conservation Service through the state forestry organizations. 



The Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) will apply in designated counties. 

 Money has been earmarked by the federal government to be used specifically for, 

 and only for, incentive payments for approved forest improvement practices on 

 private forest tracts of less than 500 acres. Non-designated counties will 

 offer cost-sharing under the Rural Environmental Conservation Program. 



Information pertaining to cost-sharing practices will soon be available 

 from local Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service offices, local 

 Agricultural Extension Service Offices, and local Forestry Division and Con- 

 servation District Offices. 



MONTANA ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS Non-Proflt Org. 



. ,. U.S. Postage Pd , 



421 Mitchell Building - Helena, Montana 59601 (Return Postage Guaranteed; Permit No. 171 



Butte, Montana 



^^ ' TrcasDre|| 



526CI 



