EDUCATION — THE KEY TO CONSERVATIOII 

 by 

 Wilson T. Clark 



Soil and Water Conaenratlon Districts are unique organ- 

 izations. Their inportanec to the agricultural geMwth of 

 Montana is well proven. But their role In the future Is 

 even aore important. 



District Supervisors can and should be the leaders In 

 helping all Montanans — urban as well as rural ~ under- 

 stand their absolute dependence on the soil and water bas« 

 of the State. As urban representatives are elected to 

 Boards of Supervisors, and as particularly water rcaourc* 

 development progresses, the walls of aisunderstanding and 

 ignorance existing between city and farm people can b« 

 breached. 



n 



^^^^^^^k ^^^^H ^°° many city people don't recognize the land and w»t«r 



^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^B °^ '^^ State as the foundation of all else in the ecenoay. 

 ^^^^^^^^^L ^^^^H Too take for granted that water for every use will 

 ^^^^^^^* ^^^^ always be plentiful, without thought on their part. Too 

 KM. LB8LIE CRISWELL ™*"y «'^* °^^ fertile irrigated valleys as Ideal locations 

 for super highways, not recognizing the land base lost to 

 agriculture and not understanding the irreversible nature of highway construction. And too 

 ■any city people do not appreciate that urban sprawl on good farm land is a self-destructive 

 and unwise type of city growth. 



These are a few of the problems for which Supervisors need to undertake educational pro- 

 grams. Their knowledge and the knowledge of the Service technicians needs to be tapped to ^ 

 solve many urban problems, and to help urban people put land and resources In better perspec 

 tive. 



Supervisors are apt to "sell themselves short," feel Inadequate for telling the story and 

 selling the ideas, and think that their business is just tending to District management. But 

 their opportunities go far beyond this, and Supervisors have much to offer. That this is 

 true — that they have much to offer — is shown by a review of reports of educational and 

 service programs of Districts throughout the United States, as reported in the small, but 

 meaty magazine. Soil Conservation . 



Conservation has been defined as the making of intelligent choices among the competitive 

 uses of resources. Far too often the choices that are made are based on short-term galn^ or 

 are of a nature that creates further problems, or are totally irreversible. We see cases of 

 these sorts of choices everywhere. But the number of poor or unintelligent choices can be 

 reduced if people understand that choices exist, and the relative merits of each. Districts 

 through sound educational and public relations proRrams, can be (and many have been) major 

 forces for helping the public make the intelligent choices. But thev can't 4o it by hiding 

 their lights under bushels. 



Has your District made a real coraraltment to Education? Does it see its important role in 

 building public understanding? Has it tried to tap local resources and people? What speci- 

 fic programs has it carried out? Is there a feeling on your Board that you do have something 

 of great value that urban people need to know about — or do you think of yourselves as "Just 

 fanners and ranchers?" 



********** 



Editor's Note; At the annual MASWCD Meeting in Sldnev, the Women's Auxiliary agreed to supply 

 one page of each issue of Treasure Acres. The topic will be Conservation Education, in its 

 broadest sense. Mrs. Myrtle Criswell of Hysham is Chairman of this project. She is arrangli*, 

 tor a guest editor' of this page for each issue. In addition, Districts having various sucu .* 

 tul education or public relations programs should contact Mrs. Criswell, so that other Dis- 

 tricts can benefit by an exchange of information. 



