Legislation of Concern to Districts 



SSCC Budget As this is T-n:atten the 



State Soil Conservation Cominittee budget 

 for the 1973 bienneuni under HB 611 has 

 been cut from that of the current 1971 

 bienneum. The committee operation pro- 

 gram of assistance to districts was cut 

 and the watershed planning program was 

 substantially cut to very modestly fund 

 the rangeland resource plan program. 

 Hopefully these cuts \n.ll be restored. 

 These district programs are really the 

 only ongoing programs that develop the 

 natural resources to broaden the tax base 

 to provide added general fund revenue to 

 the state. 



Executive Reorganization - SB 27U. This 

 bill reorganizes state govemnent into 

 19 departments has been amended by the 

 house and at present awaits senate con- 

 currence vri-th the amendments. As amended 

 a division of Conservation Districts 

 along id-th a division of IJater Resources 

 ' and a division of Forestry -vrLll be set 

 up in a Department of Natural Resources. 

 The department id.ll have a director ap- 

 'pointed by the Governor and a five man 

 Natural Resource and Conservation Cora- 

 mission appointed by the Governor. The 

 present state Soil Conservation Committee 

 will be retained as an advisoiy board to 

 the division of Conservation restricts. 

 The Fish and Game Commission and depart- 

 ment v;hich was originally set up in the 

 department of natural resources is to be 

 set up as a separate 19th state agency. 



Water Pollution Control - HB 85 which 

 passed both houses puts administration 

 of water pollution control with the de- 

 partment of health under policy guidance 

 from the board of health. A 13 man advi- 

 sory board includes appointment by the 

 governor a supervisor of a soil and water 

 conservation district, 



Ifijied Land Reclamation - SB 70 has passed 

 the senate and has been amended by the 

 housed and is in conference committee at 

 this writing. This bill provides for 

 utilization of soil materials and lists 

 the Soil Conservation Committee as one 

 of several state agencies to advise on 

 the plan of reclamation. 



Newlan Creek Meagher County Water Bistric^^ 

 HB 126 was turned down. This bill wovild ^^ 

 have provided a loan of $800,000 to the 

 district to match §1,200,000 of federal 

 funds to build a multipurpose flood contri., 

 irrigation, recreation, and stream stabil- 

 ization project, under the P.L. 566 pro- 

 gram. This means that the project idJ-l be 

 delayed and lose the construction fimds 

 which are presently authorized from federal 

 sources at this time. 



Planning & zoning - - HB 79 which will per- 

 mit county wide planning and zoning has 

 been amended and apparently will pass. 

 Soil and ''.■/ater Conservation districts will 

 have an opportunity to work with county 

 commissioners in detennining proper land 

 use an d natural resource developments. 



S.-ICD Law - - Amendments to SWCD law as pre- 

 vxded in HB 5U0 will change the name of 

 Soil and VJater Conservation Districts to 

 Conservation Districts, provide for eminent 

 domain for project areas, and include cities 

 and towns in districts to be taxed in the ^^ 

 same manners as the unincorporated areas •^p 



Environmental Policy Act - - Montana has 

 an environmental policy as a result of 

 legislation passed this sessionj this 

 shoiJ-d bring planning and activity in the 

 natural resource field into better balance. 



Taxes - - There seems to be an impasse as 

 to the best type of means of raising rev- 

 enue for state services. The democrats 

 are for raises in the income tax, the re- 

 publicans are for instituting an across 

 the board sales tax. Both are agreed on 

 property tax relief. The democrats oontrol 

 the senate and the republicans control tbe 

 house so much progress isn't made in thla 

 area. Present revenues will not provide 

 diifficient funds for the requests people 

 are making of their state government. 



To keep the peace: STOP MAKING 

 CARBON PAPER. No minister of war 

 can order his generals to start 

 and no general can order the at- 

 tack to start without the mes- 

 sages being carbon-copied at 

 least 16 times, including three 

 copies for the file and one for 

 a spy to steal. 



