"SOIL AND WATER" 

 DROPPED FROM SWCD 



House Bill 540 introduced by Rep- 

 resentatives Bob Anderson, Pete Jackson, 

 Cecil Weeding, Brad Parrish and Everett 

 Snortland passed by legislature and 

 signed by Governor Anderson, amends the 

 Montana SWCD law to provide: 



(1) Changes name of "Soil and Water 

 Conservation District" to "Con- 

 servation District" and "State 

 Soil Conservation Committee to 

 "State Conservation Commission". 



(2) Changes qualifications of voters 

 for election of supervisor, pe- 

 titions, and referendums from 

 "land occupier" to "qualified 

 elector" as defined in title 23, 

 R.C.M. 1947; changes qualifica- 

 tions of voters in forming pro- 

 ject areas from "freeholder" to 

 "qua! If led elector". 



(3) Changes requirements to carry a 

 referendum for "organization of 

 a district" or impose land use 

 regulations from "65$ of votes 

 cast" to a "majority of votes 

 cast-'. 



(4) Inclusion of cities and towns 

 within a conservation district 

 to be liable for tax assessments 

 on real property at same rates 

 as rest of district except that 

 cities and towns that voted into 

 a district prior to July 1, 1971 

 can by a majority vote of the 

 city council be excluded from 

 the district. 



It is expected these changes of names 

 will better describe the function of Soil 

 and Water Conservation Districts as a lo- 

 cal agency of state government having broad 

 responsibilities and authorities in plan- 

 ning and developing all natural resources, 

 (soil, water, and related natural re- 

 source of primary concern to conserva- 

 tion districts). Developing and carrying 

 out programs of soil conservation requires 

 that programs of water conservation, grass 

 conservation, forestry, wildlife habitat, 

 and land use practices, be integrated in 

 the overall conservation district programs. 



WORK-STUDY FUNDS 

 EXIST FOR MONTANA 



It looks as though College Work-Study 

 funds will be seriously cut back for P4ont- 

 ana. Appropriations are pending in Cong- 

 ress but at a rate of funding the same as 

 at the start of the program. In the mean- 

 time many more states and schools have In- 

 creased the demand to be included in the 

 program and the same amount of money just 

 can't do the job. Montana did take ad- 

 vantage of the program at its start but 

 inasmuch as funds are allocated on a pop- 

 ulation basis funds for Montana are short. 

 Then the increased costs of employing peo- 

 ple causes fewer to be employed. 



Conservation districts will be hurt 

 by not being able to employ these students. 

 This program made it possible for districts 

 to match their limited funds to employ 

 worthy competent help especially in low 

 income rural areas to get much extra con- 

 servation work done. 



The bill to fund College Work-Study 

 is presently In the Senate. District sup- 

 ervisors should let Senators Mansfield and 

 Metcalf know of their concern for this ^ 

 p rog ram . 



# if f 



MORE CITIES AND TOWNS VOTE 

 INTO CONSERVATION DISTRICTS 



Eleven cities and towns voted favor- 

 ably in conjunction with their April 5 

 elections to be Included In conservation 

 Districts. Those voting favorable were 

 Deer Lodge, Poison, Choteau, Shelby, Kevin, 

 Bridger, Plentywood, Medicine Lake, Scobey, 

 Boulder and Whitehall. The towns of Out- 

 look and Sunburst both voted with 57$ vot- 

 ing in favor but 65$ is required. The 

 town of Fairfield was the only other town 

 voting. The voters there turned the ref- 

 erendun down decisively. 



The people of these towns now will 

 have urban supervisors representing them 

 on the district boards, and thereby have 

 a voice in developing and carrying out 

 conservation programs at the local level 

 to include service to towns as well as ^ 

 rural areas. 



