GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE 

 ON 

 MINED-LAND RECLAIfATION AND MINING LAWS 



Dean Hanson ^ Chairman of the SSCC, 

 and Carl Johnson, President of the Mont- 

 ana Association of SWCDs, each submitted 

 statements to the Governor's Conference 

 on Mined-Land Reclamation held in the 

 senate chambers November 9 & 10, 1969. 



Both men mentioned that S^il & 

 Water Conservation Districts are in a 

 position to give assistance and to de- 

 termine what conservation and restora- 

 tion practices should be carried out on 

 these strip mined coal lands and which 

 are estimated variously to essentially 

 disturb 200 to 775 sections of land 

 in eastern Montana, most of which would 

 be on privately otvned lands and therefore 

 under the jurisdiction of Soil & Water 

 Conservation Districts which have been or- 

 ganized by landowners themselves to 

 carry out programs for the protection 

 of soil, water, and related natural 

 resources. 



Coal operators and conservation 

 leaders all testified to the need for 

 reclamation. However it is obvious there 

 is difference of opinion as to need to 

 strip the topsoil for replacement on 

 the surface and the amount and kind of 

 leveling and vegetative work to be done. 



Montana's present laws are called 

 voluntary, Many conservation leaders 

 feel the law should be strengthened to 

 Insure within practical limits reclamation 

 of maximum portions of the mined surface 

 to productive use. 



*** 

 GOODYEAR CONTEST 



How many districts are row complet- 

 ing their reports for the Goodyear con- 

 test? Now is the time to gather infor- 

 mation as reports are due in February. 

 Also this is the time for supervisors to 

 review their overall district program and 

 select an Outstanding Conservation 

 Cooperator. 



IN MEMORIAM 



Soil & Water Conservation Distric^ 

 leaders were saddened to learn of the 

 death of Paul Bussinger, Antelope, Mont- 

 ana, supervisor of Sheridan County SWCD; 

 and Clyde Sandon, Ekalaka, Montana Sup- 

 ervisor of Box Elder SWCD; each passed 

 away in November. Treasure Acres extends 

 sympathy to their families. Paul and 

 Clyde were outstanding supervisors who 

 participated very faithfully in district 

 activities. 



ANNUAL WORK PLANS, REPORTS 



Plans 



It is again time for the districts 

 annual planning meetings. Many districts 

 are making plans to meet and work close- 

 ly with their city-county planning boards. 

 President Lester Grouse of Pennsylvania 

 Association sez "The planning meeting 

 should be the most serious meeting of 

 the year with Loth supervisors and coop- 

 erating agency personnel offering sug- 

 gestions on how the district can best 

 meet the challenges that will be faced ^^ 

 during the year. No district program c^f 

 be fully effective without wise planning 

 and wholehearted cooperation of everyone". 



Reports 



"Teamwork" - Pennsylvania SWCD 

 newsletter carries an article " Districts 

 Don't Make Enough Noise. " to quote "It 

 has frequently been charged that if one 

 were to stop persons on the street and 

 ask them about the local soil and water 

 conservation district, the questioner 

 v/ould be met by a blank stare, or return 

 question of 'soil and water what?' Rela- 

 tively few people are aware of the exist- 

 ence of a district and even fewer know of 

 district accomplishments. This ignor- 

 ance on the part of the public is lament- 

 ably, not so much the failure of a dist- 

 rict to have achieved some noteworthy 

 attainment in the field of conservation 

 as it is the districts failure to do a 

 little appropriate shouting. Modesty 

 may be a great virtue but in this 

 race it can also be harmful. 



-A- 



