Stopping the subdivision of wildlife habitat and commercial forest land 

 depends on State and local laws and their enforcement. However, techni- 

 cal assistance in identifying critical wildlife habitat and productive 

 capability of lands before they are subdivided is available from the Soil 

 Conservation Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and 

 Montana Department of Fish and Game. 



Land treatment to reduce erosion and sediment production can be acceler- 

 ated under Public Law 46 (Agricultural Conservation Program) for non- 

 Federal lands and under Forest Service programs for National Forest 

 lands. Emergency flood prevention funds are often used in rehabilitating 

 critical areas of streambank erosion. More pressure is being brought to 

 bear by Section 208 water quality management studies to prevent nonpoint 

 pollution from sediment. Again much of the burden for land treatment to 

 prevent erosion and sediment production rests with private landowners, 

 county road departments, cities, and Montana Department of Highways. 



Protection of riparian vegetation on private lands depends on local and 

 State laws. The Soil Conservation Service and Forest Service can advise 

 private owners on the logic of protecting vegetation on those lands and 

 the Forest Service can protect riparian lands on the National Forest 

 under ongoing programs. 



A certain amount of natural beauty of open and green space can be 

 preserved on National Forest lands and design requirements for utility 

 lines and roads can be enforced on those lands by Forest Service 

 programs. Similar control on private lands would require State and local 

 action. 



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