objectives 



A) To expand "outreach capacity" by 15 

 percent for education in estate planning. The CDD 

 will request the Montana Cooperative Extension 

 Service to carry out this objective. See Part B, Ob- 

 jective 36 of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: More ranchers and farmers need 

 to be educated in estate planning so they will be 

 able to keep their family operations. Often these 

 operations are sold for nonagricultural uses to pay 

 for taxes. 



SOCIO-POLITICAL CONCERNS 



Situation 



Landowners need to exercise some control over local 

 resource situations; CDs are expected to influence 

 legislators and help to meet local resource conservation 

 needs. CDs have recently acquired new responsibilities. 

 Some of these new tasks are carrying out the Natural 

 Streambed and Land Preservation Act of 1975 (SB 310), 

 acting as the local management agency to protect and 

 maintain water quality, and making and implementing 

 water reservations. The CDs may sponsor water develop- 

 ment projects under the Water Development Program. 



The CDs have long been considered agricultural in- 

 terest groups. However, with CDs' added responsibilities 

 their role is changing and they are no longer involved only 

 in agricultural activities. When examining any of the 

 districts' long-range plans it becomes clear that the CDs 

 work with a wide variety of resources. The resources 

 covered in this plan are often the resources covered by a 

 district's plan. These local level long-range plans are the 

 key to making the public aware that CDs benefit everyone 

 by protecting Montana's resources. 



Concerns 



Several problems face the CDs. They need 

 more active local leadership; another serious con- 

 cern is that their legislative authority is not being 

 used fully. Furthermore, the CDs need to expand 

 their agricultural oriented image through their 

 long-range planning activities. 



Objectives 



A) To train supervisors and CD employees for 

 their responsibilities the CDD will hold annual 

 training workshops for CD supervisors and 

 employees. See Part A, Objective 8 of the Work 

 Plan. 



Rationale: These training workshops will 

 help the supervisors to become more effective in 



managing CD programs and taking full advantage 

 of their authority. 



B) To make the public, resource agencies, 

 and legislators aware of CD projects and functions, 

 the CDD will hold a conservation education tour 

 of CD projects. See Part A, Objective 9 of the Work 

 Plan. 



Rationale: This tour will help get public sup- 

 port for CD projects and programs. 



C) To educate supervisors on operations of a 

 district the CDD will develop a procedure manual 

 for CD supervisors and CD employees. See Part A, 

 Objective 10 of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Supervisors (and CD employees) 

 need a current document that will aid them in 

 managing their programs. 



D) To plan for resource conservation on the 

 local level the CDD will assist CDs with their long- 

 range (5-year) plans by developing updated 

 guidelines for planning activities. See Part A, Ob- 

 jective 1 1 of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: CDs are authorized by law (MCA 

 76-15-402) to develop and publish comprehensive 

 soil and water conservation plans for lands in the 

 district. 



E) To facilitate a comprehensive statewide 

 resource conservation planning effort the CDD 

 will encourage the Resource Conservation Ad- 

 visory Council to pursue such an effort. See Part B, 

 Objective 37 of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Currently any resource planning is 

 fragmentary and carried out by individual agen- 

 cies. A statewide planning effort would avoid 

 duplication. 



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