A third type of agricultural land is that called "impor- 

 tant." Land in this category is of statewide or local impor- 

 tance for production of crops and forage. It includes those 

 lands that are nearly "prime" and that economically pro- 

 duce high yields of crops when treated and managed ac- 

 cording to acceptable farming methods. Some produce as 

 high a yield as prime farmland if conditions are favorable. 



As mentioned in the section on Changes in Land Use, 

 when farmers and ranchers must resort to marginal land 

 for crops and pasture, costs of production go up. It takes 

 more treatment to bring such land up to standards of pro- 

 duction comparable to those of the three best types of 

 land. Getting irrigation water to such land is often difficult 

 and expensive. This type of land could be more profitably 

 used for nonagricultural purposes. 



Concerns 



Loss of Montana's farm and range lands is a 

 critical problem that must be slowed by proven 

 methods of preserving agricultural land. 



Objectives 



A) To provide local level incentives to keep 

 productive land in production. The CDD will assist 

 CDs with the development of agricultural preser- 

 vation programs. See Part A, Objective 7 in the 

 Work Plan. 



Rationale: The rate of farmland loss in some 

 districts is so critical that the ability of farmers and 

 ranchers to maintain their operations under 

 pressure of increased costs is threatened. Programs 

 and incentives to preserve agricultural land in 

 these areas are needed. 



RECREATION 



Situation 



Montana offers many forms of dispersed recreation, 

 such as camping, fishing, photography, and nature study. 

 The state park system is extensive, now numbering 300 

 recreation sites. Both public and private lands throughout 

 Montana are important for recreation and the wildlife 

 often associated with it. But projected upswings in 

 population, complicated by increased demands on a 

 shrinking land base, are expected to reduce the land 

 available for recreation. 



Design for Tomorrow (the executive summary of the 

 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, 

 1978) developed by the Montana Department of Fish, 

 Wildlife, and Parks (DFWP) for future recreation manage- 

 ment, is based on the premise that the state's population 

 will exceed one million by 1995. The plan indicated that 

 availability of recreational resources will be jeopardized 

 by declining access to public and private lands and 

 waters. Using hunting as an example, a trend 

 documented by DFWP in 1973 and 1975 showed that 

 landowners were increasingly reluctant to admit deer 

 hunters to their land. Vandalism and damage to livestock 

 were cited as principal reasons for this attitude. Although 

 DFWP is working to improve relations between land- 

 owners and sportsmen, the problem is likely to remain. If 

 population estimates are correct, the resident hunters 

 alone could exceed current numbers of both resident and 

 nonresident hunters. DFWP defines the resulting problem 

 as "an increasing stress upon a decreasing resource 

 base." 



Part of the problem is an increase in conversions of 

 land to such uses as energy development, urban expan- 

 sion, rural subdivision, and agricultural use of marginal 

 land. These in turn reduce recreational access, wildlife 

 habitat, and water resources. Private enterprise could 

 work with agencies to develop solutions to these prob- 

 lems, as well as work cooperatively with CDs to provide 

 local recreation services. 



Concerns 



The CDD is concerned about these trends 

 because such added pressures strain the 

 capabilities of both rangeland and agricultural 

 land. The primary problem that the conservation 

 districts pointed out is related to recreation access 

 for such kinds of recreation as hunting, fishing, 

 floating, snowmobiling, and trail bicycling. 



Objectives 



A) To increase recreational access the CDD 

 will conduct an education and information pro- 

 gram on conservation easements and their benefits 

 to landowners and the public. In turn supervisors 

 will be able to encourage landowners in their 

 district to obtain a conservation easement. See Part 

 A, Objective lb of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Many district supervisors have 

 misconceptions of conservation easements; if they 



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