are possible: use of flexible, minimum, and no-till crop- 

 ping systems to supplement crop-fallow systems, improv- 

 ed crop varieties for no-till crop systems, grassed water- 

 ways, windbreaks and tall wheatgrass barriers, and willow 

 plantings and alternate livestock watering systems for 

 streambank protection. 



Concerns 



Water and wind remove topsail from Mon- 

 tana's land and deposit it on other land or in lakes, 

 reservoirs, streams, and rivers. Not only is the pro- 

 ductive capability of the land that has lost the top- 

 soil reduced, but if topsoil reaches water, the 

 quality of the water is reduced. Sediment can 

 deposit biological and chemical pollutants in 

 water, further degrading water quality. 



Soil erosion control methods are available; 

 they often require short-term capital investments, 

 and mainly offer long-term capital returns. The 

 landowner is not always compensated in the short- 

 term for his erosion control installations and 

 management changes. However, the public 

 benefits from the resultant maintenance of long- 

 term soil productivity and improved water quality. 



Objectives 



A) To continue soil surveys for Montana the 

 CDD will assist CDs to secure funds for work on 

 their county soil surveys. See Part A, Objective I in 

 the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Ranchers, farmers, and forestland 

 owners will benefit from current soil surveys that 

 give data on soil depth, slope, stability, and com- 

 position. 



B) To complete soil surveys in Montana the 

 CDD will seek funds to implement the Montana 

 Soil Survey Plan. The plan, compiled by the Mon- 

 tana Soil Survey Committee, will take 18 years to 

 complete, at a cost of $525,000 annually beginn- 

 ing in Fiscal Year 1984. See Part B, Objective 2 in 

 the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Ranchers, farmers and forestland 

 owners will benefit from current soil surveys that 

 give data on soil depth, slope, stability, and com- 

 position. 



C) To help begin 2 soil erosion control pro- 

 jects. Projects will be considered in the Bitterroot, 

 Beartooth, or Headwaters Resource Conservation 

 and Development (RC&D) areas and in conserva- 



tion districts. See Part A, Objective 3 in the Work 

 Plan. 



Rationale: These RC&D areas and districts 

 have identified several projects in their resource 

 conservation plans. Critical areas identified in 

 these plans need treatment and the RC&Ds and 

 CDs are prepared to address such problems as soil 

 erosion. 



D) To increase the amount of funds available 

 for conservation projects through the Agricultural 

 Conservation and Stabilization Service Long Term 

 Agreement cost-share programs from $3,500 per 

 year to $5,000 per year, per contract. See Part B, 

 Objective 21, of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: The Long Term Agreements are 

 popular incentives for applying conservation prac- 

 tices. Often, however, the $3,500 limit does not 

 cover the cost of soil conservation installations. 



E) To increase the total amount of funds 

 available to Montana from Long Term Agreement 

 cost-share programs the CDD will request USDA 

 to make a 15 percent increase in funds. Long Term 

 Agreement funds available for Fiscal Year 1981 

 total $564,000 for the State of Montana. See Part 

 B, Objective 22, of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: The Long Term Agreements are 

 popular incentives for applying conservation prac- 

 tices; however, there are not enough Long Term 

 Agreement funds to cover costs of all proposed 

 projects. 



F) To plant and improve shelterbelts for the 

 prevention of soil erosion and the provision of 

 wildlife habitat. The CDD will encourage CDs to 

 participate in the Montana Interagency Tree or 

 Shrub Improvement Study (MITOSIS) to further 

 the use of shelterbelts. The MITOSIS program is 

 cooperatively run by the Forestry Division of 

 DNRC, the SCS, and other forestry agencies. The 

 program is intended to find superior tree and 

 shrub species for field barrier and environmental 

 plantings. CDs can assist in collecting superior 

 seed stock and finding cooperators interested in 

 running a planting test area. See Part B. Objective 

 23, of the Work Plan. 



Rationale: Many shelterbelts have been 

 removed from the Montana plains and many areas 

 have never been protected by shelterbelts. These 

 fragile areas subject to soil blowing need the pro- 

 tection such plantings can provide. Also tree and 

 shrub plantings provide wildlife habitat and if 

 planted along streams provide fish and wildlife 



8 



