The requirement that Environmental Impact statements must 

 now be made for any significant state or federal action has 

 provided additional opportunities for factual input concerning 

 the environment or habitat needs of fish and wildlife. This 

 division assists in the preparation of many of these reports and 

 also reviews and comments on others. 



Laws directed toward maintaining and improving environ- 

 mental quality in Montana include: the Environmental Quality 

 Council, established by H.B, 66; the Floodway Management Acts, 

 authorized by H.B, 265; two litter laws, S.B. 138 and H.B. 112; 

 several mine land reclamation acts, including extraordinary 

 S.B. 7, S.B. 70, and H.B. 243; new pesticide act, S.B. 126; 

 an improved stream preservation act, established by S.B. 45; 

 and an act to keep car bodies out of streams provided through 

 H.B. 22; and a vastly improved water pollution control act re- 

 sulting from introduction and passage of H.B. 85. All of these 

 laws can be made to work if all agencies of state government do 

 their share in an organized manner. 



The department's traditional role in administering the 

 Stream Preservation Act was expanded slightly by the 42nd 

 Legislative Assembly, and attention now must be given to not 

 only state agencies and subdivisions of state government, but 

 also to federal agencies proposing changes in Montana's stream 

 courses. Cooperative working arrangements are being worked 

 out now with federal agencies as well as the traditional ar- 

 rangements with the state agencies. 



