The history of the Montana Chapter of the Soil Conservation Society of America parallels the National Society's development. The latter was created Nov. 11, 1941, as the American Society of Soil and Moisture Conservation. The Society was relatively inactive during World War II. Its name was later changed to the Soil Conservation Association. Finally, the membership voted in November 1945 to adopt the name of -- the Soil Conservation Society of America. The organization sent out invitations for charter members and chapters to join in 1943. In 1987 it was changed again to the Soil and Water Conservation Society.

The Montana Chapter, the sixth in the nation to be organized, was first referred to as the Bozeman Chapter because all members were in the state office of the Soil Conservation Service, located in Bozeman. The first Chapter meeting was held in July 1945 in the home of H. D. Hurd, the assistant state conservationist. Henry Lantz was elected temporary president, then was elected the first Montana Chapter president at the second meeting of the Chapter in December 1945.

The first slate of officers was elected at the December 1945 meeting and a constitution was adopted. Charter members included: Merle Brunsvold, Dave R. Cawlfield, Harold W. Cooper, James L. Doyle, Millard M. Edgmond, Lewis W. Fuller, George H. Gable, Kenneth W. Harman, Herschell D. Hurd, Larry Osburnsen, E. H. Sandberg, H. W. Riek and Philip E. Van Cleave.

In 1973 A. B. "Ave" Lindford, a Montana Chapter member of the Society, served as national president of SCSA. This provided impetus for the Montana Chapter's growth during the past decade. One of the major problems facing Chapter membership continues to be the long travel distances associated with such a large state. Some of our members are located in Libby, to the northwest, and Baker, in the southeast, a distance of more than 700 miles. However, the Chapter continues to grow in numbers, enthusiasm and influences within the conservation community of Montana.

Distances played a significant part in the Chapter membership inactivity between 1948 and 1965. The main activity of the Chapter was in eastern Montana under the leadership of H. W. Riek.

In the early '60s leadership of the Chapter divided the state into five sections, with an elected director to coordinate activities within each section. A vigorous membership drive was initiated to increase the number of members and to expand the organization beyond the membership of the Soil Conservation Service. The new organization improved communication and initiated a more direct approach to state conservation concerns. The momentum of the '60s continued to motivate members through the '70s and into the '80s. In 1987, the Montana Chapter hosted the National Soil and Water Conservation Society meeting in Billings, Montana.

Today the Montana Chapter membership is made up of more than 100 professional and non-professional people working in many phases of agriculture and natural resources. Mining and mine land reclamation, forestry, fisheries and wildlife, soil science, agronomy and water quality are only a few of the disciplines represented by the Chapter's current membership.

WINTER MEETINGS

The Chapter holds an annual winter meeting where the chapter business is handled and future meetings and activities are planned. A day-long workshop or symposium is held in conjunction with each year's winter meeting, addressing various topics and current conservation concerns to the state. Speakers are experts in their fields. They represent farming, business and the educational community within Montana and the nation. Each year the winter meeting highlights an issue of current concern to the Chapter membership.

Another highlight of each annual winter meeting is presentation of student papers. Graduate and undergraduate students from both Montana State University at Bozeman and the University of Montana at Missoula compete for cash prizes and awards. Subjects of the student papers generally relate to the theme of the winter meeting. These students bring a stimulating, new dimension to the Montana Chapter membership.

SUMMER MEETINGS

The Montana Chapter has discontinued having regular summer meetings because of lack of participation. However, they sometimes coordinate a joint summer meeting with other organizatioins like the Society of Range Management.

SPECIAL MEETINGS

One particularly successful meeting was held in Billings in March 1978. The symposium "Adequate Reclamation of Mined Lands?" was co-sponsored by the Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and North Dakota Chapters of the Society. More than 500 people attended the symposium, representing 26 states and three Canadian provinces.

In January of 2004, the Montana Chapter, in conjunction with the Wyoming Chapter of SWCS and the Big Horn Conservation District hosted the "Living With Coal-Bed Methane" workshop in Billings, Montana. More than 150 participants attended the two-day session.