"From Prairie Dogs to Bulltrout: Impacts of the Endangered Species Act on Montana Agriculture" will be the topic for the Montana Chapter of SWCS Annual Conference. The conference will be held May 1 & 2, 2002 at the Holiday Inn in Great Falls.

Pre-registration is due April 12, 2002. The cost for registration is:

Registration for the conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1 with the conference opening at 10:00 a.m.

A draft agenda is being developed featuring concurrent session topics, a producer panel, and the national and state perspective on the Endangered Species Act.

Wednesday evening will feature a no-host social and a silent auction. The conference will end at noon on Thursday, May 2.

Please mark your calendars for May 1 & 2. If you have questions regarding silent auction items, please contact Rhonda Knudsen at 787-5232 ext. 117.

Due to the change in the Chapter's Annual Meeting date, the upcoming election will be handled as a separate mailing in January 2002.

Board of Directors positions that are up for reelection are:

This is a great opportunity for anyone in those areas (see map below) to get more involved in the Chapter's activities. Anyone interested in nominating himself or herself or another member can contact Past President Warren Kellogg at (406) 444-4490.

PRINTS FOR SALE Area directors and other executive officers are selling the wildlife print (shown here) by Laurel Ovitt first made available at the 1997 annual meeting as a fundraising tool. The prints sell for $25.00 unframed, $40.00 framed, $22.32 of which is tax deductible. The numbered prints are a part of a planned series devoted to a conservation theme. To buy a print, contact your local officer.

December 2001 Newsletter - Page II
Montana Chapter Officers - 2001 and Mission Statement
Montana Chapter SCSA Section Map
A History of the Montana Chapter
Past Newsletters
Soil and Water Conservation Society Fact Sheet
Membership Form
Montana Chapter SWCS Endowment Fund
Soil and Water Conservation Society (National)
RECOMMENDED LINKS

Sign Our Guestbook

View Our Guestbook

-----------------------------252172859627407 Content-Disposition: form-data; name="userfile"; filename="dec012.html" Content-Type: text/html

MONTANA CHAPTER

DECEMBER 2001 Page II

PAUL BROWN: His Legacy Lives On by Dan McLean, Treasurer Paul Lawson Brown, retired USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Soil Scientist, and volunteer weather observer at Montana State University (MSU) died suddenly November 28, 2001, at the age of 83. Paul was transferred to MSU in Bozeman in 1956 and became a member of the Soil and Water Conservation Society at that time. He invented the Brown Soil Moisture Probe and patented it in1958. Among his many accomplishments, he was a leader in research on the management and control of saline seep in the Northern Great Plains. After his retirement from the USDA-ARS in 1983, he also did consulting work on saline seep in Alberta, Canada, and in Australia. Three professional societies honored him with their highest reward, that of Fellow: Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomists, and the SWCS. The Montana Chapter nominated Paul for this award in 1989.He was also honored with MSU's highest recognition, the Blue and Gold Award in 1985. Paul was very involved in the SWCS Montana Chapter activities through the 1970s and 1980s and continued his membership to the present. Paul Brown was a prolific researcher, authoring well over 100 publications, and an inspirational leader. His legacy lives on in his research that continues to benefit Montana agriculture. © 1997 the Santalady

DIRECTOR SPOTLIGHT - Southwest Director, Ed Musser I have been a member of SWCS - Montana Chapter for 21 years. I joined SWCS when I was working in Eastern Montana as a rural planner and continued my membership after switching to my current line of work in agricultural finance. I am in my second term on the Chapter Board of Directors, and have also served on the SWCS Professional Development Committee, 2001 Annual Meeting Planning Committee, and on various Chapter committees. I am currently employed as the Branch Manager for the Bozeman office of Northwest Farm Credit Services, an agricultural financial services cooperative. My community activities include serving as President of the Bozeman Planning Board, member of the Gallatin Valley Chamber Agriculture Committee, and Boards of Directors of the Lewis & Clark Marathon and Bozeman Area of Chamber of Commerce. When not working, I enjoy trail running (slowly), fishing (rarely catching), gardening, and mountain biking.

December 2001 Newsletter Page III

Back to Main Page

NEW MEMBERS The Chapter would like to welcome the following new members: Wibaux Conservation District Rob Johnson - Hamilton Members in these areas should be sure to welcome these new members and encourage them to become active in the Chapter's activities. © 1997 the Santalady

2002 NORTHERN PLAINS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP by Dave Heilig, President Myron Senechal, Regional Director for SWCS announced that there will be a Leadership Development Workshop held in Spearfish, SD, on March 8-9, 2002. The workshop is for all local chapter leadership. A special feature of this year's workshop is the attendance of Craig Cox, Executive Director of the parent Society. He will be making a presentation on Society activities that most assuredly will revolve around the 2002 Farm Bill. In addition, the workshop will focus on chapter development and individual leadership enhancement. Anyone who would like to attend this workshop can contact Dave Heilig at (406) 522-4020.

The Montana Smart Growth Coalition is very concerned about the loss of agricultural land in the "sprawling" parts of Montana. These fertile farming areas have been important historically and economically and are being threatened by rapid growth and development. Agriculture is still the largest industry in Montana, generating $2.3 million in revenue last year. Of Montana's 93 million acres, nearly 60 million acres is agriculture. However, Montana has lost over 7.5 million acres of agricultural land in the last five decades. The number of farms has also declined from 37,200 farms in 1950 to 27,500 farms in 1998. The fewer agricultural products that we produce in state the more we will be forced to import from abroad. Not only is our agriculture important for generating revenues at the state level, it is an essential source of funds for city and county governments. Farms pay local governments more that they demand in services where as subdivisions demand more in services than they pay in taxes. For example, in Gallatin County, for every dollar farmlands generate, they only cost the county $0.25 in services. Residential areas demanded $1.45 in services for each dollar that they pay in taxes. By promoting the USDA Conservation Programs that involve easements, the Montana SWCS Chapter can help protect our agricultural heritage. Several government programs are available to help farmers and ranchers stay in the agricultural industry. The Farmland Protection Program can help purchase development rights close to market value, with easement restrictions that simply prevent development. The Wetland Reserve Program can pay for easements on altered wetlands and create habitats that allow the producer to explore opportunities like fee hunting and fishing. As members of SWCS, we can work with local Land Trusts and others in developing alternatives for ag producers that would help them evaluate their options and conserve agricultural lands for future generations.

Montana Chapter members have the option of receiving a hard copy of the newsletter in regular mail, email or by accessing the Chapter's web site. If anyone would prefer not to receive a hard copy in regular mail, the newsletter editor will send you an email version, or inform you when a new edition is posted on the web. Please email your preferences to: <ssakaye@mt.usda.gov >

Back to Main Page