| MONTANA CHAPTER | DECEMBER 1999 Page II |
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GOOD LUCK DALLAS!
Dallas Johannsen, a long time member of the Montana Chapter is moving to Lusk, WY, where he has accepted a NRCS District Conservationist position. Dallas has been very active in the Chapter, having served as Secretary, Area Director, President and Past President. Most recently Dallas has been the contact for the Chapter's Endowment Fund. We wish Dallas the best of luck in his new position.
INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST The following Internet addresses may be of interest to out members. Unless indicated, all URL's start with http://www.
water.montana.edu/WaterNet/watershed/default.htm
sca-inc.org
BUFFER CONFERENCE Fifty-five people attended the Chapter's Annual Conference "New Directions in Buffers: Common Sense Conservation" held in Billings November 8-9, 1999. "It was one of the best SWCS meetings I've been to," said Geri Sullivan, a conference participant. "The speakers were excellent and provided very timely information". Shirley Gammon, NRCS State Conservationist, gave a Montana perspective on buffers, stating that buffers should be only one of the tools that are used in overall conservation planning. From a national perspective, Jerry Lemunyonk, NRCS Nutrient and Management Specialist in Texas, told the audience that the most important aspects of buffer success are design, installation and maintenance. John Judson, an lowa producer and private watershed group coordinator, described a local program to promote conservation buffers. His project used local Future Farmers of America (FFA) groups to promote conservation buffers to producers. John's program provided producers with economic incentives through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) continuous signup and the Monsanto Company's Green Stripe Program to provide. "Landowners are willing to make changes on the farm that have a positive impact on the community" John stated. Concurrent sessions included technical information on streamside buffer zones, grazing management in riparian areas, nutrient and pest management, upland buffers, confined animal feeding operations, and conservation tillage.
WHOOPS, SORRY KAREN! In the last issue of the Montana SWCS newsletter, an article summarizing the events at the National SWCS Conference in Biloxi, MS was included. A major omission was made! Karen Reiter, a member of the Montana SWCS Chapter, gave a presentation on carbon sequestration in one of the concurrent sessions. Karen did a great job, both with her presentation and as a representative of our Chapter.
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SILENT AUCTION PROCEEDS
The Silent Auction held during the social at the Buffer Conference was the most profitable ever. This year we collected $415 for scholarships. Thanks to all those people who donated auction items and to Rhonda Knudsen for organizing the auction!
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The Chapter would like to welcome the following new members:
Mike Artmaan - Missoula
Members in those areas should be sure to welcome these new members and encourage them to become active in the Society's activities.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE By Warren Kellogg Well.. I'm nearing the midpoint of my two-year term as the Montana SWCS Chapter President. It's been a busy year to say the least. I'd like to list a few of things that the Montana Chapter has done over the last year. Our Chapter just recently hosted a statewide Buffer Conference in Billings. It was good to see many of you there. The information and speakers were excellent! We have also cosponsored a number of other events during 1999. Here are just a few of them:
We are now thinking about activities to include in our Chapter Work Plan for the Year 2000. We need your ideas and involvement! If there are resource issues or events that you think our Chapter should be involved in, let someone on the Executive Board know. We also need your talent and expertise. Organizing some of our Chapter's activities takes a lot of time and creativity. Please, get involved if you aren't already! It will only make our Chapter stronger and more effective.
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MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
The Chapter is soliciting new members during our annual membership drive. This is an endeavor to build a strong professional society comprised of members who recognize the interdependence of people and the environment.
The Montana Chapter was organized in July 1945. At that time all of the members were employees of the Soil Conservation Service. Currently there are approximately 100 members from all walks of life. The mission of the Chapter is promote the wise use of soil, water and related natural resources through advocacy, professional development and educational activities.
Each year the Chapter hosts a conference highlighting current resource issues facing Montanans. Activities such as these provide an invaluable forum for interaction and coordination with various agencies and natural resource organizations. The Chapter also grants two scholarships each year to students enrolled in an agriculture or natural science related curriculum.
Please encourage your colleagues and any others interested in natural resources to join the SWCS today. A membership form is located in this newsletter.
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