Every year, Montana’s 58 conservation districts, local subdivisions of government in Montana’s 56 counties, have four-year term vacancies on the local Conservation District Board. We need you, community minded and the public good oriented active and involved men and women from all parts of the county to consider serving and contributing on our five to seven - member board of supervisors!

Will you consider serving as a local volunteer and leader in Montana’s conservation movement as a locally elected board of supervisor? For as little as five hours a month, your individual participation in monthly meetings and individual / collective work activities will make the difference in guiding our local natural resource professionals in your community with strategic direction on a host of natural resource programs, issues and areas of conservation concerns.

Local conservation districts are the natural resources center linking technical and financial resources to natural resource concerns and bringing land owners and land managers to the table on Montana lands and associated natural resource concerns. Conservation districts address the air, water, soil and land use concerns that our public and private constituents utilize.

Are you interested in giving back to your community with volunteer service and providing a conservation legacy to local natural resources and a natural resources stewardship ethic that Montana land owners and land managers pride themselves? Will you commit to serving as a volunteer and leader in Montana’s conservation movement as a locally elected board of supervisor? If you find yourself answering YES to these questions, then please contact the

Lower Musselshell Conservation District today and discover the exciting and rewarding benefits of serving as a conservation district board of supervisor.

Your local conservation district is affiliated with the Montana Association of Conservation Districts and National Association of Conservation Districts. Countless individuals across the state, the 440 Montana Association of Conservation District supervisors (58 districts, 56 counties) have expressed that giving back to their local communities through volunteer service results in a commitment to future generations, a conservation legacy to our local natural resources and a profound stewardship ethic that Montana land owners and land managers pride in themselves.

What do conservation district (CD) board of supervisors do? Locally elected CD board of supervisors meet monthly to address natural resource concerns and conservation district programming that is established in concert with annual plans of work and long - range planning & associated budgets. The conservation district is the nervous system if you will that brings together technical resources from conservation district staff, state and federal natural resource agency representatives (USDA- NRCS, MT DNRC, others) and funding / finances to address a host of conservation and natural resource projects.

In the interim between board meetings, individual CD supervisors may assist the Board Chairman and the Conservation District Administrator with program oversight (much like a committee) and may assist with work tasks associated with the Annual Plan of Work and Long- Range Plan.

Listed below are just a few areas that the CD board of supervisors provide guidance, strategic overview and input on conservation planning and implementation for the benefit of land owners and land managers:

•310 permits that address any work necessary on a perennial stream

•Review of water reservation requests that irrigators submit to expand water usage

•Water quality projects with various state and federal agencies, other working partners

• Watershed planning

• Wildlife interface, fire mitigation and other private and governmental collaborative projects,

• Conservation district input into USDA NRCS Farm Bill program (EQIP, WHIP, CRP), local work group and Targeted Implementation Plans (TIP)

• Monthly financial review and fiduciary oversight

• Annual plan of work and strategic planning

• Public meetings, focus groups and natural resource---public and individual landowner requests

Conservation districts have varying programs, projects and strategic objectives. Programs range from youth and adult education outreach, range and riparian, water quality and water quantity, tree seedling and tree planning programs (shelter belts, windbreaks), wildlife habitat, watershed planning, recycling and a host of urban projects that include environmental remediation and other projects as identified from community partners and residents alike.

Lower Musselshell Conservation District (LMCD) is comprised of 3 supervisors elected to designated Areas in Musselshell and Golden Valley Counties. 2 Supervisors that are elected “At Large” and 2 nominated Urban Supervisors.

LMCD has 3 Areas that are represented in Musselshell and Golden Valley Counties. Supervisors are required to live within these designated areas unless they are considered “At Large”. The Areas are represented by

Area 1 – Represents all of Golden Valley County

Area 2 – Represents the Golden Valley County Line through Range 28 East

Area 3 – Represents All area from Range 29 to the Eastern Boundary of Musselshell County

Lower Musselshell Conservation District has the following positions up for re-election in 2024 –

Area 1 – 4 year term

Area 2 – 2 year term

Area 3 – 4 year term

At large – 4 year term

For more information on your local conservation district and to file for office to serve a four year term- Will you consider serving as a local volunteer and leader in Montana’s conservation movement as a locally elected board of supervisor year term on the Lower Musselshell Conservation District board of supervisors, contact Administrator by calling 406-323-2103 x 101 and/or e-mailing [email protected].

The deadline to file to be on the ballet for the November election is March 11, 2024!!