"Helping to ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations" is the mission of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). First established in 1971 as a result of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971, the DNRC provides leadership in managing the state's natural resources. It is presently responsible for promoting the stewardship of Montana's water, soil, forest, and rangeland resources; for regulating forest practices and oil and gas exploration and production.

Nine boards and commissions are attached to the department. Six of them—the Board of Land Commissioners, Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, Board of Water Well Contractors, Flathead Basin Commission, and Montana Grass Conservation Commission—have decision-making authority. The other three—the Resource Conservation Advisory Council, Rangeland Resources Committee, and Drought Advisory Committee—act in an advisory capacity only.

The department is organized into seven divisions: Director's Office, Conservation and Resource Development Division (CARDD), Forestry, Oil and Gas Conservation, Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, Trust Land Management, and Water Resources. Two of the divisions—the Oil and Gas Conservation Division and the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission—are attached to the department for administrative purposes only.

The Conservation and Resource Development Division (CARDD) provides technical and financial assistance to local governments, state agencies, and private citizens for the conservation, development, protection, and management of the state’s natural resources. CARDD helps manage natural resources and finances conservation, resource management, and reclamation activities. The division’s employees administer the work of the Conservation Districts Bureau, the Financial Development Bureau, and the Resource Development Bureau.

The Conservation Districts Bureau administers grants and funding for programs and education related to Conservation Districts including grasslands, rangelands, and water districts. The bureau provides administrative, legal, and financial assistance to Montana’s 58 conservation districts to help them identify and address local natural resource concerns, including watershed planning and rangeland management. The Financial Development Bureau is responsible for preparing and managing the cash flow of the division’s programs. The bureau also issues loans to borrowers and manages the financial administration of Montana’s Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund (WPCSRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Loan Programs. The Resource Development Bureau (RDB) administers several grant and loan programs and provides assistance to conservation districts for the administration of water reservations and to assist landowners to develop new irrigation.

The grant and loan programs were designed to fund a variety of activities and project related to conservation and resource development. These loans and grants--to private citizens, businesses, and public entities--assisted with a variety of projects including: abandoned mine reclamation; brownfield site cleanup; abandoned hazardous waste site cleanup; abandoned oil and gas well cleanup; erosion control (mining related); public facility projects including drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste development projects; irrigation rehabilitation; dam repair; soil and water conservation and forest enhancement; emergency repairs to dams, municipal drinking water and wastewater systems; assistance to small, privately owned water systems; watershed planning activities; student and adult education projects regarding water, weeds, or other natural resources, or equipment for classrooms; range improvement and development; and drinking water and water pollution control projects among others.