Montana Department of Natural Resources, Board of Natural Resources and Conservation Records
Scope and Contents
This collection is a subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records, RS 496. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records.
Records include minutes, 1934-1995 (1934-1971 same as SMFiche 2); resolutions, 1934-1965 (same as SMFiche 2); indexes to minutes, 1934-1994 (1934-1971 same as SMFiche 2); meeting files, 1987-1995; minutes of the Irrigation District Bond Commission, 1921-1926; easements by the State Water Conservation Board, 1963-1964; a District Court transcript, 1940, in the case of Allendale Irrigation Company vs. the State Water Conservation Board; accounting reports, 1968-1970, of the Montana Water Resources Board; a summary of activities, 1934-1935, of the State Water Conservation Board; a hearing transcript, 1969, of the South Pine Controlled Ground Water Hearing held in Miles City (same as SMFiche 2); miscellaneous correspondence, 1964-1992; lists of members of the board, 1971-1990; an information packet for the board, 1989; "action items" packets for the board, 1983-1994; and several miscellaneous files from the director of the DNRC, 1971-1987.
Dates
- Creation: 1952-1996
Creator
- Montana. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Organization)
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Biographical / Historical
During the early years of the New Deal in the 1930s, water conservation funds became available to the states from the federal government. To take advantage of this opportunity, a special session of the Montana Legislative Assembly convened in late 1933 and created the State Water Conservation Board to channel both state and federal money into small irrigation projects. An individual farmer who wanted to build and irrigation facility petitioned the Board and, if his proposal was accepted, the Board built the project and the farmer reimbursed the state. By 1952, the State Water Conservation Board had built 173 projects throughout the state.
In 1965 the Board assumed the functions of the State Engineer and the Carey Land Act Board. In 1967 the Montana Water Resources Board was created to assume the duties of the State Water Conservation Board, and to coordinate all water resource development programs around the state. Other duties included the administration of weather modification laws and the preparation of a comprehensive inventory of the state's water resources and a multiple use water plan for the state.
In 1971, as part of the general reorganization of state government, the Water Resources Board was abolished and its functions taken over in 1972 by the Water Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and by the Board of Natural Resources and Conservation.
The Montana Board of Natural Resources and Conservation (BNRC) was a citizen board appointed by the Governor. It oversaw the implementation of legislation regulating natural resource and conservation issues. Two major tasks of the BNRC were water reservation rulings provided for by the Montana Water Use Act of 1973 (which created singular changes in water reservations on Montana watercourses) and the approval of siting and construction of energy generating and conservation facilities and large transmission lines as mandated by the Major Facilities Siting Act. In 1995 the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation was reorganized and the BNRC was eliminated.
Extent
16 linear feet
Abstract
This collection is a subgroup (Board) of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records, RS 496. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation records. The Board of Natural Resources and Conservation records contain meeting minutes. Minutes are organized by subjects and may include case files, correspondence, reports, maps, and exhibits used during board meetings and conference calls.
Arrangement
Arrangement is by series.
Physical Location
42:3-7
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquisition information available upon request
- Title
- Guide to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Board of Natural Resources and Conservation Records 1952-1996
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Ellie Letterman
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)
Repository Details
Part of the Montana Historical Society, Research Center Archives Repository
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201 United States
406-444-2681
406-444-2696 (Fax)
mhslibrary@mt.gov