Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Director’s Office records

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Director’s Office records, 1939-2007

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Montana. Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Title: Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Director’s Office records
Dates: 1939-2007 (inclusive)
19392007
Quantity: 12 linear feet
Collection Number: RS 496 (Formerly RS 443)
Summary: This collection is a subgroup (Division) 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. This collection is comprised of records of the DNRC's Director’s Office and includes correspondence, subject files, and records collected by the director on the Montana Governor’s Council on Natural Resources and Development (GCNRD) and Water Resources Board.
Repository: Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC)

Historical NoteReturn to Top

"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.

As of 2024, the Department is made up of the following Divisions: Director’s Office, Conservation and Resource Development Division, Forestry-Trust Lands Division, and Water Resources Division. Each Division oversees a number of Bureaus, Offices, Programs, etc. The Director’s Office carries out the Department’s mission and statutory responsibilities by administering, managing, planning, and evaluating total agency performance. The director oversees the development of appropriate policies and procedures throughout all organizational units of the agency and makes sure the structure supports optimum efficiency, consistency and capability for planning, consultation and decision-making.

The Director’s Office includes the director’s staff, a Public Affairs Office, a centralized Legal Unit, and a centralized Human Resources Office. The Financial Services Office is an extension of the director’s responsibility, and ability to provide budgeting, accounting, procurement, and contract management. The Office of Information Technology provides agency-wide services and support for network administration, applications and website development, and customer services.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection is composed of one series and two sub-series.

Series I is comprised of correspondence and subject files. Correspondence is arranged by year, and then alphabetically by subject. Subject files are arranged alphabetically.

Sub-series I and II represent records of the Montana Governor’s Council on Natural Resources and Development (GCNRD) and Water Resources Board (previously the State Water Conservation Board), respectively, that were collected by DNRC’s Director in the course of his duties.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Library & Archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Library & Archives 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.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by series.

Location of Collection

43: 4-7

Processing Note

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 496, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 496. Rather than reprocessing over 280 linear feet of DNRC materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Director’s OfficeReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Correspondence
Box/Folder
1 / 1-3 / 4	General Correspondence	1972 January– 1976 December
3 / 5	Advisory Councils	1973-1975
3 / 6	Alternative Energy Advisory Council	1976-1977
3 / 7	Bechtel Incorporated	1971-1972
3 / 8	Bonneville Regional Advisory Council	1972-1974
3 / 9	Bonneville Power Administration	1977-1978
3 / 10	Budget and Program Planning	1976
3 / 11	Bureau of Land Management	1972-1978
3 / 12	Bureau of Reclamation	1972-1973
3 / 13	Burlington-Northern, Inc. [easement Request]	1972-1976
3 / 14	Conservation Districts	1974-1976
3 / 15	Conservation Districts Division	1977
3 / 16-17	Constituents [letters from]	2007 January – December
4 / 1	Department of State Lands	1969-1975
4 / 2	Energy Planning Division	1976
4 / 3	Environmental Defense Fund	1973
4 / 4	Environmental Protection Agency	1973
4 / 5	Department of Administration	1972-1976
4 / 6	Department of the Interior	1973-1976
4 / 7	Economic Development Association of Eastern Montana	1972
4 / 8	Energy	1975-1977
4 / 9	Federal Energy Impact Assistance	1976
4 / 10	Federal Resource Agency Reorganization	1978-1979
4 / 11	Federal of Rocky Mountain States, Inc.	1977
4 / 12	Forestry Division	1976
4 / 13	“General Correspondence on Colstrip Study”	1973-1975
4 / 14	Legal Unit	1975-1976
4 / 15	Letters [Director]	1972
4 / 16	[DNRC] Library	1978
4 / 17	Montana State University	1972-1973
4 / 18	“Nuclear Siting” [Nuclear Regulatory Reform Act]	1977
4 / 19-5 / 4	Office of the Governor	1969-1977
5 / 5	“Organization – DNRC”	1977
5 / 6	“P.L. 566 Watershed Project Planning”	1972-1974
5 / 7	Renewable, Alternative Energy Sources	1976-1977
5 / 8	Resource Development Program, Water Development Bureau	1975-1977
5 / 9	Resource Planning Act	1977
5 / 10	Rural Environmental Assistance Program	1973
5 / 11	Shoup, Richard G. [Congressman]	1973-1974
5 / 12	Special Staff Unit	1975-1976
5 / 13	“United States Canadian Border Fence”	1971-1972
5 / 14-15	Water Resources Division	1975
	Subject Files
Box/Folder
6 / 1	Atomic Energy [in obtaining water]	1967
6 / 2	[Balanced Growth Task Force Issue papers]	ca. 1979
6 / 3	Bureau of Reclamation	1969-1971
6 / 4	[Cases, C.J. Dousman]	1942-1945
6 / 5	Civil Defense [re: Montana streams travel Times]	1965
6 / 6	College Water Research	1965
6 / 7	Colorado River [Colorado River Board, Colorado River Association of California]	1966-1967
6 / 8	Columbia Plateau Resources Council	1966-1968
6 / 9	Department of Agriculture	1960-1969
6 / 10	Department of Health [Montana]	1972-1973
6 / 11	Department of Intergovernmental Affairs Notice of Surplus Determination – Government Property in Columbia Falls, Whitefish]	1973
6 / 12	Department of the Interior	1966-1970
6 / 13	D’Ewart, Wesley A.	1967-1968
6 / 14	Davis, Clarence A.	1962-1968
6 / 15	Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Balanced Growth Task Force	1978
6 / 16	Energy Conservation	1976
6 / 17	EPA Grant Status [Montana Environmental Quality Council]	1971
6 / 18	Environmental Quality Council	1972-1973
6 / 19	Forest Practices Advisory Council	1973-1974
6 / 20	Gianelli, William	1967-1969
6 / 21-22	“Governor’s Forums” [Governor’s Public Forums on the Economy]	1977
6 / 23	Grass Conservation Commission	1960-1971
6 / 24	Hiplex Program	1976
6 / 25-7 / 1	Howard v. Howard [C.J. Dousman]	1942-1946
7 / 2-3	Inland Empire Waterways Association	1964-1971
7 / 4-5	Interstate Conference on Water Problems	1970-1971
7 / 6	Land and Water Conservation Fund	1968
7 / 7-11	[State Legislation/Legislature]	1950-1969
7 / 12	Libby Re-regulation Dam Project	1978
7 / 13	“Miscellaneous Meetings”	1967-1969
7 / 14	Mississippi River	1966-1969
7 / 15-16	Missouri River Basin Inter-Agency Committee	1962-1968
7 / 17	Missouri River States Committee	1964-1968
7 / 18-19	Missouri Valley Association	1964-1969
7 / 20	Montana Association of Conservation Districts	1975
7 / 21	Montana Energy Advisory Council	1974-1976
7 / 22	Montana Energy Conservation plan	1977
7 / 23	Montana Reclamation Association	1965
7 / 24	Montana State Rural Areas Development	1971
7 / 25	Montana University Joint Water Resources Research Center	1968
7 / 26	Montana Water Congress	1968
7 / 27	Montana Water Development Association	1967
7 / 28	Montana Water Development Council	1969
7 / 29	National Governors’ Conference [Sub- Committee reports]	1967
7 / 30	National Reclamation Association	1968
8 / 1	Non-degradation Policy	1968
8 / 2-4	National Water Commission	1968-1971
8 / 5-6	News Releases and Speeches	1974-1978
8 / 7	Northwest Electricity Task Force	1977
8 / 8	Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission [Resolution No. 11]	1969
8 / 9	Pacific Northwest Water Development	1968-1969
8 / 10-11	Pollution	1966-1969
8 / 12	Proposed Legislation [includes Colorado River Basin project]	1963-1969
8 / 13	“Public Involvement”	1979
8 / 14	Reclamation – Miscellaneous	1972
8 / 15	Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs	1964-1967
8 / 16	Soil Conservation Service	1969-1970
8 / 17-18	Special Staff, Staff Meetings	1977-1979
8 / 19	State Conservation Commission Meetings	1972
8 / 20	State Water Conservation Board, Legal Issues	1939-1940
8 / 21	State Water Conservation Board, Legal Opinions	undated
9 / 1	State Water Conservation Board, Misc.	1949-1963
9 / 2	[Statement by Director Gary Wicks, re: coal]	undated
9 / 3	Upper Missouri Water Users Association	1963-1968
9 / 4	“Ward, Sylvester Murder – Missoula”	1943-1944
9 / 5	Water for the West – Regional Plans”	1969
9 / 6	Water Research Center	1970
9 / 7-9	Water Resources Board	1961-1970
9 / 10-11	Water Resources Council	1967-1969
9 / 12	Water Right Act of 1968	1968
9 / 13	Water Quality Management Plan	1979-1980
9 / 14	Water and Water Courses	circa 1940
9 / 15	Western Governors’ Conference	1967-1968
9 / 16	Western Governors’ Task Force	1977
9 / 17	Western Interstate Water Conference	1959-1970
9 / 18-19	Western Regional Drought Action Task Force (WDRATF)	1977-1978
9 / 20	Western States Water Augmentation Concept	1968

Montana Governor’s Council on Natural Resources and DevelopmentReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Minutes
Box/Folder
10 / 1-6	Governor’s Council on Natural Resources And Development (GCNRD)	1962-1971
10 / 7-8	Interdepartmental Advisory Council on Natural Resources (IACNR)	1953-1961
	Subject Files
Box/Folder
10 / 9-11	IACNR	1960-1967
10 / 12	GCNRD	1970-1971
10 / 13	GCNRD, Annual Report	1970-1973
10 / 14	GCNRD, Blackfoot River proposals	1970
10 / 15-16	GCNRD, Buffalo Creek Area Study [reports and miscellaneous]	1968
10 / 17	GCNRD, Coal and Water report	1971
10 / 18	GCNRD, “Compound 1080”	1970
10 / 19	GCNRD, Environmental Coordinating Committee	1971
10 / 20	GCNRD, Environmental Policy	1970-1971
10 / 21	GCNRD, Financial Reports	1969-1971
10 / 22	GCNRD, Geologic Atlas	1969-1971
10 / 23	GCNRD, Landscape Architect	1970-1971
10 / 24	GCNRD, Legislative Auditor’s Committee	1971
11 / 1	GCNRD, Mined Land Reclamation	1970
11 / 2	GCNRD, Miscellaneous	1970-1971
11 / 3	GCNRD, Modern Water Code	1970
11 / 4	GCNRD, Mosquito Abatement Advisory Council	1971
11 / 5	GCNRD, Montana Wildlife Federation	1971
11 / 6	GCNRD, Newlan Creek Watershed Work Plan	1969
11 / 7	GCNRD, Nuclear Compact	1970
11 / 8	GCNRD, Pesticides	1970-1971
11 / 9	GCNRD, Pollution Control Activities	1970
11 / 10	GCNRD, Prairie Dog Town [Greycliff]	1970
11 / 11	GCNRD, Public Domain Lands Proposed Classification	1970
11 / 12	GCNRD, Rangeland Resource Plan	1970
11 / 13	GCNRD, “A Review of Montana Law as it Pertains to the Problem of Making Recreation A Beneficial Use of Water”	1970
11 / 14	GCNRD, Refuse Act of 1899	1970-1971
11 / 15	GCNRD, Road Improvement in the Fort Peck Area	1970
11 / 16	GCNRD, Smith River Planning	1970
11 / 17	GCNRD, Science and Technology	1970
11 / 18	GCNRD, Sun River Project at Great Falls	1970
11 / 19	GCNRD, Water Activities Summaries	1970-1971
11 / 20	GCNRD, Water Policy	1970
11 / 21	GCNRD, Wilderness Act	1970
11 / 22	GCNRD, Wild and Scenic Rivers	1971-1972

Water Resources BoardReturn to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Minutes
Box/Folder
11 / 23-24	Water Resources Board [formerly the State Water Conservation Board], Meetings	1960-1970
	Subject Files
Box/Folder
11 / 25	WRB, Accounting Report	1969 June, 1970
11 / 26-27	WRB, Director [Douglas Smith]	1969-1971
11 / 28	WRB, Executive Reorganization	1969-1970
12 / 1-10	WRB, Meetings [packets of information gathered for meetings]	1969 December – 1971 November

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Environmental protection—Montana
Mining – Montana
Water-supply

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