The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation was created by the Montana Legislature in 1971 as a broad-based agency that would plan for and manage the conservation and preservation of the state's natural resources, with a strong emphasis on water and energy resources. As of 1973 five divisions were created: Centralized Services, Conservation Districts, Forestry, Oil and Gas Conservation, and Water Resources. In 1974 the Energy Planning Division was created and later (1979) renamed the Energy Division. As of 1983, the Forestry Division was transferred to the Department of State Lands. The Centralized Services Division included the Fiscal Bureau and a Cartography Section (under the General Services Bureau), which in 1975 became the Cartography Bureau. In 1978 an Information and Publications Bureau was created which later became the Publications Bureau with the addition of the Division's Data Processing Bureau in 1981.
As of 2024, Centralized Services Division's responsibilities fall within the Director's Office Division.
These records consist of general correspondence (1985-1995), the bulk of which is interdepartmental; and reports (1985-1994), including monthly status reports, goals and objectives, and intergovernmental reviews of the individual Bureaus. Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Reports are arranged chronologically within each Bureau or department including the Cartography Bureau, Data Processing Bureau, Fiscal Bureau, Graphic Design Bureau, Personnel and Payroll/Benefits Technician, Publications Bureau, and the Division library (DNRC Research Center).
The collection is arranged by series.
Collection open for research.
Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Library & Archives does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.
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
Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information is available upon request.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection