HIGHLIGHT  2025 Board Meeting Calendar
The 2025 MACD Meeting Calendar is available here. You can find additional information about MACD, district, and partner meetings and events on MACD's web-based Events Calendar.

 NEW  WHIP advisory council to meet in Helena | January 9

 HIGHLIGHT  MACD Board Meeting | January 21 
Because January 20 is a federal holiday, the MACD Board Meeting will be moved to January 21.

 NEW  Executive Committee Meeting | February 3

 NEW  MACD Finance Committee | February 12

 NEW  MACD Board Meeting | February 17

 NEW  Big Hole Water Quality February Meeting | February 19

HIGHLIGHT  MACD Legislative Meet and Greet | January 23 in Helena

CD Education & Awareness Rotunda Day | January 23 in Helena

Western Montana Grazing & Ag Conference | January 30-31 in Missoula

 NEW  Montana Farmer’s Union Annual Women’s Conference (Malta) | January 31 - February 1

2025 MWCC Virtual Annual Meeting | February 3-4 Via Zoom

 HIGHLIGHT  2025 Soil Health Symposium | February 4-6 in Billings

 NEW  Montana Farmer’s Union Annual Women’s Conference (Fairmont) | February 7-9

 NEW  Association of Montana Floodplain Managers Annual Conference | February 25-28 in Missoula

Rangelands in the Rotunda | March 25 in Helena

 

Floodplain Bootcamp Virtual Training | January 10 

MWCC Conservation Conversations: Contracting for Watershed Conservation | January 22

 HIGHLIGHT   NEW  Rural Resilience Webinar – Grass Growth Via Goat | January 23

Prairie Dog Management Workshop | February 6

Agronomy Workshop (Wibaux) | February 18

 HIGHLIGHT   NEW  Rural Resilience Webinar – Vermicast 101 | February 27

 HIGHLIGHT  MACD 2024 Annual Convention Feedback Survey
What did you think of the 2024 Annual Convention? If you attended the 2024 convention please fill out this quick survey so we know how to improve for next year.

 HIGHLIGHT  EO Survey: 2025 Statewide Employee Training
Statewide Employee Training will be late summer or early fall, depending on what works best for the most respondents. This training will incorporate some basic training as well as some more advanced options, details to come! Please fill out this very brief survey and let us know what dates would work best for your district.

 HIGHLIGHT  RRC Seeks Applicants for Two Committee Vacancies
The Rangeland Resource Committee (RRC) which oversees programmatic direction for the Rangeland Resources Program (RRP) is seeking applicants for two committee member vacancies starting in January 2025. If you have questions about being a committee member, contact Diane Ahlgren, skipndiane@midrivers.com or Stacey Barta, sbarta@mt.gov

2025 Montana Wetland and Watershed Stewardship Awards Call for Nominations | Deadline: January 24
The Montana Wetland Council and the Montana Watershed Coordination Council are seeking nominations for the 2025 Montana Wetland and Watershed Stewardship Awards. These awards recognize and honor individuals and groups who exemplify excellence and commitment to wetland or watershed conservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement in Montana.
 

 NEW  2025 Montana Migratory Bird Stamp contest  | Deadline: January 31
Submissions for the 2025 Montana Migratory Bird Stamp contest are due by Jan. 31. This is the second year of the new Montana Migratory Bird Stamp program. The winning artist will receive a $2,000 cash prize and be featured on promotional materials throughout 2025. For more information on the contest, contact Greg Lemon at glemon@mt.gov.

 HIGHLIGHT  Seeking Nominees for the 2025 Leopold Conservation Award | March 3
The Leopold Conservation Award in Montana is proudly presented to private landowners who are dedicated to leaving their land better than how they found it.

Conservation District Directory
A landing page for all of your conservation districts general information.

2024 Resolutions
This year, there were four resolutions that were passed by the MACD Board.

 HIGHLIGHT  Discounted ESRI subscriptions available through MACD
As of December 3, 2024, five discounted ESRI subscriptions are available through MACD. Each of these subscriptions is only $120. For more information, contact ginsterwlcc@macdnet.org.

310 Violation Workflow Toolkit
This document establishes guidelines and procedures for the resolution of complaints and 310 violations. It outlines the process conservation districts should follow to seek judicial enforcement under Mont. Code Ann. §§ 75-7-122 and -123.

CDB 10-Minute Training Program Library
Updated 10-minute trainings from this program include Strategic Planning, Project Development & Grants, Mill Levies, Personnel, Board Engagement, Fiscal Responsibility, 310 Joint Application, Rental Equipment, Meeting Hybridization, and Meeting Minutes.

How's My Waterway
Check out the EPA’s “How’s My Waterway” map to discover the details about the water bodies across the US. It shares discharge permits, monitoring locations, water uses, and condition status as well as more information for specific uses such as swimming and fish consumption.
 

Prescribed Fire References Document
This link contains a list of resources for learning about prescribed fire.

 NEW   DUE SOON  Education and Outreach Director (Full Time) | Deadline: January 15

 NEW  Hydrogeologist | Deadline: January 31

Working Lands Internship Program | Deadline: February 3

 HIGHLIGHT  MACD 2024 Annual Convention in Review Thank you all for coming out to the convention! Click the attached link to read about our award recipients, changes to our board, and newly passed resolutions. 

The Education Work Group Is Looking To Compile A Mini-Library
The MACD Education Work Group is creating a mini-library of the different projects and programs that districts in Montana do. Please send one project or program per email to eo@macdnet.org

 DUE SOON  2025 Soil Health Symposium Scholarship Application
Scholarship funding from the Plank Stewardship Initiative (PSI) will prioritize applicants from the Northern Great Plains region, while additional funding from MACD expands this opportunity to districts and producers statewide. Applications for this scholarship are due on January 10th.

New Joint Application Form 270 
The Joint Application Form 270 was recently updated (again). There were a few minor content changes, but most of the changes were formatting to make the form more user-friendly.

Registration is Open For NACD's Annual Meeting
NACD invites you to join us at the 2025 Annual Meeting! Hosted in partnership with the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, next year's meeting will take place in Salt Lake City, UT from February 8-12, 2025. Join us in the Beehive State to explore the theme "Bee the Change: Reaching New Summits in Conservation!" 

 DUE SOON  Watershed Fund Capacity Support Funding | Deadline: January 9 

 DUE SOON  Watershed Management Grants | Deadline: January 10

 HIGHLIGHT   DUE SOON  WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects | Deadline: January 14

 DUE SOON  Recreational Trails Program Grants | Deadline: January 15 

 HIGHLIGHT   DUE SOON  Idaho and Montana Grant Program | Deadline: January 19

Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program | Deadline: January 30

Trail Stewardship Program | Deadline: January 31

 HIGHLIGHT   NEW  FWP Community Pond Program | Deadline: February 1
Groups or individuals interested in constructing or improving a community fishing pond have until Feb. 1 to apply for a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Community Pond Program grant. The Community Pond Program enhances public fishing opportunities in or near Montana communities by providing funding that can be used to construct or improve a public fishing pond.

Laboratory Analyses Funding and Gear Funding | Deadline: February 1

Virtual Fence Conservation Fund | Deadline: February 1

DNRC Tree Planting Grants | February 14

 HIGHLIGHT   NEW  Montana GLCI Educational Mini-Grants | First come first serve, funds will likely be depleted before March 1

FY 25 CD Education Mini Grant | Deadline: April 30

Montana Coal Endowment Program Planning Grant | Deadline: June 30

DNRC Renewable Resource Program Emergency Grants | Open until funding runs out

 HIGHLIGHT  MCDEO Roundtable Meeting Dates

MCDEO Roundtable: General Discussion | December 18 at 10am
Led By Chris Evans

MCDEO Seeking Feedback on Strategic Framework
The plan with this document is to use it to create a working plan for the EO. If you have questions, ideas, additions, etc., please comment using the little comment box at the top of the screen.
 

 NEW  Conservation Clips 

 NEW  FWP collaring elk in Gallatin Valley to study herd movement 

 NEW  Snow is melting earlier. What does that mean for our groundwater supply?

 NEW  Montana Climate Office adds new monitoring stations across state

 NEW  Out of lek: High land prices stall Montana sage grouse conservation easements

 NEW  Montana State researcher examines how rangelands respond to heat and drought stress

Want a meeting, event, job, funding opportunity, or other announcement featured in District Dispatch? Please send it to communications@macdnet.org or ginsterwlcc@macdnet.org.