State Technical Committee Meeting - The next State Technical Committee meeting will be November 15, 2016, at the Eastern Ag Research Center, 1501 North Central Avenue, Sidney, Montana.
Questions and Answers About the State Technical Committee
Question:
What is the State Technical Committee?
Answer:
USDA has a three tier approach to determine the delivery of natural resource conservation services: local, state and national.
The first level occurs at the local or community level. The locally led conservation effort begins with the community itself, working through the local Conservation District. It is based on the principle that community stakeholders are best suited to deal with local resource problems. When community stakeholders, working through Conservation Districts, have identified USDA programs as a tool to meet their conservation needs, USDA personnel and others in the form of a USDA local work group, will review and submit USDA funding request and priorities to USDA's State level.
At the second level, local funding and priority area requests will be reviewed and ranked at the State level and forwarded to Regional and National levels. The entity responsible for these actions is the State Technical Advisory Committee. The amended Food Security Act of 1985 requires that the Secretary of Agriculture establish a technical committee in each State to assist in the technical considerations and to develop the technical guidelines necessary to implement conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended. The State Technical Committees are composed of individuals who represent a variety of natural resource sciences and occupations, including: soil, water, plants, wetlands and wildlife. State Technical Committees provide advice on a number of issues within a variety of conservation programs. Although State Technical Committees have no implementation or enforcement authority, USDA shall give strong consideration to the Committee's recommendations.
The third and final level involves allocation determinations at the National level based on input from the previous levels.
Question:
Does Montana have a State Technical Committee?
Answer:
The Montana State Technical Committee first met on August 9, 1996 in Helena, Montana. The committee is comprised of representatives from local, state and national natural resource agencies, organizations and groups; as well as agriculture industry, businesses, and product groups, and tribal representatives. The Chairperson for Montana's State Technical Committee is the NRCS State Conservationist.
Question:
How often does the Montana State Technical Committee meet?
Answer:
The Montana State Technical Committee attempts to meet quarterly. Most meetings are held in central locations like Lewistown or Great Falls.
Question:
How can I get involved with the Montana State Technical Committee?
Answer:
The State Technical Committee meetings are open to the public. However, to be an official member on the mailing list, you must request approval from the State Technical ACommittee Chairperson.
Question:
I have some issues that I think need to be brought to the attention of the State Technical Committee, how do I bring my issues to the attention of the State Technical Committee?
Answer:
Again, the State Technical Committee Chairperson establishes the date, location and agenda for each meeting. For discussion items to be addressed by the State Technical Committee, requests must be sent to the NRCS State Conservationist at:
State Conservationist
Natural Resources Conservation Service
10 East Babcock Street
Federal Building, Room 443
Bozeman, Montana 59715-4704
For more information: Jerry Shows, Assistant State Conservationist for Partnerships
