Broadwater County was named for Colonel Charles Broadwater and made an official county by the Montana Legislature in 1897. Broadwater County is roughly defined by the Big Belt Mountains to the east and north, the Elkhorn Mountains to the west, and the Horseshoe Hills to the south. Broadwater County has an area of 1,239 square miles or 796,000 acres. Private lands in Broadwater County consist of about 315,000 acres of rangeland, 69,000 acres forest, 44,000 acres irrigated cropland, and 57,000 acres dryland cropland. The NRCS office, located in Townsend, offers voluntary technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in natural resource conservation based on a focused approach using long range planning with local input.
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Broadwater County Landowners
- Rooting for Soil Health Targeted Implementation Plan (TIP)
- Conifer Encroachment Removal Canyon Ferry West TIP
- Elkhorn Cooperative Management Area Joint Chiefs' Project
In addition to these local projects, producers may also apply for statewide programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, national Environmental Quality Incentives Program initiatives, and conservation easement programs. For more information on these and other programs, see State Programs and Initiatives on the NRCS Montana webpage.
Additional Information
Montana Local Working Groups
Every year, county Conservation Districts and the NRCS host local working group meetings where farmers, landowners, conservation partners, and other stakeholders in the community discuss the natural resource needs for the county. Based on this feedback, NRCS updates the county’s long-range plan and develops new Targeted Implementation Plans to address those resource concerns.
Montana Focused Conservation
In Montana, NRCS uses a “Focused Conservation” strategy to guide its EQIP investments. Montana Focused Conservation begins with goals identified in local-level Long Range Plans. Based on those plans, NRCS develops Targeted Implementation Plans (TIPs) to guide on-the-ground implementation.
Learn MoreWhat's Available in My Montana County?
Current local financial assistance opportunities in Montana, listed by county. In addition to the local opportunities, producers may also apply for statewide and national programs.
Learn MoreMontana Programs and Application Dates
Program applications are accepted on a continual basis, however, NRCS establishes application ranking dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. Applications received after the ranking date will be automatically deferred to the next funding period.
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