Phillips Conservation District

Author: phillipsconservationdistrict

  • PCD is Hiring!

    The Phillips Conservation District is looking for a new Administrator. The Phillips Conservation District Administrator will serve as an advocate for improving natural resource conditions of Phillips County utilizing available technical, financial, and educational resources, and focusing or coordinating them to meet the needs of the local land user for conservation of soil, water, and related resources.

    Applications will be accepted until February 1st, 2026 with an anticipated start date of February 15, 2026.

    The full position description is attached below.

    Admin job description 2025Download

    Contact

    Please contact Conni French at 406-390-0158 for more information.

  • Notice of Special Meeting:

    Phillips Conservation District will hold a special meeting via Zoom on December 22, 2025. The purpose of the meeting will be to address the vacant Administrator position. For access to the call, please contact PCD at phillipsconservationdistrict@gmail.com or contact Conni French at 406-390-0158.

  • October Meeting Minutes

    October 2025Download

  • November Meeting Agenda

    PHILLIPS CONSERVATION DISTRICT
    AGENDA
    Tuesday November 4, 2025 *** 5:00 p.m. *** RSA Office

    WELCOME GUESTS

    ATTENDANCE:
    Pat Anderson – Previous plans before meeting change

    ADDITIONS TO AGENDA:

    GOVERNANCE CALENDAR: 3 Min
    1. THIS MONTH:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Succession and Transition of Officers and New Supervisors. Designate board members to take lead on organizing officer/committee elections and new supervisor orientation (if not already done).
    2. LOOKING FORWARD:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Other agenda items as needed

    CONSENT AGENDA: 5 Min
    1. Previous meeting minutes
    2. Administrators written report

    CORRESPONDENCE: 2 Min

    REPORTS: 20-30 Min
    • Treasurers Report – Gary Knudsen 5-10 min
    o Monthly Report
    o Quarter 1 Financials – Cora
    • NRCS – Shilo Messerly, DC 3-5 Min
    • MACD – Pat Anderson 3-5 Min
    • FSA – CRP
    • MRCDC/MRWA –Shane Lammerding 3-5 Min
    • RSA – Martin Townsend 3-5 Min
    • WWF – Caitlin Gillespie 3-5 Min
    • MSU Extension – Christina Murphy 3-5 Min
    • Montana Range Days
    o Approval to send a check to Travis Rhoades to DJ the dance – $350

    OLD BUSINESS:
    • Appointment of New Supervisor for January 2026 10 min
    o Pat will be stepping down at the end of the year
    • MACD Convention and Resolutions 30 min
    o Who will be attending?
    o PCD’s stance on resolutions

    NEW BUSINESS:
    • Standards of Conduct Policy 10 min
    o Conflict of Interest and Ethical Code of Conduct
    • Supervisor Roles and Responsibilities Policy 10 min
    o Roles and Responsibilities
    o Oaths of Office
    • Officer Elections and Term Policy 10 min
    • Treasurers Report 5 min
    o Don’t have turn around time for committee review
    • Trees for Students 5 min
    o Ponderosa Pines (250 Trees)
    • Mileage Reimbursement 2 min
    o Please fill out for meetings you have attended since July 2025

    PERMITS:

    PUBLIC COMMENT:

    UPCOMING EVENTS:
    • MACD Convention November 18th – 20th Billings, MT

    The next regular meeting is December 2nd at 5pm at the USDA building. is bringing treats.

  • September Meeting Minutes

    September 2025Download

  • October Meeting Agenda

    PHILLIPS CONSERVATION DISTRICT
    AGENDA
    Tuesday October 8, 2025 *** 7:00 p.m. *** Ranchers Stewardship Alliance

    WELCOME GUESTS

    ADDITIONS TO AGENDA:

    GOVERNANCE CALENDAR: 3 Min
    1. THIS MONTH:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Officer, Committee and New Supervisor Support. Elect two supervisors to lead organization for officer and committee appointments/elections and orientation of new supervisors.
    b. ACTION ITEM: Review and discuss all resolutions that passed at the Area meeting and vote on your district’s stance for the MACD meeting.
    c. ACTION ITEM: Designate a supervisor to represent your district during the MACD Convention.
    2. LOOKING FORWARD:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Succession and Transition of Officers and New Supervisors. Designate board members to take lead on organizing officer/committee elections and new supervisor orientation (if not already done).

    CONSENT AGENDA: 5 Min
    1. Previous meeting minutes
    2. Administrators written report
    3. Treasurers Report

    CORRESPONDENCE: 2 Min

    REPORTS: 20-30 Min
    • NRCS – Shilo Messerly, DC 3-5 Min
    • MACD – Pat Anderson 3-5 Min
    • FSA – CRP
    • MRCDC/MRWA – Pat Anderson / Shane Lammerding 3-5 Min
    • RSA – Martin Townsend 3-5 Min
    • WWF – Caitlin Gillespie 3-5 Min
    • MSU Extension – Christina Murphy 3-5 Min

    OLD BUSINESS:
    • Conservation Technician 30 min
    • Maternity Leave 15 min
    • Operational Plan Update 10 min

    NEW BUSINESS:
    • Tree Ordering Update 20 min
    • New Supervisor Support 10 min
    • Financial Policy 15 min
    • MACD Convention 20 min – One resolution from Area 3
    PERMITS:

    PUBLIC COMMENT:

    UPCOMING EVENTS:
    • Area 3 Meeting September 25th 9am – 4pm Big Sandy, MT
    • RSA Gut Check: How Soil Shapes Human Health October 11th, 2025 Malta Readiness Center
    • MACD Convention November 18th – 20th Billings, MT

    The next regular meeting is November 4th at 5pm at the USDA building. is bringing treats.

    .

  • July and August Meeting Minutes

    July 2025Download
    August Minutes NO QUORUMDownload

  • September Meeting Agenda

    PHILLIPS CONSERVATION DISTRICT
    Tuesday September 9, 2025 1:00 p.m. Malta USDA building

    WELCOME GUESTS

    ADDITIONS TO AGENDA:

    GOVERNANCE CALENDAR: 3 Min
    1. THIS MONTH:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Review and discuss all resolutions submitted by Area and vote on your district’s stance for Area Meeting.
    b. ACTION ITEM: Identify and appoint a supervisor to represent your district at the upcoming Area Meeting.
    c. ACTION ITEM: Quarterly review of Operational Plan
    d. IMPORTANT DATE: Area Meeting and Elections of MACD Board Representative (August or September)
    2. LOOKING FORWARD:
    a. ACTION ITEM: Officer, Committee and New Supervisor Support. Elect two supervisors to lead organization for officer and committee appointments/elections and orientation of new supervisors.
    b. ACTION ITEM: Review and discuss all resolutions that passed at the Area meeting and vote on your district’s stance for the MACD meeting.
    c. ACTION ITEM: Designate a supervisor to represent your district during the MACD Convention.


    CONSENT AGENDA: 5 Min
    1. Previous meeting minutes – July Minutes and August notes
    2. Administrators written report – July and August
    3. Treasurers Report – July


    CORRESPONDENCE: 2 Min

    REPORTS: 20-30 Min
    • August Treasurers Report – Gary Knudsen 5 min
    • NRCS – Shilo Messerly, DC 3-5 Min
    • MACD – Pat Anderson 3-5 Min
    • FSA – CRP
    • MRCDC/MRWA – Pat Anderson / Shane Lammerding 3-5 Min
    • RSA – Martin Townsend 3-5 Min
    • WWF – Caitlin Gillespie 3-5 Min
    • MSU Extension – Christina Murphy 3-5 Min

    OLD BUSINESS:
    • Range Days 10 min
    • Conservation Technician 10 min
    • Irrigation Story 10 min
    • Admin Grant 10 min
    • No Till Drill 10 min

    NEW BUSINESS:
    • Attendance Policy 20 min
    • Extending contract with Terry Profata 15 min
    • Farmers Market 10 min
    • Area 3 Meeting Attendance 10 min
    • Domain renewal 10 min
    • Add McCall as signatory at bank for checks 5 min


    310 PERMITS:

    PUBLIC COMMENT:

    EXECUTIVE SESSION
    • Review of NRCS Obligated Contracts

    UPCOMING EVENTS:
    • Area 3 Meeting September 25th 9am – 4pm Big Sandy, MT
    • RSA Gut Check: How Soil Shapes Human Health October 11th, 2025 Malta Readiness Center
    • MACD Convention November 18th – 20th Billings, MT

    The next regular meeting is October 14, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. at the USDA building. Pat Anderson is bringing treats.

  • New to Tree Buying?

    New to Tree Buying?

    Every year PCD sends out an order form in the fall for trees and shrubs for the upcoming spring planting season. If you’re new to tree buying, here is a step-by-step guide to ordering your trees from PCD.

    • Step 1: Take a look at the nurseries PCD orders from. These nurseries are Lincoln Oakes Nursery, Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery, Towner State Nursery, and Schumacher’s.
      • Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery does allow you to order directly from them if you would like.
      • Schumacher’s does have a $500 minimum that we must meet otherwise we will not order from them.
    • Step 2: Fill out your PCD order form
      • Make sure to include all your information so that you can be notified when trees arrive and when orders open up the following year.
      • Ensure to fill out the order form as completely as possible so that we ensure that you receive the trees you wanted.
    • Step 3: Email, mail or drop off your order form with a 50% downpayment of your total.
      • Early bird gets the worm! Orders are accepted until April 1, however the earlier we submit your order, the better. We want to ensure that you get the trees you want.
    • Step 4: Wait until spring!
      • Orders typically arrive between mid-Aril and mid-May.
      • We will contact you to come pick up your trees!

    There is lots of great information on each website about selecting the right trees and shrubs, but another great source of information is North Dakota Tree Handbook which we also have a copy of in the office as well as all the nursery catalogs if you want to look through a physical one. Feel free to drop by to look at them or call with any questions, (406) 353 1334 ext. 101.

  • 13 Years of Dedicated Service

    13 Years of Dedicated Service

    Thank you to Hal DeBoer

    After 13 years of serving on the Phillips Conservation Board, Hal DeBoer has retired. The Board of Supervisors and the administrators that have worked for PCD would like to thank him for his years of service and dedication to conservation. He was gifted a plaque at the October 2024 board meeting. We want to wish him well and thank him again for his service.

    Hal joined the PCD Board of Supervisors in 2011 because of his love for the prairie and the agricultural lifestyle. He ” wanted to help preserve our community, way of life and culture.” He stated he really enjoyed the monthly meetings where the board members “became like a family and [we] created lifelong friendships” and that at the annual MACD Convention he was always in awe of how knowledgeable the speakers at the main meeting and breakouts were. He said, ” My life has been enhanced and made better by being a part of PCD.” We will miss him and his contagious positive attitude and kindness very much.