The Montana Conservation Menu was originally launched in 2017 by the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana (SWCDM). The website was designed to help landowners and conservation professionals find information on assistance available for conservation practices.
By centralizing available programs, grants, resources, and tools the Montana Conservation Menu aims to connect program providers, conservation districts, and landowners to support their work.
In 2024 the Montana Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) started the project of redesigning the Menu in hopes of creating a more user friendly site and to incorporate additional partners to assist in the continued support and success of the Montana Conservation Menu.
Bringing in the Montana Watershed Coordination Council (MWCC) and engaging with organizations like the Natural Resource Grants Working Group (NRGWG) allowed MACD to define a work group to assist and advise on the new Conservation Menu design, defining purpose, and audience.
The Conservation Menu work group then took these goals for the new Menu and collaborated with a local website developer who helped to completely redo the site – updating all grant and program info to be input into the new site, and working on governance for the site moving forward.
Today the Montana Conservation Menu is a streamlined tool that supports conservation efforts across Montana State. Bringing together individuals and organizations essential to local and statewide land and resource preservation and connecting them to the tools and opportunities they need to continue to preserve and protect our beautiful state.