Administrative Rules of Montana
Department 4 - AGRICULTURE
Chapter 4.1 - ORGANIZATIONAL RULE
Subchapter 4.1.1 - N/A
Rule 4.1.101 - ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS
Universal Citation: MT Admin Rules 4.1.101
Current through Register Vol. 18, September 20, 2024
(1) Organization of the department:
(a) The Department of
Agriculture, as directed by the 1889 and 1972 Montana Constitutions, was
implemented under the authority of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971 by
executive order of the Governor on December 9, 1971.
(b) The department has three divisions, each
headed by an administrator:
(i) Central
Services Division;
(ii)
Agricultural Development Division; and
(iii) Agricultural Sciences
Division.
(c) The
Director of Agriculture is appointed by the Governor subject to Senate
confirmation, and is responsible for the administration of the department and
its divisions.
(d) The board,
committees, and councils attached to the department, for administrative
purposes only, are the following:
(i) The
Agriculture Development Council consists of seven members, including the
directors of the departments of Agriculture and Commerce and is appointed by
the Governor.
(ii) The Alfalfa Seed
Committee consists of eight members including the Director of Agriculture and
is appointed by the Governor.
(iii)
The Montana Pulse Crop Committee consists of 5 members appointed by the
Governor, the Director of Agriculture is an ex officio of the board.
(iv) The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee
consists of seven members and three designated ex officio nonvoting members,
which includes the Director of Agriculture and is appointed by the
Governor.
(v) The Board of Hail
Insurance consists of five members which include the State Auditor and Director
of Agriculture, who also serves as the secretary of the board and is appointed
by the Governor.
(e) The
following committees and councils are created to advise the Department of
Agriculture with respect to their respective subject matter:
(i) The Noxious Weed Seed Free Forage
Advisory Council consists of ten members and is appointed by the Director of
Agriculture.
(ii) The Noxious Weed
Management Advisory Council consists of 11 members and is appointed by the
Director of Agriculture.
(iii) The
Organic Commodity Advisory Council consists of eight members including the
director and is appointed by the Director of Agriculture.
(iv) The Pesticide Advisory Council consists
of not more than 12 members and is appointed by the Director of Agriculture.
This council is currently not active.
(v) The Potato Advisory Committee consists of
seven members and is appointed by the Director of Agriculture.
(2) The functions of the department divisions are as follows:
(a)
The Central Services Division provides support services essential to the
effective operation of the department, including financial, human resource,
information technology, public information, and administrative support
activities. Included in this division is the director's office, which provides
overall policy development for the department and provides legal support to all
programs within the department.
(b) The Agricultural Development Division
provides assistance to Montana's agricultural industry by providing services
which include market and agribusiness development, Growth Through Agriculture
grants and loans, wheat and barley research and marketing, agriculture loans
including beginning farmer/rancher loans, hail insurance, grain grading and
inspection, agriculture education and outreach, and administration of
agricultural commodity research and market development programs.
(i) The Agricultural Development Division
consists of the following three bureaus:
(A)
The State Grain Laboratory Bureau;
(B) The Wheat and Barley Committee;
and
(C) The Agricultural Marketing
and Business Development Bureau.
(c) The Agricultural Sciences Division
provides agricultural, public, and environmental services and protection
through administration of the Montana laws and rules in the areas of
pesticides, agricultural chemical ground water, noxious weeds, feeds,
fertilizers, seed, grain commodity dealers, public warehousemen, nurseries,
produce, mint, apiculture, alfalfa leaf-cutting bees, pest management survey,
quarantines, and organic certification.
(i)
The Agricultural Sciences Division consists of the following three bureaus:
(A) The Commodity Services Bureau;
(B) The Analytical Laboratory Bureau;
and
(C) The Agricultural Services
Bureau.
(3) General inquiries regarding the department may be addressed to the director. All requests for hearings, declaratory rulings, and for the participation in rulemaking may be addressed to the director unless the notice in the Montana Administrative Register makes specific provision for submission or requests.
(4) The address of the director is as follows:
Department of Agriculture
Ben Thomas, Director
Agriculture/Livestock Building
302 N. Roberts Street
P.O. Box 200201
Helena, Montana 59620-0201
(5) An organizational chart of the Department of Agriculture is attached as the following page of this rule, and is incorporated by this reference.
2-4-201, 2-15-112, 2-15-121, MCA
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