1. (1) Organization of the Montana Historical Society.

   1. (a) The Montana Historical Society was organized under an act of the legislative assembly of the Territory of Montana entitled "An Act to Incorporate the Historical Society of Montana" approved February 2, 1865, and later made the Historical Society of the State of Montana by an act approved March 4, 1891, entitled "An Act Concerning the Historical Society for the State of Montana and Making an Appropriation Therefore." The society was designated the state archives by 22-3-202, MCA, in 1960 and administratively attached to the Board of Education in 1974 by 2-15-1511, MCA.

   2. (b) The society consists of the following six programs.

      1. (i) Administration;
      2. (ii) Library and Archives;
      3. (iii) Museum;
      4. (iv) Publications;
      5. (v) Outreach and Education; and
      6. (vi) State Historic Preservation Office.
   3. (c) The government and administration of the society is vested in a Board of Trustees. The board consists of 15 trustees appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. Trustees serve for five-year terms.
   4. (d) The director of the society is appointed by the Board of Trustees. The director is responsible for the immediate direction, management, and control of the society, subject to the general programs and policies established by the trustees.

2. (2) Functions of the Programs.

   1. (a) The Administration Program provides administration and coordination support and is responsible for the effective management, planning, direction, and leadership of the society. Activities include financial control, coordination of policies and procedures, purchasing, accounting, budgeting, payroll and human resource management, property control, development, membership, information technology, security, and public information. The program administers a store.
   2. (b) The Library and Archives Program acquires, organizes, preserves, and makes accessible to the public published materials, private manuscripts, historical records, photographs, and other materials documenting the history of Montana and the surrounding region, and assists researchers in the use of these materials. Activities include systematic acquisition of materials, processing of the collections, and consultation and assistance to researchers.
   3. (c) The Museum Program is responsible for collecting historical, archaeological, and ethnological artifacts and fine arts which pertain to the state of Montana and the surrounding region. Activities include cataloging artifact and art collections, preparing and mounting exhibits, and preservation of the permanent collections.
   4. (d) The Publications Program is responsible for publishing the state historical quarterly magazine Montana The Magazine of Western History, which is the state journal of record. The program also operates the Montana Historical Society Press that publishes books on Montana history, art, and culture.
   5. (e) The Outreach and Education Program is responsible for sharing the stories of Montana's past to provide learning, culture, and enjoyment for Montana's citizens and guests. Activities include creating and distributing educational resources to schools; conducting tours of the Montana Heritage Center exhibits, the Original Governor's Mansion, and the Capitol; sponsoring public programs, including lectures, conferences, and family activities; and creating interpretive signs for historic places.
   6. (f) The State Historic Preservation Office is responsible for implementing the National Historic Preservation Act at the state level and the State Antiquities Act. Activities include nominating sites to the National Register of Historic Places, reviewing tax certification projects, administering federal grants-in-aid, growing the inventory of cultural resources in Montana and managing information on those resources in the state's cultural records database, and reviewing projects on state land and federally funded and permitted projects to determine and comment on any impacts to historic and cultural properties and coordination with local governments, state agencies, federal agencies, and the public on matters relating to historic preservation.

3. (3) The following boards and councils are attached to the society for administrative purposes:

   1. (a) The Historic Preservation Review Board acts in an advisory capacity to the State Historic Preservation Office and to state agencies.
   2. (b) The Montana 250th Commission was formed to promote civic engagement and increase public awareness of United States and Montana government and history, including history of tribal nations, leading up to the United States semiquincentennial.
   3. (c) The Montana Historical Records Advisory Council advises Montana agencies, political units, educational institutions, and other organizations in the care, storage, preservation, and disposition of historical records.
4. (4) General inquiries regarding the society, boards, and councils may be addressed to the director. Specific inquiries regarding the functions of each program may be addressed to the manager of that program. All requests for hearings, declaratory rulings, and for participation in rulemaking may be addressed to the director unless the notice in the Montana Administrative Register makes specific provisions for submissions.

5. (5) Addresses of the director and each program are as follows:

   1. (a) Director, Montana Historical Society, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
   2. (b) Program manager, Library and Archives Program, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
   3. (c) Program manager, Museum Program, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
   4. (d) Program manager, Publications Program, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
   5. (e) Program manager, Outreach and Education Program, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620
   6. (f) Program manager, State Historic Preservation Office, 225 North Roberts, Helena, Montana, 59620

6. (6) The following descriptive chart of the Montana Historical Society indicating the organization of the society is incorporated in this rule.

   

Authorizing statute(s): 22-3-107, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 22-3-107, MCA

History: NEW, Eff. 7/1/81; AMD, Eff. 10/1/87; AMD, Eff. 3/31/98; AMD, Eff. 9/30/07; AMD, Eff. 12/31/08; AMD, Eff. 9/24/24.