1. (1) Organization of the department:

   1. (a) The Department of Agriculture was originally constituted as the Bureau of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry under the 1889 Constitution, was re-established as the Department of Agriculture under the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971, and is one of only two agencies required under the 1972 Constitution, Art. XII, Sec. 1.

   2. (b) The department has three divisions:

      1. (i) the Central Services Division;
      2. (ii) the Agricultural Development Division; and
      3. (iii) the Agricultural Sciences Division.
   3. (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.

   4. (d) The board, committees, and councils attached to the department, for administrative purposes only, are the following:

      1. (i) The Agriculture Development Council consists of seven members appointed by the Governor, including the directors of the departments of Agriculture and Commerce.
      2. (ii) The Montana Pulse Crop Committee consists of five members appointed by the Governor and three designated ex officio nonvoting members, including the Director of Agriculture.
      3. (iii) The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and three designated ex officio nonvoting members, including the Director of Agriculture.
      4. (iv) The Board of Hail Insurance consists of five members appointed by the Governor, including the State Auditor and Director of Agriculture, who also serves as the secretary of the board.
      5. (v) The Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council consists of eleven members appointed by the Director of Agriculture. The Director of Agriculture serves as presiding officer.

   5. (e) The following committees and councils are created to advise the Department of Agriculture with respect to their respective subject matter:

      1. (i) The Hemp Advisory Committee is made up of members appointed by the Director of Agriculture.
      2. (ii) The Potato Advisory Committee consists of seven members appointed by the Director of Agriculture.

2. (2) The functions of the department divisions are as follows:

   1. (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.

   2. (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 agricultural producer loans, hail insurance, grain grading and inspection, agriculture education and outreach, and administration of agricultural commodity research and market development programs.

      1. (i) The Agricultural Development Division consists of the following two bureaus:

         1. (A) the State Grain Laboratory Bureau; and
         2. (B) the Agricultural Finance, Trade and Development Bureau. The Agricultural Finance, Trade and Development Bureau also provides administrative support to the Wheat and Barley Committee and to the Pulse Crop Committee.

   3. (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, apiculture, pest management survey, quarantines, and organic certification.

      1. (i) The Agricultural Sciences Division consists of the following three bureaus:

         1. (A) the Commodity Services Bureau;
         2. (B) the Analytical Laboratory Bureau; and
         3. (C) the Agricultural Services Bureau.
3. (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. (4) The address of the director is as follows:

   Department of Agriculture

   Director

   Agriculture/Livestock Building

   302 N. Roberts Street

   P.O. Box 200201

   Helena, Montana 59620-0201

5. (5) An organizational chart of the Department of Agriculture follows, and is incorporated by reference.

   

   

Authorizing statute(s): 2-4-201, 2-15-112, 2-15-121, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 2-4-201, MCA

History: Eff. 12/31/72; AMD, Eff. 2/4/74; AMD, Eff. 11/3/75; AMD, Eff. 3/7/76; AMD, Eff. 8/4/76; AMD, Eff. 8/3/77; AMD, Eff. 6/30/79; AMD, Eff. 7/1/81; AMD, Eff. 6/30/84; AMD, Eff. 3/31/88; AMD, Eff. 12/31/89; AMD, Eff. 9/30/90; AMD, Eff. 7/1/91; AMD, Eff. 4/1/94; AMD, Eff. 5/2/95; AMD, Eff. 6/12/95; AMD, Eff. 6/30/98; AMD, Eff. 9/30/99; AMD, Eff. 12/31/01; AMD, Eff. 9/30/04; AMD, Eff. 12/31/04; AMD, Eff. 6/30/05; AMD, Eff. 3/31/08; AMD, Eff. 12/31/17; AMD, Eff. 12/31/22; AMD, Eff. 3/16/26.