Meade County Conservation District – for whom, what, and why it serves By KAREN KENNEDY In 1935, U.S. Congress created the Soil Conservation Service to work with landowners to correct the erosion and sedimentation caused by wind and water on America’s farmland. At first the program was administered by a federal agency; however, this format proved to be a poor choice. In 1938 the idea of a conservation district governed by local individuals was developed and proved to make better sense. The Meade County Conservation District is a subdivision of state government and is governed by a board of seven elected supervisors composed of land owners, producers and business persons, whose powers and duties are detailed in the Soil Conservation Act of 1940. The board is responsible for entering into a working agreement with federal, state and other organizations that assist in developing and carrying out a workable program that meets conservation objectives. Financial assistance for the program is provided from state and federal aid and the remainder from the Meade County Fiscal Court. The Meade County Conservation District staff consists of Charlotte Lawson, district administrative secretary, and Liz Hawkins, district office assistant. These are the only two paid district employees. Working out of the Meade County office and providing services to Meade County is the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a federal agency that helps farmers and landowners implement conservation practices on their land. The NRCS staff consists of Calvin Bohannon, district conservationist for Meade and Breckinridge counties, and B.J. Stith, resource conservationist for Meade, Grayson and Breckinridge counties. Directing the overall operations of the district is the Meade County Conservation District board of supervisors, which consists of seven elected board members. The board meets in the district office located at 1194-B Old Ekron Road in Brandenburg every fourth Monday of every month at 8 a.m. All meetings are open to the public. Working in conjunction with NRCS, the board addresses a broad range of topics and concerns, including erosion control, flood prevention, water conservation and use, wetlands, ground water, water quality and quantity, nonpoint source pollution, forest land protection, wildlife, recreation, waste water management, and community development. The board consists of the following members: John M. Bruington, chairman; Joe Barger, vice-chairman; Jim Scott, secretary/treasurer; and members-at-large Jack King, Nathan Beavin, Fred L. Sipes and Henry Pike. The district provides technical advice on a variety of natural resource issues for Meade County landowners, primarily those landowners who produce a minimum of $1,000 of agricultural commodity and qualify for various cost-share programs, although non-farmers are also assisted from time to time. Technical assistance includes conservation and enhancement of the natural resources, such as soil, water, air, plants, and animals, through the use of best management practices. The district also helps the landowner develop a farm conservation plan as well as helps ensure there is an ag water quality plan in place. The Agriculture Water Quality Act requires all landowners with 10 or more acres being used for agriculture or silvicultural operations to develop and implement a water quality plan based upon guidance from the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan. Both local and state cost-share programs are important components of the conservation district’s overall program. The Meade County Conservation District provides the Forage Improvement Cost Share program at a rate of 50 percent up to $750 and also provides farm equipment loans. This program is funded through tobacco settlement funds. The state cost-share program includes but is not limited to the following practices: integrated crop management, pesticide containment facilities, sinkhole protection, rotational grazing system establishment, water well protection, animal waste utilization, forest land erosion control, cropland erosion control, pasture and hayland erosion control, streambank stabilization, agricultural waste control facilities, livestock watering systems, and conservation cover and buffers. Like the local cost-share program, the state cost-share program is also funded by tobacco settlement funds. EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) is a federal program that is also administered through the Meade County Conservation District office. In cooperation with Meade County Fiscal Court and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Meade County Conservation District sponsors a dead animal removal service for livestock. Fiscal Court covers $50 of the dead animal removal cost, with the landowner paying the remaining $25 of the $75 bill. The county contracts with Nation Brothers for this removal service. The Meade County Conservation District provides tree seedlings to landowners and schools to plant. These are usually given away around the time of Arbor Day during the month of April. The district sponsors the annual Courier-Journal Art and Writing Contest for Meade County, with participation from students in grades K-12. This year’s theme is “Kentucky Soil: It’s Worth Protecting.” Each year, the Meade County Conservation District awards a $1,000 scholarship to a high school student who is pursuing agricultural or environmental studies. A second scholarship, also in the amount of $1,000, is awarded annually to a college student majoring in agriculture or environmental studies. In addition, each year the district offers to send two children to forestry camp, two children to conservation camp, and two children to 4-H camp. Every summer, usually at the end of July or early August, the Meade County Conservation District co-sponsors the Meade County Farm Field Day along with the Meade County Extension office, highlighting a county farm that has used cost-share funds in a unique setting. Organization and leadership of this field day is a shared effort that also involves Farm Service Agency and Farm Bureau. The Meade County Conservation District’s current tax rate is 0.008 percent, which is less than the maximum rate allowed and the same rate that has remained in effect for the past several years.
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