Service Award – Chuck Nuttle, 15 Years

Chuck Nuttle, project inspector for the Conservation Commission's Abandoned Mine Land Program, was recognized at the April 2008 Commission meeting for 15 years of service. Above. from left, are OCC Chairman Dan Lowrance, Chuck Nuttle and OCC Executive Director Mike Thralls.

Chuck Nuttle, a project inspector for OCC’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, was recognized at the April 2008 Commission meeting for 15 years of service to OCC and the state of Oklahoma. Chuck joined OCC in 1993, within a week of his retirement after 34 years with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service.

Chuck has been involved with conservation all of his life. He born and raised on a farm in Pawnee County. During high school as a member in the Pawnee FFA Chapter, he earned the prestigious State Farmer Degree. In 1957 he began working for the Pawnee County Conservation District as a survey aide. He joined the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in 1959 where he began as a civil engineering technician. Over the years he has worked on numerous survey crews, many of which were involved in planning for watershed construction projects. He also has been a project inspector for several watershed construction projects, project inspector for Rural Abandoned Mine Land Program (RAMP) construction projects and office engineer. He retired from SCS in 1993 while serving in the Claremore SCS Area Office where he provided technical assistance to 16 counties in northeastern Oklahoma. During his 34 years with SCS, Chuck worked in 43 counties and was on over 600 watershed dams.

In 2002 Chuck’s focus changed slightly when he moved from inspecting abandoned coal mine reclamation projects to inspecting abandoned lead and zinc reclamation projects in the Tar Creek area. To date he has inspected 14 AML projects and six Tar Creek projects. While he is wrapping up the last Tar Creek project he has his sights set on a new AML project in Wagoner County due to begin in a couple of months.

During his professional career Chuck also served over 40 years with the Oklahoma National Guard, rising to the rank of infantry battalion command sergeant major. He shot competitively on and coached the Guard’s Pistol and Rifle Team and served on the Oklahoma Military Department Sniper Team.

Chuck and his wife Nila enjoy traveling including trips to locations in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand and are scheduled to go to Europe later this year.