OACD State Meeting 2009

---

The 2009 Annual State Meeting of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts

Planting the Seeds for the Future - New Horizons Bring New Challenges

(Conservation Districts: See OACD State Meeting News Media Kit at bottom of this page.)

Photos from the OACD State Meeting (click here)

NEW! PowerPoint presentations from the speakers at the OACD State Meeting available here in Adobe Acrobat pdf file format!

Just Added! Meet the OACD Board of Directors for 2009

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) held its 71st Annual State Meeting at the Reed Conference Center in Midwest City Feb. 22-24. OACD is an independent organization that promotes natural resource conservation through various activities and functions. The meeting was cosponsored by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

Lt. Gov. Jari Askins

At the Monday morning opening session Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Jari Askins recounted her experiences with natural resource conservation in Oklahoma. She cited the late Nolen Fuqua, a nationally-recognized conservation pioneer, for mentoring her in their mutual home town of Duncan. She commented on attending the dedication ceremony in Cordell on July 3, 1998, to mark the 50th anniversary of Cloud Creek Dam No. 1, the first nation’s first upstream flood control dam. She urged conservation districts to continue to educate the state Legislature on conservation. “Every candidate talks about maintaining Oklahoma for future generations,” she said, “but how many are willing to spend the money to do it?”

Sec. of Environment J.D Strong

At the Monday luncheon, new Sec. of Environment J.D. Strong said his education about conservation began with his family who have farmed in Custer County for five generations. His work experience in the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and in the Office of the Sec. of Environment has given him a long history of working in partnership with local conservation districts, the Conservation Commission and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. From riparian protection projects to reclaiming “moonscape-looking” land in the Tar Superfund Site to watershed flood control dam rehabilitation, he owed a lot of his education to local conservation districts, he said. “I look forward in our future to expanding from our usual partners in the agricultural sector to more work with urban sectors and more work with the energy industry with carbon sequestration and offset trading.

Morning and afternoon breakout sessions provided educational programs on flood control dams, wind energy, water quality and district management topics.

Pickup Truck Giveaway
Chesapeake Energy donated a pickup truck that was given to a conservation district selected by a drawing. Comanche County Conservation District won the pickup in the drawing held following the OACD banquet on Feb. 23. “This truck will really help us do our job,” said A.C. Bennett, Chairman of the Comanche County Conservation District. Having this vehicle will help us work more effectively with our local cooperators and help them protect and conserve our natural resources.”

Youth Awards
Western Farmers Electric Cooperative cosponsored youth awards for elementary, middle and high school students in categories of poster, essay and speech. Scott Williams represented WFEC in presenting checks and awards to the winners in each category.

Conservation Awards

Conservation Hall of Fame

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission established the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame in 1985. Each year, one or more friends of conservation and/or conservation district directors are inducted in recognition of a positive influence on Oklahoma’s conservation programs. This year OACD inducted two friends of conservation into the Hall of Fame.

James Covey

Wayne Spies

OACD President Scotty Herriman named James Covey of Custer City and Wayne Spies of Fort Cobb to the Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame during the organization’s banquet on Feb. 23.

Covey, named to the Hall of Fame as a “Friend of Conservation,” served for six two-year terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for District 57. Herriman cited Covey for his unfailing support of agriculture, conservation and rural development in the state Legislature. “As a Custer County farmer and rancher, James understood the problems facing agriculture and the value of soil and water conservation when he went into the Legislature,” Herriman said. “Among various leadership positions, he served as chair of the House Agriculture Committee and was a constant supporter of conservation districts. He also was an early leader in developing Oklahoma’s wind energy industry,” Herriman said. (For more on James Covey's award, click here.)

President Herriman also named Wayne Spies of Fort Cobb, a West Caddo Conservation District director for 25 years, to the Hall of Fame. Spies recently completed three one-year terms representing conservation districts in southwest Oklahoma as OACD Area IV director. “Wayne and the West Caddo Conservation District have done innovative things to protect the Fort Cobb Lake through cooperation with the lake’s master conservancy district,” Herriman said, “and by initiating a Priority Watershed Protection Program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.” (For more on Wayne Spies award, click here.)

OACD President’s Award

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts has presented its “President’s Award” since 1983 to one or more individuals or an organization that has shown outstanding support of conservation efforts in Oklahoma or the nation. OACD President Scotty Herriman presented the President’s Award for 2009 to the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and Wadell Altom. Altom is retiring in March from his position as director of the Noble Foundation’s Agriculture Division. He coordinated the foundation’s cosponsorship of the National Land and Range Judging Contest for several years. (For more on Wadell Altom, click here.)

Employee Recognition

Jolene Sparks, secretary for the Noble County Conservation District, was named Employee of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of Conservation District Employees. OACDE also presented Ben Pollard, assistant director of the Conservation Commission, with an award for his assistance to conservation district employees.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service presented the following awards during the three-day meeting:

Partner Awards

Conservation Educator – Rhnea Stoy, Okmulgee County Conservation District
Standing in the Gap – Diane Nation – South Caddo Conservation District
Conservationist of the Year – Bradley Hamilton, Pittsburg County Conservation District, and Kurt Atkinson, Oklahoma Forestry Services of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
Resource Conservation and Development Council Member of the Year – Jeff Lockett, Wheatland RC&D

Volunteer Awards

Earth Team Volunteer of the Year – Micah White, Eufaula NRCS Field Office
Earth Team Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – Bryan Stewart, Stillwater NRCS Field Office, and Dorothy Lyons, Pauls Valley NRCS Field Office
Earth Team Outstanding Volunteer Efforts of the Year – Newkirk NRCS Field Office
Earth Team Workgroup of the Year – Oklahoma Blue Thumb – Statewide Efforts
Earth Team Outstanding Efforts – LeFlore Workgroup

 

OACD State Meeting News Media Kit for Conservation Districts