OACD Conservation Awards

Outstanding Conservation District, East Woods County Conservation District

The Outstanding Conservation District Award is cosponsored by Chesapeake Energy

East Woods County Conservation District (EWCCD) was named Outstanding Conservation District for 2006. Above, from left, are EWCCD Director David Lyon, Sen. Owen Laughlin, EWCCD Program Coordinator Reva Maddox, EWCCD Director Jay Leeper; Chesapeake Energy Government Relations Director Sarah Gainer; EWCCD Directors Clint Olson and Bob McCray; Chesapeake Energy Vice President Tom Price; Sec. of Agriculture Terry Peach and OACD President Scotty Herriman.

East Woods County Conservation District (EWCCD) received the Outstanding District Award, cosponsored by OACD and Chesapeake Energy. The district was honored for carrying out a wide variety of activities to promote and support conservation of natural resources.

EWCCD activities included education opportunities for students and sponsoring trees for Washington School and bird feeders for Longfellow School. Both schools are in Alva. The district makes conservation-related implements available to farmers and cosponsors the Northwest Oklahoma Land Judging Contest for area 4H and FFA members.

East Woods County Conservation District was established in 1948. The district office is in Alva.

The district works with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide assistance on projects such as water control structures and has helped landowners with livestock tank installation the state Conservation Cost-Share Program. Cross fencing for livestock rotation has been another popular practice in that program. The district provides grass drills and a no-till drill for rental to producers.

The district participated in conservation recognition contests by nominating local teacher Gail Swallow who subsequently won an award in the contest sponsored by OACD and Chesapeake Energy and by nominating newspaper editor Jim Barker who won an award in a contest sponsored by OACD and the Oklahoma Press Association.

EWCCD is active in conservation education efforts for students. At the county fair, each child received a conservation activity book compliments of the district. A grant from the district provided trees for the playground at Washington School in Alva. Another grant from the district provided bird feeders for Alva’s Longfellow Elementary School to begin their Outdoor Classroom. The district cosponsored and helped run the Northwest Oklahoma Land and Range Judging Contest at Woodward and district directors presented the Alva FFA Junior Land Judging Team with a first place award. EWCCD presented Out of the Dust conservation history books to area schools and libraries. District directors and Conservation Commissioner J.T. Winters participated in the district’s Soil Stewardship Week program.

Through all their activites, the directors and employees of the East Woods County Conservation District proudly carry the conservation message to people of all ages and in all walks of life, always remembering their motto of “Celebrate Conservation!”