EVENT & WORKSHOP SCHEDULE!




CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE FIELD DAY


The 2008 Center for Excellence Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20th.  Watch local newspapers and listen to local radio stations for event details as we get closer to the date.


DISTRICT FUNDING IN JEOPARDY

Cuts made to the Michigan budget by Governor Granholm included monies previously designated for Conservation Districts.  Lenawee County residents may lose services offered by the Lenawee County Conservation District as the District searches ways to gain additional operating funds in the wake of the budget cuts. The Governor’s budget eliminates base operation grant funding to Conservation Districts ($1.516 million) and also eliminates the $1.0 million funding for the Forestry Assistance Program which is provided through Conservation Districts. It breaks down to each Conservation District losing their $19,200 of yearly operating money.

The Lenawee County Conservation District is a local agency of state government which assists county residents with the conservation and management of their natural resources. The District was organized in 1948 and directly partners with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide: soils information; erosion control recommendations; a forester to assist with woodlot management and tree concerns; wildlife habitat development assistance; groundwater protection education; access to expert conservation planning assistance; and sales of trees, shrubs and native plants for conservation uses such as windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife habitat and landscape naturalizing. You may not have personally received help from the Conservation District, but there is a good likelihood that a neighbor, friend, relative, or favorite local environment group has. And all county residents benefit, at least indirectly, from the work of the Conservation District through the protection and enhancement of our natural resources. You can support your local Conservation District by writing or calling your state respresentatives and expressing the need to continue funding to Districts. If District offices close throughout the state, we all lose!