A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN RUNNING A SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT ^ 



"Most district boards try to meet once a month, but finding a date that fits everyone 

 gets to be quite a job. There are town board, planning board, school board, Farm Bureau, 

 Grange, Farmers Union, NFO, church board, zoning commission, conservation clubs, bowling, 

 ball games, pinochle clubs, fishing, snowmob i I i ng , some even have to work; so, no matter 

 what night you pick, some directors have something else to do, and most of it more im- 

 portantant, according to them, than attending to the district's business. 



The next thing is making an annual work plan. When it is complete, the District Con- 

 servationist asks how many more men he will have to have to get it done. The Area Con- 

 servationist says you don't need a full time man. Art starts looking for another District 

 to combine with yours and Russ says your plan looks just like last year's and how come 

 you have those city projects listed. Your troubles have just started. 



A cooperator wants to drain some wet land and the fish and wildlife people say you 

 are ruining the duck nesting area. Another wants an irrigation pond and you are accused 

 of warming the water in a stream and spoiling fish habitat. A forest land owner cuts all 

 his marketable timber and the wildlife managers say you should have left some den trees. 

 Leave the den trees and the foresters say you didn't do a complete job. On a tree planting 

 job, you leave some openings for wildlife and the foresters ask why it wasn't all planted. 

 Try to get the Road Commission to seed the ditch banks, and they say they don't have 

 enough money for such frills. If they are left open, the streams silt full and you are ac- 

 cused of polluting them. 



If we help farmers in more efficient production by using soil conservation practices 

 we are accused of adding to the surpluses. If we don't, we are accused of not helping keep 

 them in business. If we try to get a watershed project, we are going to ruin the landowner^^ 

 with tax assessments. If we don't, we are trying to help flood the farmers out. If we wor^^ 

 with youth groups, we are neglecting the landowners. If we don't we are not looking to the 

 future. If we help only the farmers, we are not servicing all landowners. If we can help 

 city people we are neglecting the farmers. When we ask for some financial help, we feel/*- 

 like beggars. When we get our mileage and expenses, we are ruining the State Treasury. 



In Spite of these and many more difficulties, districts, with the help of the Soil 

 Conservation Service and many others, continue to offer a service to landowners that cannot 

 be duplicated. District directors and the SCS personnel are doing things in resource 

 management that a lot of others wish they could do. Even though some people ridicule 

 directors for contributing their time and effort without compensation, a majority recognize 

 the contribution they make in conserving and improving our natural resources and improv- 

 ing our environment." - - Dwight Spuller, Vice President, Michigan Soil Conservation Dist- 

 ricts, Inc. 



The dates for the Area Meetings this year have been set as follows: 



October 5 - Bi I I ings - 



Area IV 



II 



Sti I I water SWCD, Host 



Powder River SWCD, Host 



Garfield SWCD, Host 



Teton SWCD, Host 



Deer Lodge Valley SWCD, Host 



Jefferson Valley SWCD, Host 



