SOIL AND WATER STEWARDSHIP WEEK CELEBRATION

On April 19, 2005 the Fannin Soil and Water Conservation Board of Directors met with Judge Derrell Hall for the signing of the Soil Stewardship Proclamation. Also attending the signing of the proclamation were Randy Moore, District Conservationist with the NRCS, Bear Reed, the District’s Technical Assistant and Mary Jane Godwin, District Secretary.

L-R. Bear Reed, T.A., C.W. Jones, Chairman, Harvey Milton, member, Billy Partridge,
Vice-chairman, David Keene, member, Leon Bowman, Secretary and Randy Moore,
District Conservationist, NRCS. Judge Derrell Hall, center, signing the stewardship proclamation.

For fifty years, a national network of conservation districts has helped Americans learn to conserve natural resources. This year the theme of soil stewardship is “Celebrate Conservation”. The official celebration was the week of April 24 to May 1, 2005. But as good stewards of the land we should celebration soil stewardship every day.

Conservation practices in the United State have helped us achieve a historic standard of living. We enjoy a wide variety of fresh, healthy food. Drinking water supplies are clean and mainly free from disease. Lakes, rivers and streams are much cleaner than 30 years ago and air quality has greatly improved in the last fifty years.  Conservation of natural resources has helped create an amazing way of life for Americans. That is why everyone should celebrate conservation. We still face many challenges today but the lessons of the past show us that people working together can solve almost any problem.

Every person can help conserve natural resources in their daily life. Start by learning about the conservation of water, soil, air, plants and wildlife resources around you. If everyone would make a conscious effort each day to do one thing to conserve our natural resources the benefits would be astonishing. Everyone can help by recycling, by not littering and by disposing of chemicals in the correct way.