02-21-2007Kosciusko County Soil and Water District Education Coordinator Darci Zolman outlined 50 years of the district’s conservation milestones during Tuesday’s annual meeting.
Conservation districts were established by federal mandate in the 1930s during the “dust bowl.” Local citizens’ first vote on the issue was voted down.
In 1957, Kosciusko County’s seven southern-most townships voted for the district. These townships comprised the first district. It wasn’t until 1963 that the rest of the county joined the soil conservation district.
Fifty years ago the district’s budget was $178.55. The 2006 balance was given as $164,908.91.
The first goal of the SWCD was “to attain fullest possible conservation of soil and water resources in order to promote the general health and welfare of the people and to preserve natural resources for future generations.”
Conservation highlights were presented as:
1957 – Kosciusko County Soil Conservation District, called the SCD, was organized; it included the townships of Jackson, Lake, Seward, Franklin, Clay, Monroe and Washington.
1958 – SCD gave its first Conservation Farmer of the Year Award to Samuel Rhoades.
1960 – “Water” was added to the district’s name and it became the SWCD.
1963 – The remaining townships in the county were added to the district by referendum vote.
1964 – Kosciusko County SWCD was named Indiana’s District of the Year in a contest sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.
1965 – First SWCD radio program on WRSW was broadcast.
1967 – First Conservation Speech Contest was won by Robert Hoerr.
1969 – Marguerite Hoerr was hired as the county’s first SWCD employee.
1971 – Mapping began for the first soil survey of the county.
1972 – SWCD was named Goodyear District of the Year for the second time.
1977 – Kosciusko County had 41 orders in the first Indiana State Tree Sales Program.
1983 – Mapping for the soil survey was completed on the Waldo Adams farm in Franklin Township; SWCD’s first college scholarship was awarded to Rose Marie Schafer of Wawasee High School.
1985 – Soil survey paperwork was completed.
1987 – SWCD conducted its first tree sales program with St. Joseph County SWCD.
1988 – SWCD named Goodyear District of the Year for a third time.
1989 – Kosciusko County Soil Survey was published.
1990 – Upper Tippecanoe River Water Quality Project began.
1992 – SWCD conducted its first well water testing program and the district received a grant from the Fish and Wildlife Foundation for a wetland restoration program
1993 – SWCD received a grant to construct an urban erosion control demonstration site at the Parade of Homes, and conducted an Upper Tippecanoe River Water Quality Tour for legislators.
1994 – SWCD received an EPA grant for work in the Upper Eel River watershed; first River Expedition for high school students was conducted with Arrow Head Country RC&D.
1995 – SWCD named Goodyear District of the Year for a fourth time; District assisted with the Indiana Lakes Management Conference, held in Kosciusko County.
1996 – SWCD co-sponsored Earth Day festivities at Center Lake Park.
1997 – SWCD Supervisor Garry Tom was elected president of the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts; SWCD hosted its first locally-led conservation meetings; First Ag Awareness program was conducted
1998 – SWCD provided local assistance for the State Soil Judging contest, held on Zolman Farms.
1999 – SWCD participated in a Forest Stewardship grant program to assist with timber stand improvement projects; Carl Diehl, Hubert Krull, James Romine and Zolman Farms were the recipients of the first River Friendly Farmer awards; Supervisor Jon Roberts was selected to represent Soil and Water Conservation Districts on the USDA Chief’s Local Partnership National Advisory Council.
2000 – SWCD sponsored a Carbon Sequestration Rural Appraisal Meeting and a local land-use seminar with Dr. David Skjaerlund.
2001 – SWCD sponsored and helped plan the Northern Indiana Youth Environmental Summit, held at Whitko Middle School.
2002 – The Bob and Alice Frantz farm was the first in Indiana to be enrolled in the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program; SWCD hosted its first pasture walks.
2003 – SWCD developed and piloted a new wetland education program for students on the Beyer Leg of the Lake City Greenway; a project to clear log jams and debris from the Tippecanoe River was conducted; Supervisor Sherman Bryant was elected president of the IASWCD.
2004 – High Residue Farming and Pesticide Management Seminar was conducted; Pisgah Marsh Boardwalk opened, with SWCD offering programming and a loaner education trunk.
2005 – Soil Survey became available on CD and Web site; first Environmental Day for fifth-graders was held with the Solid Waste Management District; SWCDs became part of the newly created Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
2006 – SWCD received Clean Water Indiana Grants for projects in the Tippecanoe and Elkhart River watersheds; first Wonders of Wetlands Community Awareness Day was held.