GACD and Fulton County Soil & Water Conservation District announce funding for Georgia Conservation Assistance Program

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District are excited to award over $20,000 in first round funding to eight homeowners for the installation of green infrastructure practices through the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program.

Alan Toney, Chair of the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District says, “We are very pleased to announce the first recipients of the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program.  This important partnership will help reduce stormwater flooding, improve water quality, protect homeowner’s property and improve the general livability of our neighborhoods.”

In urban areas, stormwater runoff is one of the major sources of pollution that impacts watersheds. Green infrastructure practices such as cisterns, dry wells and rain gardens installed in residential areas can reduce the rate of stormwater runoff & water pollution in urban areas all while maintaining a beautiful home exterior. Trees Atlanta, a non profit group that works to increase green space in Atlanta, will be partnering with GACD and the District to perform all green infrastructure installations for the Program.

Georgia Conservation Assistance Program is a partnership between the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Cobb and Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation Districts that funds the installation of green infrastructure practices on residential properties located in Cobb and Fulton County. Funds for the Program are provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.

For more information, please visit www.gacd.us/gcap .

Congratulations to Wesley Doyle, GACD's Superior Support Professional Award Recipient

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) is thrilled to announce Wesley Doyle as recipient of the 2021 GACD Superior Professional Support award for his accomplishments. This is awarded yearly to recognize an individual who has provided superior leadership in and support of soil and water conservation in Georgia. 

For the past 2.5 years, Wesley has served as District Program Assistant to the Lamar County and Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Barnesville Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Field Office. During this time he put his public relations and marketing skills to use to bring significant recognition to both Districts through outreach events, the creation of promotional materials, and the establishment and maintenance of a significant online presence. He has applied for and successfully secured a multitude of awards for conservation minded producers within his Districts that brought national attention to Georgia. In addition, his efforts have bolstered partnerships between both Districts and NRCS, the Farm Service Agency, Resource Conservation & Development councils, University of Georgia Extension and the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Wesley has brought conservation opportunities directly to his local communities through grant funding to implement conservation education initiatives. With his efforts, he has secured over $90,000 in grants on behalf of his Districts to create the Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series, which provides Lamar County producers opportunities to learn about cattle grazing systems and to make improvements to the Wetland Nature Trail in Barnesville, GA. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Conservation Education Initiative that provides raised garden beds for educational purposes in the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District.

Wesley rose above and beyond his position of District Program Assistant and excelled in serving his local Districts and NRCS with all of their programmatic outreach. His dedication and service in this position has truly benefited not only the surrounding community but also everyone with which he has worked. 

Thank you and congratulations to Wesley Doyle for his dedicated service!

GACD Executive Director, Katie Sponberger, awards the GACD Superior Support Professional Award to Wesley Doyle.

GACD Congratulates Tom McCall & Extends Thanks to Gerald Long

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts would like to extend congratulations to Mr. Tom McCall, the newly elected President of Georgia Farm Bureau. We look forward to our continuing work with former Representative McCall as we advocate for the conservation of Georgia's natural resources.

We would also like to give a special thank you to past President Gerald Long for his service through our conservation partnership. Mr. Long's dedication to agriculture and natural resources will leave a lasting impact across our state.

Pictures courtesy of Georgia Farm Bureau

Tixie Fowler Named GACD's Star DPA

GACD is pleased to announce the new Star DPA Award recipient, Tixie Fowler, our DPA in the DeKalb County and Gwinnett County Conservation Districts. This award is dedicated to a DPA that stood out in exemplary support of their districts, agency partners, and community.

Tixie has served as a DPA since March of 2018 out of the Lawrenceville NRCS office. In just over two years, Tixie has been extremely successful in promoting and serving her conservation districts. Her list of accomplishments is long and quite impressive. Perhaps her greatest achievements have been the two large grants that she has written and received funding for; one called the ‘Urban Conservation Toolbox Grant’ for $166,000 and the other ‘The Bridge Grant’ for $195,500. In addition to maintaining these grant programs that have provided a mired of outreach resources for her communities, Tixie has created educational videos for students called “Careers in Conservation” and has hosted numerous educational workshops for youth and adults. By expanding her network of contacts, Tixie has been successful in bridging her local conservation districts with federal, state, and university partnerships that have further enhanced their outreach potential. Her recent partnership with Mercer University has led to the creation of the AgSTEM project, an ongoing educational project that seeks to blend agricultural and STEM education in urban areas.

The hard work that Tixie has put in for her districts has not gone unnoticed. Ellis Lamme, Chairman of the Gwinnett County Conservation District says, “Tixie is a very important part of the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District. She has tireless energy toward education, conservation and loyalty to all that she works with. Thank you Tixie for being so outstanding to us.” Mathew Retter, supervisor for Gwinnett County Conservation District, echoes his chairman and iterates, “Tixie is an asset to the district along with being a friend.” In addition to serving her two districts, Tixie has been an active and invaluable part of her work with her local NRCS office. Her District Conservationist, Ryan Burgess, has been truly pleased to work with her over the years and see all that she has accomplished. In describing her, Ryan says, “Tixie has a true commitment to her job and a passion for agriculture education. She is always eager to get outside with urban kids and educate them on everything from garden education to hiking through the woods and discovering ways to implement conservation into their practices. Tixie you are a true inspiration to us all in the work you do. Congratulations on your accomplishments and keep up the good work.”

Katie Bowker, GACD North Georgia Program Manager says, “Tixie never ceases to amaze me. Her work ethic and her ability to rally people together from different organizations under one cause and achieve a solid outcome is wonderful. I am always looking forward to seeing what she is working on next!”

Congratulations to Tixie Fowler, GACD’s Star DPA!

GACD Annual Meeting Cancellation and Special Meeting Announcement

After much discussion and careful deliberation, the GACD Board has made the decision to cancel our Annual Meeting originally scheduled for January 15-17, 2021 at Callaway Resort and Gardens. Our top priority has been the health, safety, and well-being of our conservation community. With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe this is the only way to protect all our Annual Meeting attendees, speakers, and exhibitors.

As you know, we depend on the Annual Meeting to present and have discussion on important Association business. Because of that reason, I would like to announce a Special Virtual Meeting to be held on January 15 from 1pm-2:30pm where we will discuss several items of business. A detailed agenda will be distributed before the meeting.

The GACD Special Meeting will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Registration is required and can be completed at www.gacd.us/events .
We will hold a Zoom assistance session at 12:30pm on January 15 for anyone who needs assistance using the Zoom features that will be required for participation in voting and discussion.

Governor Kemp Appoints Vikki Consiglio to GSWCC Board

Congratulations to Vikki Consiglio, GACD Treasurer and Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, for being appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Board.

Vikki has served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Inc. for twenty-four years. She has over thirty years of foundation and corporate board experience, serving on a multitude of construction industry, civic, and religious boards. In 2012, she was selected to serve as a supervisor for the Henry County Soil and Water Conservation District. Consiglio attended Columbus State College, where she majored in Business and Organizational Management, and studied Bible and Music and Gateway College of Evangelism. She is the mother of four grown children, grandmother to ten grandchildren, and married to William Consiglio. They reside in McDonough, where they attend Grace Summit Church.

Vikki is a great addition to the Board and will represent the needs and interests of Georgia's Soil and Water Conservation Districts well.

Local USDA—NRCS District Conservationist Carmen Westerfield Named Finalist in National Conservation Leadership Award

Barnesville, GA (October 5, 2020)—Carmen Westerfield, District Conservationist for both the Lamar County and Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation Districts, was one of five national finalists for the Hugh Hammond Bennett Conservation Planner Award. This national award is given to an individual who demonstrates a high standard of conservation planning and implementation for customers as well as sharing his/her expertise with others.

Recognizing the leadership and dedication of Hugh Hammond Bennett, the father of the modern soil conservation movement and the first Chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service), the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence recognizes individuals at the local, state and the national level for extraordinary achievements in and contributions to the soil and water conservation movement in the United States. These awards recognize producers and conservation planners from within the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) who have exemplified outstanding service through development and implementation of sound conservation planning and other conservation techniques.

In the local agricultural community, there are not many people who don’t know “Ms. Carmen.” She is widely recognized as a knowledgeable conservation and resource planner whose goal it is to provide the best customer service to her producers. One of the first things you see when you walk into the local field office is a plaque and “trophy” touting 2019 Field Office of the Year for Georgia. This is a field office she has supervised for the past two decades.

It would be fair to say that Mrs. Westerfield’s strong partnerships with her local districts led to one of these districts receiving the GACD (Georgia Association of Conservation Districts) 2019 District of the Year award. The Towaliga district is the most recent recipient, but it can’t be left out that the Lamar County SWCD has acquired the same distinction in year’s past under Ms. Westerfield’s guidance. Most recently, under her guidance and encouragement, the Lamar County SWCD was awarded a USDA/NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant where they presented a 10-month long Beef Cattle 101 Series to interested local producers. This is the first comprehensive program of its kind in the state of Georgia.

Past awards bestowed upon Ms. Westerfield include the State of Georgia House of Representatives 904 Award for continued service to the City of Barnesville and Lamar County, Georgia NRCS Conservation Communicator of the Year, Dr. O.E. Sell Award from the Mid-GA Cattlemen’s Association, and the GACDS Award for Superior Professional Support to Conservation Districts.

GACD and GSWCC Partnering for Virtual Supervisor and Staff Training

Due to COVID-19 we had to cancel all in person training for this year, but we are excited to offer you virtual training options!

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission are partnering to present two virtual training events. 

The first training event will be held on Thursday November 5th. Choose from two different times to accommodate your schedule- 10:00am and 6:00pm.
This session will cover GACD Supervisor and Staff Training Modules 1-6:
-Module 1: GACDs Partnership with the Districts
-Module 2: Conservation District Basics
-Module 3: District Responsibilities
-Module 4: Becoming a District Supervisor
-Module 5: Meeting Specifics
-Module 6: Sunshine Laws

The second training event will be held on Thursday November 12th. Chose from two different times to accommodate your schedule- 10:00am and 6:00pm.
This session will cover GACD Supervisor and Staff Training Modules 7-12:
-Module 7: Power of Partnerships
-Module 8: Legislative Advocacy
-Module 9: Development and Outreach
-Module 10: Tips for Success
-Module 11: All about DPAs
-Module 12: Erosion & Sediment Control

Training will be based off GACD's Online Supervisor and Staff Training Modules found at www.gacd.us/training. Modules will be presented by GACD and GSWCC staff.  Attendees that complete both events will be eligible for recognition at GACD's 2021 Annual Meeting. 
 For question contact GACD at 1-833-411-GACD or info@gacd.us

Introducing GACD's New Pollinator Coordinator

We are excited to introduce Irenee Payne as our new Pollinator Coordinator!

Irenee grew up on a cattle farm in North Georgia, where she spent her childhood learning about native plants and wildlife from her family. Irenee went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in biology from Young Harris College and a master’s degree in environmental science from Oregon State University. Throughout her academic endeavors, she has researched plant biochemistry, human impacts on various ecosystems, and the impact of fire on plant species composition in forests. Irenee has worked as a DPA for Hall County Soil & Water Conservation District for the last two and a half years, where she has educated her community on a variety of topics, including soil health, water quality, native species dynamics, and the importance of pollinators in our ecosystems. As the Pollinator Coordinator, Irenee hopes to implement outreach and educational opportunities that address the role pollinators play in maintaining diverse plant communities and ecosystem resilience throughout Georgia.

Irenee will be working directly with the Conservation Districts as she coordinates the implementation and installation of our pollinator gardens and habitats throughout the state!

More information on our Pollinator Initiative at www.gacd.us/pollinators

Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District awarded the Clean 13 Water Heroes Award

Congratulations to the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District for recently being awarded the Clean 13 Water Heroes Award!

The Georgia Water Coalition consists of over 260 organizations and annually publishes a list of 13 entities to recognize their conservation efforts and demonstrating success. The Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District was recognized for several of their projects, including their Dynamic Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI), Smart Irrigation Month, On-Farm Cost Share Programs and more.

For the full article on their award click here.