The McPherson County Conservation District will hold its 2022 annual meeting at 6:30 p.m., Monday Jan. 31 at the McPherson County 4-H Building. The meeting will open with dinner at 6:30 p.m. followed by the business meeting at 7:15 p.m. Reservations are required for the dinner. The business meeting is open to the public. Dinner reservations should be made as soon as possible, by phone or by mail to McPherson County Conservation District, 200 S. Centennial, Suite A, McPherson KS 67460, by email at [email protected] or by phone at 620-241-1836 ext. 3067, or 620-798-3066.
During the business meeting, annual financial and activity reports will be presented, and one supervisor will be elected to the board. Three McPherson County producers will be recognized for conservation work and development : Ray Flickner for Water Conservation, Florence Martens Trust for all around Conservation practices, Zion Mennonite Church of Inman for the Windbreak award.
Blake Mclemore (former District Conservationist) will be performing with the Band “Dear Friends.”
The McPherson County Conservation District actively supports conservation of land and water, wildlife habitat development and related activities in the county under the direction of an elected board of supervisors. Activities in 2021 included the state-funded Water Resource Cost-Share program, which assisted landowners in building and repairing terraces, diversion systems, and building and seeding or repair of grassed waterways, solar watering systems, wastewater management systems, Pollinator and Wildlife Habitats. The district continues work with producers and landowners in remediation
along the Smoky Hill River through stream bank stabilization and other_ conservation practices. In cooperation with Harvey County and the City of Wichita, the district has been and continues to be involved in a multi-year atrazine run-off program that has resulted in a number of producers incorporating farming practices which ensure less atrazine run off.
McPherson County Conservation District Board Supervisors who served in 2021 are Brad Shogren, Gary Patrick, Robert Kaufman, Joe Larson and Baron Shively. Robert Kaufman’s position is up for election. Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel working in the county include Joe Hecht, NRCS District Conservationist and John Berndsen, NRCS Conservation Technician. McPherson County Conservation District personnel currently consists of Barbara Rush, District Manager.
The United States has nearly 3,000 conservation districts working at the local level on conservation issues. Kansas districts are organized along county boundary lines. Conservation districts provide an excellent opportunity for assisting local governments and landowners with all facets of land management through helping landowners develop land management plans and setting local policy. If you are interested in serving as a board supervisor, contact Barbara at the McPherson Conservation District Office.
