Building a vision
Soil and water conservation district celebrates 50 years
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Thursday, February 28, 2008 10:25 AM PST
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| Claude Bruce (left), chairperson of the Payette Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors, presents an award to Allen Schmid (center) and Jim Schmid, who were standing in for their father, Joe Schmid, who was one of the original supervisors for the district when it was formed 50 years ago. The presentation was made Tuesday evening during the 50th anniversary celebration of the district. |
PAYETTE — Past and present supervisors of the Payette Soil and Water Conservation District and representatives from related agencies gathered for a special dinner in Payette Tuesday evening to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the area coalition.
The coalition — designed to find better uses for water and to protect natural resources — was first organized in 1958, almost to the date from when the dinner was held, and Claude Bruce (check out a feature story on Bruce at the Argus Observer’s Web site at
www.argusobserver.com) has been the chairperson of the board for the last nine years of those 50 years.
Other members of the current board are Jo Anne Smith, vice chair, Ted Fink, Allen Schmid, George McClelland, Keith Schuller and Rick York. Charlene Wimpy and Terry Finnerty are staff members.
The main speaker during the evening was Steve Miller, president of the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts, who focused his comments on honoring the people who serve on the citizen conservation boards. Miller said that conservation and enhancement of natural resources is a value that is passed down through families, noting serving on the local conservation board has become a tradition for many.
“It’s been 50 years of great things,” Miller said, and there have been a lot changes in those years. Water quality issues continue play a big role locally and across western Idaho, particularly with advent of TMDLs (total maximum daily loads), he said.
“Water quantity issues have now become important,” he said.
While some of the projects in the 1960s included installing concrete ditches, projects now may involve drip irrigation systems and sprinklers. Piping water, land leveling and finding more sources of water are still a common theme. Board members are people who are willing to give of their time to something they believe in, Miller said.
“They believe in conservation of resources,” he said. He also said these are local boards are empowered to solve problems.
“It is empowerment of local people dealing with issues they care about,” he said. The focus of these boards is to solve problems, he said, and there is no one better than the conservation districts at getting people and agencies working together on issues. It takes people who are willing to spend at lot of time at meetings, planning projects and chasing money.
“We need to have a common vision,” he said.
It also takes good resources and good partners, he said, referring to agencies the board works closely with, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
