In an attempt to
commemorate the District’s 60th year in the community, we
wanted to take a look back at the events and happenings of
those
individuals who have made the District what it is today.
Important Events and Happenings
March 11, 1937
Legislation was passed which allowed the formation of conservation
districts.
February 15, 1940
A charter was
granted by the Secretary of State, James M. Tucker, for the
organization of the
Southwestern Indiana Soil Conservation Service.
April 12, 1940
The
District requests technical assistance from the Soil Conservation
Service.
1961
The name of
the District was changed to Vanderburgh County Soil and Water
Conservation District.
October 22, 1963
In a
memorandum, it was stated that the Soil Conservation Service (SCS),
now the National Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) would lend
technical support to the District.
August 17, 1964
The Indiana
Department of Conservation would lend technical support to the
District.
1969
Urban land
users began to benefit more from the expanded services of our SCS
people when the State
legislature passed a bill to include
cities and towns into their respective Soil and Water Conservation
Districts.
September 1974
Vanderburgh
County Commissioners passed amendments to the building code related
to site grading, drainage
and flood plain zoning.
Lee Schnepper and Tom
Pugh, District Conservationist, met with the Indiana Highway
Department to discuss placing tile drainage in road beds. This
practice is used today The District assisted in a cost-share
program via the USDA-SCS Rural
Environmental
Assistance/Conservation Program to assist cooperators in
implementing
erosion control practices.
February 1979
September
1, 1981
Soil and Water
Conservation District Act passed.
February 1984
February 1986
Gene Seib awarded Conservation Farmer of the Year
1987
SWCDs began
receiving erosion control technical support from the IDNR.
1992
1993
The wetland at
Perry Heights Middle School and the Barr Creek Watershed
Project
were awarded the
1993 Government Award by Westside Improvement
Association
.
1994 The SWCD initiated their involvement in the Pigeon Creek Watershed
Project.
1995
The District
created the Education Coordination position, first filled by Susan
Fowler.
The District
received a Pigeon Creek Watershed Grant and hired Carrie Parmenter/Watershed Awareness Educator.
1996
Carrie
Parmenter hired full time as Education Coordinator
Vanessa Alvarez and
Bobbye Smith volunteer for the District.
The Vanderburgh
County Erosion Control Ordinance was drafted and passed into law.
Vanderburgh Co. SWCD
was featured in a brochure at Legislative Breakfast for using the
$10,000
State Funds for hiring an Educator Coordinator.
A collaborative
effort between Peace Corps, Dexter Elementary School, the Evansville
Rotary Club,
and the SWCD produced a videotape called “Hands for
Peace.” The video was used as a training
video to teach the song
and signs to Peace Corps volunteers in Asia and Pacific Island
Regions. The tape
went to Russia later in 1996.
April 16, 1997
Conservation
officials from Nashville, Tennessee visited Evansville to gather
ideas for implementing
their own urban soil erosion and conservation
program.
1997
The District received an Access Grant to develop a Website and
Vanderburgh Co.
officials purchased
a Blazer for the office.
Carrie Parmenter & Mike Wathen
Vanderburgh Co. SWCD, in
cooperation with the Southwind Region, hosted the National
Association
of Conservation Districts North Central Regional
Conference.
Vanderburgh Co. SWCD
hosted an Air Tour, a Virtual Forest Workshop, a Go FishIN Workshop
and Urban Conservation Tour.
Vanderburgh Co. SWCD
Chairman, Don Hunter won the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Grand Award.
1998
The District
received the Pigeon-Highland Watershed 319 Grant.
The Pigeon Creek
Diagnostic Study was initiated.
Carrie Parmenter
wrote the “Watershed Work Plan” for Pigeon Creek
.
Jim Fowler autographing a copy of the Pigeon Creek Watershed Plan for
Carrie
The SWCD received its
lighted sign.
Becky Birchler, North
High School student, was the District’s intern.
Carrie Parmenter
assisted in forming the IASWCD Foundation.
The District won the
Soil and Water Conservation Society’s National Award, presented
in
San Diego, California.
The District hosted the Tri-State Every Drop Counts Youth Educators’
Soil and Water Workshop
Darrell Rice starts as District Conservationist in Warrick, Spencer
& Perry
Rick Noble started as District Conservationist in the Vanderburgh
Office for Vanderburgh, Posey & Gibson Counties
Indiana Department of Natural Resources Approves Pigeon Creek
Diagnostic Study Funding for $45,000
Kemper Lease, District supervisor was named National
DNR Conservationist of the year
1999
The District received
a new computer and gained Internet access.
The three county districts through which Pigeon Creek flows (i.e.,
Gibson, Posey and Vanderburgh) joined efforts with the City of Evansville’s Water and Sewer Utility to start testing Pigeon Creek.
The study was funded through an Indiana Department of Natural
Resources Division of Soil Conservation’s Lake and River Enhancement
(LARE) grant, an Indiana Department of Environmental Management 319
Grant, and funds from the City of Evansville Water and Sewer
Utility.
The District hosted a
Forest Legacy Workshop.
The district hosts
Riverwatch Training Workshop.
Vanessa Alvarez
volunteered at the District to investigate possible careers.
Southwest districts in
the Indiana Brine Coalition hired Larry Hazlewood as the Brine
Coordinator through an EPA-IDEM 319 grant. Leroy Niehaus is a
Master Farm Conservationist.
Gibson,
Warrick, Vanderburgh & Posey Co. districts hired a Watershed
Restoration Coordinator, Rick Obenshain to administer funds from an
IDEM Grant. The effort is to improve water quality in Pigeon Creek,
McFadden Creek and
Ohio River watersheds in Posey County.
Rick Obenshain
Vanderburgh Co. SWCD wins
Education District of the Year.
The District wins
District of the Year from the NACD.
2000
District Chairman,
David Ellison, traveled to the NACD National Conference in Colorado
Springs to receive the District’s
award of $1,000 and a plaque.
Laura Brumfield,
Harrison High School senior, assisted in sampling Pigeon Creek with
Amy Steeples and two environmental scientists from Harza
Engineering.
Vanderburgh County SWCD
participated in the Indiana Carbon Storage Project .which resulted
in $600 going into the SWCD Foundation for Vanderburgh County.
The District assisted the 4-H Center in a Water Quality/Drainage and
Perimeter Roadway Project.
The
District receives a second computer.
Erin Breetzke, Water
Quality Specialist, came on board.
Edwin Almodovar, NRCS Intern from Puerto Rico in the district
office.
Water Quality, Biology, and Habitat Analysis Completed by Harza
Engineering in Pigeon Creek Watershed.
The District
received an SWCD Foundation Grant (Toyota) for a laptop computer
with a docking station and a digital camera. Southwest
Indiana Brine Coalition Representative Speaks to Interstate Oil
and Gas Compact Commission
Vanderburgh County SWCD website goes online
David Nurrenbern is Conservation Farmer of the Year, Raymond &
Lucy Schmitt is Master Farm Team, David Ellison & Leroy Niehaus
are River Friendly Farmers
Hoosier Riverwatch sponsored a Riverwatch Training at the
Vanderburgh 4-H Center
Southwest Indiana Brine Coalition held its annual field day in
September in Posey County (northwest of Caborn).
Rick Noble leaves Vanderburgh County.
2001
60th Annual Meeting and Diamond Anniversary held at the
Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Bob Eddleman for Indiana State
Conservationist was the speaker. Scott Ellison, owner of The
Ellison Collection of Fine Jewelry donated a 1/3 carat diamond
stone to be given away at the dinner meeting.
Danielle Rascoe and Angie Garrison joined the
Gibson-Posey-Vanderburgh work team for the summer.
Chris Lee is District Conservationist for Vanderburgh, Gibson,
Posey County Work Team.
Norma Granderson Starts as Water Quality Specialist in August.
Timothy J Adler is Vanderburgh County River Friendly Farmer.
Brine Coalition Field Day in Pike County.
60th Anniversary Sign is hung on the front of the building.
Legislators appropriate $2 million for private lands
conservation, Clean Water Indiana.
2002
Zoo Director, Dan McGinn was Annual Meeting Speaker, Vincent
Adler, Master Farmer, Larry Kron, Conservation Farmer. Amy
Steeples, IDNR Resource Specialist left the Vanderburgh SWCD to
work in the Warrick office. Pigeon Creek Diagnostic Study
available. District receive Clean Water Indiana Funding
totaling $15,134 for two erosion control projects (Howell
Wetlands & Bee Slough). Wayne Fehd was elected for a
three-year term as an SWCD board member. The district
partners with the Brine Coalition to advertise a $50,000 grant
to remediate brine-contaminated soil. The district
partners with Berg Warner Nursery to sponsor a Tree Sale.
Danielle Rascoe back as a summer intern. Norma Granderson
Duckworth works all year with the Stanley Hall Enrichment Center
and gave out participation certificated at the commencement
ceremony. Mike Thomas River Friendly Farmer.
District rolls out a Roadside Buffer Cost-Share Program.
Chris Lee becomes Tech Team Leader for Southwest Indiana and
Darrell Rice returns as District Conservationist. Brine
Coalition completes 2002 Remediation Project.
2003
Fred Whitford, Annual Meeting Speaker. Jim Elpers,
Conservation Farmer, Marvin & Darlene Zwahlen, Master Farm Team,
Urban Conservation, Zoo Personnel, River Friendly Farmers, Brian
Schmitt and Les Nunn. Gibson, Posey, Warrick, Vanderburgh County
SWCD partner with Purdue Extension for a Quad County Tillage
forum. Soil Judging contest held on Todd Thomas farm.
District partners with SW Indiana Builders Association to put on
a Soil Erosion Control Workshop. Amy Steeples returns to
the Vanderburgh SWCD office. Norma Duckworth has an
erosion control booth at the Professional Training Institute's
Tri-State Construction EXPO. Brine Coalition does
remediation in Vanderburgh County. Master Farmer, Clarence
and Virginia Reising, Conservation Farmer Tom Strupp.
Norma Duckworth does Earth Day program at Evans Middle School,
Earth Day at the Zoo, Soil Pizza at Farm Days. Vanderburgh
Co. Commissioners sponsored a job shadowing day in county
offices/ Jamie Leigh Merrick, Central High School and Courtney
Wathen, Henderson Middle School shadowed Norma Duckworth, Water
Quality Specialist in the district. Envirothon Competition
took place at the Purdue Ag Center. Less Nunn & Brian
Schmitt are River Friendly Farmers. The district partnered
with the Scott Twp. Trustee Advisory Board to developed a 38.5
acre park. District Water Quality Specialist has
informational booth at Vanderburgh 4-H Fair. Soil Judging
held at the Ivan Bender Farm.
2004
Cheryl Musgrave, Vanderburgh County Assessor and Roger Lehman,
Building Commissioner Annual Meeting Speakers. Clean Water
Indiana Grants completed on Howell Wetland and Mesker Park Zoo
Project.
The district and District Conservationist partnered on the Angel
Mounds State Historic Site Project. Regional Envirothon
held at the Vanderburgh 4-H Center. Inventory of Brine
Contaminated Water Wells done. Edwin Almadovar back in
Vanderburgh County after tour of duty in Iraq. District
partners with Woody Warehouse for a tree sale. Norma
Duckworth gives three Hoosier River Watch trainings & a booth at
Pickin on the Pigeon. First round of Barr Creek water
quality sampling completed. Water Awareness for the
Vanderburgh Environment (W.A.V.E.) started. Norma Duckworth
presents at Ag Days. USI Biology Class goes to the creek
with Amy Steeples & Rick Obenshain. Regional
Envirothon held at Vanderburgh 4-H Center.
2005
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VANDERBURGH
COUNTY
SWCD