Recognizing the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts
Floor Speech
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Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today to recognize a significant anniversary for the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts. When they meet next week, the association will celebrate 75 years of service to Wyoming's natural resources. Without question, the forests, streams, and soils in the state have seen immense benefit from the important work conservation district employees do every day.
Conservation districts succeed through their work and partnerships with diverse stakeholders. Landowners, farmers and ranchers, government agencies, counties, towns, and other community organizations contribute to the conservation of land and water resources on private and public lands in Wyoming. Local conservation district boards perform as a liaison between local landowners, resource users, and State and Federal governmental agencies. The association helps individuals navigate programs and provides exemplary technical assistance to cultivate productive lands and healthy ecosystems. Agriculture, industry, cities, forests, and wildlife all depend on strong and healthy watersheds.
Wyoming has 34 conservation districts in our 23 counties. Each district is run by staff and a board of five supervisors, who serve voluntarily. Conservation districts direct programs protecting local renewable natural resources at the local level. Each district puts its focus on issues important to resource concerns in the county. These range from water quality monitoring and watershed planning to seedling tree sales and living snow fence programs, forest planning and rangeland management to wildlife habitat improvement and endangered species issues.
I rely heavily on conservation districts for their expertise in water, conservation, wildlife, forestry, and general land management. As their mission statement says, in part, the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts provides leadership for the conservation of Wyoming's soil and water resources and promotes and protects the quality of Wyoming's waters through responsible conservation ethic.
People are the key to conservation district success, from local volunteers to dedicated staff and partners who dedicate themselves to the cause. The association provides valuable insight and expertise to countless projects and issues at the local, State, and national level. One of the best examples is in the recently retired, Bobbie Frank.
Bobbie Frank served as executive director of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts for the last 29 years. Bobbie's list of achievements is long. From being intimately involved in a myriad of water quality issues both at the State and national levels to developing and implementing programs at the local level. Bobbie has received the Wyoming Stock Growers Guardian of the Grassland Award and the Kurt Bucholz Conservation Award. She has also been inducted as a member of the Wyoming Ag Hall of Fame. I look forward to working with the Wyoming Association of Conservation District's new executive director, Hunter Petsch, moving forward.
It is without hesitation that I say Wyoming's forests and plains would look much different today if the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts had not unified in 1945. Each municipal water manager, rancher, hiker, forester, hunter, and miner owes a debt of gratitude for the good work of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts.
I would like to recognize several leaders within the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts for their dedicated service to the State of Wyoming.
Board of Directors: Todd Heward, President; Dan Rice, Vice President; Ryan Fieldgrove and Wayne Garman, Area I Directors; Levi Clark and Stan Mitchem, Area II Directors; Keith Grant, Area III Director; Reg Phillips and Shanon Sims, Area IV Directors; and Shaun Sims and Coke Landers, Area V Directors.
Staff: Hunter Petsch, Executive Director; Kelly Brown, Program Specialist; and Cathy Rosenthal, Watershed Coordinator.
Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively, of each conservation district:
Campbell County Conservation District: Lindsay Wood, Casey Elkins
Clear Creek Conservation District: Ryan Fieldgrove, Luke Todd
Cody Conservation District: Russ Dwyer, Bobbie Holder
Converse County Conservation District: Stan Mitchem, Shelly Falkenburg
Crook County Natural Resources District: Wayne Garman, Ted Parsons
Dubois-Crowheart Conservation District: Reg Phillips, Todd Hirsch
Hot Springs Conservation District: Jim Andreen, Sonja Becker
Laramie County Conservation District: Thomas E. Farrell, Kevin Wells
Laramie Rivers Conservation District: Ruth Shepherd, Bob Shine
Lincoln Conservation District: Erick Esterholdt, Kenny Petersen
Lingle-Fort Laramie Conservation District: Don McDowell, Joe Speckner
Little Snake River Conservation District: Jack Cobb, Meghan Lally
Lower Wind River Conservation District: Nick Biltoft, Richard Denke
Medicine Bow Conservation District: Shanon Sims, Ralph Brokaw
Meeteetse Conservation District: Tim Morrison, Joe Thomas
Natrona County Conservation District: Andrew Anderson, Dennis Scott
Niobrara Conservation District: Matt Dockery, Dale Jordan
North Platte Valley Conservation District: Art Davis, Mike Carney
Platte County Resource Conservation District: Kerry Powers, Levi Clark
Popo Agie Conservation District: Tim Wilson, Jeri Trebelecock
Powder River Conservation District: Bill Jones, George Renkert
Powell-Clarks Fork Conservation District: Floyd Derry, Regan Smith
Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District: Arla Strasser, Dan Mika
Sheridan County Conservation District: Susan Holmes, Edith Heyward
Shoshone Conservation District: Brad Tippetts, Spencer Ellis
South Big Horn Conservation District: George Kelso, Walt Hibbert
South Goshen Conservation District: Dan Jackson, Boyd Yeik
Star Valley Conservation District: Rollin Gardner, Shane Crook
Sublette County Conservation District: Coke Landers, Darrell Walker
Sweetwater County Conservation District: Mary E. Thoman, Tom Burris
Teton Conservation District: Steve McDonald, Nate Fuller
Uinta County Conservation District: Kelly Guild, Dennis Cornelison
Washakie County Conservation District: Dave Slover, Dan Rice
Weston County Natural Resource District: Alicia Redding, David Tysdal
I rise today to honor the dedicated professionals who work to keep our ecosystems healthy. My wife, Bobbi, joins me in thanking them and wishing the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts another 75 years of success.
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