2022 was an exciting year at the Conservation District. We continued working on several programs as well as adding new ones.
Letter from Our Executive Director:
Who are we? What does a conservation district do? These are questions we get often. We hope to answer both of those questions for you within these pages. I have been with the Ottawa Conservation District for several years now and let me tell you, it has been an adventure. This year we have been awarded a new grant program, Produce Safety, through the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD). We also successfully developed and delivered services through two new programs, the Sand Creek & Crockery Creek Restoration Project and the Farmland Water Quality Conservation Initiative, otherwise known as our RCPP or (Regional Conservation Partnership Project). With new programs has come new staff. In under a decade, we have taken this organization from a small three person staff to a staff of fourteen. It is their determination and ingenuity that has made us who we are today! You might wonder if this growth slowed us down, but the fact is, we have flourished. You will find our new programs, staff, and accomplishments featured throughout this report. We want to thank Ottawa County, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Department of Agricultural and Rural Development (MDARD), the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), and all our local community partners. It is their financial, technical, and leadership expertise that have allowed us to bring these services to you. I anticipate that over the next year, we will continue to write grants, deliver technical services, provide cost-share, and educate the community on the importance of helping people preserve, conserve, maintain, and improve the natural resources of Ottawa County.
Yours Truly, Megan Boos Executive Director
View our full report to learn more about the programs impacting you and your community!