September 8th Board Meeting – Public Hearing for FY27 OCD Appropriations Budget
The September 2026 Board meeting will also serve as a Public Hearing for the FY27 OCD Appropriations Budget. Appropriations Budget Version 1 The Board meeting will start promptly at 6:30 PM. Attend in person at the USDA Service Center Office at 16731 Ferris St, Grand Haven, MI 49417 or attend the meeting virtually using the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82317035244?pwd=yb2VaLRHpW8um6WdhhAUGxO6YDt4Kb.1
Board Director Election Results
Here’s the final tallied election results: Kelly Goward: 1,290 Votes Rivka Hodgkinson: 1,276 Votes Matt Hehl: 202 Votes Jeff Vredeveld: 194 Votes Total ballots received: 1,543 (This is a new record high of ballots received for a Michigan Conservation District Board Election!) Congratulations to incumbent Rivka Hodgkinson and welcome to the Board, Kelly Goward! The final election results will be certified by the State within the next week and Rivka and Kelly will be officially recognized as OCD Board Directors at our next Board Meeting on April 14. We also want to thank Matt Hehl for his many years of service on the Ottawa Conservation District Board and for his dedication to farming regeneratively. Thank you to Jeff Vredeveld as well for his interest in participating on the Board. Visit https://ottawacd.org/annualmeeting/ to stay tuned for future elections and Annual Meetings!
Vote in our Board Director Election!
2026 OCD Board Director Elections The Ottawa Conservation District is a local unit of government, directed by a minimum of 5 Board Directors. These directors help guide the work of the District and provide oversight over annual goals, financials, program directions, etc. Each Board Director serves a 4 year term once elected and all Ottawa County residents over the age of 18 are eligible to vote for OCD Board Directors. In March 2026, two director seats are up for re-election. Absentee Ballots are being accepted between January 23rd - March 10th, 2026 To vote absentee, Ottawa County residents 18 years of age or older can request a ballot the following ways: Vote in person or pick up a ballot from our office at 16731 Ferris St, Grand Haven, MI 49417 between 8 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday. Call our office at 616-842-5852 Ext. 5 to request a ballot to be mailed to you. Email the ottawacd@macd.org email to request a ballot. You can also vote in person at our 2026 Annual Meeting on March...
Native Plant and Tree Seedling Sales are open!
Native Plant and Tree Sale preorder sale is open from February 2nd, 2026 - March 27th, 2026. To preorder native garden kits and beach grass bundles visit: https://ottawacd.org/pre-orders/ To preorder bareroot tree seedlings or potted trees visit: https://ottawacd.org/tree-sale/
OCD Seeking a Conservation Technician
The Ottawa Conservation District (OCD) is seeking a Conservation Technician to work at the OCD office. This position will support the Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTAP), Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), and the Regenerative Agriculture Program (RAP) across Ottawa County. To learn more and apply, visit https://ottawacd.org/job-opportunities/
2025 Annual Report is now available
Check out everything we've accomplished in 2025 via our Annual Report
Cultivating Resilience 2026 Registration is Now Open!
Registration for our 2026 Cultivating Resilience Winter Conference is now open. Visit https://ottawacd.org/cultivatingresilience/ to learn more and register today!
Michigan Sustainable Business Forum seeks participants in flooding resilience focus groups
Indiana University, in partnership with the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and with funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is creating guidelines for Great Lakes coastal communities in the event of flooding. These tools will help homeowners and small businesses plan for and adapt to storm-related flooding and extreme weather. To do this, MSBF is seeking participants in a number of focus group meetings throughout Southwest and Western Michigan, including communities along the Lower Grand River. Attendees would participate in discussions and focus groups to share input , experiences, and insight on flooding issues in the area. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for providing their input. To sign up, use the link in this form or contact J Heise at jheise@misbf.org.
Tree Sale Friday, April 18th!
Join us this Friday for our day-of Tree Sale! Anyone who ordered trees during the preorder sale will pick up on this day and we'll be selling our leftover stock, along with some additional tree planting supplies and limited potted trees. Visit https://ottawacd.org/tree-sale/ to check out our remaining inventory. All remaining bareroot trees will be sold for a 10% discount on April 18th only! When: April 18th, 2025 from 9 AM - 4 PM Where: Reenders Blueberry Farm (9981 W Olive Rd, West Olive, MI 49460)
Pesticide Contract – Request For Bids
The Ottawa Conservation District is seeking quotes for a contract to supply the West Michigan Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (WMCISMA) with pesticides for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and Landscape Scale Restoration funded Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Project. The contract would start upon signing the contract and expire on December 31, 2027. Bids are due by the end of the business day on April 14th, 2025. More information can be found at https://ottawacd.org/requests-for-bids/
Notices
Native Plant and Tree Seedling Sales are open!
Native Plant and Tree Sale preorder sale is open from February 2nd, 2026 - March 27th, 2026. To preorder native garden kits and beach grass bundles visit: https://ottawacd.org/pre-orders/ To preorder bareroot tree seedlings or potted trees visit:...
OCD Seeking a Conservation Technician
The Ottawa Conservation District (OCD) is seeking a Conservation Technician to work at the OCD office. This position will support the Conservation Technical Assistance Program (CTAP), Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), and the Regenerative...
OCD seeking new Executive Director
The Ottawa Conservation District is seeking a dynamic and experienced Executive Director to lead the organization and further it's mission. Click here to view position description for further details. To apply: Send a cover letter, resume, and three references as a...
*Campaign Extended 1 Week!* Help Us Purchase a New Truck!
Help us buy a new (used) truck! Thank you to everyone who has made a donation so far! We still have a few gifts leftover to give, so we've decided to extend our donation campaign for ONE MORE WEEK to help us get closer to our final goal! Gifts will be available to...
2024 Tree Seedling & Native Plant Sale Pre-Orders are Live!
We are now accepting pre-orders for both our Tree Seedling & Native Plant Sale. Check out their respective event pages for more information. Tree Seedling Sale: ottawacd.org/tree-sale/ Native Plant Sale: ottawacd.org/native-plant-sales/
2023 Annual Report
It's been a busy year! Check out all of the work we accomplished in 2023 in the link below. 2023 Annual Report
2022 Annual Report
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...
OTTAWA CONSERVATION DISTRICT RECEIVES PROJECT FUNDING FROM NRCS FOR FARMLAND AND WATER QUALITY CONSERVATION INITIATIVE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 26th, 2020 CONTACT Frank Schroyer 616-842-5852 ext. 5 frank.schroyer@macd.org www.ottawacd.org OTTAWA CONSERVATION DISTRICT RECEIVES PROJECT FUNDING FROM NRCS FOR FARMLAND AND WATER QUALITY CONSERVATION INITIATIVE In a win...
Deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program
2020 Annual Report
Subscribe to Our Newsletter