Oklahoma conservation conversation, 11-12/2012, v.58 no.11/12

              In This Issue
“Remembering the Dust
Bowl” — OACD Area
Meetings 2012
OETA and Oklahoma
Conservation Partnership
Promote THE DUST
BOWL Premiere with public
events, lessons and more
Land Legacy honors OCC’s
Mike Thralls
NAAMLP honors OCC’s
Dianne Ireton
OCC State Charitable
Campaign Collects $3,800
plus “Toys for Tots”
Our vision:
Responsible care for Oklahoma’s
natural resources.
Our mission:
To conserve, protect and restore Okla-homa’s
natural resources, working in
collaboration with the conservation dis-tricts
and other partners, on behalf of the
citizens of Oklahoma.
www.conservation.ok.gov
Information for and about Oklahoma’s Conservation Districts Volume 58, Issue No. 11/12 November/December 2012
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Remembering the Dust Bowl - OACD Area
Meetings 2012
Local Conservation Representatives
Attend Area Meetings of the Oklahoma
Association of Conservation Districts Conservation leaders discussed issues relevant to each of
their areas of the state at five Area Meetings of the Oklaho-ma
Association of Conservation Districts held in November
2012. A local conservation district hosted each of the meet-ings,
sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Conserva-tion
Districts (OACD) and cosponsored by the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission (OCC) in cooperation with the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
From 120 to 150 people attended each of the meetings.
“Remembering the Dust Bowl,” the theme for the meetings for Oklahoma’s conserva-tion
district directors and employees, reflected the challenges faced by natural resource
conservation entities during one of the hottest and driest periods in state history. The
theme also focused attention on statewide previews of a new documentary called THE
DUST BOWL by filmmaker Ken Burns. The 4-hour documentary premiered on PBS
television stations Nov. 18 and 19 and featured many interviews with Oklahomans who
survived that manmade natural disaster. Each Area Meeting included showing a 45-min-ute
preview of the film.
Texas County Conservation
District hosted the Area I Meeting in
Guymon on Nov. 1. Kay County CD
hosted the Area II Meeting in Okla-homa
City on Nov. 7. Grady County
CD hosted the Area IV Meeting in
Chickasha on Nov. 8. Craig County
CD hosted the Area III Meeting
in Vinita on Nov. 14 and Latimer
County CD hosted the Area 5 Meet-ing
in Wilburton on Nov. 15.
Greg Scott, state soil scientist
for the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, used a rainfall
simulator to demonstrated benefits of the “no-till” farming method at the Area I, II, IV
and V Meetings. Debi Carnott, OCC North Canadian River Project education coordina-tor,
and Clay Pope, OACD executive director, presented the demonstration at the Area II
Meeting.
Robert Toole, OCC Conservation Programs director, accompanied by OCC/CP water-shed
technicians Johnny Pelley at Area IV and and Dennis Boney at Area V, presented and
explained equipment used in operation and maintenance of upstream flood control dams.
At the Area I and III Meetings Jontie Aldrich, Partners for Wildlife program coordi-nator
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, explained how grants from his program
helped local conservation districts acquire equipment for the purpose of increasing and
restoring native wildlife habitat. Dan Herald, Texas Area Meetings 2012, continued on page three
Greg Scott, NRCS state soil scientist, used a rainfall simulator
to demonstrate how no-till improves the ability of soil to
capture and hold moisture.