Summary of activities in our 46th year:

Technical assistance to 791 customers
1,417 acres of nutrient management
1,485 acres of prescribed grazing systems
385 acres of pest management
210 acres of conservation tillage
12.3 acres of conservation buffers
13,940 feet of streambank protection
45 acres of upland wildlife habitat improvement
35 acres of tree establishment
439 acres of resource management systems applied
15 farm ponds assisted
17 farm heavy use protection practices
10 livestock watering systems
4 stream crossings constructed
3 acres of gullied land revegitated

The District serviced 39 requests for financial assistance in 1999 through the Agricultural Resources Fund. This program is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Thiry Seven requests were approved with 33 contracts funded. Total cost of installation of conservation practices funded was
$ 70,381.00, with reimbursement to farmers of $ 52,786.00.
At the end of 1999 two more requests were pending with $6,352.00 total cost and cost share $ 4,764.00.

The Beaver Creek Watershed within our county received federal dollars through NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This provides $20,000.00 for installation of conservation practices n this property area. The acres of the Beaver Creek Watershed in Virginia have also been approved for funding, and working groups in both states partnered to recommend the whole watershed for funding. Beaver Creek is listed as a 303D stream, making it a priority for action.

Education and Information

Assistance to 8 schools for development of outdoor classrooms
Over 1000 conservationn booklets distributed to elementary schools
Thomas and Newland Farm Tours
Enviroscape watershed model and groundwater model used in grades 3-6
Ruby Raindrop and Sammy Soil teaching aids used in local schools at primary level (human puppets)
Conservation display booth at the Appalachian District Fair visited by thousands of fairgoers
Educator guides and stewardship booklets distributed to students and teachers at farm tours

Publication of the District Newsletter
Conservation Youth Board

distributed 5000 white pine seedlings
worked as Ruby Raindrop and Sammy Soil at public events
erosion control through numerous streambank tree lantings

Conservation Awards Banquet (39th)

...Don and Claude Crumley selected as Outstanding Conservation Farmers of the year
...Mary Faulkner of Rock Springs Elementary School selected as Educator of the Year
...Scott Burton selected as Youth Board member of the year
...Recognition of Affiliate Members