NATIONAL RC&D WEEK OBSERVED

Contact:  Christina Coulon, 614-255-2471

COLUMBUS, Sept. 23, 2009 -- National Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Week is observed this year during the week of September 20 to September 26, 2009. This week was established in commemoration of the first 10 RC&D areas authorized in the country.

The RC&D program is a USDA-wide program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. From its beginnings in 1964, the RC&D program has helped thousands of people throughout the United States in the areas of resource conservation, economic development, environmental concerns, and social resources. There are currently 375 designated RC&D areas covering 85 percent of the country.

In Ohio, there are nine RC&D areas for Ohio’s 88 counties. Included are the Buckeye Hills RC&D, Crossroads RC&D, Erie Basin RC&D, Heart of Ohio RC&D, Maumee Valley RC&D, Miami Valley RC&D, Ohio Valley RC&D, Top of Ohio RC&D, and Western Reserve RC&D. Each RC&D has an RC&D council and an RC&D coordinator. The councils are made up of a county commissioner representative from each county in the RC&D area, a representative from the Soil and Water Conservation District from each county, and a member at large from each county. An RC&D coordinator serves each RC&D council, assisting the council with developing projects that benefit the residents of their respective RC&D areas.

Examples of projects Ohio RC&D councils have completed in the past year include a program to teach people beekeeping skills, providing revolving loan funds for community businesses to stimulate local economies, providing fire protection to rural communities through the dry hydrant program, providing funding and coordinating camps for migrant worker children, and much more.

In celebrating National RC&D week, we would like to thank all of those council members over the years who have donated their time and talents to make Ohio a better place to live, work, and play.

For more information about Ohio’s RC&Ds visit, http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/RCD/index.html

 

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