Are you struggling with invasive honeysuckle on your property, or maybe you’re looking for an education scholarship?
The Campbell County Conservation District can help.
Conservation districts protect a county’s soil, water and other natural resources. Campbell County’s was established in 1945 by a vote of the county’s citizens and comprises seven locally elected officials who serve four-year terms without pay.
“The community elected officials, they are the governing board, and they really make the final decisions in the district,” said Patti Dischar, Campbell County Conservation District manager.
Aside from the elected officials, three part-time staff members, including Dischar, work for the district.
“My main goal is to make sure that we are all working together to fulfill our mission about awareness and education of preserving natural resources and using best management practices,” Dischar said.
Conservation districts are your local link to resources. One issue Dischar said the district gets frequent calls about is wildlife, such as skunks, racoons or bats, and invasive plants.
Dischar said they connect residents with the right people to help them with those situations. An example of this is the district’s tree swap program with Guidugli Landscape Supplies and Property Services in Alexandria. Under the program, residents replace an invasive tree, such as Callery or Bradford pears, with a native one.
Dischar said they also receive calls regarding agricultural districts, which are landowners’ properties protected to prevent a city from automatically annexing them.
Residents not calling about help with animals or information on agricultural districts reach out for financial opportunities, grants, local cost shares and educational scholarships. “We try to reinvest into the community through financial opportunities, education and awareness,” Dischar said.
The conservation districts offer cost-sharing programs, such as the backyard conservation local cost-share. This incentive program is intended to assist landowners with the cost of implementing conservation practices that benefit soil and water quality, and wildlife habitat. The program reimburses 75% of project costs up to $500 and can go toward things like purchased materials and services, equipment rental and labor.
As for scholarships, the district awards adult continuing education scholarships to Campbell County residents over 18 who are not currently enrolled in college. There is a limit of four to six scholarships per participant per fiscal year. (Kentucky’s fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30.)
The district also awards the conservation district college scholarship to students enrolled in natural resource conservation, forestry, soil science, ecology, wildlife science, agriculture, or biology with a focus on conservation.
The teacher education scholarship reimburses teachers up to $200 for lesson plan materials, classroom materials, and field trip items related to natural resource conservation, forestry, soil science, ecology, wildlife science, agriculture, or biology with a focus on conservation.
Each of the seven elected officials is responsible for chairing a committee. The committees are:
- Farmland work group: Focuses on programs like the backroads farm tour. It works on creating opportunities for the community to learn about agricultural best management practices and production and to ask questions.
- Hawthorne/St. Anne advisory team: Focuses on natural areas where the district has received grants to purchase and maintain property.
- Education committee: Works on education and outreach with schools.
- Land use committee: Manages agricultural districts.
- Public relations and marketing committee: Promotes the district’s programs.
- Technical and financial assistance committee: Deals with local cost shares. Its members manage, prepare and research new ideas to give money back to the community.
- Budget committee: Works on the district’s budget.
- Legislative committee: Deals with legislative matters.
The conservation district’s offices are at 8350 E Main St. in Alexandria. To learn more about it, visit campbellkyconservation.org. The best way to contact the district is by phone at 859-635-9587 or by emailing CCCD@campbellkyconservation.org.
