Conservation district seeks recruits — how to get involved
If readers would like something community and conservation-oriented to dedicate themselves to, the Southern Nye County Conservation District (SNCCD) could be a perfect fit.
“Are you interested in your community and have a little time to spare for your local conservation district?” an announcement from SNCCD queries. “SNCCD is looking for interested community members, local business groups, youth representatives, environmental or other individuals to serve as a volunteer board member or to attend their meetings.”
In an effort to bring attention to conservation efforts as a whole as well as the push for recruitment of new members, SNCCD will be hosting a meeting this month that will provide an overview of what the organization does.
“We’ll have a barbecue potluck meal for interested members of the public to chat and network with our own conservation members, who are all interested in this worthwhile endeavor,” SNCCD Chair John Pawlak told the Pahrump Valley Times. “A power point presentation will explain the mission of our conservation group as well as that of the others in the state.”
There are a total of 28 conservation districts in Nevada, including two in Nye County, the Tonopah Conservation District and SNCCD.
Focusing its efforts on the southern portion of the county from Sarcobatus Flat down to the California border, SNCCD’s primary workload areas include Beatty, Amargosa and Pahrump.
“Conservation districts work for the conservation and proper development of the state’s natural resources by taking available technical, financial and educational resources and coordinating them to to meet the needs of landowners and land users,” information from the Nevada Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources details. “They often work in cooperation with counties, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as other public and private agencies for the conservation of soil, water and related natural resources.”
SNCCD supports a variety of endeavors aimed at meeting its mission, including the installation of habitat fencing to protect springs, invasive species removal, education programs for schools, youth, adult and civic groups, urban gardens, pollinator habitat installations and tree seedling sales, along with working with state and local governments and federal agencies to bring funding into the community.
All conservation board members are elected and appointed officials. As a governmental subdivision of the state of Nevada, the board is a public body and must conform to Nevada’s Open Meeting Law and Code of Administrative Ethics.
“Expectations of board members include attending board meetings, promoting soil and water conservation in the community, helping secure funding and managing financial resources,” SNCCD explained. “Benefits of being a board member include being a voice for your community, development of leadership skills and being actively involved with assistance and education programs for citizens.”
SNCCD’s recruitment event will take place Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Valley Electric Association Conference Center, 800 E. Hwy. 372. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Those interested in attending can contact Connie Lee with the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts at 775-934-5376 or ConnieLee@NVACD.org for more information.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com
