About Us

 

Board of Directors

  • Mike Lawless, Chair
  • William Bradford, Vice-Chair
  • James Droscha, Treasurer
  • Walter Bellows, Secretary
  • David Brown, Member

District Staff:

(Meet the Staff)

Natural Resources Conservation Service Staff (NRCS)

History

dustbowlAs a result of the nation wide concern over soil erosion growing out of the dust bowl in the 1920’s the District Enabling Act of 1937 was born.The Act allowed the creation of local Soil Conservation Districts within Michigan.  This created a system that allowed local citizens to address resource concerns by working closely with the local landowner.

Conservation Districts in Michigan were created under provisions of State Law, Public Act 297 of 1937, which was made part of the State of Michigan Compiled Environmental Code and is now MCL 324.9301-9313. Districts are independent units of government with elected Boards of Directors.

A petition was signed by 165 Eaton county land owners and submitted to the State Soil Conservation Committee March 12, 1946. A public hearing was held on April 3, 1946 where it was determined that the conservation district was needed for the public health, safety and welfare.  The District was originally named the Thornapple Grand Soil Conservation District.  It was named after two major rivers in Eaton County, and was formally established June 3, 1946.

The first board of directors included Marten Garn of Chester Township, Keith King of Walton Township, Lloyd Bacon of Roxand Township, Ed Miller of Delta Township and Herb VanAken of Eaton Rapids Township. This board served during 1946-47.

The first cooperator to sign an agreement with the district was Keith King in 1946.  Over the years the conservation districts have championed the installation of conservation practices on the land.  This includes assistance in such fields of study as Agronomy, Forestry, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture and Recreation.  Local Conservation Districts have provided many different types of equipment to landowners including muck plows, tree planters, terracing machines, no-till planters, and seed drills.

The District’s first office space was over Munger’s Hardware in Charlotte. The office moved to Bostwick and Seminary Streets in the early 1950’s, then to the VanSickle Building on N. Bostwick in 1965. In 1993 the office was moved to the Eaton County office Building in the County Governmental Complex.

In January 2008, the Board of directors unanimously voted to change the name from the Thornapple Grand Conservation District to the Eaton Conservation District.

Eaton Conservation District

551 Courthouse Drive, Suite 3

Charlotte, MI  48813

(517) 543-5848 X 5

Fax (517) 543-5962