Allen County Conservation District


	Board of Supervisors: Craig Mentzer, Supervisor DeWayne Jarred, Vice-Chairman Juanita Tolle, Treasurer Donna Beebe Open Position District Staff: Kelli Kramer, District Manager Willard Schoenberger, Buffer Coordinator NRCS Staff: Matt Powe, Supervisory District Conservationist Tim Michael, Soil Conservation Technician	Upcoming Events January 18: Office Closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day February 10: Annual Meeting, Iola High School February 15: Office Closed for George Washington's Birthday
	2010 marks.... 70 Years of Conservation in Allen County RSVP here for the 70th Annual Meeting of the District. It will be Wednesday, February 10 at 6:00 pm at the Iola High School Commons Area. Click here for more information. The Allen County Conservation District was organized in 1940 as a result of county farmers voting for creation the district after the state of Kansas enacted law allowing for it in 1937. The District Board of Supervisors requested technical assistance from the US Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, thus creating a partnership between the county office and the government. Three technicians and a clerk were assigned to Allen County. The original board of supervisors consisted of D.R. Perry, Robert Hamm, Alva Shadwick, Walter Strong, and Arthur Nicholas. Until 1966, the district was composed only of the board of supervisors, which met on a monthly basis. The district originally worked with the County Extension Service both as a place for meetings, and the County Agent was responsible for for securing applications and promoting programs within the county. It was in 1966 that Ann Houk was hired as the District Secretary, and she continued to work with the district until her retirement in 2007. It was because of financial help from the County Commissioners that the district was able to hire secretarial help. Since the creation of the conservation district, 14,435,443 lf or 2733 mi and 2563 ponds have been built in Allen County. The district averages over 50,000 lf of terraces a year. Other projects have been completed such as waterways, pasture and hayland planting, and onsite wastewater systems. Personnel assigned to the District assist land occupiers in developing a complete conservation plan for their farms based on a soil survey inventory of the farm. Assistance is then given in applying the conservation measures as called for in the plan. The Board of Supervisors donate their time in the managing of the District’s business, meeting on the first Tuesday of each month. The Soil Conservation Service has been reorganized into the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and it continues to function in this manner today.
This website was built and is maintained by Kelli Kramer, District Manager. All pictures on this website are property of the Allen County Conservation District. Last updated: January 11, 2010 Funding for this website and all district programs provided by the State Conservation Commission through appropriation from the Kansas Water Plan Fund.