Local people working on local conservation issues.
Who We Are
The Barry Conservation District’s (BCD) mission is to promote responsible natural resource and land-use management for present and future generations. BCD works on a wide variety of conservation, education, and outreach initiatives including forestry, farm practices, invasive species management, water resource conservation, land management, and outdoor recreation.
Similar to your local public school, BCD is a locally led government office that provides resources to solve conservation problems. We are a tax-exempt 170(c)(3) nonprofit organization. More than 3,000 locally-governed Conservation Districts are operating nationwide. The guiding philosophy of all Conservation Districts is that conservation decisions should be made at a local level with technical assistance provided by the government.
Our Team
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Jamie Lewis Hedges
Executive Director
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Ben Savoie
District Forester
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Rachel Frantz
Conservation Technician
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Sara Huetteman
CISMA Coordinator
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April Savickas
Program Specialist
Board of Directors
The locally elected five-member board of directors meets to assess natural resources within the District, develop a plan of action to address natural resource issues, and employ staff to implement this plan. Directors are elected to four-year terms, meet publicly each month to conduct business, publish annual reports and hold annual meetings.
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Marty Buehler
Vice Chair
Term: 2023 - 2025 -
Sara Syswerda
Secretary
Term: 2023 - 2026 -
Lauren Tripp
Treasurer
Term: 2021 - 2025 -
Ben Reinhart
Member
Term: 2023 - 2026 -
David Comeau
Member
Term: 2024 - 2027 -
Mark Doster
County Commissioner’s Liaison
Upcoming Board Meetings
Crews working on Thornapple River shoreline at Tyden Park April 2004
Our History
In the 107 years between the arrival of the first settlers to Barry County and the adoption of the Michigan Soil Conservation District Law of 1937, thousands of acres in the county were rendered unfit for farming due to erosion. These “worn out” lands caused people to move away. Schools and businesses were closed as a result. Idled farmland was evident in every township. Recognizing the problem, Barry County Agricultural Agent Harold J. Foster joined with the Farm Bureau and others interested in promoting conservation and formed the Barry Soil Conservation District in November 1944. The District encompasses all of Barry County, including townships, cities and incorporated villages.
Over the years, the role of the Barry Conservation District has evolved somewhat. The district now works closely with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to bring cost-share programs to local farmers implementing soil, water, and habitat conservation practices. Additionally, the district developed partnerships with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to provide resource conservation assistance to both farming and non-farm landowners.
In 1975, the District’s name was changed to the Barry Soil and Water Conservation District to recognize the importance of water as a resource. By 1999, when the District’s Board of Directors completed a new resource assessment, they recognized that many other resources including forestland, grasslands, wetlands, and certain declining plant and animal species needed attention. By changing their name to the Barry Conservation District, the Board expressed the increasingly broad conservation challenges created by a developing community.