Programs

Discover Conservation District Programs, Groundwater Stewardship, Farmland Preservation, and More…

The Barry Conservation District shares an office with the USDA NRCS at 1611 S. Hanover Street in Hastings (the Secretary of State Building). The District and NRCS continue to work together to provide information and technical assistance to local agricultural operators.

The District’s programs include:

• The Barry-Eaton Water Stewardship Program, located in the Eaton Conservation District office, which offers on-farm assistance in minimizing threats to groundwater.




• The Thornapple River Watershed Management Plan Project, a regional initiative, brings together agencies and organizations from throughout the watershed to assess, study and develop recommendations to sustain the health of the Thornapple River, its tributaries and the lands surrounding them.




• The Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program uses twice annual macroinvertebrate monitoring sessions on several streams in the Thornapple Watershed to gage water quality.




• The Barry County Farmland and Open Space Preservation Project, which is designed to instill a broader understanding of the importance of Barry County land use policies and programs to guide growth and provide protection of farmland and open space.




• The Barry County Natural Features Inventory, which utilizes a science-based
  approach to identify potential conservation areas throughout the county that, with proper management, will ensure the long-term persistence of the areas biodiversity, the ecological processes needed to maintain these elements, and ecological stability.

In addition to providing educational programs and conservation projects, each spring and fall the District holds tree sales, providing inexpensive bare-root trees and planting supplies to encourage reforestation and habitat development in Barry County.