Grant Soil & Water Conservation District & employee earn state recognition
By Logan Bagett on Friday, May 3rd, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
JOHN DAY \ SUNRIVER – Big news for our local conservation service agency. Grant Soil and Water Conservation employee Pat Holliday has been awarded the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon’s Employee Partnership Award at a recent conference in Sunriver. In addition, the NRCS presented their annual Partnership Award to the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District. The state recognition took place at the CONNECT+ conference April 16-18. Find the full NRCS release below:
(Press Release from the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service)
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon presented their annual Partnership Award to the Grant Soil and Water Conservation District as well as an Employee Partnership Award to Pat Holliday, Program Assistant for Grant Soil and Water Conservation District, at the CONNECT+ conference held in Sunriver, Oregon from April 16-18.
The Partnership Awards recognize Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) and specific employees across the state who have excelled in helping NRCS implement Farm Bill programs as well as perform education and outreach activities related to conservation and natural resources.
NRCS Oregon works closely with Grant SWCD, which is based in John Day, Ore. Grant SWCD’s focus is to build and foster relationships with the local community’s producers and to provide benefits as well as technical expertise across eastern Oregon. Over the past two years, results include spraying 65,000 acres of annual grass in the county while providing NRCS, partners, as well as interested landowners with multiple education and outreach events. The district has also been a leader in the formation of the Southern Blues Partners, OSU Rapid Forest Assessment, and story map for the Southern Blues Partners.
“The district has been instrumental in putting on community outreach events such as the Grant County Natural Resource Fair and the Southern Blues Partners Landowner/Contractors workshop,” said NRCS District Conservationist Hannah Smith.
Pat Holliday has worked for the district since 1995 and is an advocate for conservation and producer assistance in the county and beyond. Pat provides producer outreach with weed identification and control method options when they walk in the door. Pat wears many hats and assists the district, board members, contractors, and producers in so many ways behind the scenes to make their work become a reality. Her organization and attention to detail ensures the job gets done, employees and contractors get paid, and required reporting is done on time.
The awards were presented by Acting NRCS State Conservationist, David Rose and NRCS Basin Team Leader, Nathan Adelman. The awards are presented annually with nominations from NRCS staff and selections made by NRCS state leadership.
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Photo Information: L to R: Pat Holliday of Grant SWCD; Emma Immoos Acting NRCS District Conservationist; and Kyle Sullivan, Grant SWCD District Manager. Photo by Aaron Roth
