Seven Rivers RC&D works to improve economy and environment
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The vision of Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council is: Local people working together to develop, enhance, and protect our resources for the betterment of our economy and environment.
The purpose of this article is to inform the public about the projects Seven Rivers is involved in and the local people who work, volunteer and make Seven Rivers successful. Many people are unaware of RC&D and the services they provide their communities. The RC&D is made up of local people who determine their communities' needs and create solutions to those needs. The council accomplishes a wide range of projects that address many local issues related to social, economic and environmental concerns. A long-range plan for Seven Rivers was developed by soliciting public input through a survey in the sixteen-county area served by Seven Rivers RC&D. The citizens that gave input include representatives of state agencies, county municipal governments, as well as agricultural extension agents, planning and zoning officials, local industry reps, consultants, engineers, public interest groups, farm associations, soil and water conservation, districts, educators, land developers, local tourism advocates, resource specialists, individual farmers and foresters, environmental lawyers and other interested parties. The purpose of the plan is to provide a strategic direction for the organization. The organization is stronger than ever before, yet more efforts are needed to ensure a strong sustainable organization that serves the communities in our area.
Background and Structure of the Council
Seven Rivers was initiated in March of 1992 by a group of local community leaders in Southeast Georgia. The Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. was created out of a realization by these individuals of the dire need for communities to collaborate on finding solutions to common problems, learning from unique challenges, and exploiting opportunities. The Council received authorization by the Secretary of Agriculture, in January 1993 and is a 501(c) (3), not-for-profit organization. Seven Rivers is also an equal opportunity provider and employer. The office headquarters is located in Baxley. The Appling County Commissioner's offered office space at a reduced rate and that is how the office originated in Appling County. The first coordinator for Seven Rivers was Jimmy James of Baxley. His successor was Luther Jones who served Seven Rivers for 12 years.
The Seven Rivers office is located in Baxley at 239 East Park Avenue, Suite E. The original area that the council served consisted of Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Jeff Davis and Ware counties and was bound by seven rivers, namely: Altamaha, Alapaha, Ocmulgee, Satilla, St. Mary's, Suwanee and Willacoochee. In 1994, the Council's boundary was extended to include the counties of Brantley, Pierce, and Wayne. The council expanded again in March 1997 to include Berrien, Cook, Lanier and Lowndes Counties. With this expansion, the territory now includes three additional rivers (the New, the Withlacoochee and the Little).
The whole area Seven Rivers RC&D serves is situated in southeast Georgia and is adjacent to the Coastal Georgia RC&D. The terrain is low and flat, and the streams are wide and sluggish. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area is located in Ware, Clinch, and Charlton Counties. Water, wildlife, and timber resources are abundant, and are very important to the local residents. The northern most counties are engaged in a wide variety of field agriculture and livestock operations. The southern counties are approximately 80 percent woodlands with some livestock operations. The ground water is sufficient for municipal, industrial and irrigation of crops.
Community development projects have emphasized hazard mitigation planning at the county level, small town improvement efforts, and promoting environmentally friendly tourism. Major funding resources have been from the NRCS, Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Coastal Management Program, Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Environmental Protection Division, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Seven River's mission is to work together with the local people they serve, to improve our communities by exploring opportunities for community growth and development, and by seeking solutions to the problems we may face.
The council helps plan and carry out activities that increase conservation of natural resources, support economic development and enhance the environment and standard of living in local communities. RC&D council members are volunteers and include local, civic, appointed and elected officials. Councils work in partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service through a federal coordinator.
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Meet Stan Moore the NRCS Coordinator of Seven Rivers. He has been working for Seven Rivers for about two years. Stan is from Douglas. He is married to Dawn B. Moore and they have two children, Haley and Jacob. Stan began helping his father, who was the owner and operator of a forestry business. After Stan graduated from high school in Douglas, he obtained a degree in Forest Management at the University of Georgia and . He worked 17 years for the Georgia Forestry Commission and was a Forestor and Water Quality Specialist. Moore talked about how much he enjoys his job at Seven Rivers and how it keeps him involved in a variety of projects.
w/pic...
Lynn Carter is the Program Administrator, she has been working at Seven Rivers for three years in April. Lynn was the Executive Director for Appling County Board of Tourism before becoming a program administrator for Seven Rivers. She is married to Bob. They have two daughters, Allison and Cristina, and five grandchildren.
w/pic...
Annie Williams is the Program Manager for the Wheels to Work Program and began working with Seven Rivers in 2006. Williams retired from DFCS in 2001. While at DFCS she worked as a Resource Worker/Social Service Specialist in charge of adoptions. Annie was married to the late Edward Williams. He was the pastor at Crusaders for Christ Faith Church in Baxley. They have three children, Edward, Janet and Daniel, and two grandchildren.
She is a member of Pentecostal Holiness Church in Brunswick.
Annie talked about how much she enjoys what she does and stated, "It feels good to help people." Seven Rivers has an Executive Board made up of individuals from other counties throughout the Seven Rivers area.The Treasurer on the Executive Board of Seven Rivers spoke about what it means to him to be on the board, M. H. Baxley stated "I enjoy it tremendously." Baxley talked about how important conservation and development is to a community and how it would be hard to imagine what it would be like if Seven Rivers was not here and doing what it does for the people in our community. Since M. H. retired in 1989 from GA Power he has remained active serving in the community and works hard on his farm. He is married to Wilma and they have three children, Dennis Baxley, James Baxley (deceased) and Lawana Walker. They have four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Baxley is a recent state winner of the Outstanding Member Award for the Young Farmers Chapter.
Seven Rivers Coordinator Stan Moore stated, "M. H. Baxley is very valuable to Seven Rivers serving on the board as Treasurer. He is always faithful in attending meetings."
The Seven Rivers Executive Board members are President- Mickey Whittington, Wayne County, Vice President - Eugene Dyal, Bacon County, Secretary - O. C. Prince, Echols County, Treasurer - M. H. Baxley of Appling County and Assistant Treasurer - B. H. Claxton, Jeff Davis County, Willie Williams, Charlton County, and Jeanie Boland, Brantley County, both Members-at-Large.
Major Projects
Seven Rivers is working hard to improve the economy and environment in our community and the communities throughout the Seven River area it serves by being involved in many worthwhile and successful projects. The following are just a few of the many major projects that Seven Rivers is involved in.
The Altamaha River Partnership and through them has developed an attractive Canoe Trail Map & Adventure Guide.
The Wildlife Relief Fund has been established to collect donations to reforest the areas that were destroyed by the 2007 wildfires. Seven Rivers has secured a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist families of forestry owners who were affected by the extensive wildfires. The council also helps landowners to install "Best Management Practices" (BMP) as identified by the Watershed plan. They partner with Georgia Forestry Commission to provide forestry tax workshops. The chicken litter spreader project helps community farmers. The council has three spreaders and they are used on the fields to spread litter. Native Warm Season Grass workshops are sponsored by Seven Rivers.
Seven Rivers has partnered with FDC Enterprises to provide landowners an option for planting native warm season grasses in their CRP longleaf pine stands. In October 2006, the USDA (FSA) unveiled the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Longleaf Pine Initiative, to help restablish longleaf pine and the native ground cover ecosystem. They made partnerships between Seven Rivers RC&D and FDC Enterprises to fulfill the educational and service demand for native grasses. The success stories continue as the grassland services projects are being implemented. The grassland services project is a good thing for the farming community in that it has resulted in excellent public outreach and is a great partnership opportunity for this area. Eddie Bennett of Pierce County was one of the first landowners to use this service provided by Seven Rivers RC&D and FDC Enterprises. Eddie Bennett dreamed of restoring the quail population to where it was years ago. Bennett's land was planted in longleaf pine and native grasses that are beneficial for wildlife and necessary for the proper function of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Four species of grasses are planted; the grasses are important because they are useful for fuel to carry fire. The longleaf pine trees need to be burned periodically to promote growth and cut down on competition from other trees and plants. Longleaf pines are planted 12 feet a part and the areas between the rows are planted in native grasses.
Another successful project that Seven Rivers is involved in is a project that saves time, energy and labor, the "No Till Drill Project". The drills are used to plant small grains in fields and pastures. The benefits are is controlls weeds, decreases soil erosion, conserves water and enhances crop production.
The Wheels to Work Program - assists eligible participants with transportation needed to maintain employment and becoming self sufficient. Many families and local businesses have benefited by having dependable employees who no longer have transportation problems. Wheels to Work was initiated in 1992. This valuable program is administered by the Seven Rivers RC&D Council, covering the twenty county area. The program was designed to provide temporary assistance for needy families (TANF recipients) in purchasing low-cost vehicles at zero interest and low monthly payments. The program has been drastically reduced over the years because there are fewer clients receiving TANF and the goal to become self sufficient and independent is being met. Last year the council placed nine cars and this year the council plans to place five cars. A big decrease in budget limits the number of cars. If there were monies available, the council could place more cars, but the lack of funding is the main barrier. The Seven Rivers RC&D Council's Wheels to Work Program has provided an opportunity for nearly 300 individuals to seek employment in the twenty-county Program area. This grant was made possible through a collaborative effort with GEFA, Department of Human Resources, Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), Office of the Governor, and the Georgia RC&D.
Conservation in communities
Solar power is being used to water pecan trees and cattle troughs. Dry Hydrant project is successful because it uses water from ponds to put out fires. A dry hydrant is a non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds, and streams that provides means of suction supply of water to the tank truck. Some counties have begun to take advantage of "natural water sources" for fire-fighting. Most areas have a number of privately owned ponds, lakes, and streams that could be used, with permission, as fill-up points. The installation of a non-pressurized pipe system into these water sources provides a ready means of a suction-supply of water to tank trucks. The dry hydrant system gives the trucks access to the ponds and streams from the main road, and improves fire fighting capabilities of rural fire departments, saves fuel and reduces the cost of operations. An additional benefit to citizens where dry hydrants have been properly used is in the reduction of the fire classification for fire insurance.
A stackhouse is a storage facility for storing chicken litter and is cost shared with grants from EPD. The first community stackhouse in Georgia is Located on Jeff Deen's property in Appling County. The stackhouse stores the chicken litter until it can be used for fertilizer. Not only does this keep the litter from being washed into creeks, but it composts it as well, making it cleaner when spread on the fields.
What is RC&D?
The Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program is a public/private partnership, initiated in 1962 to assist people in caring for and protecting their natural resources while improving an areas economy, environment and standard of living. This is a nonprofit effort, led by local government and community leaders, volunteers and state and federal agencies that identifies and implements solutions to human, economic and environmental concerns. The purpose of the RC&D program is to encourage and improve the capability of volunteer, locally-elected, and civic leaders in designated RC&D areas to plan and carry out projects for resource conservation and community development. Projects often relate to the following areas: Land Conservation, Land Management, Community Development and Water Management.
The RC&D program is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and was first authorized by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962. The Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the RC&D Program and provides technical and financial assistance to the Councils to support the program.
For more information visit them at the Seven Rivers RC&D office, located at 239 NE Park Ave., Suite E., in Baxley, call 912-367-7679 or visit the website at sevenrivers@bellsouth.net.
The purpose of this article is to inform the public about the projects Seven Rivers is involved in and the local people who work, volunteer and make Seven Rivers successful. Many people are unaware of RC&D and the services they provide their communities. The RC&D is made up of local people who determine their communities' needs and create solutions to those needs. The council accomplishes a wide range of projects that address many local issues related to social, economic and environmental concerns. A long-range plan for Seven Rivers was developed by soliciting public input through a survey in the sixteen-county area served by Seven Rivers RC&D. The citizens that gave input include representatives of state agencies, county municipal governments, as well as agricultural extension agents, planning and zoning officials, local industry reps, consultants, engineers, public interest groups, farm associations, soil and water conservation, districts, educators, land developers, local tourism advocates, resource specialists, individual farmers and foresters, environmental lawyers and other interested parties. The purpose of the plan is to provide a strategic direction for the organization. The organization is stronger than ever before, yet more efforts are needed to ensure a strong sustainable organization that serves the communities in our area.
Background and Structure of the Council
Seven Rivers was initiated in March of 1992 by a group of local community leaders in Southeast Georgia. The Seven Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council Inc. was created out of a realization by these individuals of the dire need for communities to collaborate on finding solutions to common problems, learning from unique challenges, and exploiting opportunities. The Council received authorization by the Secretary of Agriculture, in January 1993 and is a 501(c) (3), not-for-profit organization. Seven Rivers is also an equal opportunity provider and employer. The office headquarters is located in Baxley. The Appling County Commissioner's offered office space at a reduced rate and that is how the office originated in Appling County. The first coordinator for Seven Rivers was Jimmy James of Baxley. His successor was Luther Jones who served Seven Rivers for 12 years.
The Seven Rivers office is located in Baxley at 239 East Park Avenue, Suite E. The original area that the council served consisted of Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Echols, Jeff Davis and Ware counties and was bound by seven rivers, namely: Altamaha, Alapaha, Ocmulgee, Satilla, St. Mary's, Suwanee and Willacoochee. In 1994, the Council's boundary was extended to include the counties of Brantley, Pierce, and Wayne. The council expanded again in March 1997 to include Berrien, Cook, Lanier and Lowndes Counties. With this expansion, the territory now includes three additional rivers (the New, the Withlacoochee and the Little).
The whole area Seven Rivers RC&D serves is situated in southeast Georgia and is adjacent to the Coastal Georgia RC&D. The terrain is low and flat, and the streams are wide and sluggish. The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness Area is located in Ware, Clinch, and Charlton Counties. Water, wildlife, and timber resources are abundant, and are very important to the local residents. The northern most counties are engaged in a wide variety of field agriculture and livestock operations. The southern counties are approximately 80 percent woodlands with some livestock operations. The ground water is sufficient for municipal, industrial and irrigation of crops.
Community development projects have emphasized hazard mitigation planning at the county level, small town improvement efforts, and promoting environmentally friendly tourism. Major funding resources have been from the NRCS, Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Coastal Management Program, Georgia Department of Natural Resources/Environmental Protection Division, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Seven River's mission is to work together with the local people they serve, to improve our communities by exploring opportunities for community growth and development, and by seeking solutions to the problems we may face.
The council helps plan and carry out activities that increase conservation of natural resources, support economic development and enhance the environment and standard of living in local communities. RC&D council members are volunteers and include local, civic, appointed and elected officials. Councils work in partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service through a federal coordinator.
w/pic...
Meet Stan Moore the NRCS Coordinator of Seven Rivers. He has been working for Seven Rivers for about two years. Stan is from Douglas. He is married to Dawn B. Moore and they have two children, Haley and Jacob. Stan began helping his father, who was the owner and operator of a forestry business. After Stan graduated from high school in Douglas, he obtained a degree in Forest Management at the University of Georgia and . He worked 17 years for the Georgia Forestry Commission and was a Forestor and Water Quality Specialist. Moore talked about how much he enjoys his job at Seven Rivers and how it keeps him involved in a variety of projects.
w/pic...
Lynn Carter is the Program Administrator, she has been working at Seven Rivers for three years in April. Lynn was the Executive Director for Appling County Board of Tourism before becoming a program administrator for Seven Rivers. She is married to Bob. They have two daughters, Allison and Cristina, and five grandchildren.
w/pic...
Annie Williams is the Program Manager for the Wheels to Work Program and began working with Seven Rivers in 2006. Williams retired from DFCS in 2001. While at DFCS she worked as a Resource Worker/Social Service Specialist in charge of adoptions. Annie was married to the late Edward Williams. He was the pastor at Crusaders for Christ Faith Church in Baxley. They have three children, Edward, Janet and Daniel, and two grandchildren.
She is a member of Pentecostal Holiness Church in Brunswick.
Annie talked about how much she enjoys what she does and stated, "It feels good to help people." Seven Rivers has an Executive Board made up of individuals from other counties throughout the Seven Rivers area.The Treasurer on the Executive Board of Seven Rivers spoke about what it means to him to be on the board, M. H. Baxley stated "I enjoy it tremendously." Baxley talked about how important conservation and development is to a community and how it would be hard to imagine what it would be like if Seven Rivers was not here and doing what it does for the people in our community. Since M. H. retired in 1989 from GA Power he has remained active serving in the community and works hard on his farm. He is married to Wilma and they have three children, Dennis Baxley, James Baxley (deceased) and Lawana Walker. They have four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Baxley is a recent state winner of the Outstanding Member Award for the Young Farmers Chapter.
Seven Rivers Coordinator Stan Moore stated, "M. H. Baxley is very valuable to Seven Rivers serving on the board as Treasurer. He is always faithful in attending meetings."
The Seven Rivers Executive Board members are President- Mickey Whittington, Wayne County, Vice President - Eugene Dyal, Bacon County, Secretary - O. C. Prince, Echols County, Treasurer - M. H. Baxley of Appling County and Assistant Treasurer - B. H. Claxton, Jeff Davis County, Willie Williams, Charlton County, and Jeanie Boland, Brantley County, both Members-at-Large.
Major Projects
Seven Rivers is working hard to improve the economy and environment in our community and the communities throughout the Seven River area it serves by being involved in many worthwhile and successful projects. The following are just a few of the many major projects that Seven Rivers is involved in.
The Altamaha River Partnership and through them has developed an attractive Canoe Trail Map & Adventure Guide.
The Wildlife Relief Fund has been established to collect donations to reforest the areas that were destroyed by the 2007 wildfires. Seven Rivers has secured a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assist families of forestry owners who were affected by the extensive wildfires. The council also helps landowners to install "Best Management Practices" (BMP) as identified by the Watershed plan. They partner with Georgia Forestry Commission to provide forestry tax workshops. The chicken litter spreader project helps community farmers. The council has three spreaders and they are used on the fields to spread litter. Native Warm Season Grass workshops are sponsored by Seven Rivers.
Seven Rivers has partnered with FDC Enterprises to provide landowners an option for planting native warm season grasses in their CRP longleaf pine stands. In October 2006, the USDA (FSA) unveiled the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Longleaf Pine Initiative, to help restablish longleaf pine and the native ground cover ecosystem. They made partnerships between Seven Rivers RC&D and FDC Enterprises to fulfill the educational and service demand for native grasses. The success stories continue as the grassland services projects are being implemented. The grassland services project is a good thing for the farming community in that it has resulted in excellent public outreach and is a great partnership opportunity for this area. Eddie Bennett of Pierce County was one of the first landowners to use this service provided by Seven Rivers RC&D and FDC Enterprises. Eddie Bennett dreamed of restoring the quail population to where it was years ago. Bennett's land was planted in longleaf pine and native grasses that are beneficial for wildlife and necessary for the proper function of the longleaf pine ecosystem. Four species of grasses are planted; the grasses are important because they are useful for fuel to carry fire. The longleaf pine trees need to be burned periodically to promote growth and cut down on competition from other trees and plants. Longleaf pines are planted 12 feet a part and the areas between the rows are planted in native grasses.
Another successful project that Seven Rivers is involved in is a project that saves time, energy and labor, the "No Till Drill Project". The drills are used to plant small grains in fields and pastures. The benefits are is controlls weeds, decreases soil erosion, conserves water and enhances crop production.
The Wheels to Work Program - assists eligible participants with transportation needed to maintain employment and becoming self sufficient. Many families and local businesses have benefited by having dependable employees who no longer have transportation problems. Wheels to Work was initiated in 1992. This valuable program is administered by the Seven Rivers RC&D Council, covering the twenty county area. The program was designed to provide temporary assistance for needy families (TANF recipients) in purchasing low-cost vehicles at zero interest and low monthly payments. The program has been drastically reduced over the years because there are fewer clients receiving TANF and the goal to become self sufficient and independent is being met. Last year the council placed nine cars and this year the council plans to place five cars. A big decrease in budget limits the number of cars. If there were monies available, the council could place more cars, but the lack of funding is the main barrier. The Seven Rivers RC&D Council's Wheels to Work Program has provided an opportunity for nearly 300 individuals to seek employment in the twenty-county Program area. This grant was made possible through a collaborative effort with GEFA, Department of Human Resources, Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), Office of the Governor, and the Georgia RC&D.
Conservation in communities
Solar power is being used to water pecan trees and cattle troughs. Dry Hydrant project is successful because it uses water from ponds to put out fires. A dry hydrant is a non-pressurized pipe system permanently installed in existing lakes, ponds, and streams that provides means of suction supply of water to the tank truck. Some counties have begun to take advantage of "natural water sources" for fire-fighting. Most areas have a number of privately owned ponds, lakes, and streams that could be used, with permission, as fill-up points. The installation of a non-pressurized pipe system into these water sources provides a ready means of a suction-supply of water to tank trucks. The dry hydrant system gives the trucks access to the ponds and streams from the main road, and improves fire fighting capabilities of rural fire departments, saves fuel and reduces the cost of operations. An additional benefit to citizens where dry hydrants have been properly used is in the reduction of the fire classification for fire insurance.
A stackhouse is a storage facility for storing chicken litter and is cost shared with grants from EPD. The first community stackhouse in Georgia is Located on Jeff Deen's property in Appling County. The stackhouse stores the chicken litter until it can be used for fertilizer. Not only does this keep the litter from being washed into creeks, but it composts it as well, making it cleaner when spread on the fields.
What is RC&D?
The Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program is a public/private partnership, initiated in 1962 to assist people in caring for and protecting their natural resources while improving an areas economy, environment and standard of living. This is a nonprofit effort, led by local government and community leaders, volunteers and state and federal agencies that identifies and implements solutions to human, economic and environmental concerns. The purpose of the RC&D program is to encourage and improve the capability of volunteer, locally-elected, and civic leaders in designated RC&D areas to plan and carry out projects for resource conservation and community development. Projects often relate to the following areas: Land Conservation, Land Management, Community Development and Water Management.
The RC&D program is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and was first authorized by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962. The Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the RC&D Program and provides technical and financial assistance to the Councils to support the program.
For more information visit them at the Seven Rivers RC&D office, located at 239 NE Park Ave., Suite E., in Baxley, call 912-367-7679 or visit the website at sevenrivers@bellsouth.net.