Livingston Conservation District  

Q: So what exactly does a local Conservation District do?

A: We are used as a local resource to direct residents to federal and state funded programs offered through the NRCS-USDA and MDA. The Federal 2008 Farm Bill has quite alot of programs that you may qualify for, which you may not even be aware of. Please contact our NRCS agent, Karry Trickey, to inquire about these programs.

We not only assist farmers, but also people interested in reforestation, wild-life habitats and youth education. We share staff and technicians with Ingham county. NRCS-USDA is now housed in Mason, MI. Please see our Other Links page for contact information.

Q: What has the Livingston Conservation District been involved in?

A: The Livingston Conservation District is involved with many activities throughout the year including: Spring tree sale, LCD Field Day, Annual Meeting, Children's poster contest and Farmer's Day. We have also joined with other organizations to help form the Portage Creek Advisory Committee. This committee was started by the Huron River Watershed Council to help implement the watershed planning project. This project encompasses four different counties and will include two years of prep work to establish and produce a guidebook for residents, government, land owners, and businesses to reduce pollution in Portage Creek and improve long-term protection of this natural feature.

Q: Where are you located and what are your hours of operation?

A: We closed our physical walk-in office in 2007. With Michigan's economy in a down-turn and our operating grant dissolved from the Michigan Department of Agriculture, we could no longer afford the means to have a physical office or a full-time staff. The Board of Director's decided to try a new means of staying afloat which included drastically cutting costs. We have two part-time employees that run the district operations from a virtual office. Although we are under the Michigan Department of Agriculture we operate similarly to a non-profit and much of the work is done on a volunteer basis. Therefore we do not have set hours of operation. Please be aware if you leave a message, the voicemail is checked on a part-time basis. To receive a quicker response, please email questions to admin@livingstoncd.org

Our History

The Livingston Conservation District was originally organized under four different territories. The first was established in June 1937 and the project encompassed part of Livingston, Genesee and Oakland counties.

This first district consisted of Argentine and Fenton townships (Genesee County) and Deerfield, Tyrone and Hartland townships (Livingston County).

On November 10, 1939, George R. Petts of Fenton and J.H. Skinner of Fenton both duly appointed directors filed an application with the State of Michigan to become an official conservation district.

In 1940 the Southeast Livingston Soil Conservation District formed consisting of Genoa, Green Oak and Hamburg townships.

On January 30, 1943 at a referendum the land owners of Brighton township (excluding the village of Brighton) voted to join the S.E. Livingston Soil Conservation District.

On February 15, 1945 there was a referendum vote to include the townships of Iosco, Putnam, Marion and Unadilla. These four townships formed the Southwest Livingston Soil Conservation District.

On May 13, 1946 the Northwest Soil Conservation District formed and encompassed the townships of Conway, Handy, Howell and Cohoctah.

All four districts were operating as separate entities with their own Board of Directors, yet they worked together under one system and mainly one county.

After almost 65 years of operating separate districts, on January 7, 2002 they all consolidated under one body. The Michigan Department of Agriculture appointed the first five Board Directors of the Livingston Conservation District.

The conservation district has seen many changes over the past 70 years and continues to shift it's mission and goals to reach the county and promote better practices with our natural resources.

On October 27, 2007 the district moved out of the Howell location and is currently operating as a virtual office.

*Information for this brief history report was taken out of Annual Reports and documents for the above stated conservation districts. Information contained within this report is deemed reliable.

Who We Are

We are a local government entity under the Michigan Department of Agriculture. However, we are no longer funded by the MDA and operate similarly to a non-profit.