Local conservation districts board elections and appointments

By Dale Gathright, Jr., 04/12/22 3:47 PM

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Commission (Commission) approved twenty-five conservation district board elections at its meeting on March 16. The Commission also made four new board member appointments and five board member reappointments to conservation district boards.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division provides leadership and support for Arkansas’s 75 conservation districts. Conservation districts are political subdivisions of the State of Arkansas created by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1937 for the purpose of providing locally led conservation of the state’s land and water resources. Each district is governed by a board of five directors, including three elected by resident landowners and two appointed by the Natural Resources Commission.

“Many state and federal conservation programs are made available through conservation districts,” said Chris Colclasure, Director of the Natural Resources Division. “They provide technical assistance and resources to landowners in their counties, and the local board members play an especially important role in managing district business and staff,” said Colclasure.

In southwest Arkansas:

Hempstead County – Clay Antley, Keith Fry, Kenneth Knoll

Nevada County – Amy Cowling, Chance Cummings, Cory Dice

Five districts reappointed board members including:

Rich Mountain – Duane Webb, a native of Columbus