The Leelanau Conservation District celebrated its 80th birthday in late 2024.
Since 1943, the Leelanau Conservation District has served as a resource for farmers to reduce soil erosion.
Buzz Long, Leelanau Conservation District director, has been at the helm for the past 16 years after moving to the area nearly 40 years ago.
“One of the biggest things we do is permitting soil erosion, and we look at those natural resources trying to protect and preserve ... One of the big issues now with that is development in the county,” Long said.
Today, the conservation district has expanded its emphasis to include all natural resources and to deliver technical assistance to all community members while also working alongside other governmental agencies and community organizations to promote the practice of environmental stewardship.
“We like to think about not just permitting and enforcement, but providing assistance to the landowner so that their developments ... We are surrounded by water ... There’s not much development that goes on that doesn’t require a permit,” Long said. “I think (Conservation districts) need to continue doing what they’re doing (for the next 80 years), but they need to obviously look to the future and our big thing is to look at the development that’s taking place. That’s the main thing. Keeping our water clean.”
Conservation Districts are local units of government that utilize state, federal, and private sector resources to address today’s conservation challenges soil erosion, education, and water quality, to name a few.
Conservation districts began popping up around the country in the 1930s, in response to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, an environmental disaster caused by severe drought and strong winds that eroded the Great Plains.
To create a framework for cooperation, USDA drafted the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Law, which President Franklin Roosevelt sent to the governors of all the states in 1937. The first soil conservation district was organized in North Carolina in 1937, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Back in 1943, the county had over 600 signatures from local farmers and today you can’t find 600 farmers in the county, according to Long.
The state used to fund the conservation with growing budgets from $5,000 to $10,000 to $20,000. Then, in the early 2010s, the state eliminated funding operations. The Conservation District operated out of the Lake Leelanau dentist office for many before moving to the Leelanau County Government center in 2014.
The ormer conservation district director, Judy Egeler, was working with the county and was able to put some funding together.
About four years ago, the state finally came through with some operational funding in the form of a grant through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
With the funding, the conservation district has been able to purchase vehicles and the ability to post mileage payments to technicians and volunteers.
Now, the district has two vehicles.
The Conservation District has several services it offers including: • Lead agency for water quality in Leelanau County
• No-till seeding program (grass-grain seed drill for rent.)
• Supports agriculture through sales of locally grown products
• Michigan roundwater and freshwater protection
• Lakeshore erosion control and greenbelt development
• Forestry consultations, urban tree services wildlife habitat development
• Enforce erosion control law and county’s stormwater ordinance • Fifth grade conservation field day
• Sponsor local teams in Envirothon
• Coordinates farm and orchard time for WTCM
• Promotes the use of Michigan native species of trees, shrubs and plants .
• Offers sales that feature Michigan native species.
The Leelanau Conservation District’s biggest fundraiser are its annual plant and tree sales.
“I looked back in history and there was one year the conservation district sold a quarter of a million red pine seedlings. Now that number is around 250,000 today,” Long said. “It’s been such a change from what it used to be, we have our biggest fundraiser is the spring event.
Right after that we have a native plant sale at the end of April and beginning of May. (The conservation district) have always been holding a fifth grade field day every year at Veronica Valley Park and bring in roughly 155 fifth graders from several schools across the peninsula,” Long said.
