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Published annually by the Morrow Soil & Water Conservation District.
Amendment
conservation
My HICK McKI.MGOTT
This bill authorize (he
directors of soil and water
conservation districts to for
mulate and establish erosion
and sediment control regula
tions either on the request of a
resident of the district or any
slute or locul governmental
agency having land use plan
ning, environmental or
natural resource regulatory
jurisdiction over lands within
the district.
()n receipt of a request the
district directors shall review
the request. If approved, a
hearing must be held under
the provisions of the admini
strative procedures act. Reg
illations proposed in a district
ordinance must have the
approval of the Slate Conser
vation Commission. The regu
lations (to not become effec
tive until the district directors
receive written notice of
approval from the state com
mission. There are
modification
provisions
or repeal
for
of
MORROW SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
THIRD ANNUAL MEETING
Thursday, February 20, 1975
7:30 P.M.
A.C. Houghton Elementary School
Irrigon, Oregon
PROGRAM
1. Introductions
2. Business Meeting
3. Irrigation District Progress Report
4. Horizontal Well Drilling
5. Featured Speaker:
Senator Mike Thome, Senate
Bill 13, Erosion and Sedimenta
tion Act.
6. Discuss Wind Erosion Control
Regulations that the Morrow
SWCD is proposing to adopt.
to soil and wafer
district laws
regulations as written and
there are provisions for
apMal in case the regulations
might cause unnecessary
hardship or great practical
difficulties for any individuals
to carry out.
This bill Is supported by the
Oregon Association of Con
servation Districts not be
cause any district directors
welcome the opportunity to set
up standards and regulations,
but because this is our only
opportunity to do this at the
local level.
Our field runoff and wind
erosion problems fit the defi
nition of non point source
pollution. The federal and
state laws are already on the
hooks giving the Environ
Jones oustanding
SWCD cooperator
Hob Jones has been working
on a sound conservation
program on his farm for more
than 15 years. The systematic
mental Protection Agency and
the Department of Environ
mental Quality the authority
and the mission of controlling
non-point source pollution.
Neither of the agencies as
yet has made a big move into
the agricultural picture, but
undoubtedly would if we are
unable to make progress on
the local level. We feci that in
the local districts there is the
knowledge of what is possible
and economically feasible to
do. We feel that only on the
local level could we retain the
flexibility to permit variances
from the regulations and have
the knowledge of soils and
climatic conditions to safely
do so.
approach that he has used on
his 3459-acre farm earned him
the honor of being the Out
standing SWCD Cooperator
for 1974.
Good conservation practices
are not new to areas along
lleppner Flats and Rhea
Creek, which Bob farms. As
far back as 1965 Jones was
constructing diversion ditches
and forming a silt dam on his
property. These first projects
gave way to further expansion
of his diversion ditch system,
which he began work on in
19 with the engineering help
of the Soil Conservation Ser
vice. Last year Jones installed
33.260 feet of diversion ditches
on the 1.873 acres of land he
farms at the two sections.
He Is by no means through
with his conservation work.
He plans to add an additional
26.600 feet of diversion ditches
this year and at least two
more silt dams are being
planned for the future.
Besides diversion ditches
and his silt dam he also con
serves topsoil through careful
crop and land management.
Jones was raised in Heppner
and attended school here.
While attending the Univer
sity of Oregon in Eugene he
received his degree in busi
ness and met his wife. Carol
Sue. After college, he joined
the Army and served in Stutt
gart. Germany.
When he returned to the
states he took over manage
ment of his father's ranch,
which with the additional
Rhea Creek place now makes
up his total acreage.
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SKN. MIKE
Soil, water conservation
Local vs.
federal control
Farmers are facing two
alternatives in regard to
erosion problems. They are
already faced with federal and
state legislation that has given
authority to the Environmen
tal Protection Agency and the
Department of Environmental
Quality to deal with pollution
and sedimentation.
Neither the EPA or DEQ
has as yet moved into the field
of agriculture, but they are
going to unless conservation
districts make better progress
and come up with solutions on
a local basis.
We feel that it would be far
better to put the matter of
standards and regulations at
the local district level,
according to Dick McEUigott,
president, Oregon Association
of Conservation Districts. "In
Oregon we have extreme
variations in soils and cli
mate. It's at the conservation
district level where area
people are locally elected that
THORNE
there is the intimate know
ledge of local conditions and
economic feasibility of apply
ing conservation practices."
Sen. Mike Thome of Uma
tilla County, chairman of the
Oregon Senate Agriculture
and Natural Resources Com
mittee, is now dealing directly
with the Erosion and Sedi
mentation Act (Senate Bill
13). The bill would amend
Oregon Soil and Water Con
servation law to give authority
to set standards based on
knowledge of local conditions.
Sen. Thorne will speak at
the Morrow SWCD annual
meeting Thursday, Feb. 20,
starting at 7:30 p.m. The
program will be held at the A.
C. Houghton School in Irrigon.
Refreshments will be served.
Farmers and all interested
persons from both Morrow
and Umatilla counties are
invited to attend this import
ant program.