Jeff Henderson and Preston Wickline were re-elected in November to represent Botetourt County on the Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation District board of directors. Both have served on the board for 15 years.
“It’s hard to put a value on the experience that Jeff and Preston bring to the board, both as farmers and as soil and water directors,” said Tim Miller, district coordinator for Mountain Castles SWCD. “We rely on their expertise and their knowledge of how we got here as a district. We need their vision for where we can go in the future.”
With almost $2 million in funding available to farmers in the current program year, expanding the number of farms in Botetourt County that implement conservation practices is vital to achieve the water quality goals of the district.
“We rely on our directors to participate in conservation programs and to encourage their peers to do the same,” said Miller. Last year the district spent over $650,000 on conservation projects in Botetourt and Craig which help make our local streams and rivers cleaner.
Andrew Keffer and Jason Williams, elected directors from Craig County, and Walter Nelson, an appointed director from Botetourt County, also serve on the Mountain Castles board. Michael Beahm, Jeff Muncey, and Tom and Tara Williamson serve as associate directors.
In addition to agricultural programs, Mountain Castles SWCD has programs available to homeowners, including the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program and the Tinker & Glade Creek Residential Septic Program. Visit www.mountaincastles.org for more information.
~ Mountain Castles SWCD
