Last modified: Thursday, March 20, 2008 4:04 PM CDT District honors outstanding service By Amanda Compton-Ortiz/amanda@dctribune.com DeSoto Countians who actively show their love and concern for the area’s natural resources were honored at the DeSoto County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual membership and awards banquet March 13 at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven. More than 325 people attended the event, which included live entertainment by Southern country and bluegrass music performers Danny and Linda Trusty. The evening event also featured a dinner and special 2007 awards ceremony recognizing individuals who help fulfill the district’s primary goal to promote soil and water conservation. The district was organized by DeSoto County citizens in November 1944. It is governed by five commissioners who serve without pay to carry out a cooperative program that addresses the natural resource concerns of the district. A lifelong resident of Hernando and dedicated commissioner of the district for 35 years, Steve Ballard was the recipient of this year’s President’s award. In 1973, Ballard was appointed to the Conservation Education Workshop Committee for the purpose of raising scholarships to support DeSoto County teachers in the study of conservation courses at the University of Mississippi. He was appointed in 1974 to the Tree Security Commission, in 1975 to chairman of Tree Planting Week, and in 1977 to chairman of the district’s budget and finance. He was elected secretary/treasurer of the district in 1979. In a resolution of appreciation presented to Ballard in honor of his exemplary service and dedication to the district, it said, “Conservation of natural resources is of major concern and special interest to Mr. Ballard...He has served with honor, dignity and dedicated committment...” The Conservationist of the Year award was presented to Ida Miller, who owns and manages what was once a row crop farm in the Cub Lake community. In order to address soil erosion and water quality concerns, she converted highly erodible cropland to trees, installed riparian forest buffers along streambanks and established permanent food plots for wildlife. The recipient of the Cropland Conservationist award was Johnny Lentz, who grows soybeans, wheat, corn, grain sorghum, hay, watermelons, cantelopes, and tomatoes on his approximately 1,100-acre farm. IN order to control soil erosion and conserve water, Lentz has converted cropland to permanent grass, installed grade stabilization structures, and incorporated conservation tillage into his operation. Bowdre Emerson received the Wildlife Conservationist award for his efforts in improving wildlife habitat on his farm in the Grays Creek community. By planting bottomland hardwood on old cropland feilds, creating travel lanes and transition areas and planting annual food plots, Emerson has significantly improved the quail, deer, and turkey habitat on the farm. In addition, he has installed water control structures and built shallow water areas for waterfowl. The Special Appreciation award went to the DeSoto County Urban Foresters, who are trained by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and in turn donate many hours of volunteer work in support of the district’s efforts and programs. The group, Richard Flake, Bill Landers, Jan Spindler, Pat Dhority, Pat Woody and Richard Warfel, assist the district in reaching almost 3,000 third-grade students in 15 county schools with tree programs and gifts of two pine seedlings per student. They also assist the district in its free distribution of 30,000 trees held annually at Snowden Grove Park in Southaven, and have helped make the district’s annual Tree Planting Week celebration a huge success.