Crews working on Thornapple River shoreline at Tyden Park April 2004

Our History

In the 107 years between the arrival of the first settlers to Barry County and the adoption of the Michigan Soil Conservation District Law of 1937, thousands of acres in the county were rendered unfit for farming due to erosion. These “worn out” lands caused people to move away. Schools and businesses were closed as a result. Idled farmland was evident in every township. Recognizing the problem, Barry County Agricultural Agent Harold J. Foster joined with the Farm Bureau and others interested in promoting conservation and formed the Barry Soil Conservation District in November 1944. The District encompasses all of Barry County, including townships, cities and incorporated villages.

Over the years, the role of the Barry Conservation District has evolved somewhat. The district now works closely with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to bring cost-share programs to local farmers implementing soil, water, and habitat conservation practices. Additionally, the district developed partnerships with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to provide resource conservation assistance to both farming and non-farm landowners.

In 1975, the District’s name was changed to the Barry Soil and Water Conservation District to recognize the importance of water as a resource. By 1999, when the District’s Board of Directors completed a new resource assessment, they recognized that many other resources including forestland, grasslands, wetlands, and certain declining plant and animal species needed attention. By changing their name to the Barry Conservation District, the Board expressed the increasingly broad conservation challenges created by a developing community.