Who We Are

The Barry Conservation District’s (BCD) mission is to promote responsible natural resource and land-use management for present and future generations. We are supported by a 5-member Board of Directors and co-located with your Barry County USDA-NRCS and FSA offices, BCD staff works on a wide variety of conservation, education, and outreach initiatives including: forestry, farming practices, invasive species management, water resource conservation, land and resource management, and recycling and waste diversion.

Our History

Barry and surrounding counties encompass the ancestral lands of the Potawatomi, Odawa, Ojibway, Sauk and Meskwaki/Fox Tribes. We recognize, share and celebrate the history of their people, especially as fellow caretakers of the land. Through partnership, we strive to support and value the knowledge offered from Native Americans in the community and our Local Tribes: Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi.

In the 107 years between the arrival of the first European settlers to Barry County and the adoption of the Michigan Soil Conservation District Law of 1937, thousands of acres in Barry County were rendered unfit for farming. Soil erosion coupled with soil and water quality issues caused populations to stagnate or decline across the county, shuttering schools and businesses alike. Recognizing an opportunity to revitalize agriculture and restore natural resources in the area, Barry County Agricultural Agent Harold J. Foster joined with the county Farm Bureau and local farmers to form the Barry Soil Conservation District in November 1944.

In 1975, our name was changed to Barry Soil and Water Conservation District to recognize the importance of our water resources. By 1999, the District’s Board of Directors found landowners were seeking technical advice on a wide variety of natural resources including forests and wetlands, as well as plant, insect, and animal species that might benefit from conservation practices. By changing our name to Barry Conservation District (BCD), the Board expressed their interest in helping residents connect with increasingly broad opportunities for conservation.

While BCD has evolved over the years under the direction of our locally-elected Board of Directors, we continue to be co-located with your Barry County USDA-NRCS office, and can provide connection with USDA staff for technical advice and information on USDA cost-share programs for implementing soil, water, and natural resource conservation practices.

To expand resources for Barry County residents, BCD continues to foster and grow partnerships across the county and SW Michigan. In addition to our grant-funded programs with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), we partner with the Barry County Board of Commissioners to address resource concerns as well as other local, regional, state and federal programs to bring education and technical assistance to county residents.

Crews working on Thornapple River shoreline at Tyden Park April 2004