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Office Hours
Monday - Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

2018 All Athens County Photo Contest Entries
​            MISSION STATEMENT
Provide leadership by promoting the wise use and enhancement of Athens County’s natural resources for current and future generations.







The Athens SWCD is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, associated with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) - Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and funded by county and state taxpayer monies.

New No-till Rental Equipment Available

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The Athens Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), the Athens-Meigs County Farm Bureau, and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation have partnered together to help area landowners reduce soil erosion and improve water quality.  The Athens SWCD received grant funds to help purchase a new 7 ft Sunflower no-till drill.  Farm Bureau members will receive a 50% discount toward the cost of the use of the Sunflower drill. The SWCD's equipment will be highlighted at the upcoming Farm Equipment and Safety Day field day, August 24th.  See below for details!!

Farm Equipment and Safety Day!

     The Athens SWCD, along with Athens-Meigs Farm Bureau invite you and your family to join us for our Farm Equipment and Safety Day, Saturday, August 24th starting at 4 p.m. This event will be held at the Lackey Family Cabin between Guysville and Stewart near the intersection of SR 329 and New England Road.
     Topics to be discussed will include the Athens SWCD's rental equipment program, reading and understanding a seed tag, a safety presentation, dinner and an infield demonstration of the District’s new Sunflower No-till Drill.
     Fishing, archery, an activity table and a hands on safety session will be provided for younger attendees.
     Cost for this family event is $5.00 each for those 16 and over and free for anyone 15 and under. Each family may bring one soil sample for lab analysis!
     Pre-registration is required by August 16th. Please call 740-797-9686 ext. 5 if you have any questions or need special dietary accommodations.

​​Athens-Hocking County Farm Service Agency Is Accepting
​Emergency Conservation Program Applications

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Zachary Williams today announced that Athens-Hocking County is accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to address damages from flooding. ECP signup will begin on August 12, 2019, and end on October 10, 2019.

The approved ECP practices under this authorization include:
      • Grading, Shaping, Releveling, or Similar Measures
      • Restoring Conservation Structures and Other Installations

ECP assists producers with the recovery cost to restore the agricultural land to pre-disaster conditions. Approved ECP applicants may receive up to 75 percent of the cost of approved restoration activity.

“Dealing with natural disasters is never easy, especially when you have to consider damage to crop, and pasture fields, but it’s important for producers to call our office before they take any action,” said Williams.

Producers with damage from such events must apply for assistance prior to beginning reconstructive work. FSA’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review process is required to be completed before any actions are taken. Submitting an application after reconstructive work has been completed may not qualify for ECP.

FSA county committees will evaluate applications based on an on-site inspection of the damaged land, taking into consideration the type and extent of the damage. An on-site inspection does not guarantee that cost-share funding will be provided.

The use of ECP funds is limited to activities to return the land to the relative pre-disaster condition. Conservation concerns that were present on the land prior to the disaster are not eligible for ECP assistance. For more information on ECP, please contact the Athens-Hocking County FSA office at (740)-797-9686 extenion 2.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

THANK YOU to "River Sweep on the Hocking" Volunteers!

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     The Athens Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2019 River Sweep on the Hocking was a wonderful success. The June 15th event brought out 62 hardy individuals to lend their time and energy to cleaning up nearly five miles of the Hocking River. Though we didn’t see much sunshine, the cloudy but warm day, had a gentle breeze to keep everyone comfortable as they worked.
     In all, we collected 46 bags of trash, 37 bags of recyclable materials, 30 lbs. of scrap metal, and 2 tires. Everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch afterwards provided by Athens Kroger, Athens Walmart, and Athens Texas Roadhouse. Besides these partners we would like to thank our other local partners: The City of Athens, Ohio University, Athens - Hocking Solid Waste District, Hocking Conservancy, Athens City - County Health Department, and Hocking College.
     This annual event  is an extension of the interstate Ohio River Sweep sponsored by ORSANCO (the Ohio River Sanitation Commission). Each year we join with communities all along the Ohio River and its major tributaries,  from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL to clean up these waterways and help the quality of our waters. We hope to see you next year as we Keep our Rivers Clean!

2019 River Sweep Participants!!