Conservation District

Department Function: The function of the Conservation District is to take available technical, financial, and educational resources, whatever their source, and focus or coordinate them so they meet the needs of the local land users.

Members:
Chairman: Dave Thom
Vice-Chairman: Paul Nettinga
Treasurer: Oonagh Wood
Supervisor: Tamarah Carter
Supervisor: Greg Neugebauer
Advisors: Stuart Adrian and Gladwin Paulsen 
District Manager: Mike Baldwin
NRCS District Conservationist: Paige Uher

Important Information & Upcoming Events:

Scholarships available to high school seniors in Custer County: 

• We are excited to offer a $1,000 scholarship to a qualified applicants in 2025. To qualify, student must be a high school senior who reside in Custer County. Application and additional requirements are available here. 
• Additional scholarship opportunities: 
  • South Dakota Association of Conservation District Employees (SDACDE) scholarship:
    • Three $500 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors in South Dakota. Click here for additional information.
  • Mark Kieffer Scholarship:
    • $1,000 for high school seniors located in Western South Dakota that are going to attend a South Dakota college while pursuing a conservation degree. Application deadline is March 1. Click here for additional information.

New video highlights Custer County Conservation District’s Forest Thinning Program for Improved Forest Resiliency: 

Thinning cost-share grants available: 

• Cost-share funding is available for private landowners interested in non-commercial forest thinning and fuels treatment on their property. Application is available here. Contact the office for additional information.  

Newsletters: 

• Fall/Winter 2024, Spring/Summer 2024, Fall/Winter 2023, Spring/Summer 2023, Fall/Winter 2022, Spring/Summer 2022,  Fall/Winter 2021

2024 Speech contest: 

• All South Dakota high school students are welcome to compete in the Resource Conservation Speech Contest. The 2024 theme is “Working Grassland, Why Should We Care?”. Scholarships totaling $2,500 will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Participants should contact our office by February so that we can schedule a local contest. Entry form and additional information is available here.

2024 Arbor Day contests: 

• The annual Arbor Day writing and poster contests will be open again next spring.  
  • Creative writing contest: open to all South Dakota 5th & 6th graders. Cash awards to top three contestants in the state. Entry deadline is March 22. Additional information available here.
  • Poster contest: open to all South Dakota 5th graders. Each school can only submit one poster. The top 12 posters from across the state will be featured in the annual South Dakota Arbor Day Poster Contest Calendar. Cash prizes to top three posters in the state. This year’s theme is “Trees in Television”. Click here for more information. Submission deadline is March 29. 

Trees for sale: 

• Custer Conservation District does not operate a tree program. However, we encourage you to contact either the Pennington County Conservation District (605-342-0301 Ext. 3) or Fall River Conservation District (605-745-5716 Ext. 121) for information about their tree sales.

Recent pine defoliation near Pringle: 

• An outbreak of pine loopers was documented east of Pringle last summer. The larvae (caterpillars) defoliated ponderosa pines near Beaver Creek Rd and surrounding area. For information on the pine looper, read Dr. John Ball’s article in a recent ‘Tree Pest Alert‘ newsletter (click link, see page 2). 

Calendar of events:

• South Dakota Family Forests Association:
  • Future and past workshop information available here
• Past Workshops available online:
  • Recording of Pine Wilt Disease workshop (from April 13, 2022)
  • Recording of Pine Engraver Beetle workshop (from Feb. 16, 2022)