OWEN COUNTY
SOIL and WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
2534 East State Highway 46
Spencer, Indiana 47460
Serving the natural resource needs of
Owen County since 1946.
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SOIL and WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT 2534 East State Highway 46 Spencer, Indiana 47460 Serving the natural resource needs of Owen County since 1946.
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Owen County Lower White River Watershed Initiative
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About Us The Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is a subdivision of Indiana state government. The official governing body of a district consists of a five member Board of Supervisors. Three of the members are elected (one each year for a three-year term) at an annual meeting of land occupiers held in January. Two Supervisors are appointed (also for staggered three-year terms) by the State Soil Conservation Board based upon recommendations of leadership in the district. Soil and Water Conservation Districts determine and address natural resource needs in their counties and in this way they work closely with local people. The Board of Supervisors set policies and determine the goals of the Conservation District. The Owen County SWCD Board meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm at the SWCD office. General meetings are open to the public. Board members for 2009 are:
Revised: 02/18/10
Meet Your Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors for 2010
Steve Worland has completed five appointed terms on the Owen SWCD Board of Supervisors. He has consented to serve another term beginning in 2008 and has been recommended for reappointment by the SWCD Board. Among the conservation practices used to protect his land are grassed waterways, no-till, cover crops, grid soil sampling, as well as nutrient and pest management planning. Steve was the recipient of the 1991 Goodyear Conservationist of the Year Award. In addition to his years of service to the SWCD Board, Steve has been a member of the Owen County Extension Board and the Sycamore Trails RC&D Council. He is also active in the Owen County Farm Bureau and represents them on the Community Farmers’ Market of Owen County Steering Committee. Franklin Township is the home of Steve Worland and wife Anne. They have two grown children, Stephanie and Matt.
Ken Sebastian and wife Judy make their home in Lafayette Township with daughters, Caroline and Mary. The family attends Trinity Lutheran Church in Ellettsville. Ken farms with his brother Karl in Lafayette, Marion, Jefferson and Morgan Townships in Owen County. They also farm in Washington Township in Clay County. The Sebastians grow corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. In addition, they manage a cow-calf operation and finish the calves. Ken also manages 60 acres of Classified Forest. The Sebastians apply numerous conservation practices on their land. In addition to farming, Ken is very active in the community. He currently serves as President of Owen County Farm Bureau. He is a member of the Patricksburg Fire Department and the Lafayette Township Advisory Board. Ken is also a Director of the Clay County Farm Bureau Co-op Credit Union. Ken is in his sixth term on the Owen County SWCD Board of Supervisors. In the past he has served as Chairman and is currently the Vice-Chairman. He regularly represents Owen County at conservation conferences and workshops.
Matt Bixler is serving in his first elected term on the Owen County SWCD Board of Supervisors. Matt graduated from Owen Valley High School where he was active in the Owen Valley chapter of FFA. He then graduated from Purdue University and now works for Specialty Hybrids.
Paul was raised in Putnam County and graduated from South Putnam High School in 1997. He then attended DePauw University and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then attended Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) where he earned a Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES). While attending SPEA he held many jobs including associate instructor, forestry lab assistant, wetlands delineation lab assistant, and GIS intern for the city of Bloomington. Upon graduation in 2005 he started working for the Putnam County Health Department as an Environmental Health Specialist. In 2006 he began work for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture working as a Biomass Project Coordinator where he helped facilitate the development of biomass to energy projects throughout the state. In 2007 he moved to the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development and worked as a program manager overseeing numerous energy efficiency and renewable energy grants, rebates and projects. In August of 2008 Paul joined Horizon Wind Energy and works as a Project Developer in Indiana and Ohio. Horizon Wind Energy is currently developing several thousand megawatts (MW) of wind farms in Indiana and Ohio. The company’s first wind farm of 200 MW will be built in 2009 in White County Indiana. Paul lives with his family 1 mile west of Vandalia in a cabin situated on roughly 50 acres of forest. Paul’s wife is Dana (Bowen) Cummings and they have a 10 month old son Paul Jr. (PJ). Paul’s father-in-law Bob Bowen lives on the same property just down the hill. Paul is dedicated to conservation and lives in Owen County because of family ties and the natural beauty of the landscape. He is a lover of the forest and is primarily interested in habitat restoration as a conservation strategy. He understands that there are many practices that serve to protect soil and water, but feels that re-forestation is the most critical piece. He will work to promote all conservation practices with a focus on riparian restoration.
Greg Davies and wife Sandy have been married for 26 years. They have owned land in Owen County for 27 years and made their home in Morgan Township for the past 17 years. The Davies have a son who is a graduate of Owen Valley High School and is currently a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in Ag Education. They also have twin girls who are seniors at OV. One is interested in becoming a veterinarian and the other in elementary education. The Davies family utilizes many innovative conservation practices on their beloved land. A 1977 graduate of Purdue with a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry conservation, Greg recently retired from GM after 30 years.
Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District Phone: (812) 829-2605 Fax: (812) 829-2605
Copyright © 2006 All rights reserved.
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KEN SEBASTIAN - Vice
Chairman
MATT BIXLER - Secretary
PAUL CUMMINGS
GREG DAVIES