SD Conservation.org

Conservation for Today, Tomorrow and the Future


East Pennington Conservation District
PO Box 308, 24 Creighton Rd. — Wall, SD 57790 Phone: 605-279-2519 or 605-279-2451—FAX: 605-279-2277

Established in 1946, East Pennington Conservation District encompasses 782,000 acres of Pennington County east of the Cheyenne River in western South Dakota. The Badlands National Park, Buffalo Gap National Grasslands rolling hills and the Cheyenne River breaks form the area's varied landscape. Deer, antelope, turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, and other species provide a diversity of hunting and sporting activities. Limited fishing opportunities are available. The District's headquarters are located in Wall, home of the world famous tourist attraction, Wall Drug. The area receives an average rainfall of approximately 16 inches of moisture from snow and rainfall. The erosive soils of the area have motivated landowners to implement practices and projects to control wind and water erosion. Primary agricultural activities are cattle production on warm and cool season native grasses and hay production on introduced grasses such as alfalfa, brome grass, and crested wheatgrass. Our mission is to provide guidance, assistance, and education in the implementation of natural resource conservation and related practices for the people of East Pennington Conservation District.

Locally Led Success
Badlands Bootstraps
Due to the financial and social stresses that ranch families faced during the nineties, these families felt there was a need to provide assistance in ranch management decision-making. They met with the East Pennington Conservation District seeking assistance in working with other ranch families who had similar needs . Meetings were held, and 20 families met and formed the Badlands Bootstraps Organization. From this group of ranch families, dues were assessed at $50.00 per family. They met with the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and district personnel to organize and compile a list of professionals to speak on identified topics of concern. Ranch families received technical assistance through a grant in which a Range Management Specialist was hired to consult with producers and compile rangeland inventories.

Today, new ranch families continue to join the group, while other families carry on meeting their management goals. The Badlands Bootstrap’s organization has implemented conservervation practices on over 100,000 acres of rangeland and given ranch families the tools that are necessary to face uncertain economic times in rural America. This organization has enabled ranch families to pull themselves up with their ‘bootstraps’, better their ranches and improve their quality of living.
District Activities
Grass Drill Rental	Moving Small Trees	Design & Planting Shelterbelts
Applying Weed Control Fabric over Tree Rows, and many other activities including high school Conservation Speech Contest, Arbor Day Essay Contest, hold and sponsor students to Range Camps, Landowner Awards Banquet, and work with land operators for Applying Conservation Practices. Working closely with the Federal Agency of the (NRCS) Natural Resources Conservation Service is a high priority, and they are omnipitent in our existence and success.
To contact East Pennington Conservation District, click here

Conservation District Board of Supervisors and Staff

Daniel Dartt, Chairman Landowner/Occupier Wall, SD	Kent Jordan, Vice Chair Urban Member Wall, SD	Lynn Denke, Treasurer Taxpayer Real Property Wall , SD
Larry Eisenbraun, Supervisor Landowner/Occupier Wall, SD	Elden Helms, Supervisor Landowner/Occupier Creighton, SD	Wayne Huether Advisor Interior, SD
Bob Hays Advisor Wall, SD	Kirby Keyser Manager Wall, SD

Photos courtesy USDA NRCS and SDACD Photo Contest
This website co-sponsored by: Big Sioux Nursery, Inc. Watertown, South Dakota