Summer 2016
Published Quarterly
(WSI)
WATERSHED STRUCTURE
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Board of Directors
Ashley Truett-Chairman
Cleburne County
Chris Langley-Vice Chairman
Chambers County
Jay Watson-Sec./Treasurer
Talladega County
Kathy McCrimmon
Calhoun County
Nick McMichen
Cherokee County
Barron Jackson
Clay County
Joseph McKinney
Coosa County
Sharon Gross
Etowah County
L-R: EDDIE MAY, LARRY RAUGHTON, ASHLEY
TRUETT, KATHY McCRIMMON, JAY WATSON,
MIKE RODEN, HEIDI RICHARDS AND JOSEPH
McKINNEY.
Each year the Council performs the
operations and maintenance on Watershed Structures throughout the
state in 18 counties. Annual inspections are completed by the County
Commission
and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in each
of the respective counties. Maintenance recommendations usually includes mowing the dam and spillways
and clearing debris from the plunge
basins and risers.
AWARD WINNERS
The Coosa Valley RC&D Council was the
winner of the “Council of the Year” Award
and Eddie May, Executive Director was the
winner of the “Employee of the Year”
Award at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the
Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils. The
meeting was held at the Embassy Suites in
Birmingham, AL.
Larry Raughton
Randolph County
Garry Staples
St. Clair
RANDOLPH COUNTY
RECEIVES GRANT TO
REPAIR DIRT ROADS
Tommy Futral
Tallapoosa
STAFF
Eddie May
Executive Director
Heidi Richards
Office Manager
Johnny Cochran
WSI Coordinator
EDDIE MAY, TERRY LOVVORN, DEAN WYSNER, STATE
REPRESENTATIVE BOB FINCHER, STATE SEN. GERALD
DIAL, BURREL JONES, DR. CARROLL KNIGHT, JUSTIN
RUSH AND RANDALL WOODLAW.
Thanks in part to the assistance
from State Rep. Bob Fincher and
State Senator Gerald Dial, the
Randolph County Commission
received a $50,000.00 Community Development Grant from the
council. The funds were used to
repair heavily damaged dirt
roads due to torrential rainfall in
certain areas of the county. Priority was given to roads that
were utilized by school buses
and those that were heavily travelled.
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McCORDS CROSSROADS VOLUNTEER
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The McCords Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department received a $35,000.00 Community Development Grant from the Council with assistance from
State Representative Richard Lindsey. The funding
was used to begin the installation of a public safety
grade radio system with adequate coverage and
capacity and as a match for a competitive bid
grant.
THE TOWN OF MUNFORD RECEIVED A $5,000.00 GENERAL FUND GRANT
TO INSTALL A HANDICAP ACESSIBLE RAMP AT
THEIR SENIOR CITIZENS ACTIVITY CENTER. SPECIAL “THANKS” TO STATE
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE HURST FOR HIS ASSISTANCE IN MAKING THE
FUNDING FOR THIS GRANT POSSIBLE.
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FRIENDS OF THE TALLADEGA NATIONAL
FOREST RECEIVES GRANT FOR CCC MURALS
Formed in March of 1933, the Civilian Conservation
Corp, CCC, was one of the first New Deal programs.
It was a public works project intended to promote
environmental conservation and to build good citizens through vigorous, disciplined outdoor labor. It
was a program that was close to the heart of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In less than 10 years, the
CCC built more than 800 parks and planted more
than 3 billion trees nationwide.
FRONT ROW L-R: EDDIE MAY, REPRESENTATIVE STEVE HURST, ALABAMA/GEORGIA LAND TRUST EDUCATION OUTREACH SPECIALISTRENEE RANEY, GLORIA NIELSEN-DISTRICT RANGER, GEORGIA CALHOUN-LOCAL HISTORIAN AND JOHNNIE PONDER-BOARD MEMBER.
In celebration of the many years of service by the
CCC, the Talladega National Forest worked with local
groups to install three murals along a footpath to
inform visitors of the projects and services provided
over 83 years. Coosa Valley RC&D provided a
$2,900.00 grant to pay for the murals. Special thanks
to council members Jay Watson, Tony Haynes and
Frank Bannister.
WEBSTER’S CHAPEL RECEIVES
FUNDING FOR MULTI-PURPOSE
FACILITY
Citizens of the Webster’s Chapel
community are very proud of their
much needed multi-purpose structure. The structure will be used as
a storm shelter, community center
and as a centerpiece of its reformation prior to the devastation
caused by the April, 2011 tornadoes.
Coosa Valley RC&D board members, Kathy McCrimmon and David
West along with state representative Becky Nordgren were very
instrumental in securing the
$10,000.00 community development grant for this very important
project.
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White Plains Elementary School Installs Outdoor
Classroom “Raised Beds” Garden
Special “thanks” to the USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation Service for providing a $1,000.00
grant for the White Plains Elementary School outdoor classroom garden. Coosa Valley RC&D also
provided an additional $1,160 grant to assist with
the completion of the garden. The garden is made
up of five raised beds which are 4 feet wide and 8
feet long. The Coosa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Calhoun
County Soil and Water Conservation District assisted in the installation of the raised beds. Home
Depot of Oxford also provided materials and supplies for the garden at a discounted rate. District
Conservationist– Jody Burdette and Soil and Water Board Member, Kathy McCrimmon will be
providing follow-up assistance as needed in order
to insure the continued success of the garden.
GASTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RECEIVED A $10,000.00 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT
TO INSTALL A NEW AND MUCH NEEDED PLAYGROUND. FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT WAS
MADE POSSIBLE WITH ASSISTANCE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE-BECKY NORDGREN.
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L-R: STATE REPRESENTATIVES BOB FINCHER, K. L.
BROWN AND DR. BARBARA BOYD, WILLIAM
HODGE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF RC&DC AND ASHLEY TRUETT-COOSA
VALLEY RC&D CHAIRMAN.
DR. WILLIAM HODGE-ALABAMA STATE ASSOCIATION OF RESOURCE CONSERVATION
AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS ADDRESSES
THE COUNCIL AT THE DECEMBER 12, 2015
QUARTERLY MEETING.
COUNCIL 2016 HIGHLIGHTS
1.
Implemented 15 Natural Resources Conservation Service Outreach meetings.
2.
Continued implementation of the Watershed
Structure Improvement (WSI) Program.
3.
Completed 56 General and Education Projects
for a grand total award of $205,925.00.
4.
Completed 8 Community Development Projects
for a grand total award of $149,009.70.
5.
Attended Legislative Reception in Montgomery
on March 23, 2016.
6.
Attended State RC&D meeting held at the Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL on May 2-4,
2016.
7.
Attended the National Association RC&DC Biannual meeting held in Reno, NV on July 9-13
2016.
8.
Approved 6 community development grants for
a grand total award of $72,000.00.
L-R: Carolyn Landrem, Weiss Lake Improvement Association,
Heidi Richards-Coosa Basin Facilitator and Missy Middlebrooks,
ADEM are shown planting Bald Cypress and Nuttall Oaks to stabilize shoreline erosion.
PARTNERS OF WEISS LAKE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE FUTURE TODAY
Making a difference in the future is directly related to what you
do today. Several partners of Weiss Lake came together to plant
Bald Cypress and Nuttall Oak on one of the many islands on the
lake. The purpose of the tree planting project was to control
shoreline erosion and provide habitat for certain wildlife species.
L-R: Dr. John Beehler, Jacksonville State Univ. President, Eddie May,
Shawn Giddy-Univ. Police Chief, K. L. Brown and campus officer.
JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY RECEIVES $10,000.00 COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT GRANT TO PURCHASE 13 BALLISTIC VESTS FOR POLICE
OFFICERS.
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MEET THE COOSA VALLEY RC&D BOARD AND STAFF
L-R: Eddie May, Chris Langley, Sharron Gross, Garry Staples, Kathy McCrimmon, Jay Watson, Heidi Richards, Barron Jackson, Larry
Raughton, Ashley Truett, Joseph McKinney; not pictured are Tommy Futral and Nick McMichen.
You may contact us at:
Coosa Valley RC&D
8119 Highway 431
Heflin, AL 36264
Office: 256.253.2454
Fax: 256.253.2455
Website: coosavalleyrcd.org
MISSION STATEMENT:
Dedicated to
protecting, enhancing and developing
natural and human resources.
Coosa Valley RC&D is an equal opportunity employer and provider of services
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