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Conservation District director to retire; district details tree sales, hazardous waste and grants
Summary
Laurie announced her retirement and summarized the Conservation District’s tree sales, hazardous‑waste collections, invasive species work, grant activity and staffing transitions; commissioners discussed scrap‑tire collections and possible permanent sites.
Laurie, the Jackson County Conservation District representative, told the committee she will retire at the end of the month after 17 years with the district and provided a summary of recent programs, volunteers and grants.
The nut graf: Laurie reviewed program metrics — including a large tree sale, household hazardous‑waste events, invasive‑species work and several grant programs — and described uncertainty in state funding that could affect the district’s 2026 budget.
Laurie said this year’s tree sale sold 23,000 trees and 780 fruit trees. The district reported six landowners rented its no‑till drill to seed about 31 acres of native grasses and cover crops. The district hosted two household hazardous‑waste events (May and July) that together collected more than 27,000 pounds; a third collection is scheduled for Sept. 25. Laurie said volunteers from BASF helped at recent collections and will participate in the district’s Adopt‑A‑Stream program and other events.
The district sampled four sites during Adopt‑A‑Stream (Kate Palmer, Townsend Medical Center, Old Liberty Fire Station and the Donnellum Center) and reported results “came back good.” The district said it performed invasive‑species surveying across 46 acres and treated about 0.25 acre for pale swallowwort. The district also held outreach at the Jackson County Fair and other community events and offered three mobile boat‑wash events at Portage Lake.
Laurie discussed scrap‑tire collection: the district did not receive a state grant this year because the state prioritized applicants with permanent collection sites. The county funded a single public tire collection that filled two trailers quickly and required turning people away; Laurie said there is interest in creating a permanent drop site or conducting an agricultural tire collection next year. County officials asked whether a county‑run permanent site would require staff; Laurie said the collection could operate without staff onsite but that the grant process and reimbursement amounts complicate planning.
On grants, Laurie said a recycling grant to help acquire a building for e‑waste storage ended, the Conservation Technical Assistance grant’s 2026 funding is uncertain, the MEEP grant is changing, and the district retains an invasive‑species grant through the Michigan DNR and a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant. She said the district’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has supported approximately $2,250,000 in conservation projects so far, and district staff said available federal funding has since fallen to about $250,000.
Laurie identified continuing uncertainty over state funding, noting comparisons with nearby states that receive larger state allocations; she said Steve Law, the district board chair, is lobbying the legislature on funding. Laurie invited commissioners to the district’s annual dinner on Jan. 27 and said tree‑sale catalogs for 2026 will be mailed in January. She closed by thanking the board; Colton Franzen introduced himself in the public‑comment period as the incoming district manager.
No formal committee action followed Laurie’s report; commissioners praised her service and asked questions about scrap‑tire funding and options for a permanent collection site.
