State Conservationist's Corner

October 2006

Last stop on the conservation train

By Cecil B. Currin

In 1965 I jumped on a fast moving conservation train fueled with lots of watershed money. The Soil Conservation Service was recruiting engineers all over the country to plan, design and build flood control dams and channels. This was pretty exciting for a young engineer. The North Carolina Design Unit was very professional and my first supervisor provided excellent guidance and support. This prepared me to head the design unit in Virginia and gave me a chance to work with another group of professional folks.

The conservation train ran through Syracuse University, and then the Soil Conservation Service sent me to Massachusetts as the State Conservation Engineer. Massachusetts was a total unknown for me in 1974. I needed an interpreter for my southern accent. I was the youngest State Conservation Engineer in the country and the greenest. Massachusetts gave me my first chance to get involved with the total conservation program from community planning, on-farm conservation, Resource Conservation and Development and multipurpose watersheds. We loved living in New England and found life-long friends and colleagues. Massachusetts and the St. Lawrence River became the two favorite places for our whole family.

The train left Amherst after 13 years and took us to Texas to a whole different SCS with fascinating natural resource issues and consummate professionals in SCS and the partner groups. This was a true learning experience, yet I found that Massachusetts had prepared me well to work with rice, cotton, sorghum, beef and dairy farmers.

I jumped from the engineer track to Conservationist when I went to Washington to work in the Watershed Projects Division. This was called a “traveling position” and it took me around the country on Watershed Projects. I was a part of the initial Total Quality Management (TQM) training cadre for SCS. This attracted Chief Bill Richards attention and he decided that I should be State Conservationist in New Jersey.

New Jersey has a very strong district program, a beautiful coast, and lots of fruits and vegetables including cranberries similar to Massachusetts. After three years, the conservation train was fueled with reorganization and a name change to the Natural Resources Conservation Service and it brought us back to Massachusetts. This was back to the place that we had learned to call home.

The past 12 years have been the best of the 41 years and four months. The partners, agencies, farmers, and non-profits have brought many friendships and a great deal of Cooperative Conservation. We did it long before it became the administration’s buzz word. When the conservation train picked up steam in 1996 and became supercharged in 2002, we responded and produced unprecedented conservation on the land.

The conservation train is still rolling and the future looks great for conservation. It is time for me to get side tracked for more fishing, skiing, playing with grand children and traveling for fun. I think I hear a great Northern Pike calling from the river. Lou and I will always be in the Connecticut River Valley and on the St. Lawrence River. Our doors are open and we hope to maintain all of our wonderful friendships.

And what about regrets? I would do it all exactly the same except for two ski crashes!

I am very proud of every NRCS employee and I am proud to be a colleague. Thank you for being a valued part of my life.

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