Congratulations to Jim Carr of Carr Farms for being selected as the 2025 Cooperator of The Year by the Highland SWCD Board of Supervisors and Staff! Carr Farms was chosen based on their determination and willingness to improve soil and water quality throughout the operation. Carr Farms has implemented multiple conservation practices on their farms to protect our natural resources. This prestigious award was presented On October 15, 2025, at the SWCD Annual Meeting. L- R; Jim Carr, and SWCD Chairman Kyle Mustard.
KEEP UPDATED ON THE LATEST NEWS!
|
Highland County 250 Celebration
On July 18, 2026 Highland County SWCD participated in the Kids Zone in uptown Hillsboro. SWCD employees, Nathan Burns, Tammy Newsome and Chuck Williams helped community youth plant flowers to increase pollinator plants in our environment and through the generous loan of the Jackson County SWCD Education Trailer were able to show the youth an Augmented Reality Sand Table. It was a wonderful day to celebrate our Nation and look toward the future of conservation. 
Lynchburg-Clay Gold Team Wins State Envirothon for the 3rd Consecutive Year
Pictured (l-r) are Cloe Williamson, Autumn Blankenship, Kylie O'Conner, Gage Thompson and Owen Faust.
For the third straight year, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold Envirothon Team has claimed victory at the State Envirothon, earning the opportunity to compete at the National level.
On April 16, 2025, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team, led by Lara Hamilton in her 30th year of coaching, secured first place at the Area 5 Envirothon and advanced to the State Envirothon. The team roster featured Cloe Williamson, Autumn Blackenship, Kylie O'Conner, Gage Thompson, and Owen Faust. The Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts conducted its annual State Envirothon from June 1 to June 3, 2026, at Franciscan University of Steubenville. The top four teams from each of the five Area Envirothons qualified to participate in the State Envirothon. This year, Highland County was represented by three teams competing at the state level: Lynchburg-Clay Gold, Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs, and Whiteoak. The Envirothon encourages high school students to learn about the environment and natural resources. The competition covers soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology, and current environmental issues. This year, the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team took first place in Aquatics, Forestry, Soils and Wildlife. They finished second in the Oral Presentation: Non-Point Source Pollution: It Begins at Home! Every member of an Envirothon team is encouraged to give their best effort, yet it's the total team score that ultimately matters at the conclusion of the Envirothon. The Lynchburg-Clay Gold team is scheduled to participate in the 2026 NCF Envirothon at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS, from July 19 to July 25, 2026. 
Area 5 Envirothon 2026 On Thursday, April 16, 2026 the Area 5 Envirothon was held at the East End Overlook, Rocky Fork State Park, Hillsboro, Ohio. There were 31 teams in attendance and the top four teams are advancing on to the 2025 State Envirothon June 2 - 4 in Wilmington, Ohio. 1st place went to Lynchburg-Clay Gold, 2nd place was Chief Logan, 3rd place went to Athens High and 4th place was Whiteoak. The alternate for the event will be Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs in the event that one of the top four teams are unable to attend. Congratulations to all the teams that participated. Pictured is the 1st Place Lynchburg-Clay Gold Team. 2026 Partnership Meeting
The Highland SWCD Staff and Board member Chris Cox attended the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts 2026 Annual Partnership Meeting on February 11, 2026, at the Columbus Convention Center. The Highland SWCD was recognized by the Ohio Department of Agriculture for achieving 100 percent participation for Highland County in the 2025 Drought Assistance Program.
|
2026 Officers Elected
The Highland SWCD Board of Supervisors elected officers at the January 14, 2026, Board Meeting; (L-R) Dan Chambers, Kyle Mustard, Chairman, Chris Cox, Vice Chairman, Jeff Roehm, Fiscal Agent, Jim Carr, Retiring Fiscal Agent, Alan Blackburn. 
The SWCD Board will hold their regular monthly meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in 2026. The meetings will be held at 8 a.m. in the Service Center located at 514 Harry Sauner Road, Hillsboro, Ohio. The Board Meetings are open to the public.
2025 NCF - Envirothon Alberta
Ohio was proudly represented at the 2025 NCF-Envirothon at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Canada July 20th through July 26th by the Lynchburg-Clay Gold team. The Lynchburg-Clay Gold team placed 40th out of 50 teams this year, in their second year at the National competition. They came in 21st out of all 50 teams in the Oral Presentation. This year’s topic was ”Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a canopy of Change”. Each year over 25,000 high school students across the United States, Canada and China embark on an environmental and natural resource journey that involves problem-solving, teambuilding and leadership experience. Congratulations to Massachusetts for being selected as the 2025 NCF – Envirothon Alberta champions during this year’s competition. 
Bringing Quail Back!
Quail are disappearing from our landscape here in Southern Ohio, primarily due to habitat loss. If you are interested in conserving or creating habitat on your land, there are programs to help! Two such programs are; CRP is a rental program through the USDA, which gives cost share to convert existing farmland into natural habitats to address an environmental concern. After establishment, the USDA pays a rental rate on the land used to keep it in natural cover. EQIP is a more flexible program, not requiring existing cropland. Only cost share is offered, but this can help offset the personal expenses for otherwise costly work. Invasive control, habitat plantings, and more can be accomplished through the EQIP program. If you have any interest or questions regarding these programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local NRCS office, or to your area’s farm bill biologist. We are happy to assist, and with your help, we can ensure that future generations of the Buckeye State can experience the summer with all of its natural sights and sounds. 
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
Follow us on Facebook to keep updated on the most current news! Click the link to start following today! Highland Soil and Water Conservation District |
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 937-820-5197 Located at: 514 Harry Sauner Road Ste. 2 Hillsboro, OH 45133 The Highland SWCD will hold their regular monthly Board meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted, at 8:00 am in the Hillsboro Service Center located at 514 Harry Sauner Rd. in Hillsboro. Meetings are open to the public, in accordance with the Sunshine Law. |
MISSION STATEMENT
The Highland Soil and Water Conservation District will protect our natural resources while meeting the needs of the citizens of Highland County and will promote the wise use of natural resources through the use of technical and educational assistance with available funds. |
All Highland Soil and Water Conservation District programs and services are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status.