Members of the local RC&D Council greeted National RC&D Association President Joan Smith Freeman at Sloulin Field International Airport shortly after 8 a.m. After landing, Smith Freeman was to receive a tour of area RC&D projects before returning to the airport and heading to her next stop.
Smith Freeman said her stop in Williston is part of a three-day trip to the state as part of National RC&D Week. On Tuesday she attended the RD&C State Association meeting in Mandan.
Smith Freeman was contacted at her office in northern California back in late January or early February about coming to North Dakota for this week.
"This is the first time I've ever been to North Dakota and I really like it here. The flight in was great and the state association meeting yesterday was very informative," said Smith Freeman. Doug Graupe, president of the Williston Basin RC&D Council, said there were five projects on Wednesday's tour itinerary.
The first was to visit was the Trenton Lake Recreation Area. Among the items to be discussed were new playground equipment, a handicap-accessible fishing pier and a fishing cleaning station the council helped to provide. A brief stop at Harmon Park was next to see the skate board park, for which the council helped secure about half the funds.
The third item was a drive by of the Little Muddy Picnic Shelter with some discussion on the project while on the way to the Cut Bluff Overlook Historic Site.
If there was enough time before Smith Freeman left, council members hoped to drive her to the meteorological tower near Epping. Some equipment to record wind data was recently placed on the tower for the next two years. The data could be used to draw energy companies to the area for future investment in wind turbines.
"We're proud to have Ms. Smith Freeman here during National Resource Conservation and Developement Week and to be able to give her a tour of the projects," said Graupe.
Smith Freeman hadn't been given much information on the projects she was going to tour, but she was looking forward to seeing them. She added the beauty of the organization is there are so many options for projects large and small for the different RC&D councils to take on.
"It's local people coming up with local solutions to local problems. There are many different projects that councils do in different regions. This is also one of the few federally sponsored organizations that is run locally without interference or with too much oversight from the federal government," said Smith Freeman.
Smith Freeman also said without interference and the need for authorization for projects from the federal government, the local councils work in their communities to pursue their needs.
Jim Schmidt, North Dakota RC&D Association president, was with Smith Freeman in Williston Wednesday and agreed with her statements.
"Another thing to remember is that this is an entirely voluntary organization. There are eight councils in North Dakota, and all of them here and around the country are local volunteers working to improve the quality of life for members of their communities," said Schmidt.
The Williston Basin RC&D Council is composed of local and county representatives and serves Divide, Williams and McKenzie counties. It was formed in 1993.
Nationally, there are 375 RC&D districts in the United States, serving over 85 percent of counties nationwide and over 77 percent of the country's population.
For more information on the Williston Basin council or others in North Dakota, visit www.ndrcd.org.
For more information on the national level, visit www.rcdnet.org.
Comments