Governance
The Function of the Conservation District
To take all available technical, financial, and educational resources, whatever their source, and focus or coordinate them so that they meet the needs of the local land user for conservation of soil, water, and related resources.
Adapted from Pete Nowak’s “The Conservation District Official: Villain or Victim?”
Governance
Districts are legal subdivisions of state government. They are funded through county and state general funds and cannot levy taxes or bonds.
The VSWCD is governed by a 5-member, locally-elected Board of Supervisors serving four-year-terms. Associate Supervisors are appointed by the Board as technical consultants. These local landowners volunteer their time to help conserve the area’s natural resources. Board members are your neighbors and they are available to help you pursue, assess, and implement conservation practices on your property and in your community.
Meet the Board
Art Troutner
Board Chairman (2020-2024)
A board member since 1986, Art was first inspired to serve the District after watching the SCS short film “The Plow that Broke the Plain.” Art’s background is in Plant Science and he has worked as a farmhand/irrigator, custom hay contractor, sawmill laborer, trail maintenance contractor, and builder. Art also volunteers with the Idaho Trails Association during snow-free months. The primary concern of Art and the District has been, and remains, to find ways to improve water quality in Cascade Reservoir.
John Lillehaug
Board Treasurer (2022-2026)
John has been a professional forester for 50 years. For 40 years, he’s been assisting private landowners with insect control, disease management, and soil and erosion problems to develop forestry mitigation and treatment plans. John’s passion lies in improving forest health and private landowner stewardship. Serving the District since 2014, he likes working to provide one-on-one assistance to landowners to improve forestry practices.
Bill Leaf
Board Supervisor (2022-2026)
Bill operates a ranch in Lake Fork that has been in his family for almost 120 years. He raises cattle and hay. He was also an educator at Cascade Schools for 32 years. Bill runs the no till drill program for the District. He joined the board in 2021 and is passionate about soil and water in the county because he wants to ensure that we can continue to supply water for agricultural uses for years to come.
Colt Brown
Board Supervisor (2022-2024)
Colt is a farmer in the Donnelly area. He produces Timothy hay, certified gluten-free oats, and different seed crops such as peas, oats, and carrots. Since joining the Board in 2021, he has helped producers convert their irrigation practices from flood irrigation to pivot systems. Colt likes doing this work because his livelihood is dependent on clean water and healthy soils and he would like to preserve farmland for future generations.
Judy Anderson
Board Supervisor (2023-2024)
Appointed to the board this year, Judy is an avid gardener in Lake Fork. She taught for 18 years at McCall-Donnelly High School and also worked for the Payette National Forest doing riparian inventories. Judy believes that caring for and restoring our soil and water is the most important task facing our community and is the basis of a true, healthy economy.
Lenard Long
Associate Supervisor (Appointed 2023)
Lenard’s background is in civil and geotechnical engineering with an emphasis on environmental remediation. Today, he mainly focuses on water quality issues in Lake Cascade. Working with the VSWCD is important to him because the water quality of the lake affects his health and the health of his community.
Pam Pace
Associate Supervisor (Appointed 2023)
Pam specializes in sustainable water supply. She studied civil engineering with a focus on hydrology and worked in water resources for most her career. As an Associate Supervisor, she is working to educate others about and expand cloud seeding programs in our area to help maintain adequate water quantity and quality in our beautiful streams, rivers, and lakes for generations to come.
In memory of Paul R. Kleint Jr.
A Board Supervisor since 1985, Paul passed away on March 14, 2022 at the age of 86. He owned and operated Needles View Ranch in Donnelly; his family’s homestead. Paul loved the hard, challenging, and wonderful way of life of ranching and farming. Paul was active in encouraging and assisting others to improve their agricultural lands. He was an incredible supervisor and will be dearly missed. He loved the work of the District as the bridge between landowners and agencies in Valley County.