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OKRC&D Councils celebrates National RC&D Week Sept. 21 to 27Oklahoma The Oklahoma Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils join the 375 RC&D Councils across the country in celebrating "RC&D Week." RC&D week was declared in recognition of the anniversary of the designation of the first 10 RC&D areas 44 years ago. Now there are RC&D councils in every state. In the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962, Congress established a unique program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture called the Resource Conservation and Development Program (RC&D) that empowered rural people to help themselves through projects relating to land conservation, community development, land management and water management. RC&D councils work in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service on community projects. The Cherokee Hills RC&D was the first council established in Oklahoma in 1965. It was the 13th council to be authorized and funded in the nation. The area was expanded twice, in 1972 and again in 1988 to include its current nine county area, which includes Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Sequoyah, and Wagoner Counties. Now there are nine RC&D Councils in Oklahoma working to improve the general level of economic activity and to enhance the environment and standard of living in communities in all 77 counties in the state. These councils provide a system of rural development to encourage the wise use of natural resources, and improve the quality of life in Oklahoma. Last year, more than 270 new projects were created across Oklahoma with RC&D Council assistance. USDA funding, received through NRCS, was leveraged over nine times for a total of $18.5 million in total contributions through volunteers and private and public funding sources to address the economic development and conservation needs of their communities. Through these RC&D projects, 354 jobs were created or retained and 91 businesses were created or expanded. An impressive 341,555 Oklahoma citizens were served through the projects and 167,680 acres of land and water resources benefited. "Because the RC&D councils are locally organized, sponsored and led, the program provides an ideal way for local residents to join together to decide what is best for their community and region," says James Aldridge, chairman for the Oklahoma Association of RC&D Councils. "The local RC&Ds are successful because it provides people with the means to make choices about the conservation and use of natural resources at the local level," Aldridge adds. "Local people are making a difference." The Oklahoma Association of RC&Ds is an umbrella organization representing the nine local RC&Ds in Oklahoma including: ASCOG, Cherokee Hills, Cross timbers, Fun Country, Great Plains, High Plains, Ouachita Mountains, Tallgrass and Wheatland RC&Ds. The mission of Oklahoma Association of RC&D Councils is to coordinate and support local, state, regional and national priorities for resource, conservation and development. RC&Ds are made up of volunteers who serve their communities in all 50 states and US territories. RC&D Councils identify, address and solve the challenges needed to sustain and improve the quality of life in their own communities. To learn more about the Oklahoma Association of RC&D's, and about your local RC&D Council, visit www.okrcd.org. 9/22/08 Date: 9/17/08
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