Although it’s a once a year event, the annual meeting of the Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) could fill two days recognizing the many ways it impacts the citizens of northwest Alabama.
This year’s annual meeting was held October 18th at the A.W. Todd Centre in Russellville.
RC&D’s mission is to ‘implement projects and activities designed to promote the sustainability and productivity of the abundant, natural and Human Resources of our five-county area (Franklin, Colbert, Lauderdale, Marion and Winston) while improving the quality of life within the community.’
RC&D staff includes Executive Director Lausanne James, Operations Manager Vanessa King and Media Design Specialist Anna Morrison.
Franklin County is represented on the RC&D Board by Probate Judge Barry Moore and Franklin County Extension Executive Director Katernia Cole-Coffey.
Russellville resident Joel Pounders also serves on the RC&D Council.
RC&D is funded through the Alabama Legislature. Rep. Jamie Kiel (R-Russellville) spoke at this year’s meeting about the important role RC&D has in investing grant funds back into the communities it serves.
“One of my primary responsibilities as a legislator is to be sure our tax dollars return to our community,” Kiel said. “Rural areas are sometimes at a disadvantage and we have to work extra hard to be sure we are not overlooked.
“RC&D serves a vital function in this process by vetting grant applications and being sure tax dollars are not waste. Lauranne James and her team do a great job getting this money back to our community and being sure it is spent appropriately,” Kiel added.
In the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2024, RC&D completed 87 projects in its five-county area and hosted 20 United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resource Conservation Service outreach meetings.
“These outreach projects across northwest Alabama promoted sustainability for our natural resources and investing in our future,” James said. “Whether it’s a school, a farmer, a firehouse or a senior center, RC&D is all about helping our communities thrive and grow.”
With increased funding approved by the legislature for FY2024-25, James said she expects RC&D to exceed 100 projects in the coming year.
Northwest RC&D partnered with USDA/NRCS, the Franklin County Cattlmen’s Association, FFA, ACES and local farmers and producers to host the 2024 ‘Farm to Fork’ Dinner at Triple H Barn in Russellville.
Jeff and Joel Pounders were recognized at this year’s ’Farm to Fork’ for their conservation efforts and forestry/wildlife management on their 560 acre Little Bear Valley.
Caleb and Emily Beason received the runner-up award for Excellence in Agriculture presented by the Alabama Farmers Federation and they were recognized for their positive impact on local agriculture.
The Franklin County projects and organizations to receive grants in FY2023-24 included:
—purchase of eight robotics kits for Franklin County and Russellville City Schools to be used by science classes to assemble and operate. These kits allow schools to test for electrical circuits that may be overloaded, electrically hot or improperly protected.
—renovation of the outdoor amphitheater at the Bear Creek Collaborative at Overton Farms and to provide storage for educational items used in the outdoor classroom.
—purchase of a sound system and equipment for Belgreen High School.
—equipment purchases for the Franklin County Technical Response Team, which provides rescue and hazmat response for all of Franklin County. The grant allowed for replacement of equipment that was outdated or had reached its expiration date as mandated by the NFPA.
—funding for Save Our Strays to provide veterinary care, including spaying and neutering, for 43 cats and dogs in Franklin County, meeting at least a small amount of a significant dog and cat overpopulation in the county.
—purchase of new equipment for Russellville City Schols for its building technology program, helping to build a more skilled workforce and providing skills needed by industries in Franklin County looking to add new employees.
—safety improvements including shoreline stabilization of Bear Creek Development Authority’s lake system, helping to improve the safety of all who use the system as well as improving water quality.
—funding for a volunteer firefighter certification course for Franklin County Fire and Rescue. This consisted of a 160-hour classroom and practical skills training for 19 Franklin County volunteer fire departments.
—funding for updates to Russellville High School’s old main building with school graphics in partnership with Birmingham-based Cre8tive Graphics.
—new office furniture for the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District’s new building.
—purchase of two AEDs for Phil Campbell Ambulance’s two rapid response units.
—erosion elimination project at Phil Campbell High School’s football stadium, as a massive hole at the bottom of the hill on the home side of the stadium was filled with rocks on both sides of the bleachers and up the hill.
—purchase of a new skid unit for the Russellville Fire Department. A skid unit is a tank of water with a pump, fire hose, piping and a platform. The unit was mounted in the bed of a Ford F-250 truck owned by the department.
—purchase of bleachers at Tharptown Elementary School in the gymnasium, replacing bleachers that were more than 50 years old.
—purchase of new uniforms and helmets for the Tharptown High School football team.
—renovation of the playground at Russellville Elementary School, replacing rocks and dirt with new sod, allowing for a larger and safer play area.
