Our Programs

The Conservation District offers many programs to land owners and county residents to help them better manage their natural resources.  The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Water Stewardship Program improve the quality of our land and water, and sometimes offer incentives for participating in various programs.  The District offers many Educational Programs for schools and adults in the area.  These educational programs are meant to inform the public of the need to care for our surroundings and conserve them for future generations. 

We also have four No-Till drills for rent to county residents.

Coming in Spring 2010, we will be adding another 30 foot drill. Click here for updated information.

Conservation Education Opportunities

The Tuscola Conservation District believes that education is a key component to improving the environment. The District has hired an Education Coordinator to provide environmental education to children and adults in the community. The Conservation District has had educational programs well established in the schools, but we will be expanding those programs and develop new programs to further promote conservation education in the county.

We offer programs in Land Judging, a Poster Contest and an Envirothon.

The Education Coordinator

The Education Coordinator is available to give in-class presentations to schools, or to speak to civic groups. We have a Groundwater Model and an Enviroscape Model that we use to illustrate the movement of water above and below the ground. We have presentations on 'Conservation Practices and Their Importance', 'The Needs of Wildlife', 'Backyard Conservation' and 'The Roles of Trees in our Life'. We can also design a presentation to whatever conservation or environmental topic that you may want covered. If you are interested in these or any other presentation call Steve Schaub at 989-673-8174 ext. 3 or e-mail

Tuscola Water Stewardship Program

The purpose of the Water Stewardship Program is to reduce the risk of water contamination associated with the use of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers. The Farm "A" Syst is a voluntary tool used by farmers and district staff to assess a farm's risk to groundwater associated with their set-up and practices.

For more information: 

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

CREP was started in 2001 with a goal to enroll 80,000 acres in conservation practices. CREP acres will improve the local water quality and an added benefit is that the land is better suited for wildlife. This program is available to landowners in the Lake Macatawa Watershed, River Raisin Watershed, or the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Since 2001, over one thousand Tuscola County landowners enrolled nearly 10,000 areas in the different conservation practices. CREP acres within Tuscola County include:

Filter Strips: 5290 acres

Field Windbreaks: 100 acres

Permanent Grass Cover: 3329 acres

Wetland Restoration: 2173 acres

Practices also available: Riparian Forest Buffer, Sediment Retention Control Structures.

For more information: