About Gratiot Conservation District

The purpose of the Gratiot Conservation District is to provide information and technical assistance to private landowners, local units of government, educational institutions and other citizens to better understand, plan, manage, protect and utilize the resources of Gratiot County. We are the local providers of natural resource management services, much like our local emergency, health and school services. We are also your neighbors. We live local and work local. Your concerns are our concerns. We work for you so that our environment can be a cleaner, healthier, economically stronger place to live, work and grow for our community.
Wondering what "Conservation" is and why it matters?
​Click the button for a short educational video on why healthy soil matters.
We promise you'll never look at 'dirt' the same way.

Our Mission
The mission of the Gratiot Conservation District is to protect and enhance the natural resources in Gratiot County through promotion wise stewardship education, and providing access to sustainable conservation practices. We provide landowners and wildlife enthusiasts free technical assistance for personal projects and state and federal programs. We also facilitate and promote relevant education and outreach in these areas.
Gratiot Conservation District's elected officials serve on the Board of Directors to steer the programs of the GCD as the staff address the concerns established by the County Needs Assessment (CNA). The CNA is done every five years and is a deliverable attached to our state funding.

The CNA for 2022 established these top natural resource concerns:
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  1. Wildlife Habitat
  2. Invasive species
  3. Native plants
  4. Water Quality

Our directors help plan and implement physical projects, outreach, and educational events in these areas.

​Programs and Partners we currently have include:
  • Hunter Access Program (HAP), serviced by our Farm Bill Biologist 
  • Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), serviced by our MAEAP Technical Assistant 
  • Technical assistance for Farm Bill program such as  CRP, ACEP, CSP, and EQIP etc.
  • Technical Assistance for any wildlife habitat project. 
  • Member of the Central Michigan CISMA steering committee, designated staff member - Ladean Anderson, administrative manager.
    • This partnership is currently in the process of bringing invasive species removal projects to Gratiot County.
    • CM-CISMA is also a hub for the Go Beyond Beauty program.
  • CISMA Uprooter tool rental, for invasive species removal, serviced by Ladean Anderson
  • EGLE, Tire Collection Grant, organized by Ladean Anderson and serviced by all staff 
  • DNR native grass drill rental for planting native grasses. Serviced by Ladean Anderson. These funds also provide drill maintenance, district projects, outreach, and education about cover crops, pollinator habitat, and food plots.
  • 15' John Deere no-till drill rental, Serviced by Ladean Anderson. These funds are used for the same purposes as the DNR native grass drill.
  • Spring and Fall Native Plant and Tree Sale, organized and serviced by all staff, funding promotional items, projects, outreach, and education.
  • Other workshops and field days. See our Events page, Facebook profile and Newsletters for more information.

"The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself."

- Franklin D. Roosevelt