What are Natural Resource Conservation Districts?

Arizona's Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCDs) are legal subdivisions of state government, organized under State Law and administered by the State Land Department. There are 42 NRCDs, including 8 organized under Indian Tribal Law, grouped into 8 zones. Districts receive money from the State for routine operation and administration costs. Cooperators pay for conservation activities on their land and may obtain cost-sharing for approved practices through the USDA. Districts also obtain money for particular projects through donations or grants from individuals, county and city governments, businesses and non-profit organizations, and various agencies of the State and Federal governments. Membership of the Districts is comprised of landowners who sign up as cooperators. The Districts are governed by 5 supervisors, 3 elected by the cooperators and 2 appointed by the State Land Commissioner, who serve on a volunteer basis with no pay. The Natural Resource Conservation Service (part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture) provides technical assistance in planning and carrying out conservation practices on private and State Trust Land to cooperators with management plans. The Districts also cooperate with other public and private entities.                      

The purpose and function of the Redington Natural Resource Conservation District and Conservation Education Center.

 The purpose of Districts is to promote, coordinate and carry out activities that conserve soil, water and other natural resources. The Districts function is to take available technical, financial, and educational resources, and focus or coordinate them so that they meet the needs of the local land manager/user for conservation of soil, water, and related resources.

Activities of the District include:

Benefits from conservation activities.

Districts provide a focal point for the coordination of local efforts to conserve our soil and water resources. These resources are the basis for producing abundant and inexpensive food, fiber and wood products. Sound, sustainable management of these resources provides clean air and water, viable populations of wildlife, aesthetic beauty and open space, and ensures the productivity of the soil for future generations. Agriculture, tourism, and other major contributors to our state's economy depend on sound management of these natural resources.

Specific benefits include:

Description & Acreages.

Redington NRCD runs for about 40 miles along the San Pedro River in Southern Arizona and extends an average of 5 - 8 miles on either side of the River. District boundaries take in part of 4 counties: Cochise, Pima, Pinal and Graham. Elevation ranges from 2700 feet on the San Pedro River between Redington and San Manuel to about 8500 feet in the Rincon and Santa Catalina Mountains between the San Pedro and Tucson. Annual rainfall averages from about 12 inches, depending mainly on elevation. Vegetation ranges from Sonoran Desert Shrub and Chihuahua Desert Grassland at the lower elevations to Liveoak Woodland and Pine-Oak Forest at higher elevations. Along the channel of the San Pedro River are found gallery forests of cottonwoods, willow, and salt cedar, while the side-terraces of the River support bosques or forests of mesquite trees. In major tributaries, such as Hot Springs, Paige, Redington, and other canyons, sycamore, ash, walnut, desert willows and other riparian trees and shrubs are common. Sections of many of the side canyons and certain sections of the San Pedro River run water year-round in most years. Because of the diversity of vegetation the District supports a wide variety of wildlife. Mule deer are found in the lower elevations and whitetails at higher levels. Javelina and coyotes are common. Other animals include bighorn sheep, mountain lions, rabbits, raccoons, badgers, coatimundi, skunks, and foxes. Bird life, both resident and migratory, is abundant, especially along riparian corridors.

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Redington NRCD has 288,015 acres with over 200,000 under conservation management plans and/or are using conservation practices. Only 45,149 acres (15.4%) are privately owned. Total land ownership is as follows:

Map of the Redington NRCD.

Meet your Board of Supervisors!

Give them a call!

Charles Kent has lived in Arizona his entire life and most recently coming to this area after 20 years on a cattle ranch in Northern AZ, finds the San Pedro Valley presents many challenges and offers opportunities for new ideas.  He is now currently in charge of the A7 Ranch.  The majority of his life has been spent in the livestock and agricultural business.  His livelihood is based on proper water and grazing management.  He is Chairman of the Redington NRCD. He is very much looking forward to working with you all towards common goals of improvement and preservation. 520-212-4400 ckent1@starband.net

Stefanie Smallhouse is the wife of Andrew Smallhouse, fifth generation farmer and rancher of the Carlink Ranch, and together have one daughter.  Their farm and ranch is headquartered in Redington, AZ along the San Pedro River.  The Carlink Ranch is a cow/calf operation of english cross and registered Angus.  Alfalfa, oats, sorghum, and bermuda are farmed on the ranch for cattle feed to supplement their grazing rotation system alternating the use of farmland and rangeland during the growing season and times of drought. The Smallhouse family has been involved in Arizona's Natural Resource Conservation Districts and particularly the Redington NRCD since it began. Stefanie holds a B.S. in Agriculture, Wildlife Science from New Mexico State University.  She currently sits on the Redington NRCD as Supervisor. She holds an executive board position with the Pima County Farm Bureau, a member of the AZ Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers state committee, is a member of the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts Water Committee and sits on the Women in Agriculture Advisory Committee to the Governor. 520-212-2639 carlink@hughes.net

Les Helfrich is the founder of and former Chief of the Cascabel Fire Department.  He has been in the fire service most of his life. He is a life member of the Brooklyn Park Volunteer Fire Department since 1945 and served in Baltimore City Fire Department for 43 years. Les retired in 2000 and moved to Cascabel in 2001. He and his wife Jean own the Cascabel Ranch where horses are raised, boarded and trained. it seems it is just another career beginning for him.  Most of the time you will find him outside working on the property, which seems like a never ending job.   He likes to trail ride in the valley and surrounding foothills. Les is an appointed supervisor on the Board.  520-212-5326 chiefc@rnsmte.com  

Ruth Ann Dewel and her husband, Bill, moved to Arizona after retiring from Appalachian State University where Ruth served a Director of the College of Arts and Sciences Microscopy Facility. She had received her B.A. degree from the University of Arizona in 1967 and had long wished to return to Arizona. Bill and Ruth have a small cow calf operation along the San Pedro River south of Cascabel where they raise registered Red Angus seed stock and grass fed beef. Ruth is interested in conservation biology and finding ways to support local farms and ranches by adding value to products through direct marketing. dewelra@appstate.edu

Charlie Ffolliott was appointed to the board in 2008 is a relative newcomer, having spent his entire career as a business person in northern New England. He graduated from Midddlebury College in Middlebury, VT in 1963. He sits on the board of the Cascabel Volunteer Fire Department and was its secretary from 2003 to 2008. llff@rnsmte.com

Jacquie Dale, is the Director of the Redington Conservation Ed Center. She has lived in Cascabel since 2000 and served on the boards of various community organizations including the Cascabel Community Center and the Cascabel Volunteer Fire Department. She has been Ed Center Director since 2007.

 502-212-1441 redingtonnrcdnews@yahoo.com