Governor Mary Fallin Proclaims Stewardship Week April 28 – May 5, 2013

For 76 years, the state’s network of conservation districts has helped Oklahomans learn to conserve natural resources. Conservation practices in the United States have helped achieve a historic standard of living and protect us from the recurrence of disasters like the Dust Bowl. Despite recurrences of drought and other extreme weather events, Oklahomans today enjoy a wide variety of fresh, healthy food and drinking water.  

This year Stewardship Week in Oklahoma, April 28 through May 5, 20132, celebrates the 76th anniversary of the Conservation District Enabling Act. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent copies of the federal Act to all state governors in February 1937 as a model law and encouraged adoption.

Stewardship Week provides a time to recognize the efforts of farmers and ranchers to protect and conservation the state’s natural resources, working with local conservation districts under the support of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD, www.nacdnet.org) oversees the national program. Since 1955 NACD and the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) have sponsored the Stewardship Week program. This year Chesapeake Energy has partnered with OACD to sponsor some activities including production of public service announcements by Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb.

During the week local conservation districts will work with newspapers, radio stations, communities, faith-based groups and local schools to promote the concept of Stewardship. This concept involves personal and social responsibility, including a duty to learn about and improve natural resources as we use them wisely, leaving a rich legacy for future generations.

“Conservation of our natural resources has played a critical role in providing clean water, abundant food, and healthy wildlife habitat, as well as jobs for our citizens and products that we use every day,” said Mike Thralls, executive director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.

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Governor’s Proclamation

Whereas fertile soil and clean water provide us with our daily sustenance; and

Whereas effective conservation practices have helped provide us a rich standard of living; and

Whereas our security depends upon healthy soil and clean water; and

Whereas soil and water stewardship calls for each person to help conserve these precious resources, and

Whereas locally-led conservation districts have established sound practices for the conservation of Oklahoma’s renewable natural resources;

Now Therefore, I, Mary Fallin, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, in recognition of the role habitat plays in support of all life, do hereby proclaim April 28 through May 5, 2013, as

Stewardship Week in the State of Oklahoma.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of my office to be affixed.

Done at the Capitol, in the City of Oklahoma City, this 15th day of April, in the Year of Our Lord two thousand and thirteen, and of the State of Oklahoma in the 105th year.

Mary Fallin, Governor
Larry V. Parman, Secretary of State