The first annual report of the Montgomery SCD was submitted to the State Soil Conservation Committee on December 18, 1947. Among the report it highlights are the following:
204 requests for assistance
184 farms surveyed
32 conservation plans prepared and approved
80 conservation plans in process
1,187 acres of contour plantings established
1,001 acres of strip cropping established
17 ponds constructed
550 linear feet of farm drainage
18,288 acres of conservation surveyed
415 lin feet of fencing
In looking over an annual report submitted by the MSCD District Supervisors dated December 18, 1947, there was a particular piece of information that rings true even to this day. Even after 75 years, while some things have changed, it’s interesting to see what has remained the same.
Below is an excerpt gleaned from the report:
“While we feel that a very creditable showing has been made thus far with the amount of technical assistance available to the District, we feel that the servicing of requests for assistance, the preparation of farm conservation plans, the surveying of pond sites & drainage areas and the establishment of conservation practices on the land is unduly delayed due to the lack of sufficient technical assistance to meet the workload. The need for an additional farm planner, an additional conservation aid and more engineering assistance is very apparent. Unless this additional assistance can be secured in the near future, it is felt that the backlog of requests for assistance which had accumulated at the time the Soil Conservation Service office in Rockville was established, will continue to increase very materially to the eventual detriment of the progress of the District program”.
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