Annual Report 2023 2024

2023 – 2024 Awards and Recognition

Blue Ridge SWCD BMP Forestry Award Recognition

Dan Quinn, owner and operator of Jack’s Creek Farm located in Franklin Coun ty Virginia was awarded the district’s 2023 -2024 BMP Forestry Award. Mr. Quinn has harvested a low grade hardwood/pine stand and reforested it in loblolly pine. He has planted a small field in loblolly pine. He has manually cut down (with a chainsaw) unde sirable trees that are competing with the oaks in 140 acres of hardwood forest. Quinn

has manually felled several acres of young Virginia pine stands to allow the oaks in the understory to grow and create a new oak stand. He has planted several fields in native warm season grass es, clover, and soybean to benefit a variety of wildlife species. He has planted close to 500 fruit and nut trees across the entire

property. His passion and dedication to improving his property for wildlife habitat is unparalleled. Quinn has completed more timber stand improvement work in oak stands in the history of this award. His passion and dedica tion to improving his property for wildlife habitat is highly commendable. Dan Quinn is to be highly commended for his hard work and dedication. Dan Quinn pictured on the left accepting his 2023-2024 BMP Forestry Award from Kevin Keith (Area Forester).

Franklin County High School Senior Receives Awards

Brayden Hoffman was awarded the 2024 Leo Painter Scholarship ($1,000) from the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District and the recipient of the 2024 Wilkie W. Chaffin Area V Scholarship Award ($1,000) from the VASWCD Educational Foundation. Bryden is a 2024 graduate from Franklin County High School. His interests include promoting leadership in the conservation and natural resources field, with an emphasis in political science. Brayden has been very involved in the following: FCHS Science Club President, served as Committee Lead of the Evergreen Envi ronmental Committee, Director of the Earth Day Expo since 2022, VA Youth Delegate for the Washington Youth Summit on the Environment, Sophomore Class SCA Social Media Communications Manager/Lead Fund raiser, Roanoke Valley Governor’s School Liaison, SCA Executive Board President (2024), 2023 Homecoming planning along with executing a series of faculty and staff appreciation efforts, Spirit Club Deputy, and assisting the Burnt Chimney Elementary School PTO. When Brayden is not at school he is playing soccer and volunteering at FCHS with welcoming new students and transfer students to high school.

2023 Youth Conservation Camp Kaiden Young, Jacob

Bowman Receives Scholarship to Attend YCLI Eugene Bowman was accepted in the 2023-2024 Youth Conservation Leadership Institute through the

Young and Matthew Bradley each received a full scholar ship to attend the 2023 VASWCD Youth Conserva tion Camp (YCC) on the

VASWCD Education Foundation rep resenting the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District. His project was entitled “Farm to Home”. Bowman

campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. This is an out

Pictured left to right: Kaiden Young, Jacob Young and Matthew Bradley

enjoys working on the family dairy farm (Blackwater Bend Dairy). This farm practices conservation in many ways, believing and practicing natural resource stewardship of the land that has been entrusted to them. Soil health, cover crops, using no-till methods, rotational grazing, plant diver sity, livestock nutrition (maximizing production, cow health and reducing carbon emissions) and implementing manure injection are just some of the ways best management prac tices have been used.

door, hands-on camp where students learn about Virginis’s natural resources from conservation pro fessionals and faculty from Virginia Tech. YCC is open to all Virginia High School students currently enrolled in grades 9-12. To learn more about how to apply, reach out to your local Soil & Water Conser vation District..

Page 4

Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District

Volume 36, Issue 1