Fayette Soil & Water Conservation District (Fayette SWCD) recently swore in re-elected supervisors, Fred Melvin and Gary Reiterman, for new three-year terms of office on its board.
This is Melvin’s seventh term and Reiterman’s 10th.
Reiterman began his tenure on Jan. 1, 1995. He is the second longest serving supervisor in the district’s history, trailing only John A. Peterson, who served from 1971 through 2002.
The Fayette SWCD Board is composed of five publicly-elected officials. The duties of the board include being familiar with and understanding the land and water conditions within the entire district; developing and implementing a strategic plan and an annual plan of work for the conservation and development of natural resources of the district; and establishing sound policies and priorities concerning the work to be accomplished in conservation education and technical assistance on the land.
The Ohio Revised Code authorizes the creation of a conservation district within the territory of a county if a public referendum is approved by at least 65% of the votes cast.
Fayette County held an election on June 4, 1946. Of the votes cast, 93.78% were in favor of creation of a soil conservation district.
The district was incorporated as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio on Feb. 10, 1947. The original supervisors were Loren Hynes (chairman), Baldwin Rice (secretary), Robert Allemang, Justin Owens, and Frank Sollars. The original name was “Fayette Soil Conservation District.” It became “Fayette Soil & Water Conservation District” on Feb. 11, 1964.
The year 2022 marks the district’s 75th year of operation. Look for additional articles about the district and its history throughout this anniversary year.
