Ulster County Soil & Water Conservation District
5 Park Lane
Highland, NY 12528
(845) 883-7162 X3
Every County in New York State has a Soil and Water Conservation District. The State passed enabling legislation for the creation of our agency after Congress, in 1937, established a federal conservation agency to address the nation's problems caused by the "dust bowl". The legislation empowered local soil and water conservation districts to carry out and promote soil and water conservation programs.
The Ulster County Soil and Water Conservation District was formed by County Resolution in April of 1965. We are governed by a local Board of Directors appointed by the Ulster County Legislature to oversee programs and staff. Ulster's Board consists of representatives from the County Legislature, Farm Bureau, Grange and At-Large.
For over forty years the District has maintained its long standing tradition as an agency of action, responsible for the direct design and implementation of engineering and agronomic practices intended for the improvement of water quality and the preservation of the County's natural resources, in both rural and urban capacity.
Our Staff
Jake Wedemeyer
Executive Director, CCA, CPESC
Christine DeGroodt
Program Assistant
Travis Ferry
Technician, CCA, NYSESCCP
Cooper Hernsdorf
Jr. Technician
Bobby Taylor
Ashokan Basin Project Manager, NYSESCCP
PENDING
CSBI Program Coordinator
Allison Lent
Stream Assessment Coordinator, NYSESCCP
Mark Tollefson
Watershed Technician
Gabriel Bonse
Watershed Intern
Board Of Directors
Leonard Tantillo
Chair - Farm Bureau Representative
Sarah Van Nostrand
Secretary/Treasurer and the Grange Representative
James Delaune
Member-At-Large
Robert Davenport
Member-At-Large
Fred Wilklow
Member-At-Large
Herbert Litts, III
Legislative Representative
Kathy Nolan
Second Legislative Representative
USDA NRCS
Oscar Velez-Juarbe
District Conservationist
Scott Morris
IT Specialist- OCIO
Eleanor Richard
Civil/Agricultural Engineer
Sam Roberts
Natural Resource Specialist
Jeffrey Jean
Program Support Specialist