There are 75 Conservation Districts in Michigan, and Ottawa County is home to one of them. Begun in the 1930’s under Michigan Law, Conservation Districts were created to help property owners conserve and improve their soil, water, air and environment. Conservation Districts also coordinate governmental land and water programs and weigh in on decisions for private land management.
 
Why you haven’t heard
Though natural resources affect all who live in Ottawa County, the board openings don’t appear on the ballots of County-run elections. Even if you are signed up for absentee ballots, you will not receive a ballot for the Conservation District.
 
As outlined in Michigan Law, Conservation Districts must run their own elections. The only way the public is informed is through a notice published in the newspaper at least 45 days prior to the date of the annual meeting. This year that meeting is happening March 10 and is when the election takes place.
 
Which means, participating in this vote will take initiative on your part.
 
First, you must request your ballot:
·  In person at 16731 Ferris St., Grand Haven, M-F, 8–4:30 pm.

· You also could request by email (ottawacd@macd.org)  or by phone: (616-842-5852, ext. 5) to have a ballot mailed to you, but at this late date you'd be better off making one scenic trip to Grand Haven to both request and submit your ballot at the same time.

Remember, March 10 is the deadline.
 
Who is running?
 There are two seats available and four candidates running. In looking at the various social media announcements, Rivka Hodgkinson and Kelly Goward appear to be aligned and running together just as Matt Hehl and Jeff Vredeveld appear to be.
 
Rivka Hodgkinson (Incumbent)
In her bio, Hodgkinson calls herself a conservation leader and speaks to her experience advocating for funding and grants. Hodgkinson is the Executive Director for the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts as well as a freelance Social Media Strategist. Some of her core skills include marketing and business development, public speaking, board governance, and organizational leadership. Hodgkinson is an avid home gardener and believes conservation should be practical, science-based, and accessible.
 
Kelly Goward
Goward is currently the Conservation Programs Director for the Outdoor Discovery Center where she oversees Project Clarity, the Macatawa and Kalamazoo River Greenways, and sustainability initiatives. She previously worked for the Ottawa and Allegan Conservation Districts, first as a District Forester and later as a Watershed Coordinator. Goward has a master’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management and coaches for Science Olympiad. If elected, she would seek feedback and ideas on improving the District from staff members, who intimately know the landowners.
 
Matt Hehl (Incumbent)
Hehl is the current board chairman of the Ottawa Conservation District. He and his wife run a Centennial Farm that has been in his family since 1865. The Hehlden Farm raises Heritage Breed hogs as well as pastured chickens and turkeys. Hehl focuses on animal welfare and taste, providing a non-GMO diet. The farm also uses conservation practices such as no till, cover crops, and rotational grazing. In addition to lifelong farming, Hehl’s experience includes board membership on Ottawa County Farm Bureau, Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, Ottawa County Farmland Preservation Board. In Hehl’s invocation at the last Conservation District meeting he appeared to sum up his goal for the board, asking that the members leave the land better than they found it.
 
Jeff Vredeveld
Vredeveld grew up on a farm in Vriesland where his parents co-owned Forest Grove Feed Mill. Growing up in agriculture taught him about hard work and commitment to community. He works as a sales manager for industrial machinery equipment, coaches youth and high school wrestling, and helped launch a nonprofit to help families—experiences that have helped him understand the needs of the area. If elected would work to ensure the district remains financially strong and would use his leadership experience to make thoughtful, effective decisions that benefit the people of Ottawa County, build a stronger community, and invest in the next generation.
 
Reviewing the pairings of the candidates, Hodgkinson and Goward bring the degrees, coursework, and job titles that indicate a knowledge of conservation. Hehl and Vredeveld bring the experience of having lived on farms, with Hehl in particular physically putting into practice the principles of the Conservation District.
 
Which experience works best in this situation–lived or taught? And which type of experience has the potential to provide the deepest passion for protecting this community and the resources we’ve been given?
 
For those who want to protect the beauty of Ottawa County, its farmland, and its resources, be sure to cast your vote by March 10.
 

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