PURPOSE AND ELIGIBILITY
The GACDS Conservation District of the Year Award is hereby established to recognize the conservation district in Georgia who best plans and implements a complete conservation program. All 40 conservation districts in Georgia are eligible to compete for the award.
JUDGING
Judging is conducted by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
CRITERIA
All entries will be judged using the following criteria:
1) District planning:
Each entry should submit a copy of the district's Annual Plan of Work including the district budget. The district’s Annual Report should also be submitted to allow judges an opportunity to evaluate the success of the district in implementing its Annual Plan of Work.
2) District Public Relations, Legislative, and Outreach Programs:
Each district entry should submit a collection of articles, photos, brochures, videos and other supporting data which shows the success of the district’s public relations, legislative, and outreach programs. Legislative contacts, soil stewardship activities, district demonstrations and field days, Conservationist of the Year programs, outreach programs, and radio and TV programs and other public relations efforts should be documented.
3) Conservation Education:
Each entry should submit documentation of the district’s efforts toward a comprehensive conservation education program. Information concerning teacher workshops, student workshops, outdoor education facilities, conservation curriculum, and other conservation education activities should be well documented.
4) District’s Assistance to Constituents:
District entries should document district's efforts in working with landowners and land users on natural resource issues. The district’s efforts in assisting landowners and land users applying best management practices in agricultural and urban lands should be documented.
Documentation
Documentation of the district’s work, based on the judging criteria, should be placed in a three (3) ring binder; should be limited to 50 pages (front and back), divided into sections according to standard criteria.
Deadline for entries: September 30th
