BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Conservation in Martin County looks different depending on where you stand — in a classroom, on a farm or along a wooded trail behind the Collier Center. Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District chairman Tom Dials told Fiscal Court members Thursday that the district continues working across all three areas.
Dials said the district helps with gardening in Martin County but focuses primarily on teaching students about conservation.
That work includes the Jim Claypool Art and Conservation Writing Contest, which asks K–5 students to create art and students in grades 6-12 to write essays about preserving Kentucky’s natural resources.
“This year I’m proud to say we had two state winners,” Dials said.
The district promotes the contest each September during a breakfast with local school principals and holds a banquet for participants in April.
Dials said the district also maintains the Kingfisher Branch Trail behind the Collier Center in Inez. The nature loop blends outdoor recreation with education, heritage and spiritual reflection.
“We try to keep the trail as good as we can,” Dials said. “As you well know, we’re getting too old to do what we used to do. We started that, and we’ve worked like dogs on that for several years.”
The trail crosses a wooded area, a small stream and a waterfall. It features native plants, informational signs, benches, rustic steps and workout equipment along the route. It also connects to God’s Promise Trail, which includes scripture signs and a summit altar for prayer or meditation.
Dials said the district also works with local beekeepers and helps administer the Kentucky County Agricultural Incentives Program (CAIP) locally.
“This year we’re getting $40,000,” he said of the CAIP.
The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved the local funding May 15 as part of more than $5.2 million awarded statewide for agricultural diversification and rural development projects. Martin County was one of 37 counties approved for CAIP funding.
Dials noted that the funds come from Kentucky’s nearly $2.5 billion share of the 1998 Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement between 46 states and the four largest U.S. tobacco companies.
Farmers may qualify for up to $5,000 in cost-share assistance for eligible projects.
“Last year we gave out $30,000 to people of Martin County,” he said. “One man worked on his barn. He built a barn and we paid $5,000 on it. Of course, it cost him a lot more than that, but we assisted him with $5,000.”
Other Martin County projects included fences and roads, he said.
The district also hosts Heritage Day each October at Kingfisher Branch, an event featuring heritage crafts, live music, storytelling, demonstrations and a communal meal of Appalachian favorites cooked over an open fire.