Search Results

Allegan Conservation District is here to serve you and lend a helping hand. Call us today, or look through our services and programs to see how we can offer technical assistance. Our Services Workshops The Allegan Conservation District is now offering workshops. Keep your eyes out for updates on new classes we will be offering. Continue No-till Drill Rental Want to try No-till but not ready to invest in a drill? We have one you can rent and try out the practice on a few or many acres. Continue Invasive Species ACD offers management workshops to help our community learn about invasive species and what they can do to help. We encourage landowners to contact us for assistance in identifying and controlling unwanted invasive species. Continue Spring Seedling Sale Our annual Spring Seedling Sale will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026. We are currently accepting pre-orders. The sale is located at 2412 Taft Road in Allegan. Continue Annual Native Plant Sale The annual Spring Native Plant Sale is on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Pre-orders begin in March. The sale is located at 2412 Taft Road in Allegan. Continue

Mission Statement; What We Do; Contact Us MISSION STATEMENT The Allegan Conservation District is dedicated to helping all land users wisely manage the natural resources of Allegan County. We strive to achieve this in an economically feasible way through working partnerships to sustain the natural resources for future generations. WHAT WE DO The Allegan Conservation District is a unique local unit of State Government, that utilizes state, federal, and private sector resources to solve today’s conservation problems. The guiding philosophy of the Allegan Conservation District is that decisions on conservation issues should be made at the local level, by local people. Created to serve as stewards of natural resources, the Allegan Conservation District takes an ecosystem approach to conservation and protection. Conservation Districts are referred to as “gateways” in our local community. We provide linkages between land managers and a host of conservation service providers that include state, federal and local governments, conservation organizations, and Internet resources. The District continually scans the needs of our community, work in partnership with others involved in conservation to set local priorities, and develop action plans to solve natural resource problems. The delivery of these efforts by District allows citizens to manage their private lands for a cleaner, healthier Michigan. It allows the public a point of access in their communities when questions arise on how to manage natural resources. For more information on Michigan Conservation Districts visit the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts webpage at http://www.macd.org . More information about our current projects here!

Allegan Conservation District has many grant-funded opportunities for landowners and farmers within the county. Learn more here. Projects Current Projects Green Lake Watershed Assessment This project aims to assess the health of Green Lake and its catchment area, invest community members in water quality monitoring, create nutrient budget for the lake, and create a lake management plan. After this assessment, best management practices (BMPs) can be implemented to maintain a healthy cisco habitat, Green Lake’s aesthetic values, and recreational opportunities. Click the arrow to learn more, and to sign up as a volunteer! Continue Swan Lake Watershed Support Project The Swan Lake Watershed comprises the headwaters of Swan Creek in southern Allegan County, in southwest Michigan. Swan Creek flows into the Kalamazoo River just downstream of the Lake Allegan impoundment. The watershed is defined as the catchment of Swan Lake, and includes parts of Cheshire, Trowbridge, and Valley Townships in Allegan County, and Bloomingdale Township in Van Buren County. The Swan Lake catchment is 14,417 acres, and includes Duck Lake, Eagle Lake, Muskrat Lake, and Schermerhorn Lake. Continue Community Science Community Science is a research approach that involves community members in scientific research, data collection, and analysis, often to address issues relevant to their communities Continue Gun River Watershed Implementation Attention Gun River Watershed farmers! A District program is underway to provide agricultural producers with significant financial incentive payments for adopting new soil health/regenerative/sustainable practices on their fields. Cost share is focused on no-till planting and the use of cover crops. Contact Jason for more information and eligibility requirements. Jason.Cass@macd.org Continue Completed Projects Kalamazoo Phosphorus Reduction Program This program incentivizes practices on cropland that prevent nutrient runoff in the Kalamazoo River Watershed. Practices such as cover crops, no-till, and strip till offer many benefits - and we have funds to get farmers started. Read more to see if your fields fall into the project area! Photo by Harrison Fitts Gun River Sediment Reduction We have partnered with Great Lakes Commission to fund* agricultural conservation practices that reduce the transportation of sediment and nutrients to the waterways of the Gun River watershed. These practices include cover crops, no till, reduced tillage, and filter strips. *Enrollment for this program has ended. Gun River Watershed Management Plan The Allegan Conservation District has received funding from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to update the Gun River Watershed Management Plan. The funding provided by EGLE will allow the Conservation District to assess the progress made towards watershed goals, find where recommendations may need to be adjusted, and identify new concerns.

The Allegan Conservation District always needs your help. Please click the mailing list link for volunteer opportunities. If you would like to donate money please visit our online store. Mailing List Online Store A BIG thank you to Reliable, Strong, Financially Secure GreenStone Farm Credit Services is one of America’s largest rural lenders. Headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, GreenStone is the country's seventh largest association in the Farm Credit System. GreenStone owns and manages $14 billion in assets and serves over 28,000 members with 35 branches throughout Michigan and northeast Wisconsin. GreenStone provides financial services to the agricultural industry - including short, intermediate and long-term loans, equipment and building leases, life insurance, crop insurance, accounting and tax services. GreenStone also specializes in residential and country home loans, and provides lending products for the purchase, improvement, construction or refinance of residences along with financing future home sites and recreational land. Volunteers A special thanks to our volunteers. Whether it is pulling weeds at the Allegan Pollinator Garden or helping hand out orders at a sale they are a special kind of conservationist.

Grant Funded Projects Photo by Harrison Fitts Kalamazoo Phosphorus Reduction Project This project aims to reduce excessive phosphorus loading in the Kalamazoo River Watershed associated with agricultural sources through a market and performance-based agricultural incentive program. Continue Photo by Harrison Fitts Kalamazoo Phosphorus Reduction Project This project aims to reduce excessive phosphorus loading in the Kalamazoo River Watershed associated with agricultural sources through a market and performance-based agricultural incentive program. Continue

Acerca de Check back in December for our Winter BINGO Card! Past prizes: Get in touch so we can start working together. First Name Last Name Email Thanks for submitting! Message Send

Help reel in some fun! The Lake Allegan Carp Derby is a community event focused on removing invasive carp to help make Lake Allegan healthier. The Allegan Conservation District is working with the ODC Network, Michigan DNR, American Rivers, and the Lake Allegan Association to pull invasive carp out of Lake Allegan and to celebrate our beautiful lake. Missed the registration deadline?! $5 CASH per person to fish. We will see you at 7:00am tomorrow Saturday, June 7th to check in at the Allegan Dam Parking Lot 4044 Allegan Dam Road in Allegan. Fishing competition : 7am to 11am Awards party : 1pm to 3pm at the Riverfront Plaza 223 Riverfront Plaza, Allegan Prizes : biggest carp, most carp, & other carp-fishing feats *Live music: Matthew Turcic & the Gun River Band. Thank you to our sponsors!

Bioblitz at the Rabbit River Preserve with the Allegan Conservation District Register for FREE Come join us for a fun-filled day at the Rabbit River Preserve with the Allegan Conservation District! This in-person event is perfect for nature enthusiasts of all ages. We will be identifing plants, insects, birds, and more using iNaturalist, so make sure to bring your own smart device with the iNaturalist app downloaded. We will be walking around in the prairie area, so please wear clothes and shoes that are comfortable for hiking and moving around in tall plants. Additionally, please bring water, and be aware that ticks and stinging insects may be in the area. Get ready to explore the beautiful prairie restoration area of the Rabbit River preserve and discover the diverse wildlife that calls it home. See you there!

Allegan Conservation District is home to original, historic aerial photographs of Allegan County. Photos are available for purchase. HISTORIC AERIAL PHOTOS The Allegan Conservation District houses and cares for Historic Aerial Photos. These photos were taken over the course of several years and cover all of Allegan County. If you are interested in purchasing copies of these photos please contact us at the office. This is an incredible record of Allegan County and how it has developed. Years Available 1938, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1967, and 1980 Cost Cost to have an ACD employee locate the photos you are interested in viewing: $5.00 Cost per copy: $1.00 Print and digital copies are priced the same.

Vegetation Assurance Plan with Allegan Conservation District Vegetation Assurance Plan When the Allegan Conservation District assists with a Vegetation Assurance Plan (VAP), we will examine the construction site with the construction plan in hand to evaluate the impact it could have on wind erosion and other issues for your site and your neighbors. While it is frequently necessary to remove trees and other vegetation for legitimate reasons, our trained technicians may suggested alternative plans or simply the best way to implement the construction plan with the least impact possible. For example, we may identify lower value or even invasive species of trees. These species may be less harmful to remove in replace of what is proposed. We also provide guidance on how to protect trees and vegetation which are intended to be preserved, but may be lost if care is not taken to protect them during construction. Even experienced landscape and construction crews may not be fully aware of how delicate the dunes are and the measures needed to protect vegetation in these unique ecosystems. Conservation Districts are a cost competitive provider of VAP services and ACD makes every effort to provide prompt service to busy construction professionals. Typically we can be on site in a matter of days after an application is made. The Law and Critical Dune Vegetation Removal The Critical Dune Areas (CDA) program is administered under the authority of Part 353, Sand Dune Protection and Management, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 PA 451, as amended. The CDA program protects the extremely fragile areas of Michigan’s dunes by promoting the use of design and construction techniques to minimize impacts of uses on the dunes. As defined in part 353, “use” means “a developmental, silvicultural, or recreational activity done or caused to be done by a person that significantly alters the physical characteristic of a critical dune area or a contour change done or caused to be done by a person.” Permit Requirements A Michigan Department of Environmental Quality permit is required for any use within a CDA. Regulated activities include construction of buildings, septic systems, water wells, driveways, all excavation and filling, and vegetation removal within the CDAs. These areas are identified in the “Atlas of Critical Dune Areas” dated February 1989, and adopted by the Michigan Legislature under Part 353. Section 35313c requires that all applications for permits for the use of a CDA include written “Assurances that the cutting and removing of trees and other vegetation will be performed according to the “forestry management guidelines for Michigan” prepared by the society of American foresters in 1987 as revised in 2010 and may include a program to provide mitigation for the removal of trees or vegetation by providing assurances that the applicant will plant on the site more trees and other vegetation than were removed by the proposed use.” On August 7, 2012 revisions to Part 353 were signed into law. While a vegetation removal assurance is still required to receive a permit, landowners are no longer required to utilize the local Conservation District to provide it. However, the Allegan Conservation District will continue to offer this service, at a reasonable fee, to our valued critical dune landowners. The Permitting Process Before submitting your permit application to the MDEQ, you must first complete the following: 1. Soil Erosion Permit from the Allegan County Health Department 2. Septic system permit (if applicable) from the Allegan County Health Department 3. Vegetation Removal Assurance. The Conservation District can be hired to complete this requirement ( download application ).

NACD Photo & Poster Contest NACD’s Poster Contest gives K-12 students a chance to have their artwork displayed nationally, highlighting conservation district efforts. The contest begins locally, advances to state levels, and national winners are recognized at NACD’s annual meeting. The 2025 NACD Stewardship Theme , “Home is Where the Habitat Is ,” celebrates 70 years of Stewardship Week. Learn more

Get to know our Board and Staff Members. A Conservation District is a local unit of state government with statutory powers and responsibilities to carry out programs of natural resources conservation and encourage wise land management. Our Staff team works with the Board of Directors, neighboring Conservation Districts A Conservation District is a local unit of state government with statutory powers and responsibilities to carry out programs of natural resources conservation and encourage wise land management. Our Staff team works with the Board of Directors, neighboring Conservation Districts, and partnership organizations to implement environmental conservation projects. Meet Our Staff Brian Talsma, Executive Director Brian.Talsma@macd.org (269) 454-1484 Brian Talsma joined the Allegan Conservation District in October of 2018. He graduated from Central Michigan University with a B.S. in Biology with a focus on Natural Resources. Before joining us, he worked as an intern at a black bear sanctuary in Minnesota, taught high school Biology in Detroit, and served as an AmeriCorps member at the Antrim Conservation District in Bellaire. He is an avid backpacker and canoeist who is excited about restoring and sustaining wild areas. Brian previously worked as our Watershed Technician and focused on reducing sediment and nutrients in our county's rivers by securing multiple funding opportunities and exciting conservation projects. As Executive Director he hopes to continue this effort and make our District the destination for conservation expertise in Allegan County. Kannon Hoffman, CTAP / MAEAP Technician Kannon.Hoffman@macd.org (269) 454-1486 Kannon Hoffman started with the Allegan Conservation District in November 2024 as the Allegan County CTAP/MAEAP Technician. Kannon graduated from Western Michigan University with a B.S. in Environmental Sustainability and Freshwater Management. Before joining the Allegan Conservation District, Kannon worked at Tillers International where he preserved essential homesteading/heritage skills and collaborated with small-scale farmers to improve food security issues. When not working, Kannon enjoys being outside and spending time in nature. Jason Cass, Conservation Technician Jason.Cass@macd.org (269) 454-1487 Jason Cass joined the Allegan Conservation District in August 2023 as a Conservation Technician. He graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a BA in Geography and Environmental Planning. Prior to joining the Allegan Conservation District, he worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service with a focus on wildlife habitat creation and maintenance. Jason relocated to Michigan in 2020 after five years as a Conservation District Manager in Schenectady NY. He has also managed a commercial compost and recycling facility, volunteered at an environmental education center, and completed major infrastructure improvements at several nature preserves. Jason is dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting practices leading to a more sustainable future. When not working, Jason can be found outdoors hiking with his dog and exploring new places. Nathan Hilbrands, Watershed Technician Nathan.Hilbrands @macd.org (269) 454-1485 Nathan Hilbrands started with the Allegan Conservation District in February of 2024 as a Watershed Technician. Nathan graduated from Calvin University with a BS in Environmental Health and Conservation and a BA in Geography. Before joining the Allegan Conservation District, Nathan served as an AmeriCorps member with Michigan Natural Features Inventory surveying for rare species across the state and working on their heritage database. He has also helped out the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds with writing watershed climate resiliency reports, and studied dune characteristics and vegetation distribution. When not working, Nathan enjoys bird-watching, playing board games, and spending time in the woods. Ari Henson, Restoration Coordinator Ari.Henson@macd.org (269) 286-3736 Ari Henson started her work with the Allegan Conservation District in June 2025 as a Restoration Coordinator. Ari graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.S., majoring in Wildlife Biology and minoring in Natural Resource Management. Prior to joining the Conservation District, Ari spent time working as a native plant landscaper, a GIS technician with Ducks Unlimited, and a Preserve Stewardship Associate with Legacy Land Conservancy, all on the east side of Michigan. Ari began her career as a restorationist while working with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan as a Stewardship Intern in 2022, and is very excited to be returning to the beautiful landscapes of west Michigan. Outside of work, Ari enjoys rock climbing, crocheting, gardening, and doing native plant walks wherever possible. Norveig Olson joined in the Allegan Conservation District in December of 2025 as a Conservation Educator. Norveig graduated from Northern Michigan University with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management with a minor in Native American Studies. Before joining, she worked with the National Park Service in Michigan, New Mexico, and most recently Washington. Much of the work she's done has been to bring people and their homes back into the fold of nature. When not working, Norveig enjoys reading, board games, being outside, and can often be found catching insects. Norveig Olson, Education Coordinator Norveig.Olson@macd.org 269-478-0864 Alison Peterson-Loll, Administrative Specialist Alison.PetersonLoll@macd.org (269) 454-1488 Alison joined the Allegan Conservation District team in March of 2023 as the Administrative Specialist. She opened her first business at just 15 years old. Following college at Oklahoma City University then Columbia College, Alison traveled the United States working as a dancer and choreographer. While engaged as an artist, she was usually holding down multiple jobs. She has worked as an administrator for several prestigious organizations, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Vanderbilt University and a start-up IT company that was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. When Alison’s mother became ill, she moved back to Allegan in 2011 to help with her care and her local business. She then opened her own arts academy in Allegan, but after 7 years she had to close its doors due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Alison is very excited to utilize her marketing and administrative experience to help the ACD grow and connect with its community. Alison grew up playing in what is now the Armintrout-Milbocker Preserve and hikes there to this day. When not working you can find Alison enjoying time in her dance / aerial silk studio at home. Meet Our Affiliate Staff Ben Savoie, District Forester B en.Savoie@macd.org (269) 908-4134 Ben Savoie earned a B.S. in Forestry from Michigan State University, specializing in Resource Management. He has spent many years in community organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, and has worked in the field for MSU and the USFS. He is passionate about community involvement in ecological restoration and improving public knowledge on conservation management. Patrick Gordon is a Produce Safety Technician with the Berrien County Conservation District in Southwest Michigan, working primarily with growers in Allegan, Berrien, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties. Patrick earned his Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech University and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with a specialization in environmental analysis and land management from Western Michigan University. He is excited to work with farmers in South West Michigan to improve safety in the agricultural food chain. For more information regarding produce safety, visit www.miofps.org . Patrick Gordon, Produce Safety Technician P atrick.Gordon@macd.org (517) 331-0093 Meet Our Board of Directors Mark Ludwig Chairman Mark has worked with the Allegan Conservation District through several grants as a Conservationist and Technician. Today, Mark is a local farmer and an advocate for no-till farming practices. Board terms through 9/2027 Dale Hedberg Treasurer Dale Hedberg is a machine tool industry veteran with over 30 years’ experience. As an operations executive, his singular focus has been on vendor and customer relationships, end-to-end North American sales operations, product and parts strategy, product management, and the national service center. His career path in machine tools came as a natural outgrowth of a fascination with the mechanical and he is often found tinkering with his impressive collection of John Deere tractors and stationary engines, many of which are vintage. When time allows, Dale enjoys spending time at the 115-acre, MAEAP-certified farm that he shares with his wife and family, indulging his passion for natural conservation by reestablishing wetlands and restoring native plant species. Board term through 9/2027 Jaclyn Hulst HR Liaison Jaclyn Hulst lives and works in Allegan county. At home she enjoys hobby farming with the goal to create a food forest to provide fresh produce for her family and neighbors. She also has quite the collection of house plants! At work, Jaclyn is able to assist feeding the community through a non-profit food bank network. Board term through 9/2026 Troy Carns Board Member Originally from the Arkansas delta, Caleb grew up working on his family’s row-crop farm of around 1500 acres of corn, milo, wheat, soybeans, and rice. While working towards a degree in Ag. Technology at the University of Arkansas, Caleb accepted an internship at Walters Gardens in Zeeland, MI for the summer of 2017, returning after completing his degree that fall. Caleb’s time at Walters has given him a lot of experience with non-traditional agriculture, they raise over 30 different genera of ornamental plants and builds much of their own custom machinery. Board term through 9/2025 State of Michigan Special Tributes Troy Carns served on the Allegan Public School Board for over 10 years. He also volunteered with the the local fire department for 10 years. As an Allegan County farmer Troy is always looking for new conservation practices to improve his operation. Board term through 9/2028 Raecale Stull Lon Koops Caleb Smith Board Member