The Griggs County Soil Conservation District, a sub-division of state Government, completed its organization January 30, 1945, with Parry Haaland as chairman and Kenneth Curtis and Arne Goplen as the other two supervisors and George B. Simons as its secretary. Present supervisors are Manvil Anderson, Perry Haaland, and Obert Tharaldson, with Victor Legler as its secretary. Ray McCardle has also served as one of the supervisors.
The U. S. Soil Conservation assigns technical assistants to aid the supervisors in its work. William W. Barr has been the Work Unit Conservationist in charge of the technical work. Others assisting have been Paul Weiser, Roy Tabor, R. N. Nelson, James Thompson, William Ostrom, George Daniels, and James Peterson.
Purpose of the District is to assist land operators, on voluntary basis, in working out improved land usage programs. Means of accomplishing this is thru soil surveys: control of erosion thru tree planting, grass-legume seeding, wind strip cropping, crop rotation, and proper land usage; pasture improvement; and drainage of nuisance potholes.
Some accomplishments to date are:
Farm cooperators 480 acres
Trees planted 1,593 acres
Grass-legume seeding 11,000 acres
Pasture improvement 31,000 acres
Source: Cooperstown Diamond Jubilee 1882-1957 Page 49