The Harrison SWCD provides a variety of services and products to assist county residents and landowners, including:

Educational Programs

Adult Education Workshops and Field Days

The Harrison SWCD hosts a range of workshops and field days throughout the year to educate Harrison County residents and landowners about ways to manage their properties. If you are interested in receiving flyers about upcoming events, complete the form below and mark the programs you are interested in to be added to the mailing list.

Eastern Ohio Grazing Council

The Eastern Ohio Grazing Council (EOGC) meets on the 4th Thursday of the month from January to October. During the winter months, these events are indoors workshops and feature a variety of speakers and topics related to grazing livestock. During the rest of the year, these events are held on farms throughout the region and give participants an opportunity to learn first-hand about the management strategies and conservation practices other producers are utilizing. For details on upcoming events, visit  facebook.com/EasternOhioGrazingCouncil.

Informational Talks and Displays

In addition to our programs, the Harrison SWCD can also speak come to your event to present on a wide range of conservation and natural resources topics. A number of resources and educational models are also available for presentations and can be viewed in the Conservation Education Program Guide. If you are interested in having one of our staff at an event, contact the office at 740-942-8837 or email  hswcd@harrisoncountyohio.org  .

Youth Education Programs

Harrison SWCD maintains several resources which are available to formal and non-formal educators to utilize. These resources include lesson plans, curriculum, resource trunks, and models that facilitate teaching students about conservation and natural resources. For more information, check out the  Conservation Education Program Guide, which outlines each of the models, curriculum, resources, and programs offered by the Harrison SWCD. If you are interested in having our staff visit your classroom or group, contact the office at 740-942-8837 or email hswcd@harrisoncountyohio.org  

On-Farm Conservation Technical Assistance

One of the primary services offered by the Harrison SWCD is technical assistance for conservation practices and projects on private land, whether farms, rural homes, or homes in any of the villages in the county. Harrison SWCD staff is available to make visits to examine agricultural  and natural resource issues including: 

• Grazing Management
• Cropland Management
• Forest Management
• Wildlife Management
• Pond Management

The Harrison SWCD staff can provide general recommendations, fact sheets, and other resources on these and other topics. Additionally, specific management plans can be developed for some land uses, such as a Grazing Management Plan or Conservation Plan.

Forest Management

Timber Harvest Plans & Notice of Intent

This voluntary program is designed to assist woodland landowners, loggers, and foresters with the preplanning of logging activity. The program is designed to help the responsible parties select Best Management Practices (BMPs) that will reduce soil erosion and maintain the harvest site to state standards found in the Agricultural Pollution Abatement Rules and Standards (Ohio Administrative Code-1501:15-5-01 to 1501-5-18). In a private civil action for nuisances involving agricultural pollution, it is an affirmative defense if the person owning, operating, or otherwise responsible for agricultural production or silvicultural operations is operating under and in substantial compliance with an approved Timber Harvest Plan. The form below can be downloaded, completed, and submitted to the Harrison SWCD for review or approval.

Ohio Timber Harvest Planning Program- Notice of Intent and Harvest Plan.pdf

BMPs for Erosion Control for Logging Practices in Ohio

This publication from Ohio State University Extension describes Best Management Practices (BMP) for silvicultural operations, including planning operations, haul roads, stream crossing, closing of a site and more. The full publication is available below.

BMPs for Erosion Contol for Logging Practices in Ohio - Publication 916.pdf

Rental Tools and Equipment

Tool and Equipment Loan

Several basic tools are available for loan from the Harrison SWCD at no cost to allow landowners and residents to better manage their properties.

Fees   Rental $15/acre Minimum Rental $50 Out of County $50 Discounts   Current Conservation Plan -$3/acre Planting into > 40% Residue -$2/acre Current Soil Tests -$1/acre
Lime/Fertilizer Spreader  Harrison SWCD is excited to announce that a 6-ton lime/fertilizer spreader is available for rent. With assistance from a “Partners in Watershed Management” grant from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, the SWCD purchased a fertilizer/lime spreader to be rented to assist with nutrient management. The Pequea SL6 lime/fertilizer spreader is available for rent for $125/day or $200/weekend with a discount of $50 if provided with recent (within the past 3 years) soil test results. To operate the spreader, a tractor with a 540 rpm PTO which has a weight equal or greater than the gross loaded weight of the spreader is required. Don’t have a recent soil test? The Harrison SWCD has a number of soil test kits that will be available for free from our office, limit 5 per producer. These test kits will provide the producer with fertility and lime recommendations for proper nutrient management and aid in reducing input costs. For more details, review the  Pequea Spreader Rental Agreement  or contact Emma Cline at 740-942-8837.

Conservation Products for Sale

The Harrison SWCD offers several products to assist landowners and residents in implementing conservation practices and to support the work of the Harrison SWCD.