Historic Hoosier Hills Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. is a unique organization created by local people to bring people, rural development opportunities, and solutions together. We are a vehicle for helping local people deal with many natural resource, human resource, and quality-of-life issues. RC&D is as much a way of doing things - a process - as it is a program. It is the only federally assisted volunteer program with an extensive nationwide network that is governed at the grass roots level. We organized in 1968 and have a successful 30+ year track record in southeastern Indiana.

Mission...

Historic Hoosier Hills' mission is "to serve as a catalyst to empower local people to solve the overall economic and natural resource problems of the area, and to properly develop, utilize, and conserve our natural and human resources." We provide services that help local people help themselves. Local volunteer committees, with their mix of talents and knowledge, have the desire to make their communities better. Historic Hoosier Hills' service provides unbiased assistance and support while allowing the leadership to remain local, helping local people to achieve realistic, community-minded goals. It is this collaborative approach that "makes things happen."

Organization...

Historic Hoosier Hills is governed by a Board of Directors - local residents who determine the services that Historic Hoosier Hills provides. Each director is appointed to a two-year term by the sponsor they represent. The officers of the Board make up the Executive Committee. The Board meets every other month and the Executive Committee meets each month the Board does not.

We have eight standing committees, or resource committees, that operate under the RC&D Council Board of Directors. The chair or president of each committee is also a director on the RC&D Council Board of Directors. In addition, Historic Hoosier Hills sponsors over forty project committees that operate under the Council or one of the resource committees. These committees form to address one problem or opportunity and will usually end when their project is completed.

We organized in 1968, are incorporated, nonprofit and tax exempt within the state of Indiana, and are 501(c)3 Public Charity by Internal Revenue Service determination.

Network...

Historic Hoosier Hills is one of seven RC&D's in Indiana and one of 335 nationally. We network to share ideas and gain information. We are a member of the National Association of RC&D Councils, the North Central Region of RC&D Councils, the Indiana League of RC&D Councils, and the National Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

We network with many federal, state, and local groups, organizations, and units of government who help us provide information, technical assistance, financial support, and referral services to the Board of Directors, the resource committees, the project committees, and communities. These partnerships and the strong volunteerism on our committees is our key to success. In 2000, we had over 800 volunteers donate in excess of 30,000 hours to accomplish projects to benefit their communities and region.

Support...

Historic Hoosier Hills is most appreciative of the long-term support of our sponsors: the nine Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the nine Board of County Commissioners of Clark, Dearborn, Franklin, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, Scott, and Switzerland Counties. Additional sponsors are the Cities of Aurora, Scottsburg, Rising Sun, the Town of Versailles, the Stucker Fork Conservancy District in Scott County, and the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Jennings County. They appoint representatives to our RC&D Council Board of Directors and provide annual dues that make up half of our operating budget.

Historic Hoosier Hills RC&D, Inc. and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited basis apply to all programs). Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington D.C. 20250 or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer.

We also thank our federal partner, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the State Conservationist and her staff.