The Gillespie County Soil and Water Conservation District
would like to recognize Willard Dearing as the
Friend of Conservation award recipient.
Willard graduated collage from Texas State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Vocational Agriculture. After graduation he was recruited to become an employee with the United States Department of Agriculture. He started his career a week after graduation, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Lockhart Field Office. He worked the majority of his career in the very active Kenedy Field office. It was recognized as a student training office, and for many their first stop on their way to a successful career. This office provided training in the planning and application of conservation practices on cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and wildlife management practices. One of Willards trainees/employees eventually became the assistance to the Chief in Washington D.C.
While in Kennedy Willard worked on many reclamation projects. One such project involved recovery efforts after a hurricane dropped nearly 30 inches of rain and high winds on the coastal plains in a short period of time affecting many existing management practices such as terraces, water channels, farm ponds, and flood control structures. The extensive storm caused many of these practices to fail leading to extensive erosion over a widespread area. Some projects that took place through the field office had as many as two to three dozen contractors operating some thirty pieces of earth moving equipment at one time.
One of Willard’s high lights of his career was being a reclamation specialist working with uranium open pit mining company’s in the area. Uranium reclamation plan would call for reclaiming the mined areas, covering the overburden material with topsoil, and establishing permanent vegetation to prevent erosion and returning the land to an equal or better condition than it was prior to mining. Some of these open mining pits were over 300 feet deep. These slopes required some special engineering and equipment to repair. Local, area and state NRCS personal set up workshops to provide basic materials for field office manuals to be shared with uranium company engineers and field personnel to carry out the plan. These operations drew much attention receiving regular visit from state, national staff, and university student tour buses coming to see on the ground what a reclamation plan involved.
Willard has been recognized many times over the years for his outstanding works and dedication to service of his community. Just to name a few are, Texas 4-H Round Up, Texas Cooperative Extension, USDA National Earth Team Volunteer. One of his most prized recognition was The E. “KiKa” de la Garza Plant Materials Center and South Texas natives. Willard held a big part in the assistance in success release of the South Texas native grass, Catarina Blend Bristlegrass.
Willard taught and still does teach special plant identification classes to local high school students and landowners. Participants learn to identify grasses, wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and area plants. He also emphasizes how plants grow and the values of the forage for livestock. Over the years of teaching his classes he has worked with numerous NRCS field office staff and even some area extension specialists. There were never empty chairs at his classes. The attendees always say they learn so much from the knowledge that Willard holds. Willard also was very involved with his 2 grandsons’ interest in plant identification. They were members of a plant identification project in Llano 4-H. Willard assisted by collecting plants and set up weekend identification workshops for the team. They entered local and nearby contest and worked their way to the state contest, winning 2nd place. The following year the team entered the range evaluation category and won the state contest at Texas A & M. Because of their achievements and declarations, they were rewarded with generous scholarships.
Willard has worked closely with the Gillespie Soil and Water Conservation District, County Agents and serves on various county agricultural committees. Working with county agents, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Field Specialists and the Cherry Spring Wildlife Management Association. He has helped develop several tools to assist local wildlife landowners to manage their wildlife resources. One of these resources is a spread sheet to help landowners and hunters make deer herd composition surveys and record sightings of nonnative species. This information is processed and shared with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
After Willard retired from the NRCS he remained very active in applying conservation practices. When he moved back to the Hill Country, he reunited with the Gillespie County Soil and Water Conservation District. He has assisted with the annual Beef and Range Field Day in Gillespie county for over 20 years. He collects plants, mostly native, grasses, weeds and brush plants for display and identifying for the local farmers and ranchers. He does not see a plant that he does not know very often. You could say it is his passion and appreciation for the land.
As conservation became more intense and the workload on a much larger scale, he would rely on local SWCD District and NRCS personnel for more up to date guidance. The use and application of up to date chemicals to treat larger areas of cactus, mesquite, persimmon, thistle, and many other invasive species. These areas were reseeded with native sideoats, swithgrass, mixed with Willman lovegrass and Klein grass. Small areas were planted with Indian grass. The Gillespie Soil and Water Conservation District along with the NRCS were in search for an area with native white brush to conduct a test chemical application by use of aerial spraying with an aircraft. These test plots provide useful research information to the SWCD and NRCS. This allows them to observe results in many stages. These observations help them to let local producers know of new and improved methods that maybe applicable on their ranch.
The Luling Foundation Farm utilizes warm season annual and perennial grasses for forage production and has begun trials with native grass plots. Winter forage test plots are planted annually including rye grasses, legumes, small grains, and wildlife food plot blends. Results of these trials are collected by AgriLife. Willard helped take clippings from these test plots twice a year often having to utilize a livestock scale to weigh the samples. It took many surrounding field offices to help in the collection. The goal of these test plots was to try new and improve agricultural practices. In 1992 the SWCD received the Good Year Award for outstanding conservation application in the state of Texas.
These days Willard can be found on the family ranch catching up on neglected duties or volunteering with the local SWCD and other conservation projects. Landowners in the area regularly still seek out his advice to improve their own land. His great passion for the land, plants, and conservation has shown through in his 35-year career with NRCS and still shine through just as bright in all the works he does today.