~courtesy of The Scranton Journal
Larry Burkett of Rippey was honored recently by the Greene County board of supervisors and county conservation board on his retirement from the conservation board. Burkett served 30 years on the board and decided that it was time to turn the position over to another person.
Burkett (center) was presented with a plaque to show Greene County’s appreciation for his commitment and service by board of supervisors chair John Muir (left) and supervisor Mick Burkett (right).
“I’m most proud of the wildlife habitat areas we’ve acquired and made available to the public,” said Burkett. “Otherwise they would have been bought by those with private interests and never be accessible to the average person.”
Burkett’s term expires in 2017 and someone will be appointed by the supervisors to fill the position on the five-member board.
The past 30 years have seen huge growth and improvement in Greene County conservation. Conservation director Dan Towers listed a few of the accomplishments of the board:
- Expanded from managing eight areas totaling 560 acres to 20 acres totaling 2,000 acres.
- Developed 11 miles of the Raccoon River Valley Trail, a $1.5 million project through grants.
- Camping revenue increased from $12,000 a year to $130,000 annually.
- Added two shower houses, rental cabins and increased campsites from 33 to 123 at Spring Lake State Park which makes the area a “destination park”.
- Acquired nine wildlife habitat / public hunting areas totaling 1,200 acres.
- Installed seven concrete ramps and five fishing riffles on the North Raccoon River.
Towers noted there are several other projects on the drawing board and that Burkett has been influential in planning for the future of Greene County.
“Larry’s leadership on our board and knowledge of the outdoors will be greatly missed,” concluded Towers. “I can find someone to fill his position on the conservation board but I will never find anyone to fill his shoes. He has made a tremendous impact on Greene County conservation and he will definitely be missed.”
