Greene County Conservation District honors six
Faye and Bill Milesky of Skymile Farms in Oak Forest received the 2014 Cooperator of the Year Award. The Mileskys are pictured with their grandson, Hunter, and Bradley Eisiminger, right, Greene County Conservation District chairman.
MaKayla Henary, a junior at Waynesburg Central High School, received the 2014 Conservation Speaking Award. Henary is pictured with Bradley Eisiminger, Greene County Conservation District chairman.
Ryan Egidi of Morgantown, W.Va., received the 2014 Greene County Forest Conservationist of the Year Award for his property in Jefferson Township. Egidi, center, is pictured with Russ Gibbs, left, service forester for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Bradley Eisiminger, Greene County Conservation District chairman.
Nello Construction Co. of Canonsburg received the inaugural Conservation Contractor of the Year Award. From left are Jason Betters and Jerry Falso, project managers for Nello, and Bradley Eisiminger, Greene County Conservation District chairman.
JEFFERSON – The Greene County Conservation District honored six recipients during its annual awards ceremony Nov. 18 at Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson.
Each year, the Conservation District honors those within the county who have shown an outstanding commitment to soil and water conservation.
• Bill and Faye Milesky of Skymile Farms in Oak Forest received the 2014 Cooperator of the Year Award. The Mileskys were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in the conservation of water, soil and natural resources through their farming practices. Their 552-acre, 80-cow/calf operation of Maine Anjou cattle is located along Woods Run and Pursley Creek in the south fork of the Ten Mile Creek watershed.
The Mileskys began their operation in 1982 and have worked diligently to improve their operation over the years. Since 2008, the couple has managed to install 27,000 feet of fence, 50 feet of animal walkway, 11 spring developments, 12 watering facilities, eight stream crossings and 300 feet of pipeline to help manage 282 acres of prescribed grazing, 16 acres of upland wildlife habitat and 28 acres of brush management. Their work was achieved through the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
• MaKayla Henary, a junior at Waynesburg Central High School, received the 2014 Conservation Speaking Award. Henary, an FFA member, was recognized for her outstanding speaking skills and achievement of winning the 2014 Greene County FFA speaking competition with her speech entitled “Fracking and Farming.” The speech focused on the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry and the environmental impacts that are made throughout the drilling process. Henary is the daughter of Jim and Kim Henary of Mt. Morris.
• The 2014 Greene County Forest Conservationist of the Year Award was presented to Ryan Egidi of Morgantown, W.Va. Egidi, who owns 50 acres of property in Jefferson Township, was recognized for his outstanding accomplishments in the conservation of Greene County’s forest resources. Although Egidi officially entered the Forest Stewardship Program in 2013, he has been sustainably managing his property well before entering the program. Egidi has spent countless hours on the property ridding it of invasive species such as tree of heaven and multiflora rose.
Egidi is currently entered in the USDA-NRCS EQIP cost-share incentive program as he intends to continually improve his tract by implementing forestry practices that include invasive control, early successional habitat development and tree establishment plantings. These particular practices promote forest stewardship through a means of enhancing diversity and sustainability and creating wildlife habitat restoration opportunities throughout his property.
• This year for the first time, the Conservation District chose to award a contractor that has worked in Greene County and has shown awareness of the importance of erosion and sediment control practices, or that has shown tremendous improvement in its practices. The inaugural Conservation Contractor of the Year Award was presented to Nello Construction Co. of Canonsburg.
Nello Construction Company – founded in 1952 by Giulio Torriero – has served as the general contractor for several recent area projects, including those for Carmichaels Area High School, R.G. Johnson Co., National Guard Readiness Center and Avalon Court apartment complex. The award was presented to Jerry Falso and Jason Betters, Nello project managers, in recognition of their commitment to the protection of the environment and Greene County’s natural resources from erosion and sedimentation, their respect for the land and their willingness to work with the district.
• Two service awards were given to current Conservation District board members Jim Kenney, farmer director, and Thomas Headlee, public director. Both men have committed time to the district as board members and have worked to shape the direction of the district, which has led to the valuable conservation of Greene County’s natural resources. Kenney was awarded for his 10 years of service, and Headlee was awarded for his 30 years of service.
The Conservation District also recognized and thanked the following for their contributions during the past year that helped improve district programs: Alpha Natural Resources, for its contribution to the annual Envirothon scholarship; Community Foundation of Greene County, for funding to assist with the Envirothon; Bill Iams, for his donation to improve the Conservation District’s Greene County Fairgrounds display; the winning Envirothon team members from Carmichaels Area High School; and all cooperating agencies and the County of Greene for another year of support.
For more information on the Conservation District awards, call 724-852-5278.