BRIER CREEK CONSERVATION DISTRICT

The Brier Creek Conservation District promotes soil & water stewardship throughout local schools and to farmers and landowners in Richmond, Glascock, Jefferson, Burke, and Jenkins Counties.

NEWS

Tom Mims Inducted into GACD Hall of Fame

GACD President Mark Masters and 2022 Hall of Fame Inductee Tom Mims

April 11, 2022 - Callaway Resort & Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Monday, April 11, 2022 during their Annual Meeting to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state. The highlight of the evening is naming the Hall of Fame Inductee.

Tom Mims has been a District Supervisor representing Richmond County for the Brier Creek Conservation District since 2010. He currently serves as the District Chair. Tom also serves as the Feral Swine Committee Chair for the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts.

Tom grew up on a small cattle farm in rural Hephzibah, Ga. He graduated from Auburn University in 1969 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Physics. Tom began his career with Sperry Rand as an Electronics Engineer. Tom was later offered a job working for the US Army Signal Corps at Fort Gordon, GA. It was at that time that he and his wife Pat moved the family to Tom’s hometown, Hephzibah, Ga where they built a house on their 175 acre Farm- Silver Bottom Tree Farm.

While working for the Army, Tom grew a small group of technical staff into the Battle Command Battle Lab with 22 Department of Army Civilians, five military officers, and 102 contractors where they worked to resolve communications problems between army units. Tom retired from The Department of Army Civil Service at age 60. He then built his own company, TacNet Consulting LLC and provided consulting services for the Army Battle Command Battle Lab for the next 10 years. Tom fully retired from his career in engineering and consulting in 2015.

Tom is a true leader in conservation and has devoted countless hours to promote stewardship within the Brier Creek Conservation District and throughout the state of Georgia. Through Tom’s leadership, an agreement was obtained with the city of Augusta and Richmond County to include Conservation Education Outreach in their StormWater Ordinance. This agreement provides $9k/year to Brier Creek Conservation District. Tom has been awarded numerous grants to improve water quality in the Augusta area through variable rate irrigation technology, and to reduce fecal pollution in the brushy creek watershed. One of his grants is the first federal 319h grant to include “removal of feral swine” as an EPA approved Best Management Practice to reduce fecal pollution.

In addition, Tom started a Feral Swine Control Program in the Brier Creek Conservation District and through a partnership with GACD, 14 Conservation Districts across the state are now able to provide feral swine control services to landowners. Since the program began in 2017, almost nine thousand feral swine have been removed from Georgia, saving landowners an estimated $2.5 million in damages to property and agricultural crops. Tom currently leads this program throughout the state for GACD.

Tom was named GACD’s District Supervisor of the Year in 2018, and was also named the 2008 Outstanding Forest Steward for Richmond County.

In his spare time, Tom loves spending time outdoors where he enjoys camping, hunting, fishing and hiking. Tom and Pat will celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary in April. They have two children, Watson and Amber, and a 14 year old Grandson, Reed.

Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District Awards Winners of Poster/Photo Contest

July 11, 2024, Waynesboro, GA: Education is a critical element of the conservation effort at the local, state and national levels. Educating young people about the benefits of conservation helps to ensure the next generation will be wise stewards of America’s natural resources.

Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offered the Georgia Association of Conservation District’s (GACD) poster contest to public, private and homeschooled students from 3rd through 5th grade in the schools throughout the Brier Creek SWCD. Each year, the winning posters reflect GACD’s annual Stewardship theme and highlight the work of Conservation Districts to protect and enhance natural resources. This year’s theme “May the Forest Be with You, Always” promotes the importance of our forests. The photo contest focuses on conservation practices and was offered to students in the Brier Creek SWCD from 9th through 12th grades.

Two overall winners in the 4th grade category and the 5th grade categories were chosen from many creative entries. The 1st place winner in the 4th grade was Charlotte Akins, winning $75.00. The 1st place winner in the 5th grade was Grace Morris, winning $75.00. All three places in the photo contest 9th - 12th grade category were won by 12th grade student Holt Sapp, earning him $150.00. The 1st place entries will be submitted to the GACD State Poster and Photo Contest. The awards were presented in Burke County at the Natural Resources Conservation Office in Waynesboro, Ga by GACD’s NE Regional Program Manager, Dana Tripp and the Chairman of the Brier Creek SWCD Board, Tom Mims. GACD and local Conservation Districts encourage Georgia’s youth to practice conservation efforts that benefit Georgia communities.

The Brier Creek Soil and Water Conservation District is a unit of state government that manages and directs natural resource management programs in Richmond, Glascock, Jefferson, Burke, and Jenkins Counties. The District works with farmers, landowners, homeowners, and with other units of government to educate and actively promote programs and practices that support the conservation, and use and development of soil, water, and related resources. More information can be found at www.gacd.us/briercreek.

Pictured: 4th Grade - 1st Place Winner, Charlotte Akins and Brier Creek SWCD Chairman, Tom Mims.

Pictured: 5th Grade - Brier Creek SWCD Chairman, Tom Mims, 1st Place Winner, Grace Morris, Brier Creek SWCD District Supervisor, Charlie Byrd, and GACD’s NE Regional Program Manager, Dana Tripp.

Pictured: 9-12th Grade - Brier Creek SWCD Chairman, Tom Mims, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Winner Holt Sapp (Father, Mr. Sapp), and Brier Creek SWCD District Supervisor, Charlie Byrd.