COLUMBIA, MO, April 8, 2005 – An inspiration by then-Senator John F. Kennedy in 1960 led to the creation of the Peace Corps. Through that federal program, volunteers have helped countless individuals in other countries who desire to build better lives for themselves, their children and their communities.

The well-known Peace Corps is credited with the birth of another federal program a few years later that has been assisting people and communities in the United States. But many people are unaware of the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Program.

“Most citizens don’t know about the RC&D program, but most of the people who are in leadership positions in their communities are aware of it,” says Lisa Ruller, coordinator of the Top of the Ozarks RC&D in southern Missouri.

The RC&D program is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Each multi-county area has a coordinator who helps local people initiate, develop and maintain projects that protect the natural, social and economic resources in their areas. All of Missouri’s RC&D coordinators are NRCS employees.

NRCS has eight RC&D areas in Missouri that cover 69 of the state’s 114 counties. Community leaders also have proposed creating three new RC&D areas in Missouri. Each area has a council comprised of local volunteers and agency representatives who outline priorities for their communities and decide which projects to pursue. RC&D councils rely heavily upon grant funds to complete local projects. One of the RC&D program’s primary focuses has been on rural economic development.

“This program started as a reaction to the Peace Corps,” Ruller says. “People thought we should also do something to assist depressed areas in the United States. The first 10 RC&D sites selected were in very depressed areas. The natural resources connection was used as a means to get assistance to rural areas because our agency was well established there.”

The Emergency Feed Grain Act, signed by Kennedy in September 1962, authorized the RC&D program as a pilot project. Congress authorized the first 10 RC&D areas in February 1964, and The Top of the Ozarks Rivers RC&D became Missouri’s first RC&D area when Congress authorized it in November 1965. At some point, though no one seems to remember when, ‘rivers’ was dropped from the name.

Other Missouri RC&D areas, and their authorization dates are: Southwest Missouri, August 1967; Green Hills, September 1972; Big Springs, December 1975; Bootheel, October 1976; Osage Valley and Prairie Rose, January 1993; and Northeast Missouri, September 1996.

Bill Broce became Missouri’s first RC&D coordinator when he moved from southwestern Missouri to Houston to get the Top of the Ozarks RC&D off the ground. Broce, retired and residing in Bethany, recalls that people were wary of the program at first.

“People were fearful that RC&D might replace something that they already had,” he said. To combat that, Broce teamed up with Jim Summers, a University of Missouri Extension specialist, to spread the work about RC&D.

“We went to all of the service groups – Rotary, Kiwanis, Extension councils, church groups, community groups,” he said. “I would explain the program and he would mention that extension councils and other local groups would be partners.”

Rowland Amelon and W.T. “Ted” Scheets, of Houston, Missouri, served on the Top of the Ozarks RC&D council at its beginning. They remember that most of the early projects involved improvements to roads, bridges, water systems and sewer systems.

However, Scheets, the council’s first chairman, and Amelon also remember the role that the RC&D council played in transforming that portion of southern Missouri from a row-crop area to a grassland area.

“The farmers grew quite a bit of wheat back then and a little bit of corn,” Scheets said.

“But we wanted to make Texas County green,” Amelon added. “That was our motto.”

The shallow soils in the Ozarks region are not well suited for row crops, and the RC&D’s assistance helped landowners make the transition from crops to pasture. Amelon also pushed the incorporation of native, warm-season grasses in 1972, and promoted forest establishment and improvement.

Over the years, Missouri’s RC&D councils and coordinators have been involved in many projects that benefit rural citizens, communities and the environment. Often, the benefits go unnoticed. For example, in recent years, Missouri RC&Ds have been active in improving rural fire protection. They have hired specialists to help rural fire departments develop master fire plans, train volunteer firefighters and help departments obtain equipment. The RC&Ds also have supplied and installed dry fire hydrants, which make the water in lakes, ponds and streams available for fighting fires.

As a result of these activities, Insurance Services Office ratings in rural areas have improved, which has saved Missourians millions of dollars in insurance premiums.

Amelon, 87, said progress like that is what encourages him to continue serving on his local RC&D council after more than 40 years.

“There is no other organization that does what this one does to bring organizations and people together,” he said. “By being part of this group, I feel like I’m doing some good.”

Thousands of Peace Corps volunteers would probably agree.

Missouri RC&D program

Missouri RC&D Downloadable Maps
    Color map
    Black and white map

Missouri RC&D Contact Information

A History of Missouri RC&D

National RC&D program

Photo ID: Ted Scheets, left, and Rowland Amelon at a meeting at the RC&D office in Houston, Mo.

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