COLUMBUS — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has appointed Mark Smith as the agency’s Western Lake Erie Basin Coordinator.
In this position, he will work with regional partners to leverage resources to provide landowners and communities with the tools that they need to apply innovative, climate-smart solutions to improve water quality and soil health in the basin.
During his 34 years with NRCS, Smith has held numerous technical and leadership positions, and previously served as the state resource conservationist for Ohio.
Throughout his career, Smith has sought to collaborate with a wide field of stakeholders to implement science-based conservation strategies. The updated 590 Nutrient Management Standard is a recent example of his ability to work with commodity, conservation, non-profit and research groups to implement realistic management of agricultural nutrient application in the basin while reducing environmental impacts.
Smith began his career with NRCS in 1984 and has served as a district conservationist, area resource conservationist and manager of programs, watersheds and easements. He received a bachelor of science in agronomy from Ohio State University. He currently resides in Knox County, Ohio with his wife Irene, where they raise sheep and cattle.
