Nancy Bath (Rural Supervisor): I have lived at Tie Siding my entire life.  I attended Albany County public schools and graduated from the UW with a B.S. degree in Animal Science.  I have been married to Lynn Woodard for 17 years.  I have worked with various USDA organizations including the Laramie Rivers Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency, as well as the UW Cooperative Extension Service.  I have attended several range monitoring workshops.

Jerry Johnson (Rural Supervisor):  I am running for supervisor on the LRCD board. I have lived in Albany Co. all of my life. I was raised on a ranch about 16 miles N.W. of Laramie. After school I worked on the ranch, met my wife, raised 3 kids and acquired 3 grandkids. Which I get to spoil! While the ranch developed into an LLC and underwent all of the changes one must go through in business. In the last 7 years I have been working with Primerica Financial Services. In the Ag business you have to protect the land in order to stay in business. All of your livelihood comes from the land.

 

Robert Smoot (Rural Supervisor): Robert has been a highway patrolman, school teacher, game warden, taught animal science in college for 25 years, was most recently director of continuing education for doctors at the University of Kansas.  He raises horses for a hobby and is a judge for the American Quarter Horse Association.  He is currently an Associate Rural Supervisor for the District.

 

Jim Rogers (At-large Supervisor): I was born in Wyoming and have lived in Wyoming all of my life.  I am a Viet Nam veteran, my wife's name is Gay and we have two grown children, who have families of their own.  I and my heirs have been involved in agriculture for all time.  I have lived in Albany County for eleven years.  My family and I own a ranch in the Little Laramie Valley.

 

 

Nancy Bath (Rural): I strongly believe in grazing on public lands.  My family has had a grazing permit on Pole Mountain for over 50 years.  I am quite familiar with water and grazing issues involved on public lands and believe in the multiple use concept which encourages the responsible use of renewable resources.

 

Jerry Johnson (Rural): I feel that grazing on public lands is a needed practice for many of our ranchers in Albany Co. You see one of the mandated policies that the district has to follow is to protect the tax base of the county, as well as the soil, water, and air or our natural resources. To lose that tax base would not be a good thing.

 

Robert Smoot (Rural): Our public lands should be used to the greatest extent possible without damaging the environment.  Wyoming is one of the states that has the resources for this, it’s part of our history and certainly we should continue that. 

 

Jim Rogers (At-large):  I believe grazing on public land is a very necessary management tool in the concept of multi-use.  By grazing, we will increase the root base of the plants and this increases their resilience during drought and times of stress.  Sheep and cows will graze grass species that wildlife do not care for.

 

Nancy Bath (Rural): The conservation district is one of the true environmental groups that focus on improving the natural resources in Albany County.  It is funded by all taxpayers and can provide specific information to both urban and rural landowners.  Continuing education concerning the environment is critical especially during the current drought coupled with the expanding development in rural parts of the County.

 

Jerry Johnson (Rural): I feel that all of the programs we have in place right know are very vital to the whole community. The water monitoring program, cost share for home owners as well as people with larger properties, to improve the soil, water and aesthetic views of the land. I also think we need to stay in step with all the new technology on wind, solar, and insulating. It is very important that we work with the Game and Fish and other agencies to help with any kind of wildlife issue we might have.

 

Robert Smoot (Rural):  All of these we have to look at with concern; water is a very precious commodity and we need to safeguard that resource as much as we can. 

 

Jim Rogers (At-large):  I believe we need to continue to test our water, as the conservation district is now doing, to keep it as clean and pure as it now is.  I believe we need to help land owners learn and use different ways to save and improve their soils, by doing  this we will benefit all wildlife.  I am very interested in wind and solar energy for Albany County.