LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The East Lake Resource Conservation District said goodbye and good luck to a good friend at a recent meeting.
Feb. 13 was the last official meeting for Dwight Holford, a respected and valued member of the district's board of directors.
Board members were sad to see Holford and his wife Joelle leave Lake County.
A recent proclamation by the Lake County Board of Supervisors honoring Holford, presented on Feb. 4, was much deserved and long overdue recognition for a man who has contributed so much to our watershed health and natural resources.
A veteran of the Korean War, married since 1955 to Joelle, Dwight Holford retired from the U.S. Department of Defense after 32 years and moved to Lake County in 1988. The couple did not sit idle.
Holford’s interest in conservation and the environment had led to a bachelor of science degree in fisheries biology from Humboldt State University in 1959. He put his degree and interests to good use in Lake County.
In 1996, Holford was one of the founding directors of the Upper Putah Creek Stewardship. He volunteered and assisted with youth programs as Field Days in the Creek, developed Trout in the Classroom in various Lake County schools and pioneered bioassessment water quality monitoring in Lake County.
Along with Bill Reed and Harry Lyons, he inspired more than one volunteer to go jump in the creek.
Holford also served as watershed coordinator for the Upper Putah Creek Watershed, building exceptional partnerships with federal, state and county agencies; service, youth, environmental and watershed groups; and local tribes and schools.
He managed several successful grants, including those that led to bioassessment training, the mapping and eradication of invasive weeds, recruiting and training of volunteers to collect water samples, watershed restoration projects and workshops, native plant production and long-range planning.
If you’ve heard of a project that helped our natural resources, Holford was most likely involved. He generously shared his knowledge and enthusiasm, taking little or no credit for the work he accomplished and inspired.
His dedication to our natural resources didn’t stay in Lake County – he wanted others to understand the importance of our local watersheds, too.
In 2002, Holford was one of the founding directors of the Sacramento River Watershed Program, which operates through consensus-based collaborative partnerships, research and monitoring, and enhances education among the stakeholders of the Sacramento River Watershed.
This watershed is comprised of numerous tributaries and subwatersheds, including the Upper Putah Creek and Upper Cache Creek Watersheds in Lake County.
Holford served as chairman of water for Garden Clubs Inc., a group with which his wife has been very involved; as a director of the Middletown Senior Center; and the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee. In addition, he was a volunteer for Lake County’s Hunger Task Force and was instrumental in the development of community gardens.
While Holford isn’t one for recognition and awards – his goal has always been seeing that the work gets done – but East Lake Resource Conservation District commended him for his efforts and what he’s done for the community.
The district expressed its deepest appreciation to Holford for his commitment, dedication and invaluable service to local communities, the environment and resource conservation in Lake County. District leaders said it’s been a pleasure and honor to have worked with him.
Linda Juntunen is project coordinator for the Lake County Fire Safe Council.