Stevenson and Clough retire from NRCS after combined 49 years of service

Claudia Stevenson and Patty Clough have both retired from their positions with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) after decades with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Stevenson

Stevenson, 59, has lived in Ogallala for 28 and a half years, and has worked for the NRCS the entire time she has resided here.

After getting a degree for Agriculture Education and Animal Science from Ohio State University.

She originally planned to teach ag education, but before interviewing for any education positions, she decided she wanted to work for the Soil Conservation Service, as it was called at the time.

She started in Kansas before moving to North Carolina for four years. 28 and a half years ago, she was transferred to Grant where she remained until retirement.

Stevenson was a resource conservationist, which means she worked with farmers and ranchers to best take care of the land on which they are farming.

She said she loves working with people and talking about the environment, so it was a great mix of everything she loves to do.

“And I didn’t have to grade papers, so that’s a bonus!” Stevenson said.

A high percentage of her workload, Stevenson estimates about 40%, was dedicated to the Conservation Reserve Program where she handled onsite business and technical work.

She was also involved in the Conservation Stewardship program and Environmental Quality Incentive Program, and she was co-chair of Farming Evolution alongside Julie Elliot of Holyoke, Colo.

Stevenson handled nutrient management, which is helping farmers to put on the appropriate amounts of nutrients, nitrogen and fertilizers without using too much.

She was also involved with monitoring irrigation, especially pertaining to livestock pipelines and water wells. The goal was to provide help to reduce the amount of water used, thereby saving water for the future.

“Those are really important practices,” she said.

Stevenson loved working on grass plantings done through the Conservation Reserve Program. She also enjoys watching windbreaks she designed grow over the years.

One of her favorite projects to have worked on was the big wetland project she helped with about two years ago.

“We took 57 different wetlands, and about half of those needed some kind of restoration work done to them,” she said. “We had to dig out the soil or fill in the pitch. The change in the wetland habitat was exciting to watch.”

“I mean, it’s like watching paint dry, but knowing that it’s changing, and it’s going to be a forever-type project out there is a good feeling.”

Stevenson said she will miss all the various projects she got to take part in at her job, and she will miss all the people she got to meet and work with.

“I will not miss the computer programs that have just bogged down a lot of the projects,” she said. “The more sophisticated we seem to get in our technology, the longer things take.”

Stevenson’s last day on the job was Friday, Jan. 29. Due to Covid restrictions, Stevenson didn’t get a formal farewell party, but she organized a Zoom call with friends and family.

In retirement, she will continue with her hobby of acrylic painting, and she and her husband will be taking some time to travel and see family across the country.

Stevenson won’t completely leave the conservation world in her retirement, and will be president of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, of which she is currently the vice president.

She will also continue to be a member of the League of Women Voters and hopes to be more involved with that group, where she is on the natural resource committee.

“It’s been a joy to work in Perkins County, and with all the people out there,” Stevenson said.

Clough

Clough, 64, has lived in Grant since 1988, though she had lived here prior before moving to Paxton and then returning to the area.

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