JOHN DAY Grant Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has hired Matt Wenick to take the lead on its Weed Control Program.

Wenick succeeds Mike Martin in the position. Martin resigned in the winter to go into business.

Mike did a heck of a job building the program over the last few years, and were excited to seeing the trend of service grow under Matts direction, said Jason Kehrberg, district manager.

Grant SWCD received over a dozen applications from candidates throughout the Pacific Northwest. Wenick was chosen from among seven qualified interviewees.

Wenick is originally from Burns and has family ties to Grant County. He said hes looking forward to returning to the area with his wife, Kristin, and daughters: Layla, 5, and Ali, 18 months.

Im excited for the opportunity to raise my kids in a small community, Wenick said.

No stranger to the outdoors, he recognizes the spread of noxious weeds and their impact on the landscape and local economy.

Noxious weeds affect the livelihood of farmers and ranchers, and Im pleased to be in a position to help them and serve the community by tackling such an important issue, he said.

Grant Weed Control is a department of Grant SWCD. The Districts aim is to conserve, protect and develop the soil, water and related resources within Grant County for the economic benefit and general welfare of its residents.

Grant SWCD is a nontaxing subdivision of the state of Oregon and relies primarily on competitive grants and contracts for engineering, technical and administrative services. It is not affiliated with county government, but is governed by an elected board of directors.