Limestone County Commissioner Bill Latimer, left and AARCD spokesman Drayton Cosby present State Sen. Arthur Orr with the award. | Special to the Enquirer

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, has been recognized as the 2012 Senate Leader of the Year by the Alabama Association of Resource, Conservation and Development (AARCD) Councils during the Alabama Mountains Rivers Valleys (AMRV) RC&D quarterly meeting at Caddo Café in Lawrence County.

The award is given to one state senator each year for showing leadership in the promotion of resource, conservation and development issues in Alabama.

Senator Orr says that RC&D is a great example of how the public and private sector can work together and achieve many successful programs all across the State of Alabama.

“What I like about RC&D is that it is locally driven and provides a great return on investment. RC&D was able to provide a six to one match on funding and gives resources to people that want a chance to create a better quality of life in their community,” said Orr.

“It’s important to have less bureaucracy and allow local citizens to make decisions on how to better serve the area, said Orr.”

In 2011, Sen. Orr was recognized by the AMRV Council for his leadership skills and efforts in supporting the RC&D mission. The AMRV RC&D area includes Cullman, DeKalb, Lawrence, Madison, Marshall, Jackson, Morgan, Limestone, and adjacent counties that have substantial natural resources to use for economic improvement and community betterment.

Limestone County Commissioner and AMRV Board Chairman Bill Latimer says that Senator Orr has become a strong leader for not only North Alabama, but the entire State.

“I think the award shows how grateful the entire State RC&D is for his leadership. He has overseen a budget during the worst financial period Alabama has seen since the Great Depression,” said Latimer, “but he’s very talented and a great problem solver.”

The RC&D program was established in the Agriculture Act of 1962 to provide a program that empowers people to help themselves. RC&D areas include adjacent counties that have substantial natural resources to use for economic improvement and community betterment.

There are nine RC&D councils throughout the state. RC&D Councils in Alabama are non-profit, tax-exempt organizations within the state that are designated 501© (3) entities by the Internal Revenue Service. Each county board is made up of a Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Supervisor, County Commissioner and a member at large.