Captain H. Nelson Bailey is officially declaring his bid for an elected director position on the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District Board in Buckingham County, Virginia.

Bailey is a United States Navy veteran who worked in aviation electronics and aviation anti-submarine warfare. He was also involved in the recovery of four of the Mercury astronauts and their capsules. After leaving the Bailey joined the U.S. Merchant Marines and obtained his captain’s license in 1988.

He aided in laying the first transpacific fiber optic cable, called TPC-3, between the United States, Hawaii, Guam, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan, which took almost two years to complete.

Additionally, Bailey worked on state-of-the-art scientific research vessels doing ocean floor laser contour thermography charting and bottom soil sampling profiles with the University of Texas Oceanographic School.

Throughout his 40-plus year career, when not on assignment, he attended schools, lectures and events concerning water quality, soil remediation methods, conservation techniques and some scientific solution classes giving him a thorough knowledge in natural resource management, soil and water testing methods and problem-solving in these fields.

Having traveled to 46 different countries, living and successfully farming in six, Captain Bailey has a fresh take on different farming styles and a passion to improve current and future environmental issues facing not only Buckingham but the world.

Here on the homefront, Bailey and his wife, Lanie, own Snug Harbor Farm where they raise goats, chickens and their own food crops.

They are genuinely concerned about the volume of trash in our oceans and water supplies, most of which comes from trash thrown on our highways, ditches and streams. If given the chance to serve the community on the Peter Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District Board, Bailey will do his utmost to protect and defend our natural resources.