Watershed Academy Webcast Jan. 16
The U.S. EPA’s Watershed Academy will offer The Wastewater Information System Tool (TWIST) as a webcast on Wed., January 16 at 1 p.m. EST. TWIST is a Microsoft Access-based information management system developed for US EPA to help communities inventory and manage decentralized (i.e., individual and clustered) wastewater systems.
The Webcast will provide an overview of watershed and water quality issues related to wastewater management, discuss treatment system options and management, and address the need for inventory systems such as TWIST. The Webcast will also provide an introduction on how to use TWIST and discuss how it can be used to track onsite and clustered sewage systems. Finally, the Webcast will also provide information on other tools for small communities and decentralized system users. Registration for this Webcast opens January 4. You must register in advance to participate in the Webcast. To register, visit www.clu-in.org/live.
The U.S. EPA’s Watershed Academy is a focal point in EPA's Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed approaches. The Academy sponsors live classroom training and online distance learning modules through the Watershed Academy Web site.
Vermillion County Conservation Breakfast
The Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District will host a conservation breakfast on Tuesday, January 8. Presenters from Purdue, Ceres Solutions and the local Conservation Partnership will discuss nutrient management and GMO field management. In addition to these topics the Vermillion County SWCD will introduce their Grid Sampling Cost-Share Program.
This may be the easiest time to implement grid sampling on your acres. Plan to attend this breakfast for more information on how you may be eligible for up to 75% cost-share. This breakfast is free of charge. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. and the presentation will conclude at 11 a.m. Make reservations by calling the Vermillion County SWCD office at 765.492.3705.
Upcoming Workshops, Seminars
Jan. 9-12 / Annual National No-Tillage Conference / Cincinnati
Gaining the No-Till Edge - Register today.
Jan. 10 / Conservation Day at the Statehouse / Indianapolis
Sponsored by the Indiana Conservation Alliance. Click here for details.
Jan. 14-16 / Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs / Indianapolis
Click here for details on the 2008 Annual Conference of Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Register now!
Jan. 26-31 / Society for Range Management Annual Conference / Louisville, KY
Plan to attend the 2008 Joint SRM/AFGC Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, Jan 26-31, 2008. The theme is Building Bridges: Grasslands to Rangelands. Click here for online registration.
Feb. 1, / Northern Ind. Grazing Conf. / Shipshewana
Registration fee for this year’s conference is $30 per person with $20 for each additional family member. Click here for details, or contact Dona Hunter, LaGrange Co. SWCD, at 260.463.3471, ext 3.
Feb. 10-13 / NACD Annual Conf. / Reno, NV
Conservation Beyond Boundaries: 2008 NACD Annual Meeting. Click here for details.
Feb. 25-27 / CNMP Course / Louisville, KY
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan Development Course, Click here for details.
Apr. 27 - May 4 / Stewardship Week / Nationwide
Water is Life is the theme for the 2008 Stewardship Week sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts. Materials for 2008 Stewardship Week are available from the NACD Marketplace. Another opportunity to get students involved in Stewardship Week is the NACD Auxiliary "Water is Life" Poster Contest. Go to the NACD poster contest page for more information and the contest entry form.
June 26-27 / Ind. Environmental Education Symposium / Indianapolis
Contact Warren Gartner, IDNR, or Sam Carman, IDNR, for details.
June 30 - July 2 / AWRA Summer Specialty Conference / Virginia Beach, VA
Riparian Ecosystems & Buffers: Working at the Water's Edge is sponsored by the American Water Resources Association (AWRA). In 2000, the AWRA began hosting Riparian Specialty conferences on a four-year interval. Click here for details. >> The Conference Planning Committee encourages you to submit an abstract for consideration. Submissions are due February 4, 2008.
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For the Week of Dec. 31, 07 - January 4, 08
In This Week's Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
Conference Speaker Among 2007’s 11 Most Influential Men. Colin Beavin (No Impact Man), our opening luncheon speaker on January 14, was named by MSN Lifestyle as one of the 11 Most Influential Men of 2007. Also on the list were President George W. Bush, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Illinois Senator Barack Obama, among others. So, if you haven’t registered for conference yet . . .
Register Now for a Great Conference! Click here to register for this exciting conference. You have until January 9 to get the registration price break, so don’t miss out and what promises to be our best conference yet. We have a great line-up of speakers, special interest sessions and trade show exhibitors for you. This is one opportunity you can’t afford to miss. The Power of Conservation – Are You Connected? Be at the 2008 Annual Conference and get connected!
Reminder: Input Needed from SWCDs. SWCD Staff and Supervisors: The NACD has sent the state association a Legislative and Regulatory Survey asking us to list our top natural resource priorities for Indiana, so that NACD staff and resources can best be focused on these concerns. Take the time to list what you consider your five top natural resource priorities for Indiana and email them to me (Ray McCormick). Gene Weaver and I will then review your input, along with that of the IASWCD Natural Resources Policy Advisory Committee, and report the results to the IASWCD Board of Directors on January 14 at Annual Conference. We will then complete the NACD Survey and forward it to NACD. Email your responses to MCCfarms@dmwildblue.net before January 10, 2008.
Thanks. Ray McCormick
Reminder: Invitation to State Legislators to the IASWCD Legislative Breakfast. An invitation was emailed before Christmas to state legislators from the IASWCD inviting them to the 2008 Legislative Breakfast. Click here to view the invitation they received. They will also receive a reminder evite next week. It is still an excellent idea for you to send a personal invitation and follow-up from your District.
Reminder – We Have a New Farm Bureau Insurance Agent. Please note the new contact for questions regarding our insurance is: Jack Gaff, 919 S. Detroit St., PO Box 146, LaGrange, IN, 46761, Ph: 260-463-7184, Fax: 866-772-2954, Email: Jack.Gaff@infarmbureau.com.
Happy New Year!
Jennifer
Start the New Year Off Right at the Indiana Statehouse
Register for Conservation Day NOW and make your New Year's Resolution to get more involved in the legislative process in Indiana!
Conservation Day at the Statehouse is next Thursday, January 10, 2008. By attending Conservation Day at the Statehouse you are showing our state legislators that you are a voter that cares about the natural resources in our state! The more people who attend the greater the impact we will have for conservation issues. Even better, we would love for you to get a group of folks together and carpool to the statehouse. Encourage your co-workers, friends and family to come. Registration is easy, click here. You won't want to miss one of the biggest conservation events in the state!
New Award Develops Producer Tool for Improving Air Quality
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service recently awarded a grant to 11 universities to develop a National Air Quality Site Assessment Tool that will enable livestock producers to make decisions about how best to reduce air quality concerns.
The result of the two-year project will be a tool that allows a producer to walk through their own site and determine where a mitigation practice can have the greatest impact on air quality. Producers will be able to select a gas of interest or odor as their primary reduction objective and from there decide where to implement a mitigation strategy as well as estimate the benefit of any strategy considered. Following development this multi species tool will be available to all producers who are considering a new operation, an expansion, or just want to reduce emissions from their existing operation.
States involved in the project include California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas. Each state solicited partnerships from other state resources, primarily livestock groups, and will have a representative from the state NRCS office involved in the project. In addition, a national NRCS technical contact will be assisting the team in development of the final product.
Team members will be helping to test the tool for use in swine, dairy, beef, turkey, broiler, and laying hen operations. Following development, the team anticipates field testing the tool during the summer of 2008. Here in Indiana, Shannon Zezula is the state contact for this Conservation Innovation Grant.
Click here for the recent USDA announcement on Fiscal Year 2008 Sign-up for Up to $20 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants.
Grazing Management Guide Offers a Lot to Chew On
There's more to grazing livestock than just turning animals loose on acres of grass. Successful grazers carefully plan where, when and how long their livestock feed themselves, and a Purdue University Extension publication shows the way.
"Management-Intensive Grazing in Indiana" (Purdue Extension publication AY-328) covers the decision-making processes and physical components of grazing systems, as well as providing firsthand experiences from livestock producers. Click here for the full story >>.
The publication is $7.50 plus tax and shipping, and can be ordered by calling 888.EXT.INFO (398.4636) or visiting the Purdue Extension Education Store online. A 60-page downloadable PDF version is available by clicking here.
Job Positions Open in the Natural Resources Arena
IDEM NPS/TMDL Position Open
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) seeks an environmental scientist / Nonpoint Source Project Manager within the NPS/TMDL Section of the Office of Water Quality Watershed Branch. The person in this position reports to the Section Chief and Team Leader, and is responsible for managing projects related to Nonpoint Source pollution. Major job duties include grant project management, correspondence and presentations, assistance with development of project proposals, and conduct outreach and education on nonpoint source pollution issues. Click here for the complete job description. The deadline to apply for the position is January 10. Click here to start your State of Indiana job application process. When prompted to search for open positions, type “nonpoint” (no quotes) in the Basic Search or type Job ID Number 552843 in the Advanced Search.
INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
President: Jim Droege, Posey Co.
Vice President: Paula Baldwin, Marion Co.
Secretary: Jon Roberts: Kosciusko Co.
Treasurer: Jeff Meinders, Ripley Co.
REGION DIRECTORS:
Board Roster / Region Map
North-Northwest: Larry Strole, Newton Co.
South-Northwest: Kenny Cain, Montgomery Co.
North-Northeast: Lyle Burtsfield, Elkhart Co.
South-Northeast: Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co.
North-Southwest: Charley Hendricks, Vigo Co.
South-Southwest: Ray McCormick, Knox Co.
North-Southeast: Brad Dawson, Dearborn Co.
South-Southeast: Brad Ponsler, Jennings Co.
IASWCD STAFF:
Executive Director: Jennifer Boyle, 317.692.7519
Watershed Information Specialist: Elizabeth Trybula, 317.692.7514
Communications Manager: DeeDee Sigler, 317.692.7374 |
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