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In This Week’s Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
Telling the District Story. Take time to read our newest addition to the Telling the District Story Web pages >>click here. It highlights five SWCDs who partnered on District tree sales very successfully. As the title says: “Tree sales boost educational funds, promotes conservation.” Hats off to the Adams, Allen, Elkhart, Kosciusko and Noble County SWCDs! You’ll find all our Telling the District Story features here.
Congratulations to Our DNR Partners. The IDNR Division of Fish and Wildlife recently honored top employees for 2008. Among those recognized were Angie Tilton and Mary Hayes who won team of the year. Angie is the Project WET coordinator and Mary is the Project WILD coordinator. The team plays an important role in providing educational material about natural resources to teachers in Indiana. Congratulations. We’re proud of you!
Reminder: SWCD Directory. Please help us update the SWCD directory by filling out the SWCD Directory Form. We have gone low-tech this year; so fill it out in Word and feel free to email it back to jaclyn-casale@iaswcd.org or fax it to us at 317.423.0756. Once we have all the updates, we will email the directory out to all the offices. Again, any time during the year, you are welcome to ask us for an updated file. We continuously make updates as we receive them throughout the year. Thanks for your help! >>Click here to download the form.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
Watershed Moment
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Annual MS4 Meeting – SWCDs Encouraged to Attend
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the MS4 Partners invite Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts to attend the 2009 Indiana MS4 Annual Meeting to be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the Hamilton County 4-H Conference Center in Noblesville, Indiana.
This year’s agenda will include:
- Keynote address by the Mayor of Noblesville
- Special presentation by the City of Toledo, Ohio – “Lessons Learned From Toledo’s MS4 Audit”
- Compliance and Enforcement for Permittees - IDEM
- Rule 13 Permit Evaluation Status
- MS4 Program Management – Funding and Fees
- Storm Water and Ground Water – Source Water Protection – US EPA & IDEM
- Illicit Discharge and Post Construction BMPs – Expectations for 2011 - IDEM
- Water Monitoring – New Guidelines IDEM
- Anti Degradation Rule Making and EPA’s Effluent Limitation Proposal
- Recognition of MS4s that have completed the Rule 13 Permit Evaluation
Early bird registration for the day is $35.00 per person and includes continental breakfast, lunch, and two breaks. Registrations received after April 1st will be charged an additional $10. The Annual Meeting registration, letter of invitation, and agenda can be found on the INAFSM website here>>
Planning an Indiana Rivers Rally for 2010
If you have interest in planning a statewide Rivers Rally, the first meeting will be held Monday, March 23rd from 9:00AM-12:30PM at the downtown Indiana Farm Bureau Building (map available online here>>). A draft agenda for this meeting is available online here>>. If you are interested in attending, please send a quick confirmation email by clicking here.
USDA Offers Stimulus Dollars to Help Farmers with Flood-Damaged Land
The USDA announced Monday that a portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package) is being offered to farmers whose fields have had flood damages. The damages could have happened last June, or could be in fields that have a recurring flood problem. Land qualifies if it has been flooded at least once in the past 12 months, or twice in the past 10 years.
“This has come up pretty fast, and we want to allocate the money quickly so it can help put people to work,” says Jane Hardisty, state conservationist for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). “Nationally we have $145 million available, and we see this as an opportunity to offer lump-sum payments to farmers who have flooding problems, and to help stimulate the economy in communities all over Indiana. In fact, we announced a sign-up period beginning, Monday, March 9, to Friday, March 27.”
Floodplain easements can benefit landowners who continually fight flooding on cropland. For example, on a 100-acre crop field in Owen County that floods one out of every three years, even with crop insurance a farmer is estimated to be losing approximately $5,000 in revenue annually (taking costs of planting, production and field preparation due to flood damage into consideration). If that land is enrolled in the Floodplain Easement Program, the landowner would receive a one-time payment of $215,000 for the 100 acres of cropland. Instead of losing an average of $5,000 per year on this land, the landowner now has $215,000 to apply to farming operations in other areas less susceptible to flooding.
Easement compensation is based on a cap set for each county, and the land is valued either as agricultural land or non-agricultural land. Agricultural land county caps range from $2,019 per acre, to $4,687 per acre. Non-agricultural land ranges from $1,004 to $2,819. Actual rates for each county can be found online.
“We have seen places here in Indiana where flooding losses happen frequently enough, and productivity is low enough that they are not worth the investment it takes to continue to farm them,” says Hardisty. “And the Floodplain Easement dollars would allow farmers to move their operations to more suitable land.”
Lands put into the Floodplain Easement Program will generate many public benefits, such as increased flood protection, enhanced fish and wildlife habitat, improved water quality, and a reduced need for future public disaster assistance. Other benefits include reduced energy consumption when certain agricultural activities and practices are eliminated and increased carbon sequestration as permanent vegetative cover is re-established.
The easements that NRCS buys from participants are permanent easements, and they stay with the property if it is sold. The payment is a one-time payment. If restoration work is done on a site, NRCS can pay for 100% of the costs. More information about the Floodplain Easement Program can be found online
Interested landowners can get more information and apply by visiting NRCS at the local USDA Service Center. USDA Service Center locations can be found online >>click here.
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To SWCD Staff and Supervisors in Counties Along the Wabash River:
Allen, Carroll, Cass, Fountain, Gibson, Huntington, Knox, Miami, Parke, Posey, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and Whitley County SWCDs
The Nature Conservancy (TNC), NRCS and the IASWCD are partnering in an effort to get the word out about Floodplain Easement Program dollars available through the stimulus package. Because these funds are only available during a short three week sign-up, and projects will compete on a national level, we are asking for staff and supervisors help in these 17 Districts in getting the word out to landowners along the Wabash River. The counties are: Allen, Carroll, Cass, Fountain, Gibson, Huntington, Knox, Miami, Parke, Posey, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren and Whitley.
TNC is willing to provide to the SWCDs along the Wabash River a flat rate of $.80 per letter sent up to $300 per District to cover mailing expenses to contact all landowners along the Wabash River that have land potentially eligible for the Floodplain Easement Program. This is meant to help cover postage, printing, envelopes and SWCD letterhead costs. This is available for Districts that respond quickly to NRCS needs; so this mailing needs to be completed by your SWCD by Monday, March 16th, 2009.
>>Click here for the sample letter and >>Fact Sheet that can be used for the mailing. A list of Geographic Area Rate Caps (GARCs) also is available >>click here so you can insert the appropriate easement compensation amounts for your county. If you are able to assist in this effort, once you have completed the mailing please send an invoice describing the number of letters sent multiplied by $.80 to Beth Warner at TNC by Monday, March 30, 2009 at: The Nature Conservancy, Indiana Field Office, 1505 N. Delaware St., #200, Indianapolis, IN 46202. Thank you for your help in this effort!
 Reminder: Stewardship Week 2009
The 2009 National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Stewardship theme is: “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil.” Stewardship Week will be officially celebrated April 26 to May 3, 2009. This year, the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) is challenging Districts to dig a hole and plant a tree during Stewardship Week in memory of NACD’s past president Olin Sims. >> Click here to read the information sent out Feb. 24 on the Association’s proposal to SWCDs to dig a hole/plant a tree and celebrate Stewardship Week 2009! If you have any questions, contact DeeDee. We’d like to see all SWCDs involved this year!
Reminder: Districts Volunteers needed for Pathway to Water Quality Cart Activities at the 2009 Indiana State Fair
 The Pathway to Water Quality committee is still looking for SWCDs to showcase interactive outreach activities/presentations during the 2009 Indiana State Fair in the education area of the exhibit. The Indiana State Fair runs from August 7 – 23, 2009: 17 days this year. We currently have five of the 17 days filled. Topics and or activities your District might cover are: Soil profiles – soil survey, GIS-GPS, Rain Gardens, Backyard Conservation, Water, Well capping, Forestry, Tree Planting, Septic systems, Pervious concrete, Stormwater, River Clean ups and other conservation related topics.
Volunteer Groups would provide staffing of the activity cart and supplies needed. The time you will need to be at the pathway is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Groups can decide shift times of their volunteers during 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. time frame. Groups can start earlier or stay later during their volunteer day if they wish. Pathway will provide the cart for the activity and assistance loading and unloading.
You may sign up for one or more days. All expenses to and from site are the volunteer groups responsibility. State fair entrance tickets will be provided for all volunteers whose names are supplied by July 15th. Days available are on a first come-first serve basis. Dates available are: August 7; 10; 11;12; 13; 15; 17; 18; 19; 20; 22; and 23rd. Contact Susan Schultz at sms@hrtc.net or call 317.326.2952 with any questions (out of office Jan 30 to Feb 5).
Go Green On St. Patrick’s Day With A Green Energy Program
A green energy program that will focus on alternative energy technologies and their impact on rural communities will be held March 17 in Covington, Ind. (Vermillion County).
“This program, designed specifically for farmers, rural landowners and businesses, will help producers understand how they can benefit from renewable energy,” said Chad Martin, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service renewable energy specialist. “These developments are going to have profound impacts on the community and it's all about opportunity and taking advantage of it.”
Martin, one of the program speakers, will discuss the importance of improving energy efficiency. He also will highlight a Purdue program designed to help farmers with grain drying and how those systems can be audited on their energy consumption. “We want participants to walk away knowing the areas of their operation that consume the most energy and how those areas can be improved,” Martin said.
Going Green: Alternative & Renewable Resources for Farm, Business and Home will be held from 5 p.m.-8 p.m., with registration beginning at 4:30 p.m., at the Beef House Restaurant. Registration is $20 per person, which includes dinner and program materials, and is due by this Friday, March 13. To register, contact Kelly Pearson at 765-762-3231, or >> click here to visit the online registration.
Topics and speakers include:
- An overview of what’s happening with wind energy and implications for farms and rural landowners, Martin.
- Current solar energy technology and implications for farms and rural landowners, Ted Funk, University of Illinois Extension specialist of bioenvironmental engineering.
- Dinner discussion highlighting what farmers, rural landowners and businesses need to know about energy.
- Nuts and bolts of farm energy audits and renewable energy grants for farm improvements and upgrades, Martin.
For more information, contact Pearson at 765-762-3231, or Mark Spelbring at 765-569-3176. The Beef House Restaurant is located at 16501 N. State Road 63 in Covington. Purdue Extension and the University of Illinois Extension sponsor the green energy program.
Native Plant Sale and Auction
With spring fast approaching, passionate gardeners and naturalists are poised to start preparing the soil, weeding, planting, edging and planning excursions to Indiana woodlands full of spring wildflowers.
Springtime also means time for the annual Native Plant Sale and Auction, sponsored by the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society (INPAWS). The plant and book sale will be on Saturday, May 9th from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with the auction beginning at 11:15 a.m. This event will be held at Trinity/St. Richard’s Church & School in Indianapolis. Proceeds from the sale support the INPAWS mission of preserving Indiana’s rich botanical heritage and educating the public about native plants. There’s something for everyone at this year’s event:
For newcomers, this is the perfect introduction to new plants and new friends. Whether you are starting your native plant garden or wanting to add more native plants to your yard, the plant sale is a great place to find native plants not readily available at garden centers. Woodland, prairie, wetland plants, trees and shrubs will be sold, as well as books about native plants and wildflowers. The sale offers a wonderful opportunity to share information and camaraderie with other native plant enthusiasts.
Veteran native plant enthusiasts will enjoy the entertaining banter at the auction. The bidding is accompanied by the knowledgeable comments of such native plant experts as Kevin Tungesvick, Hillary Cox and Sue Nord Peiffer. Because the plants being auctioned change every year, the discussion is always informative.
New this year, special incentives will be offered to people driving into Indianapolis from the counties from beyond those contiguous to Marion County, and to people who carpool to the event. Contact Wendy Ford at 317.334-1932 with any questions.
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