Upcoming Workshops, Seminars
Upcoming Dates / Utility Board Training / Locations around Indiana Click here for dates and locations of the 3-part series of trainings for water and wastewater board members, operators, town clerks and managers. Sponsored by the Alliance of IN Rural Water.
Apr. 9 / Pond Management Workshop / Lawrenceburg This event has been cancelled! More information on this event can be found by clicking here.
Apr. 13 / Landscaping for Water Quality / Portage Click here for more information and to register for this event.
Apr. 14 / State Soil Board Conservation Meeting / Indianapolis Read about this in the Weekly Update by clicking here.
Apr. 16 / Exploring Environmental Issues: Places We Live / Bloomington
Hoosier Heartland RC&D will be hosting this workshop developed to help create a bond between citizens and their com-munities. Registration and information can be found on the brochure by clicking here.
Apr. 17-18 / Project WET and WILD / Morocco Click here to read about this event in the Weekly Update
Apr. 19 / Earth Day River Cleaning / Fort Wayne Save Maumee Grassroots Organization will be celebrating Earth Day by collecting trash and educating about the condition of the 3 Rivers. Location and event details can be found by clicking here.
April 22-24, 2009 / Celebrate the Good Earth Festival / Indianapolis The State’s Largest Classroom at the Indiana State Fairgrounds will host this festival, as well as tours for school children this fall.
>> Click here for more information. Call 317.927.7585 for more information about the field trips.
Apr. 23 / MS4 Annual Meeting / Noblesville Read about this in a past Weekly Update by clicking here.
Apr. 25 / Combined Project WET and GoFishIN Workshop / Indianapolis
Training in this workshop will cover both Project WET and GoFishIN with participants receiving curriculum guides for each. This is a free workshop though pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the Natural Resources Education Center at (317)562-1338 or nrec@dnr.in.gov.
May 9 / Native Plant Sale and Auction / Indianapolis Read more about this event in the Weekly Update by clicking here.
May 12 / Backyard Conservation Workshop / Zionsville Trained experts will discuss how to provide food, water and shelter for wildlife on your property. Topics will include native prairie planting, backyard wildlife ponds, rain gardens and barrels, bird and butterfly gardens as well as native tree and shrub plantings. Click here for registration and more information
May 15 / 2009 Indiana Environmental Health Summit: Water Quality and Human Health in Indiana / Indianapolis
This summit will have keynote speakers covering the health implications of microbial contamination, how pharmaceutical use is impacting water and Indiana's challenges to water quality. The agenda for the day and registration information can be found by clicking here.
May 16 / Hoosier Riverwatch Training / Hazleton Gibson County SWCD will be hosting this training session at the Hazleton Community Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Indiana. For more information or to sign up, contact Ann Ice at 812.385.5033 ext. 110.
June 25 / Indiana Prime Farmland-Soils Team Mine Reclamation Field Day / Cannelburg Will be held at the Solar Sources Mine. More information, as well as a definite confirmation of both the date and location, will be sent as soon as details are completed. So, save the date for this event that is held every two years to inform SWCD, partners, local officials and the general public about the latest updates on techniques for farming and reclaiming coal-mined soils in Indiana.
June 27 / Northern Indiana Lakes Festival / Warsaw The Northern Indiana Lakes Festival will make a splash in local awareness and appreciation for Indiana lakes through education, experience, and celebration of these precious resources. More information can be found by clicking here
July 11-15 / Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Annual Conference / Dearborn, MI >> Click here for details
IASWCD wants to encourage all District employees to utilize the great features of the USDA AgLearn Web site. AgLearn contains a vast collection of great information that can help District employees learn new skills, stay up-to-date in technology advances and more! This can be a great resource for Districts. Instructions on creating an AgLearn account can be found by clicking here.
Publications Links
Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
OFFICERS:
President: Paula Baldwin, Marion Co.
Vice President: Ray McCormick: Knox Co.
Secretary: Jeff Meinders, Ripley Co.
Treasurer: Brian Campbell, Elkhart Co.
REGION DIRECTORS:
Board Roster / Region Map
North-Northwest: Larry Strole, Newton Co.
South-Northwest: Kenny Cain, Montgomery Co.
North-Northeast: Tom Crowe, Allen Co.
South-Northeast: Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co.
North-Southwest: Bob Weaver, Johnson Co.
South-Southwest: Alan Weyer, Dubois 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
Project Assistant: Jaclyn Casale, 317.692.7325 |
For the Week of April 6 - April 10, 2009 |
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In This Week’s Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
Join Us April 27 to Celebrate Stewardship Week. The IASWCD is pleased to invite you to join us as we celebrate conservation stewardship here at the state headquarters on Monday, April 27! Our celebration starts at 9:15 a.m. (EDT) outside in the grassy area south of the Indiana Farm Bureau building off of Louisiana Street (rain location is Hall D on the first floor of the building).
We will dedicate a tree in the memory of Olin Sims, a past NACD president who died unexpectedly in December 2007. Olin was a visionary conservationist and leader on the local, state and national scene. As a living legacy to Olin, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) initiated a program to plant trees honoring Olin’s memory and legacy. We are honored to do so here in Indianapolis since the Association hosted Olin and the NACD board in July 2007 just six months before he died. Join us and representatives from the Indiana Conservation Partnership on Monday, April 27, at 9:15 a.m. EDT.
District Exchange. The Putnam County SWCD is researching the possibility of hiring a soil technician for Putnam County SWCD. If you have information on job descriptions, salary, hours, contracted or otherwise, etc. would you share it with Sue Crafton, executive director, at sue.crafton@in.nacdnet.net
SSCB Meeting. The State Soil Conservation Board will meet on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 9 a.m. at the Indiana Government Center South (IGCS), Conference Room 2, 302 West Washington Street, Indianapolis.
District News. Hamilton County SWCD is now on the county email system. New staff email addresses are:
Job Positions Available.
- Click here to read about two positions the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts is seeking: one (1) full time Technical Coordinator and one (1) part time Program Coordinator or the equivalent in contractual services to carry out the Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative (CCSI).
- IDNR Hoosier Riverwatch and GoFishIN are looking to hire a part-time employee to provide administrative to support for the Hoosier Riverwatch and GoFishIN. For information on how to apply click here.
Reminder: River Friendly Farmer 2009. As a Soil and Water Conservation District, you may nominate up to two farmers from your county for the 2009 River Friendly Farmer Award. Nominations are due to our office by June 16, 2009. River Friendly Farmer Award winners will be honored at the Indiana State Fair in a statewide ceremony on August 19.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
President Obama Selects NACD CEO for USDA Assistant Secretary Post
Last week President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Chief Executive Officer Krysta Harden for USDA Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Harden has served as NACD CEO since March 2004. In the new role, Harden would serve with Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and would be responsible for coordinating legislative affairs and intergovernmental relations.
NACD President Steve Robinson congratulated Harden on the selection and thanked her for her service to NACD. Robinson recognized Harden’s efforts to maintain a credible, consistent reputation for conservation districts on Capitol Hill. He also acknowledged Krysta’s ability to understand how decisions at the national level affect conservation districts and their landowner customers at the local level. Click here to read Robinson’s full statement.
The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. Krysta will continue to lead NACD in the weeks to come until the U.S. Senate holds her confirmation hearing.
Clean Water Indiana Legislative Update on HB 1204
HB 1204, which clarifies that the Clean Water Indiana (CWI) Fund does not revert to any fund at the end of the fiscal year, passed the Senate 50-0 last week. The bill is now ready for the governor to sign and become part of the CWI law. Soil and Water Conservation Districts should remember to thank their state legislators for voting for passage of this bill. This was important language clarification so that CWI funds could be available for their intended purposes.
Special thanks go to bill sponsors Representatives Bob Bischoff and Dave Cheatom for all of their hard work and support for this legislation. Other House sponsors included Representatives Bill Friend and Nancy Michael. Senate sponsors included Senators Dennis Kruse, Robert Deig, James Lewis, Richard Young, Brent Steele, Tim Skinner, Marlin Stutzman, Lindel Hume, Jean Breaux and Sue Landske.
We also sincerely appreciate the work done by Brad Dawson, Dearborn County SWCD Supervisor, and the IASWCD North-Southeast Region Director, who testified in the Indiana House and Senate on behalf of this bill. Brad shares the responsibility of chairing the IASWCD Legislative Committee with Ray Chattin, Knox County associate supervisor.
Watershed Moment
USDA's Most Popular Online Courses of 2008
The results are finally in! The top online courses that USDA employees chose in 2008 are listed below and are able to be added to your learning plan by clicking on the links below.
AgLearn registration can be completed online >click here.
The U.S. Forest Service Tree Owner's Manual is Available!
Landscape trees are dying prematurely. In many cases, this is because the correct care is not given at the time of planting and throughout the tree’s life. To help remedy this issue, the U.S. Forest Service has created a Tree Owner’s Manual. Just like the manual that comes with automobiles and appliances, this booklet includes a parts diagram, instructions for installation, tips for troubleshooting, and more. And like other manuals, hopefully it will be kept in a familiar spot and used as a reference over the course of the tree’s life.
Visit www.treeownersmanual.info to download a copy and get more information. Feel free to make as many copies as you like and post the link or file on website. As a small, black-and-white booklet, it should be very inexpensive to reproduce.
If you would like your logo on the front, please email Jill Johnson, Coordinator for Midwest Center for Urban and Community Forestry, and provide your address and a .jpg or .tif file. The logo should either be black-and-white or able to be photocopied (light colors like yellow do not photocopy well). If in doubt, print the logo and test it on a photocopy machine. A graphic designer will add the logo to the cover and provide a hard copy printout of the customized version as well as a CD with a print-ready PDF file.
2009 ISDA Photo Contest Underway State Wide
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is proud to announce the 2009 Indiana State Department of Agriculture Photo Contest. Contest winners will have their winning photographs framed and featured in the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Photo Gallery exhibit at a venue to be announced in the fall of 2009.
"Agriculture has an important story to tell both in the role it plays in our state's economy and in the contribution it makes to the landscape and culture of rural Indiana," said Anne Hazlett, Indiana Agriculture Director. "These photos are an important tool for putting a face on that story."
Because of the overwhelming response in 2008, the contest has been expanded to the following categories:
- Conservation on the land
- Water uses and impacts
- Faces of Conservation & Agriculture
- On the farm
- Indiana agritourism
A list of guidelines and the entry form can be found at http://www.in.gov/isda/2497.htm.
Last year’s winners of the contest included SWCDs from Benton County, LaGrange County, Monroe County and Warrick County. A gallery of the photos from the 2008 Photo Contest can be found at http://www.in.gov/isda/2460.htm.
New Online DNR Photo Gallery Serves Public and Media
The Department of Natural Resources has launched a new online digital photo gallery of popular images as a service to the public and the news media. The gallery images can be accessed at by >clicking here and includes attractive shots of Indiana nature scenes, wildlife, people in outdoor activities, some state-endangered species and bald eagles. The gallery will be updated periodically with fresh images.
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