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For the Week of April 28-May 2, 2008
In This Week's Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
Lake & River Enhancement Program Article.
The new issue of Outdoor Indiana features the article Clearing the Waters- 20 years of Lake and River Enhancement. Long time DNR writer (and former SWCD staffer) Michael Ellis worked with several LARE staff to craft the article. It also features some of the outstanding photography of DNR photographer Rich Fields who is leaving DNR to work for DePauw University this week. More information on the LARE program can be found at their new Web site http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/7032.htm.
Thanks to those Districts who have paid 2008 IASWCD Dues. A special thanks to Districts who have supported the IASWCD with payment of their 2008 dues: Blackford, Cass, Fayette, Fountain, Franklin, Gibson, Green, Hamilton, Harrison, Knox, Jennings, LaGrange, Miami, Posey, Scott, St. Joseph, Tipton, Vigo and Whitley. Please take the time to read over the important information in the dues brochure on how your dues support SWCD activities in the state.
2008 IASWCD Award Information
Master Farm Conservationist and Conservation Farmer of the Year Awards. Applications for the 2008 Master Farm Conservationist and Conservation Farmer of the Year are available online - click here. There are a few changes to the awards so read the applications carefully (new information is in bold). Applications are due to the IASWCD July 15, 2008. If you have any questions, please let me know.
River Friendly Farmer. Applications for the 2008 River Friendly Farmer Award are available online. They are due to the state IASWCD office by Monday, June 16, 2008. Each county Soil and Water Conservation District may nominate up to two farmers from their county for the River Friendly Farmer Award annually. Thanks to White County who has already sent a nomination in to the state office!
Reminder: Updating Contact Information. An email was sent on last week containing the 2008 SWCD contact information. If you haven’t already, please review the information for your District carefully and contact Jaclyn Casale with the updated information by May 7. She can be reached by email or at 317.692.7325.
Reminder: NACD Membership. Your annual NACD membership is due. It is important to support the national association as well. If you did not receive your letter and invoice, please email Naomi Watson, NACD, at Naomi-watson@nacdnet.net.
Reminder: 2009 Annual Conference – Call for Abstracts. A Call for Abstracts has been distributed to generate renewed interest and expand our pool of speakers for the 2009 Annual Conference for Indiana SWCDs. The deadline to submit an abstract approaches . . . May 16, 2008.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
New ID Cards: LincPass
Important Information for SWCD Staff in Service Centers
Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards are part of the entire Federal Government’s move toward compliance with the President’s Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, commonly known as HSPD-12. USDA is calling their card the LincPass, and it will be required for all USDA employees and partners working on common computing environment (CCE) computers by October 2009, and everyone needing unescorted access to USDA Service Centers by October 2011.
Phase I of implementing LincPass PIV cards will be issuing cards to all USDA employees and partners using laptops in the common computing environment (CCE). Phase II will be issuing cards to all CCE desktop users. The LincPass will be used to log on to CCE computers through a card reader installed on your computer.
The process for obtaining a LincPass PIV card will be:
- You will receive an e-mail to make an appointment online at an enrollment station. Employees and partners must have a background investigation on record to obtain a card.
- At the appointment fingerprints will be scanned, a digital photo will be taken, and two forms of ID (one government issued) will be scanned.
- Cards are issued at a central location and mailed to enrollment stations. In about two weeks you will be notified by email that you can pick up your card, no appointment necessary.
- Return to enrollment station to obtain card with one form of ID, and activate card with a 6-8 digit pin number.
Enrollment stations are available at the FSA State Office in Indianapolis, and in surrounding states. When you receive an email to make an appointment, a choice of enrollment stations near your duty station will be provided.
Anyone with an eAuthentication Level Two User ID and password can login at http://lincpass.usda.gov for the latest information about HSPD-12 at USDA. A presentation about how the process will work is available at http://hspd12.usda.gov/Documents/EmpTownHallPres_v10.pdf.
Indiana Farmers Changing to No-Till
Data from the 2007 Indiana Cropland Tillage Transect Survey has been tallied and shows more Hoosier farmers are shifting to no-till farming. Final results indicate that no-till corn jumped from 19% in 2004 to 27% in 2007. No-till soybeans went from 61% in 2004 to 69% in 2007. Estimated soil loss reduction from the increase in no-till systems alone is more than one million tons annually in Indiana.
“Thanks to our many partners across Indiana who participated in the survey, we now have an accurate assessment of how we are managing our farms and protecting our natural resources,” said Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. “This information will help us continue Indiana’s progress in conservation tillage.”
“No-till and strip-till farming can have a huge impact on controlling erosion and building organic matter,” said Barry Fisher, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state agronomist and former Indiana Conservation Tillage Initiative Coordinator. “The survey confirmed for us that farmers are willing to make changes and adopt new management systems if we put technical support and program support within their reach. The transects show more no-till adoption in areas where the local Conservation Partnership staffs have made assistance and information available through no-till workshops, field days, EQIP, and partnerships and grants in watershed efforts like the St. Joseph watershed in the northeast, Sand Creek watershed in the southeast, Upper Eel River watershed in the southwest, and Tippecanoe watershed in the northwest.”
By compiling the tillage data, the Indiana Conservation Partnership can tell how much progress is being made in adoption of Conservation Tillage systems, and where further adoption can help protect soil and water resources. Conservation tillage is not just no-till, but includes any system that leaves 30% or more residue coverage on the soil surface in crop fields when measured in the spring before planting.
“These are significant changes,” says NRCS State Conservationist Jane Hardisty. “In the short term, reducing soil erosion by a million tons is making the water cleaner in our lakes, streams and rivers. That water is used by people for drinking and recreation. It also affects aquatic habitats here in Indiana, and every place it touches all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. In the long term, the change adds names to an ever-increasing list of farmers who are saving time, saving energy, and saving money. At the same time they improve soil and water resources in their communities and beyond.”
>>Click here for the rest of the story
>>Click here for the data compiled
by the DSC-ISDA
Hats Off to Hoosier Heartland's Rural Entrepreneur Network!
Hoosier Heartland RC&D's Rural Entrepreneur Network is in its third year of existence. The main objective of this program is to help farm families and rural entrepreneurs find ways to stay on their farm and keep their community strong by starting or enhancing a small business. Rural Entrepreneur Director Jim Roudebush provides a series of educational workshops to both adults and youth. He also provides one-on-one counseling sessions. In addition, the program provides a support and networking group called FRED (Future Rural Entrepreneur Development).
Hoosier Heartland RC&D is currently working with a grant from the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Development (ORCA) which allowed them to expand the Rural Entrepreneur Network into 20 counties outside of the Hoosier Heartland area of Boone, Brown, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby counties. ORCA also is promoting the project statewide among their other grant recipients as a way to carry out their educational requirements in their grant agreements.
HHRC&D also is working with Purdue Extension to go after major funding which will allow the council to take the program to even more counties, possibly statewide. SWCDs and Extension offices are the primary contacts as they go into a new county, although they receive calls from Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations as well. They still want to remain as closely tied to SWCDs as possible.
Click here to read the latest issue of the Rural Entrepreneur Network newsletter. If you have questions about this great program, contact the Hoosier Heartland RC&D at 317.290.3250 or hhrcd@hhrcd.org.
Telling the District Story
Hamilton County Homeowners Learn to Naturalize Their Neighborhoods with Backyard Conservation!
Numerous Hamilton County residents attended the Backyard Conservation workshop sponsored by the Hamilton County SWCD on April 26. The Saturday morning event, held at the Lake Forest Subdivision in Carmel, featured a tour of the neighborhood’s five-acre arboretum which was filled with towering trees, blooming wildflowers, fragrant shrubs and chirping birds.
The event also showcased a native pond edge enhancement system – a variety of grasses and wildflowers planted along the neighborhood retention pond’s shoreline. These plants reduce bank erosion and water pollution, deter nuisance Canada geese, and offer wildlife habitat, all while providing a colorful display of blooms during the growing season. Lastly, participants learned how to work with utilities, including easements and rights-of-way, which is increasingly important in our urban areas. Attendees became familiar with the Backyard Conservation Program, through which the Hamilton County SWCD promotes small changes in the way homeowners manage their backyards. By mulching, composting, landscaping with native plants, planting trees, or installing native pond shoreline vegetation, residents can drastically improve the quality of our environment – the air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat it provides.
The Backyard Conservation Program provides educational, technical, and financial assistance to landowners in Hamilton County. Whether your backyard is measured in square feet or acres – there is something you can do to promote conservation! Lake Forest Subdivision (located on the north side of 116th Street just west of Hazel del Parkway) and Cool Creek Park’s Greenhouse (located on the north side of 151st Street just east of Highway 31) are two demonstration sites that you are welcome to visit at any time. Check the SWCD’s Web site or call their office (317.773.2181 ext. 107) for further information on workshops, demonstration sites, or to schedule your personal, free, backyard consultation!
>>Click here for the story with photos.
Plugging Abandoned Wells
The Clinton County SWCD and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service of Clinton County is sponsoring a Well Plugging & Capping Demonstration Workshop on Thursday May 1 at 6 p.m.
 The program will be held at an abandoned well on County Road 1100 East between County Roads 0 N-S and County Road 100 North on the North side of Scircleville. Purdue University Extension Water Quality Coordinator Dr. Jane Frankenberger will be on hand to discuss the risks abandoned wells pose to the water supply as well as the benefits of plugging and capping a well. Mark Basch from the IDNR Water Quality Division will speak about the legal aspects of plugging a well and Ortman Drilling and Water Services will provide a demonstration on how to properly plug a well.
Abandoned water wells provide a direct conduit to groundwater, which is where virtually all Clinton County homes receive their drinking water from. These wells present a potentially serious threat to ground water quality and in some cases may present a physical safety hazard where a child or pet may fall into a well. Plugging an abandoned well can eliminate these risks on your property.
This program serves as the kick-off for an Abandoned Well Plugging Cost-Share Program. The Clinton County SWCD was recently awarded a Clean Water Indiana grant from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture which will enable the District to provide cost-share funds to assist rural landowners with plugging abandoned wells. The details for this cost-share program have not yet been finalized however additional information will be available at this program. The event is tomorrow and it will be a great learning experience with a lot of valuable information and is worth attending. For additional information about this workshop, please contact Leah Harden, Clinton County SWCD, 765.659.1223, ext 3, or Curt Emanuel, Clinton County Extension Office, 765.659.6380 or 296.3511. To inquire about the Cost-Share program, please contact Leah Harden.
INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION Districts
OFFICERS:
President: Jim Droege, Posey Co.
Vice President: Paula Baldwin, Marion Co.
Secretary: Ray McCormick: Knox 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: Tom Crowe, Allen Co.
South-Northeast: Bobby Hettmansperger, Wabash Co.
North-Southwest: Bob Weaver, Johnson Co.
South-Southwest: Ray Chattin, 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
Project Manager: Jaclyn Casale, 317.692.7325 |
