Lane County. Conservation District. April 29th May 31st, Funding for the July 2013 June 2014 Fiscal Year

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1 701 W. JAMES, DIGHTON, KS (620) X Lane County LCCD Board of Supervisors Steve Heath: Chairman James Johnston: Vice-Chairman Arron Von Schriltz: Treasurer Jim Bennett: Member Brent Moomaw: Member Advisor: Aaron Paris LCCD Staff Ann Marie Jennings: District Manager NRCS Staff Darrel Beougher: District Conservationist Leon Scheck: Soil Conservation Technician Inside this issue: Cost-Share Sign-up Period 1 Tree Orders 2 Agroforestry Field Day Stewardship Week CRP Sign-up LCCD Services Kansas Range Youth Camp NRCS: LPCI Sign-up NRCS: Water Quantity & Drought Assistance NRCS: Drought Recovery Assistance Conservation District April 2013 Edition Cost-Share Sign-up Period : April 29th May 31st, 2013 Funding for the July 2013 June 2014 Fiscal Year Funding is provided by the Division of Conservation, Department of Agriculture through appropriation from the Kansas Water Plan Fund. Producers with natural resource concerns on their property are encouraged to visit the Conservation District to discuss the possibility of receiving State financial assistance. Available Cost-Share Practices: Critical Area Grass Planting Cross-Fencing Grassed Waterway or Outlet Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment or Renovation Drip Irrigation & Weed Barrier for new or renovated windbreaks Tree/Shrub Establishment Flat Channel, Gradient, and Level Terraces Diversions Terrace Restoration of Flat Channel, Gradient, and Level Terraces Livestock Pipeline Prescribed Grazing Solar Panels & Pumps, Submersible Pumps & Pump jacks for livestock watering systems Livestock water wells and tanks Abandoned well plugging Spring Development On-Site Wastewater System Elimination of Abandoned On-Site Wastewater Systems Embankment Ponds

2 Page 2 Lane County Conservation District Don t Forget to Order Your Trees & Shrubs Contact the Lane County Conservation District Orders accepted through May 1st Bare-root or container-grown seedlings available If planting New Windbreaks (visit with NRCS to assist with the design, then order trees through the district) Call x 106 or stop by the Office

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4 Page 4 Stewardship Week Lane County Conservation District As a part of the Lane County Community, the Lane County Conservation District (LCCD) wants to remind you that each of us has a responsibility to be a good steward of natural resources during the annual Stewardship Week celebration. The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is celebrating the 58 th year of Stewardship week during April 28- May 4, The 2013 Stewardship Week is themed Where Does Your Watershed. You will be able to find Where Does Your Watershed Stewardship materials around town. The (LCCD) supports Stewardship Week by providing the community with church program covers and inserts, library bookmarks, and placemats at local restaurants. The theme will be supported throughout the year during the Fall Poster & Limerick Contest and presentations at the Elementary Schools. Our actions, habits and decisions impact our watersheds. Every inch of the land on planet Earth is part of a watershed. You can define a watershed as, All of the water under or draining off of a particular watershed goes into the same place. They come in all shapes and sizes, and cross county, state and national boundaries. There are 2,100 watershed in the continental U.S. If we include Hawaii, Alaska & Puerto Rico, the count rises to 2,267 watershed. LCCD is a member of the NACD which oversees the Stewardship Week program. Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation. NACD represents the nation s 3,000 conservation districts, which were established to encourage resource conservation across the country. For information about Stewardship Week and conservation, contact LCCD at x 106. Additional information about watershed education is available on the NACD website at Services Provided by the Lane County Conservation District For Purchase: Drip Irrigation Weed Barrier Weed Barrier Stakes Marking Flags Trees, Tree Protectors & Root Slurry CRP Sign-up Starts Soon USDA will conduct a four-week general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), beginning May 20 and ending on June 14. CRP protects the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States. Currently, about 27 million acres are enrolled while 32.0 million acres are authorized for CRP. Producers that are accepted in the program can receive cost-share assistance to plant long-term, resource-conserving covers and receive an annual rental payment for the length of the contract which is years. Contracts on 3.3 million acres of CRP nationwide, including 212,000 in Kansas, are set to expire on Sept. 30, Producers with expiring contracts or producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP. For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit the Lane County Farm Service Agency. Grass Seed Plantskydd Deer & Rabbit Repellent Composters Recycling Bins For Rent: Tree Planter Weed Barrier Machine Roto Tiller Laser Level Drip Torch Burners Ripper For current prices: Contact Ann Marie Jennings x 106

5 April 2013 Edition Page 5 The Lane County Conservation District is offering tuition reimbursement for students interested in attending. Call x 106 for registration information If YOU are interested in plants, livestock, or wildlife, attend an educational event like no other in Kansas! Participants: Upcoming High School Sophomore, Juniors & Seniors Location: Camp Mennoscah, Murdock, KS (in Kingman County) Learn: Range Plant Identification, Plant Growth, Stocking Rate Determination, Livestock Nutrition, Rangeland Wildlife Management, and much more! Special Items: Field Trip (location to be determined), Steak & Potato Dinner, Air-Conditioned Cabins Free Time Activities: Swimming, Canoeing, Fishing & Hiking Tuition: $250 per participant Registration due by April 26, 2013

6 Page 6 Lane County Conservation District NRCS Announces Second Sign Up for Lesser Prairie-Chicken April 8, 2013 Eric B. Banks, State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for Kansas, announced that applications for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative (LPCI) will again be accepted through May 17, This second sign up, according to Banks, gives producers another opportunity to improve the Lesser Prairie- Chicken (LEPC) habitat while promoting the overall health of grazing lands and the long-term sustainability of Kansas ranching opportunities. Another option that may be available to Kansas producers is for expired or expiring Conservation Reserve Program acres to be maintained in permanent cover and used for grazing. Conservation practices, such as fencing, watering facilities, and others are available for financial assistance to aid in developing and enhancing existing cover. Eligible areas are located in the following Kansas counties: Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Gove, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Pawnee, Pratt, Rush, Scott, Seward, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, and Wichita. All applications need to be submitted before May 17 to be considered in the second sign up. NRCS Announces Water Quantity and Drought Pilot Opportunity in Kansas April 11, 2013 In response to the drought faced by Kansas producers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing financial and technical assistance in a new Water Quantity and Drought Pilot funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) announced Eric B. Banks, State Conservationist. While NRCS accepts applications for financial assistance on a continuous basis, NRCS will use two application cutoff dates for this pilot: May 17 and June 21, NRCS will work with producers to address water quantity-related natural resource concerns using the conservation planning process, Banks said. Under this new pilot, NRCS will conduct a site assessment with the producer, identify alternatives to meet the producer s natural resource concerns, develop a conservation plan, and if priority criteria are met, EQIP funding may be available. EQIP assistance may be provided for costs directly related to removal of accumulated sediment from a pond, provided sediment removal is the best and least cost alternative. Ponds must have been originally constructed to NRCS standards and specifications. Additional conservation practices, as they relate to structures approved for sediment removal, include: cover crops, critical area planting, fence, mulching, pipeline, prescribed grazing, and watering facility. I would encourage producers who are impacted by the drought to visit their local NRCS field office to learn more about the assistance available, Banks stated. Applicants who do not qualify for funding through the Water Quantity and Drought Pilot may be eligible through alternate funding sources, including Drought Recovery Initiative. EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible participants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. Conservation practices must be implemented to NRCS standards and specifications. In Kansas, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will receive a higher payment rate for eligible conservation practices applied. For more information about NRCS and its programs, stop by your local USDA Service Center or go to the Web site Follow us on USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

7 April 2013 Edition Page 7 NRCS Announces Drought Recovery Initiative in Kansas April 11, 2013 U.S. Department of Agriculture s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to work to provide as much relief to drought-impacted producers as possible. NRCS State Conservationist Eric B. Banks announced the agency will assist producers through a new Drought Recovery Initiative. NRCS will use two application cutoff dates for the initiative: May 17 and June 21, We know farmers and ranchers around the state have been hit hard by the drought, said Banks. The drought has caused serious degradation to many natural resources in Kansas including wildlife, wildlife cover, livestock forage, livestock water, and soil quality. The Drought Recovery Initiative will be supported through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and may be a source of assistance to mitigate the short-term or long-term effects of drought. Livestock producers have been especially hard hit and NRCS has grazing specialists that provide recommendations about range and pasture management and options to consider for forage and water management. It s important for producers to have a contingency plan which addresses drought in ways such as deferred or rotational grazing, alternative water sources, combining herds, or possibly reducing livestock numbers, said Banks. Conservation plans can include decisions made which address the impacts of drought, or better yet, alternatives to prepare land for drought when climatic conditions are favorable. EQIP offers financial and technical assistance to eligible participants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. Conservation practices must be implemented to NRCS standards and specifications. In Kansas, socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will receive a higher payment rate for eligible conservation practices applied. Additional information about drought resources is located on the Kansas NRCS drought Web site at technical/drought/index.html or stop by your local USDA Service Center and visit the NRCS office. To find a service center near you, check your telephone book under United States Government or on the Internet at offices.usda.gov. Follow us on USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

8 Lane County Conservation District, 701 W. James, Dighton, KS Phone: x 106 Fax: ann.jennings@ks.nacdnet.net PRST STD CARRIER ROUTE U.S. POSTTAGE PAID DIGHTON, KS PERMIT NO. 3 Visit our website BOXHOLDER LCCD Calendar April 17: Board Meeting April 25: Stewardship Breakfast April 26: KS Rang Youth Camp Registration Due April 28 - May 4: Stewardship Week April 29 - May 31: Cost-Share Sign-up Period April 30: NRCS All Employee Meeting May 1: Tree Order Deadline May 1: 4th Grade Foresters May 15: LCCD Board Meeting June 19: LCCD Board Meeting June 21: Soil Tunnel Lane Co. Library It is the policy of the Lane County Conservation District not to discriminate in employment or program services for reasons of race, color, sex, age, religion, marital status, national origin, or handicapped condition. The Kansas State Conservation Commission and Kansas Conservation Districts are equal opportunity providers and employers. The Lane County Conservation Board of Supervisors meet the third Wednesday of each month at the USDA Center. If you have any questions or comments for the Board of Supervisors, or suggestions for this newsletter, please call A portion of this newsletters is financed by funding provided by the State Conservation Commission through appropriation from the Kansas Water Plan Fund. Non-Discrimination Statement: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers. If you believe you experienced discrimination when obtaining services from USDA, participating in a USDA program, or participating in a program that receives financial assistance from USDA, you may file a complaint with USDA. Information about how to file a discrimination complaint is available from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex (including gender identity and expression), marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, complete, sign and mail a program discrimination complaint form, available at any USDA office location or online at or write to: USDA, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C Or call toll free at (866) (voice) to obtain additional information, the appropriate office or to request documents. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay service at (800) or ( (in Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voce and TDD).