Fall 2014 Newsletter. Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District Conserving Natural Resources Since 1947

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1 Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District Conserving Natural Resources Since 1947 Michael and Kim Paquette Ascutney VT Fall 2014 Newsletter Staff... District Manager- Sarah Damsell Bookkeeper- Andrea Aldrich VACD Technical Staff... Agricultural Resource Specialist: Allison Compagna ( ) Supervisors... Richard Stretch Martin- Maidstone William Manning- Island Pond Dan Kilborn-Island Pond Sam Swope-Maidstone Ursula Johnson- Canaan Asst. Supervisor- J. Ross Stevens Asst. Supervisor- Jayson Benoit Partners... Agrimark Ben and Jerry s Foundation Community National Bank VT DEC Ecosystem Restoration Program Neil and Louise Tiloston Fund New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Northern Community Investment Corporation Northern Vermont Resource Conservation and Development NorthWoods Stewardship Center The Nature Conservancy Partners for Fish and Wildlife Plum Creek Foundation Town of Bloomfield, Brighton, Granby, Guildhall, Maidstone, Norton & Victory Trout Unlimited Upper Connecticut River Community Invasive Management Area group. USDA Farm Service Agency USDA Rural Development USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Vermont Agency of Transportation Vermont Association of Conservation Districts Vermont Community Foundation Vermont Land Trust Yankee Farm Credit Thank You for Your Many Years of Service Farwell James Pete Fay After 30 years of service ECNRCD long term board supervisor, Pete Fay, stepped off the board this year. Pete was the board chair for 25 years and hosted many of our annual conservation field day events. His greatest accomplishment was the purchase of the districts land in Maidstone. We acknowledge his many years of service always advocating for the agricultural conservation and wish him all the best. The Vermont Association of Conservation Districts awarded Pete with an Excellence in Conservation for his dedication and contribution to sustaining natural resources in Essex County. Welcome Ursula Johnson Ursula s positive energy, conservation interest and qualifications as a former FSA employee and veteran dairy farmer make her a great fit for the district. After her and her husband Bill conserved their farm and sold their milking herd Ursula is ready for a new project. We are so very pleased to have her on the board. She has been a big help at the nursery and is a pleasure to work alongside. Essex and Coos County NRCD Tree and Shrub Conservation Nursery. The closing of the nursery s third field season marks our first full year of production. As the 1000 s of locally collected seeds start their winter dominancy cycle and the ~1700 trees in inventory are storing energy in their roots we are planning our winter work of continuing to develop the business plan and long-term project sustainability. The nursery new landowners, Michael and Kim Paquette from Ascutney VT have been very supportive. We are so thankful for their generosity and approachable nature. We also received support from Brunswick landowners who have allowed us access to the floodplain meadows for collection of seed and plant propagation materials. This kind cooperation is an essential part to the nursery s success and we are so pleased to have these landowners to collaborate with. We have plans in the pipe line for next year including increasing staff time and plant inventory using our new propagation tent, purchasing needed equipment, researching feasibility of providing locally grown Christmas tree starts and potentially working with a local VYCC crew. The Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District (ECNRCD) offers a resource to landowners, farmers, schools and businesses through their efforts with water quality, agriculture, and education. Through extensive partnerships Districts coordinate existing resources on a local level to ensure environmental quality and support the integrity of land use practices.

2 Conservation Field Days This annual event offers 4 th 6 th grade students from Essex and Coos Counties an opportunity to learn from local natural resource professionals on topics including Agricultural literacy, Conservation & Agricultural Soils, Forestry, Erosion, Wildlife Habitat, Watershed functions, and Water Quality. We traditionally have our annual field day at the Fay Family Farm in Maidstone VT where ~150 students and teachers attend. This year the Fays were expecting their second so we will return to the farm in Considering the exciting occasion we took the opportunity to provide new offerings at the Silvio Oconte National Wildlife Refuge in Brunswick, VT which highlighted the importance of watershed health, as well as identified what happens in and around the river while providing an opportunity to demonstrate essential natural resources and conservation career options. Floodplain and Riparian Forest Restoration Our work toward restoring the Northern Connecticut River floodplains and riparian forests continued in We focused on restoring parcels that would result in the greatest improvements of instream water quality and that link existing floodplain forests to maximize connectivity, maintain and expand wildlife habitat and corridors, and provide large habitat blocks for floodplain forest-dependent communities and species. The work is also intended to measurably reduce erosion and nonpoint source pollution - especially sediment and nutrient runoff - by stabilizing stream banks and filtering runoff from shore land parcels identified as needing riparian buffers and streambank stabilization during previous stream geomorphic assessments. Canaan High school diversified agricultural class planting floodplain restoration site in Canaan. In the spring we planted ~3500 trees and shrubs plus 1000 of willow fascines on ~acres at three sites along the Connecticut River and one lake shore buffer project on Island Pond. Installation services were provided by Northwoods Stewardship Center and the Intervale Conservation Nursery crews. This year we were assisted by two great groups of students from the Brighton Elementary school and Canaan High School. This great work along the river has spurred interest in buffer plantings and restoration. Funding has been received to continue this program and we are currently proposing plantings on two sites for spring of Brighton Elementary planting the lakeshore of Island Pond Road Erosion Inventory Project in Concord With a funds from the Vermont Watershed grant program we did a general assessment of existing culvert data and provided administration support to the town of Concord to apply for a Vermont Agency of Transportation Better Back Road Program Category A grant. We recently received these grant funds to conduct a town-wide inventory of public town roads to locate, identify and assess structural integrity and road erosion and develop a capital budget plan. ECNRCD has started to work with the town s road foreman, VTDEC watershed coordinator and VTrans to conduct this inventory of road related concerns with water quality impairment issues. From this inventory a report with a list of prioritized restoration projects with recommended remediation solutions, and cost estimates will be developed. This report will then be used for town budget planning and future grant proposals. Thus, this grant will help the town develop a cost effective approach to address road erosion reduction.

3 Agricultural Conservation Programs Agricultural Soil and Manure Sampling Program Support for Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) This summer ECNRCD staff worked with 16 farms in all three NEK counties to collect soil and manure samples in preparation for Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) courses. We are working with UVM Extension to offer to NMP courses for these participating farms. One course was be held in Craftsbury with an introduction to NMP s and soil properties & soil health with a session on how to interrupt soil manure samples in relation to recommended nutrient rates. The other course will be held in St Johnsonbury and will be a full UVM NMP course where participating farms will develop and complete their own NRCS 590 standard NMP. Nutrient Management Plan Development for an Essex County Small Farm ECNRCD staff worked with the VACD and the Porter farm in Island Pond to develop a NRCS 590 standard NMP though the UVM full 5 week winter NMP course. The goal of the Porter NMP was to help the farm optimize yield goals and potentially reduce fertilizer cost. This was done by understanding the effects of the current input regime, soil types and existing soil and manure nutrient values. While gaining this understanding we also looked at the vulnerable areas on the farm where there was potential of water quality impacts from nutrient runoff to reduce the risk. The Porter farm is now working with their dealer to take a closer look at fertilizer applications and mixes and is also working with NRCS to install a manure and milkhouse waste storage system. No Till Cover Workshop offered at the Gingue farm in Waterford ECNRCD and conservation partners working on management of natural resources came together with local farmers to provide a free workshop in Waterford on August 28, The workshop was hosted by the Gingue Farm the workshop and featured avid No Till expert, agronomist and consultant, Joel Myers from Pennsylvania. Along with Dan Hudson from UVM Extension Joel discussed the practical aspects of no-till crop production systems, equipment and management to see how dairy producers can adopt practices to promote healthy soils and productive farms in Vermont. Healthy soil plays a role in all of our lives while this thin layer provides many functions that are necessary for life on earth, it is also fragile and can easily be destroyed. Successful crop production relies on the management of soil health because it is one of the most effective ways to increase productivity and profitability. This is done in no till cropping systems by increasing soil organic, tilth, and biology while improving and protecting natural resources. ECNRCD has funds available to support the implementation of agricultural water quality improvement Best Management Practices (BMP s). The objective of this project is to work with one interested farm by providing technical and financial assistance in establishing a water quality improvement practice such as animal trails and walkways, clean water diversion projects, lined waterways, installing or improving simple wastes transfer systems, improving heavy use areas/ barnyards, grade stabilization, fencing along surface waters and associated practices like alternative watering systems. The Fay Farm in Maidstone worked with conservation district staff to install ~1400 of high tensile fence to exclude his heifers from surface waters.

4 Upper Connecticut Watershed Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area The core group of CISMA (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area) partners came together this year to further develop a knotweed treatment project in the Upper Connecticut River Watershed. We worked together with local volunteers and municipalities on developing treatment plans for the identified high priority infestation sites on the Connecticut River main stem and in the upper reaches of the watershed in NH. This work is in preparation for planned treatment funded through the National Wildlife Refuge System. Northwoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston, VT has played a central role in this effort and will continue this important work into This year we had 35 paddlers Join us on the River! Annual Connecticut River Canoe Trip This an annual Canoe and Kayak Paddle event of the Conservation Districts, generally on the last Saturday in June, is hosted in part to build awareness of the importance of the Connecticut River as a resource to the region. The Connecticut River is one of 14 American Heritage Rivers in the nation because of its historical impact on the region. This year the paddle included approximately 16 miles along the meandering stretch of the River in Maidstone featuring the conservation restoration partnerships and efforts that have taken place in the Maidstone Bends area. From 2010 to present, The Nature Conservancy and the VT Land Trust has conserved areas along the banks of the Connecticut River and the Essex County NRCD has planted trees and shrub restoration buffers. THANK YOU Northwoods Stewardship Center and former NRCS Soil Conservationist, Tim McKay, for leading the discussions about these floodplain forests restoration projects, the rivers ecological features, and public access. Everyone on the river enjoyed the slow paddle on the meandering waters past some of the most beautiful land in Vermont. Essex County NRCD has a NEW WEBSITE Check us out at LANDONWERS have been the most valuable partner of the Districts by cooperating on many conservation projects. Thank you! Special thanks to Wayne and Sharon Graham, Chis and Hannah Fay, Kenneth Hook, and Edith Gwinn for allowing the district access to your land for nursery stock collection! Ways you can get involved and support our efforts. Volunteering to assist with tree planting, invasive treatments and nursery projects and workdays. We are looking for private landowners who would be willing to support our new nursery project by welcoming us onto your properties collect cuttings, transplants and seeds of floodplain forest species. Available Services Agricultural Technical Services, Soil Testing Riparian Buffer Plantings, Landscaping for Wildlife, Grant Writing for Municipalities, Invasive Species Assistance, Educational Workshops... All programs and assistance of the Essex County NRCD are available without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, handicap or national origin. 481 Summer Street; Suite 202 St. Johnsbury, VT ext. 114 sarah.damsell@vt.nacdnet.net

5 Essex County Natural Resources Conservation District 481 Summer St; Suite 202 St Johnsbury, VT Creating local solutions for natural resource concerns in Essex County...