Stevens Soil & Water Conservation District
A supplement to the February 28, 2015 Morris Sun Tribune The mission of Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District is to work with county landowners in putting conservation practices on the land and to help all citizens be good stewards of our natural resources.
CONSERVATION PROJECTS Wetland Restoration on CRP
Rain Gardens
SERVICES Mowing Native Grass Planting
Tree Planting
Fabric Installation
EDUCATION/OUTREACH
Whale in our School - 3rd grade
Area 2 Envirothon - 6-12th grade
Wonder of Wolves 4th Grade
Conservation Day at SWELL - 5th grade
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Regular Stevens SWCD board meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:30 a.m., at the SWCD office. These meetings are open to the public.
Located in the USDA Agricultural Service Center 12 Highway 28 East - Suite 2, Morris, MN 56267
(320) 589-4886 ext. 3
Visit us:
Visit us at: www.stevensswcd.org
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Page 2 4 - Saturday, February 28, 2015
CRP in 2014
Open House for Retiring SWCD Supervisor George Libbon (Left) Retiring SWCD Supervisor George Libbon and his wife Shirley at his open house retirement celebration held in December.
(Below) George Libbon (seated, right) was honored at a retirement open house in December for over 33 years of service on the Stevens SWCD Board of Supervisors. He is pictured here with his wife Shirley and current supervisors Dave Lonergan (standing, left) and Jim Krosch (standing, right).
Long-time Stevens SWCD Supervisor George Libbon retires George Libbon has been a Stevens Soil and Water Supervisor for over 33 years, starting as our District 2 supervisor in April 1981. He was named Outstanding Conservationist of Stevens County in 1972. He and his wife Shirley started farming in Eldorado Township in 1956 and that is where they still live today. George has served on various Stevens SWCD committees, the Chippewa River Watershed committee,
and the Stevens County Local Water Plan committee over the years. He has also been a long time member of the Stevens County Fair Board and served on the REA Cooperative board for over 30 years as well. He has truly been an outstanding board member and we will miss his dedication to helping the Stevens SWCD carry out its mission of helping landowners conserve our natural resources.
Commissioner Ennen assigned to SWCD committee commissioner. She was born and raised in Stevens County and currently lives on a farm east of Donnelly that has been in her family since 1869. She has been married to husband Dale for 31 years and they have two sons, Daniel who owns a business and lives in Herman and Brian who is married to Laura and lives in Morris. Their sons are the sixth generation of Jeanne’s family to live here in Stevens County. As a commissioner,
Jeanne attends the Stevens SWCD meetings as one of her committee assignments. She says she has learned a lot about the different conservation practices placed around the county to reduce erosion and improve water quality. Jeanne also serves on the board of the Pomme de Terre River Association and attends the Bois de Sioux watershed meetings, in addition to serving on several other committees for the county.
R E B A T E
Jeanne Ennen is the Stevens County District 2
Morris, Minnesota 56267
This was a pretty good year for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Stevens County. A new Farm Bill was signed into law in February of 2014, eventually allowing for the enrollment of land into CRP again. There were 645 acres of General CRP and Continuous CRP that expired in 2014. Stevens SWCD was able to help enroll 631 acres into Continuous CRP, including some of these expiring contracts as well as some new signups! This year, acres enrolled almost matched acres expired, which is much better than the last couple of years, when total acres enrolled equaled only about 64 percent of those that expired. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a voluntary program landowners can sign-up for to protect environmentally sensitive land. Conservation cover in the form of grass, forbs, shrubs or trees is planted to help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat. This program can be beneficial to both the landowner and the environment, especially when it comes to those problem areas. A landowner that signs up for CRP will receive an annual rental payment from FSA for 10 to 15 years along with costshare and other incentives depending on the practice. To be eligible for CRP, a landowner must have crop history on the area to be enrolled in four out of six years between 2008 and 2013. The rental payment is determined by using the three predominate soil types within the eligible area. In Stevens County, the annual rental payment for CRP is between $108 and $166 per acre. Up to 50 percent cost-share is given out to help the landowner pay for the establishment of approved cover. This can include site preparation, trees, tree planting, seed, seeding and wetland restorations. Incentives will vary depending on the practice, but can include a signing incentive
payment (SIP) of $100 to $150 per acre, a practice incentive payment (PIP) which helps pay for the installation cost on certain practices, and a 20 percent incentive on top of the rental payment for certain practices. The most common practices in Stevens County in 2014 were filter strips, shelterbelt establishments and State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement. Filter Strips Filter strips (CP21) were the most enrolled CRP practice in 2014 and they are one of the most effective forms of conservation through CRP. Also called a buffer strip, a filter strip will consist of native grasses planted along streams, drainage ditches, wetlands and/or lakes. This helps reduce soil erosion and remove pollutants in order to improve water quality while enhancing wildlife habitat. The width of a filter strip along one of these waterbodies is usually between 30 to 120 feet wide, but can be extended out farther due to factors such as frequently flooded areas. Filter strip contracts tend to be smaller in acres than some of the other CRP practices while still providing benefits. They take out those wet areas along streams and wetlands which tend to be troublesome for landowners anyway. They can help square up fields, which makes it easier to farm the rest especially with the large equipment these days. If a landowner placed a 40 foot wide filter strip on both sides of a drainage ditch that ran half a mile, they would only be taking about 4.8 acres of land out of production and would still get paid for it! A filter strip contract will receive an annual rental payment with a 20 percent incentive on top, cost-share, SIP and PIP. Shelterbelt Establishments The shelterbelt practice (CP16A) is to provide
protection for structures, animals and people. Additional benefits include reduction of soil erosion by wind, management of snow deposition, visual and noise screens, and creation of wildlife habitat. Shelterbelts enrolled are eligible to plant three to eight rows of trees through CRP. Usually a variety of different trees are planted, including shrubs, deciduous trees and coniferous trees. A 16.5 foot buffer is allowed on the outside rows, which is nice to have along cropped areas to avoid impacts from chemicals. Shelterbelt practices will receive an annual rental payment along with cost-share, SIP, and PIP.
State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) SAFE is a CRP practice that came out back in 2008 to restore grassland habitats to enhance pheasant and other wildlife populations. This practice requires blocks of land 10 acres to 40 acres in size. Land less than 10 acres can be enrolled if it is added to an existing block of grass and the two combined equal over 10 acres. The land will be planted to native grasses and forbs with a minimum of 15 species. A couple of options that have made this practice successful in Stevens County are the enrollment of irrigation corners and food plots. Irrigation corners are one of the exceptions to the 10 acre minimum blocks. Food plots have also been drawing in landowners because many practices don’t allow them. Land enrolled under this practice will receive an annual rental payment, cost-share, SIP, and PIP. These are just a few of practices that are eligible for CRP. If any of these spark your interest or if you have another idea in mind, feel free to call 5894886, email andy.rice@ stevensswcd.org, or stop in and talk to Andy to see what you are eligible for.
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Saturday, Feburary 28, 2015 - Page Page 35
Cost Share available for rain gardens
In 2014 Stevens SWCD installed 15 rain gardens throughout the Pomme de Terre watershed. These gardens were partially funded through the Pomme de Terre River Association and the Clean Water Legacy Fund. There is cost-share money available to residents in the watershed that covers designing and installing rain gardens on their property. This cost share can help pay for all costs associated with design, construction and planting of a rain garden, up to 75 percent of the total project cost. If you as the property owner do some of the work, your time and “sweat equity� will be used towards the total cost of the project, which can help keep your out-of-pocket costs down considerably. What is a rain garden? A rain garden is a shallow depression in the landscape, with a gradual slope. Rain gardens are planted with colorful native perennial wetland or wet prairie wildflowers and grasses. They are designed to capture and filter runoff from impervious areas such as roofs, parking lots, driveways, and sidewalks. They keep the unfiltered runoff from being sent down the sewer and eventually to the river. Plants that can withstand more moisture are planted in the bottom of the garden, and the other plants are planted on the side of the slope. The garden is designed to hold standing water for less than a 24 hour period. These gardens can be large or small depending on the
amount of runoff that will be captured. Some of the many benefits of rain gardens are: filtering runoff pollution, recharging local groundwater, improving water quality, removing standing water in your yard which reduces mosquito breeding, reducing potential home flooding, and creating habitat for birds, bees, and butterflies. Rain gardens generally feature native flowers and grasses with a lot of color to make them attractive. We design them to beautify as well as function as a filters. Start today by looking at what you can do on your property. Maybe you can help by catching the water from your downspouts or trying to divert water from your driveway. Rain gardens can work almost anywhere. Keep in mind when looking for an area to install a rain garden the basins need to be at least 10 feet from buildings to prevent foundations and basements from being damaged by water. They should be 35 feet or more from septic system drain fields, and 50 feet or more from drinking water wells. If you are interested in beautifying your property and helping the environment with the collection of storm water runoff, stop into the office or call. Funds are available on a first come first served basis. If you are interested please contact John or Matt at Stevens SWCD at (320) 589-4886 or stop into the office next to Subway in Morris.
Current SWCD Supervisors, left to right: Treasurer Dave Lonergan, Secretary Greg Fynboh, Vice Chairman Don Huntley, Chairman Jim Krosch, and Reporter Kirby Hufford.
Construction steps Garden 2
Example of rain garden construction Garden 1 Paver installation
Paver installation
Stripping sod Planting of native plants Tiling and planting of native plants
Tilling before installing plants and pavers
Completed garden
Completed project
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Page 4 6 - Saturday, February 28, 2015
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Planting trees for the future In 2014, Stevens SWCD planted about 7350 trees on 34 sites in Stevens County. We also laid 23,665 feet of mulch fabric over 16 sites. There are three common cost-share programs Stevens SWCD deals with when planting trees: CRP, State CostShare and EQIP. Within those programs, the most common practices are shelterbelts, living snow fences, field windbreaks, riparian buffers and wildlife plantings. All of these programs offer some form of cost share, but all pay a little differently. They would all be at least 10 year contracts, which means that you as the land owner are responsible for making sure that the trees are there for the length of the contract. If you have some trees that die it will be your responsibility to replace those trees. We are more than happy to help you determine which program is your best option. Just like every conservation practice, site prep is the first thing that needs to be addressed when planning to plant trees. If you are planting into a preexisting grove, it needs to be clear of all trees, roots and other debris. You have to work the ground serval times to remove all of the roots. This is important to ensure good planting conditions and the ongoing health of the trees. If you
are planting into land that was previously farmed, we ask that the land be worked as if you were going to crop it the following year. Site prep is often overlooked and is the most important part of establishing a nice planting. The tree varieties we sell do very well for the most part in our area. In some cases, they don’t though. So it is very important for you to plan ahead and determine if the trees you want are compatible with your soil types. We are more than happy to help you with this and give advice on what trees are best suited in your landscape. We also have some books for you to look at if you are uncertain what kind of trees you want to plant. We also recommend that you plant multiple varieties of trees within the same row. The reason we recommend this is that if some unknown disease comes out like we have seen with Dutch Elm Disease or Emerald Ash Borer, it doesn’t wipe out your entire row of trees. Generally, we recommend you have two or three different varieties of deciduous trees in the same row. Stevens SWCD also strongly suggests that you lay a fabric weed barrier around your trees along with trees tubes on larger varieties. The fabric weed barrier helps a lot with
minimizing weed growth. It doesn’t totally eliminate it, but does help significantly. You might have to go out and still weed around the trees a few times a year. Tree tubes are almost a must in our area. The tree tubes prevent wildlife from eating on the fresh growth of the tree, which can set it back drastically or even killing the tree. They do make a huge difference in the performance of the trees. Even with tree tubes and weed barrier fabric, water is very important the first year of your tree planting. Especially during extreme hot dry periods. Keeping trees well watered and weed free is very important in establishment. A little extra work in the beginning makes a huge difference in the success of your planting. Stevens SWCD is currently taking tree orders for spring 2015. This includes planning and planting plans for conservation, as well as small orders for trees that need to be replaced or that you want to plant yourself. The order deadline is March 15, so call now to see what trees we have available, and to find out if you are eligible to receive cost share. For more information, contact Andy or John at (320)589-4886 ext 3.
(Above) Tree planting with 4’ Spruce Trees (Right) Fabric Installation
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either five or 10 years and is repayable to Stevens County on the owners property taxes semi-annually • The septic system must be serving an existing, residential, owner-occupied dwelling that is determined to be either failing to protect groundwater or an imminent public health threat (surfacing, backup or open outlet) • Property taxes must be current • The total amount of the loan must not exceed the market value of the property • Loan funds end in October 2016 Agricultural Best Management Practices Loans (AgBMP) This loan program, of which septic loan improve-
ments are just a portion of what’s funded, is available to farmers, rural landowners and farm supply businesses anywhere in Stevens County. • Maximum loan amount is $100,000 • Maximum loan length is 10 years • Maximum interest rate is 3 percent • Lender may charge customary fees • Lender may require collateral • Borrower must meet lending criteria • Loan funds are applied for annually If you are interested in either of these loan programs, please stop at the Environmental Service office in the courthouse in Morris or call Bill Kleindl at 208-6558.
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Stevens SWCD staff, left to right: Assistant Technician John Lembcke, Office Manager Chris Staebler, Administrator Matt Solemsaas, Education and Promotion Coordinator Judy Johnston, and District Technician Andy Rice.
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
2014 local Water Plan Program report and coordinating these programs. $500 was allocated towards the Area 2 Junior and Senior Envirothons. Each year the Area 2 Soil and Water Conservation Districts work together to organize a regional environmental competition for high schools students. Funding was obtained from area SWCDs, local water plans, and other outside donors. Judy Johnston, Stevens SWCD Education Coordinator, has been the coordinator of this event for several years. Stevens SWCD worked on a service learning project with Mr. Viss at Morris Area High School on the shoreline restoration project that is at the Pomme de Terre Park. We worked on cleaning up an area of the shoreline and planted dogwood along the west bank of the wetland. $700 was allocated for the Pope and Stevens County Water Fest. The staff from the Stevens and Pope SWCDs organized this event. Over 250 sixth grade students from both counties attended the ninth annual event. The program is very well-received by the schools because of the opportunity to get outside the classroom and learn hands-on about water, including topics such as the water cycle, water conservation, nitrate testing, lakeshore habitat, and ground water. To help make the event a success, several other public and private organizations provided donations to the project. The feature presentation was given by the Science Museum of Minnesota.
The Stevens County Local Water Management Plan funds several projects that are administered or coordinated by the Stevens SWCD Office, or the Stevens County Environmental Services Office. In 2014, a total of $19,541 was allocated towards water plan activities. Here is a brief summary of work that was completed using this funding. Additional funds may be spent through the end of the grant period, which is June 30, 2015. The Coordinator position at the Scandia Woods Environmental Learning Lab is funded by the water plan. The Coordinator receives a total of $3000 from the water plan, in addition to $2000 in other funding, to conduct classes and educational offerings for students in Stevens County. Ranger Randee, SWELL Coordinator, taught multiple spring and fall lessons for elementary students. She has also developed different lesson plans for teachers to use during self-directed tours at SWELL. The dugout replica that was planned for last season will be constructed this year instead, due to the summer storms last year. Cost share of $300 or 50 percent per well was provided to three landowners to help defray the cost of sealing existing wells, for a total of $987.50. Two educational programs, Whale in the Classroom and Wonder of Wolves, were presented to Stevens County students early in the year, and coordinated by Stevens SWCD staff. A total of $2000 was spent on presenting
$900 was allocated to the Pope & Stevens County Conservation Day. Staff from Stevens & Pope SWCDs organized this event as well. This program was offered to fifth grade students in those counties. 200 students attended this year’s event. The event was held at SWELL near Morris. Students moved between various outdoor learning stations with topics including: Raptors, Mammals, Soils, Waterfowl, Wetlands, In the Woods, Prairie Wildlife, Nature’s Stock market, and Orienteering. Stevens SWCD employs a Farm Bill Technician, whose job is to recruit and assist landowners enrolling land into the various continuous CRP farm programs that focus on water quality. The majority of funding for this position is obtained through the BWSR and Pheasants Forever. These organizations require a partial local match as well. Local funds come from Stevens SWCD, $2000 from the water plan, and local watershed districts. $1750 is paid to Stevens SWCD to fund a small portion of the cost of the State Envirothon Coordinator position. Judy Johnston, Education/Outreach Coordinator at Stevens SWCD will continue as the State Envirothon Coordinator. She spends approximately 25 percent of her time working on these duties as they relate to the Envirothon around the state. There were administrative expenses of $3891, including staff time, travel, meeting expenses, advertising and office supplies.
Weed control on conservation land Stevens SWCD is now offering spot spraying. We are set up to do small sprayings, up to 10 acres, on conservation practices such as CRPs, WRPs, and new seedings. Spraying is very beneficial in managing your practice because it keeps noxious weeds from taking over your site. Spot spraying allows the land owner to control weeds without totally eliminating the forbs, or flowers, in your site. Along with spraying, Stevens SWCD does offer mowing on all conservation practices. This includes total site mowing or spot mowing of weed patches. In 2014 Stevens SWCD mowed about 600 acres. These mowings were done to control the spread of invasive weeds and voluntary trees, and to promote growth of newly planted seedings. In order to establish a good stand of grass it is essential to mow new plantings the first one to three years. Many times new seedings will need to be mowed two or three times the first year depending on the time of year planted and the amount of weed competition. The weeds provide a thick canopy over the grasses that restricts them from needed sunlight and moisture, which is critical in the early stages of building a root base. Clipping is also done after the grasses are established. Many conservation contracts require some sort of mid-contract maintenance, and on all established seedings, it is important to control invasive weeds and/or voluntary trees. These
District Administrator Matt Solemsaas Act, and is responsible for implementing the Local Water Management Plan. Matt also serves as the County Ag Inspector. He is the past President of the Minnesota Association of Conservation District Employees and a member of the working group that developed the Walk-In Access hunting program in Minnesota. Matt graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries & Wildlife Zoology. Prior to
Matt Solemsaas has been the District Administrator at Stevens SWCD since December 2005. He is responsible for overseeing daily district activities, budgeting, grant writing, supervising and directing District personnel, and working with the Board of Supervisors. Matt coordinates the native grass program including sales, planting, planning, and implementation. He also administers state programs such as RIM and the MN Wetland Conservation
Saturday, Feburary 28, 2015 - Page Page 57
working at the District, Matt worked at the U of M WCROC as an Assistant Scientist in the soils department, as a Habitat Biologist for California Waterfowl Association in Sacramento, and as a Private Lands Biologist for Ducks Unlimited in North Dakota. He is Assistant Chief on the Morris Fire Department and resides in Morris with wife Angie and five kids Abbie, Andrew, Annika, Abby, and Nicholas.
Mowing CRP
Spraying Equipment
established sites should be clipped from eight to 12 inches high. Probably the biggest problem with invasive weeds in our area is Canada Thistle. Clipping of any invasive weed should be done before the weed goes to seed. If done at the right time, this can be an effective way of controlling these weeds. Also many of the conservation contracts do not allow the growth of trees on the site. These trees can be clipped when they are small to prevent having to go in later with large machinery to remove them. If the trees are too large, it is very expensive to remove them. With the combination of mowing and spraying we are hoping to control some
of these invasive weeds more effectively, especially Canada Thistle, with minimal or no harm to the native flowers. What we will be trying to do is spot clip your thistle patches before they go to seed and then we will come back later in the fall around the end of September or early October and spot spray those spots when the plant is trying to absorb nutrients for winter. They say that this is a very effective way to control thistle. Please contact Andy, Matt or John at Stevens SWCD, (320)-589-4886 ext 3, if you have any questions about weed control on your conservation acres.
District 5 supervisor Kirby Hufford Kirby Hufford joined the Stevens SWCD board in 2011. He is the supervisor for District 5, which covers Morris, Scott and Darnen Townships. He lives on a farm north of Morris with his wife Julie, son Taylor and daughter Makenna. They run crops, hogs and cattle. Kirby enjoys raising cattle and spending time with family and friends.
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Page 6 8 - Saturday, February 28, 2015
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Conservation Day at SWELL Stevens SWCD 2014 Outstanding Conservationist
Over 300 fifth grade Wetlands, Waterfowl, Local Water Plans, Pope students and teachers Prairie Wildlife, Nature’s County Land & Resource enjoyed a fun day in the Stock Market, and the Management, North Fork outdoors on Thursday, game “Orienteering.� The Crow River Watershed October 2. Students from day also included another District, Hancock Sportsall schools in Pope and Ste- Audubon Center presen- mans Club, Pope County vens counties were invited tation on “Reptiles and Pheasant Restoration, to learn about conserva- Amphibians,� which was a Gobblers of Glacial Ridge, tion and the environment huge hit with the students. Glenwood Fire Departat SWELL (Scandia Wood They had a lot of fun work- ment, Sauk River WaEnvironmental Learning ing with the frogs, snakes tershed District, Brooten Lab), just east of Morris. and lizards. Commercial Club, Bremer This was our seventh year The program was coor- Bank, Glenwood Rotary for the event at SWELL. dinated by Judy Johnston Club, Bank of the West, The hands-on inter- of Stevens SWCD. Our Stevens County Historical active learning sessions presenters and volun- Society, Donnelly Rod and included “Raptors,� pre- teers that day were staff Gun, Lawn & Driveway sented by the Audubon from: Pope SWCD, Ste- Service, Stevens County Center of the North Woods. vens SWCD, USDA-ARS Pheasants Forever and The students had a chance Soils Lab, North Fork Minnewaska JCs. to meet live raptors and Crow River Watershed, Special thanks to the learn about their charac- NRCS, US Fish and Wild- SWCD staff of Stevens and teristics & habitats. The life, Audubon Center of Pope counties and to our raptors included a red the North Woods, and session presenters and volhawk, screech owl, great SWELL Coordinator Ran- unteers, as well as SWELL landowners Linda & Karl Stevens SWCD Outstanding Conservationists 2014 (L to R): Jim, Lorraine, Micah, Savannah, horned owl, and an Ameri- dee Hokanson. Event sponsors include: Retzlaff, for making this an can kestrel. Other sessions Heather and Andy Aanerud. included Mammals, Mir- Pope and Stevens SWCDs, outstanding event for our Congratulations to Jim their community and the ball field, and they plant rors of Minnesota, Soils, Stevens and Pope County fifth grade students! about eight acres of it to and Lorraine Aanerud land. The Aanerud family op- wheat which is harvested and Andy and Heather Aanerud for being selected erates nearly 3000 owned each year during the Donas Stevens SWCD’s 2014 and rented acres in a corn nelly Threshing Bee. They Outstanding Conserva- and soybean rotation, also mow and maintain tionists. They are pictured and they have installed extensive walking trails here at Jim and Lorraine’s numerous conservation around the nearby Harstad home near Donnelly. Jim practices such as field and Slough, where community and Andy are the family’s farmstead shelterbelts, liv- members can get out and fourth and fifth genera- ing snow fences, wetlands, enjoy the area wildlife tions to farm just west of and filter strips. They that’s attracted to the Donnelly. The Aaneruds donate land on the edge wetland & surrounding have a long-standing tra- of the town of Donnelly upland. The Aaneruds are very dition of compassion for for a community park and interested in keeping their CRP and wetland restoration for the purpose of recreation and wildlife habitat. Jim graduated from the Jeff Tyson from the Audubon Center of the North Woods shares with area fifth graders about West Central School of Ag- raptors and how they live in the wild. riculture in 1958 and with a two year Ag Tech Certificate at U of M, St. Paul ( R i g h t ) W a t e r in 1960. Andy graduated Quality was one with a BS in Agronomy in the stations that 1989 from NDSU. fifth graders got The efforts of both to learn about at families were recognized Conservation Day. during an awards cere- T h e p r e s e n t e r mony at the MASWCD was Jared House, Annual Convention in Pomme de Terre December 2014 in Bloom- River Association Coordinator. ington.
John Lembke, Stevens Soil and Water, helped fifth grade students learn about water fowl in Minnesota at Conservation Day.
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Saturday, February 28, 2015- Page Page 73
Helping farmers control gully erosion Conservation Stewardship Program way involves reshaping the gully channel and seeding it to grass to stabilize that channel. A lined waterway is similar to a grassed waterway, but includes a reinforced matting that lines the waterway. Grass is seeded before installing the matting and grows through the matting. These are typically installed where there is a concern of high volume flows and where grass alone will not hold the soil in place. A WASCB system works by slowing down surface water by creating small dikes and installing Hicken bottom style tile-inlets upstream of the dike to draw down retained water in less than 24-48 hours. WASCB systems are usually two to six feet tall and can be installed to be farmable with 8:1 side slopes or with a grass slope. Stevens County has had excellent success in recent years working with landowners to treat their
gully erosion concerns. In 2014, three WASCBs were installed, and numerous others are planned to be installed in 2015 by operators and landowners of Stevens County with the assistance of the USDA EQIP program. If you have areas of noticeable erosion on your land please stop at our office and we would gladly discuss which erosion control practice might work best for you and your operation. We have very good maps now and topographic programs that make it easy to pick out erosion trouble spots. We have qualified staff that work with you to design and provide oversight on the project to make sure the practice is installed as designed. Financial assistance is also available from NRCS and/or local government units. Stop by the office today and let our staff put together a plan to help control erosion on your farm!
Site prep is key for establishment of native grass
In 2014 the Stevens SWCD planted about 209 acres of native grasses. Native grass seeding can be completed from May 15 through then end of June if it is enrolled in a program. It may also be seeded dormant in the fall of the year, once soil temperatures drop below 50 degrees for four consecutive days. That is usually around November 1. We recommend that you try to plant in the spring of the year to give all of your warm and cool season grasses a chance to establish, but that being said, that doesn’t always work well with some sites. Many of these sites are marginal with poor planting conditions and might have to be seeded in the fall when it dries out. In these cases, dormant seedings can also yield a good stand of native grasses once established. Site prep is very often over-looked when it comes
Seeding a filter strip
to the establishment of native grasses. Native grasses must be planted in a firm, weed-free seedbed, primarily because success depends upon good soilto-seed contact. Loose soil dries out quickly at the surface compared to firm soil, and native grass seed is planted only an eighth to a quarter inch deep. No-till is best if planting into soybean stubble. If planting into corn stubble, at a minimum, the site should be either mowed or the stalks chopped before planting. Better yet would be to plow, disc at least twice and pack before planting. New sites should be worked, rolled, and sprayed once or twice to reduce weed competition and provide a nice seed bed. The ideal way to plant native grasses is through a no-till-drill. This ensures that you have good seed to soil contact which is neces-
sary for good seed germination. Another method used is to broadcast your seed. Broadcasting works well on problem sites that you can’t get to with a drill. If you are broadcasting seed, you are going to have to apply the seed at one and a half times the rate per acre, which adds extra cost in seed. We do highly recommend if you are going to broadcast your seed that you roll your site again after seeding to make sure of good seed-tosoil contact. You have to also give your site a chance to grow. Most growers of native grasses are convinced they have a failure the first year when they actually have a good stand. Native grasses grow down, not up, during the establishment year. The top growth normally amounts to a narrow, straight leaf until late summer. These seedlings can be hard to see, even for the experienced grower. Be patient. Weeds are the greatest cause of poor grass stands because they challenge the small seedlings in two ways: they take away necessary water and nutrients and they also shade and smother the young plants. Weeds need to be controlled, chemically or with tillage, prior to seeding. Mowing or shredding weeds the first year is
(CSP) catching on in Stevens County
Residue management is a popular practice within the CSP program
CSP is a program that rewards great conservation management taking place on a producer’s operation and also allows for furthering that great management through enhancements implemented during the contract. The list of activities to choose from is extensive and applies to cropland, hay land, pastureland, rangeland and non-industrial private forestland. Contracts are for five years and have a maximum value of $40,000 annually per individual operator. This is a tremendous opimportant to prevent the seedlings being choked or smothered. The first year, you should mow three times if possible. The first mowing should be quick, about three or four weeks after seeding. Mow the first time at a height of four to six inches. The next two times you mow should be at a height no less than eight inches. You should mow every three weeks or when weeds are visible, depending on the amount of precipitation, with the last mowing done by the last week of July. If you prepare the site correctly, plant the seed correctly, and clip the site a few times the first year, you will more than likely have a good stand in one year. If you plant correctly but do not follow the maintenance directions, you will have a good stand in three years. Stevens SWCD has a wide variety of fresh, high quality, certified native grass and flower seed from sources as local as possible. We have the equipment and expertise to help you do your seeding. Give Matt a call at 589-4886 ext 3 if you have any questions or are interested in planting some natives. Stevens SWCD has the right equipment for any job, from planting to mowing. No project is too big or too small!
portunity for farmers and ranchers to gain a financial benefit from being a great steward of their land and improving their management strategies on their operation, not to mention the returns gained from being more efficient and sustainable. Some of the activities to further improve management that are being done in Stevens County include GPS guidance for chemical applications, drift reducing nozzles, variable rate fertilizer technology, tissue testing on corn, continuous no-till, cover
crops, buffer strips, controlled-release nitrogen applications, split nitrogen applications, pasture monitoring, food plots for wildlife, pollinator habitat and the list goes on. In 2014, Stevens County was able to enroll numerous new CSP contracts and re-enroll contracts that started in 2010 for another five years! We currently have over 17,200 acres enrolled in CSP. Stop by our office and see what CSP can do for you and your operation!
Wetland restorations on CRP In the fall of 2014, only one wetland restoration project through CRP was completed. Wetland restorations restore the functions and values of wetland ecosystems that have previously been cropped. They provide habitat for wildlife and enhance water quality. The restored wetlands also help reduce the impacts during flood events. One of the wetland restoration projects completed this year consisted of three earth embankments and spillways to help restore about seven acres combined wetlands. The embankments were placed across shallow ditches that were used to drain these wetlands. The embankments were constructed using compacted
earth fill. After embankments are constructed, water is able to pool up creating seasonal wetlands. Emergency spillways were constructed around the end of each embankment. The spillway acts as the control, allowing for water to flow over it once the pool elevation reaches a certain height. The spillway height is very important. If it is not placed at the correct height, it can either cause flooding on a neighbor or not hold much water. When CRP contracts including these wetland restoration practices expire, the structures can be removed and the land is able to go back to what it was before it went into CRP if desired.
An example of a completed weir structure on a CRP wetland restoration
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Gullies and washouts caused by concentrated overland water flow can create major headaches for farmers and landowners in Stevens County. These gullies and washouts are often un-crossable, degrade the condition of the soil, remove tons of valuable top soil, and remain unproductive areas in a field. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has successfully installed many erosion control practices in recent years. These practices typically include grassed waterways, lined waterways or Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCB). The layout and practice needed to address a resource concern determine the practice or practices used. Several operators in the county have installed these practices and have succeeded in both increasing the productivity of a field and stopping erosion. A grassed water-
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Day at the Capitol 2015
Matt Solemsaas, SWCD Administrator (left), and Jim Krosch, SWCD Board Chair (right), met with Senator Torrey Westrom (center) in St. Paul, during the MASWCD Legislative Briefing and Day at the Capitol.
Matt Solemsaas and Jim Krosch, from Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District, attended a legislative briefing and meetings at the State Capitol January 26-27 in St. Paul. They joined a group of other officials from the state’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) who met in St. Paul to gather support for conservation districts’ programs and issues. “It is important for us to get the conservation message out to our elected officials in St. Paul,” said Matt Solemsaas, of Morris.
The 2015 Legislative session will be critical to the future of conservation programs in the state, noted Solemsaas. “This year legislators will address issues including a biennial budget, appropriations of constitutionally dedicated sales tax funds, and policy issues. Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts are an integral component for enhancing Minnesota’s quality of life through conservation on private lands, which yields environmental, wildlife and aesthetic benefits to the public.
During the visit to St. Paul, Solemsaas and Krosch met with local legislators Jeff Backer and Torrey Westrom. The event was sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. SWCDs fill the crucial niche of providing land and water conservation services to owners of private lands. Minnesota has 89 Soil and Water Conservation Districts. For more information on the Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District, please call (320)589-4886 ext 3.
Morris, Minnesota 56267
EQIP – Environmental Quality Incentives Program
EQIP is a voluntary conservation program from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). EQIP provides technical assistance and incentive payments to assist crop, livestock, and other agricultural producers with environmental, conservation and energy improvements to their operations. This assistance is to help landowners EQIP technical and financial assistance available for rotation implement structural, veg- grazing systems. etative, or management your land, EQIP probably treat resource concerns practices, and Conservahas a practice that may be in Stevens County. If you tion Activity Plans (CAP). eligible for financial assis- have future plans, contact Some common practance that could fix your re- us soon so we can do a tices in Stevens County are source concern. Producer good onsite evaluation of cover crops, grassed watermust be signed up in EQIP the site to address ideas ways, water and sediment and be in compliance with for treating your resource control basins, terraces, all USDA Farm Bill provi- concerns and generate a converting irrigation syssions in order to receive good plan so you are not tems to low pressure sysfinancial assistance. rushing into a project. tems, nutrient manageIn2014,over1,900acres Applications are accepted ment, pest management, had practices installed to continuously. no-till, strip-till, closure of waste impoundments, brush management, conservation crop rotation to organic production, seasonal high tunnels, drainage water management, windbreaks/shelterbelts, native prairie seeding, prescribed burning, and rotational grazing systems consisting of fence, pipeline, well, water tanks, and pasture seeding. If you have a resource concern on EQIP can provide assistance for producers wanting to do no-till or strip-tillage
Morris Area schools excel at Area 2 Envirothon The Area 2 Envirothon, an outdoor educational competition for students, was held April 23 at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center near Spicer. The area event is modeled after state and national competitions. Students in grades nine through 12 are eligible to participate in the senior event. The junior division is designed to introduce sixth through eighth graders to the program. The competition challenges students’ environmental knowledge and problem solving skills at learning stations based on key areas of the environment. Information is presented by natural resource professionals at five stations: wetlands, wildlife, forestry, soils and the 2014 current issue topic “Sustainable Local Agriculture/Locally Grown in Minnesota.” The students
Morris Area team places fifth overall at Area 2 Envirothon, (L to R): Philip Messer, Nick Boots, Lindsay Flogstad, Jenna DeRung, and Brittney Cardwell.
Morris Area team places first at Area 2 Envirothon and advances to State Envirothon. Team was coached by High School Environmental Science teacher Mr. Dylan Viss. Team members included (L to R):Bryce Jergenson, Beth Holland, Peter Erickson, Kjersa Anderson, Yasha Hoffman.
work collaboratively to answer test questions at each station. In addition, prior to the event, the senior teams prepare a 10 minute oral presentation about the current issue topic that they present at the competition.
Morris Area High School had two high school teams competing in 2014. The experienced team placed second overall and first in the Oral Presentation on “Sustainable Local Agriculture/Locally Grown in Minnesota. The younger
of the high school teams placed fifth overall. Stevens SWCD takes an active part in organizing and carrying out the Area 2 Envirothon each year. We know the importance of teaching youth about our ecology and natural
Huntley SWCD board supervisor since 2005 Don Huntley is a long time resident of Hodges Township where he lives and farms with his wife Jody. Don purchased his farm from his parents, Max
and Emma in 1943. Don joined the team as a Stevens SWCD board supervisor in January of 2005. Don represents District 4 which covers Hodges, Hor-
ton and Moore Townships and currently serves as the board’s Vice Chair. He enjoys working with the staff and supervisors at Stevens SWCD and is interested in finding ways to decrease soil erosion.
resources and the Envirothon is a great opportunity to do this. We are happy to provide the chance for area students to take part and are very pleased that our students consistently do well in the competition. Thanks are in order to the Area 2 Envirothon committee members, session presenters, judges, participating schools and sponsors for making the 2014 Area 2 event possible: Soil and Water Conservation Districts, County
Environmental Services offices and local Watershed Districts within Area 2; the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service; US Fish and Wildlife Service; AgCountry Farm Credit Services; and Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. Contact Stevens SWCD Education & Promotion Coordinator Judy Johnston at 320-589-4886 ext 114 for more information on organizing a team or sponsoring the local event.
Fynboh new in 2015 Welcome Greg Fynboh to the Stevens SWCD Board of Supervisors. Greg was elected in 2014 and will fill the District 2 position, which covers Eldorado, Donnelly, Everglade and Pepperton townships. Greg operates a cashcrop farm in Pepperton Township with his wife, Naomi and their three children, Isabel (11), Lydia (9), and Sawyer (7). He looks forward to our mutual efforts to improve soil and water conservation
and crop and animal production.
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Walk in access in 2014
Stevens SWCD administers the Walk in Access (WIA) Program in Stevens County. In 2014, Stevens County had 11 sites totaling 1,075 acres under contract. Statewide there are 196 sites enrolled, totaling 20,708 acres across 35 counties in western Minnesota. Locations of the parcels enrolled can be found on the DNR website or an atlas containing the locations can be picked up at a local SWCD office.
WIA is a voluntary program that pays landowners to open up their private land for public hunting. This program focuses on land already enrolled into a conservation program such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Reinvest In Minnesota (RIM), or Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). Areas not in a conservation program that still provide high quality wildlife habitat, like river bottoms or wetland areas, are also eligible for the program. To be eligible for the program, areas must contain a minimum of 40 acres to be enrolled. Areas smaller than 40 acres can be enrolled only they are adjacent to Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) or other WIA areas that combined contain at least 40 acres. Landowners can enter into a one-year contract or a multi-year contract and they have the ability to
cancel the contract at any time without any penalties. Landowners are paid $10 per acre for acres enrolled. They can receive an additional $1 per acre for over 140 contiguous acre, land within a half mile of WMAs or WPAs, or if they enter into a multi-year contract. WIA land is for public hunting only. No target practice, trapping, dog training, camping, horseback riding or fires are allowed. No vehicles are allowed on conservation land. Parking is along roads or in designated parking areas. Once private land is enrolled in the program, bright yellow-green hexagon signs are placed at the property boundaries. For more information on WIA contact Andy Rice at the Stevens SWCD office. Other WIA information can be found on the DNR website at www. mndnr.gov/walkin.
Saturday, February 28, 2015- Page Page 95
Explore the benefits of cover crops
Cover crops are grasses, legumes, forbs, or other herbaceous plants that are established for seasonal cover and conservation purposes. Cover crops are typically planted in the late summer or early fall around harvest and before spring planting of the following year’s crops. In Stevens County, we have found cover crops work best following a small grain crop or on prevent-plant ground. Common cover crops used in Minnesota include winter hardy plants such as rye and wheat, and others including oats, barley, spring wheat, hairy vetch, red clover, turnips, canola, radishes, and triticale. Cover crop selection and management should focus on maximizing both above and below-ground biomass and encouraging nutrient cycling as deep in the soil profile as possible. Choosing a mix of a grass with a fibrous root system and a legume or brassica Resource Management. with a tap root will usually He started with NRCS in provide the widest range 2009 as a Soil Conserva- of benefits. tionist in Bottineau, ND, Cover Crop and then transferred to Benefits: Clarkfield in 2011 to be• Erosion control come the District Conser• Protecting cash crop vationist there. Cory and from wind when cash crop his wife Marybeth, along with their two Labrador is at the most vulnerable Retrievers, reside near Vil- stage of growth • Increases soil organic lard. Cory enjoys farming matter with his brother, hunting, • Conserves soil moisfishing and helping his ture parents with their two acre • Increases nutrient strawberry farm. cycling • Provides nitrogen for plant use • Suppresses weeds • Reduces compaction • Provide supplemental forage for livestock Matt grew up in North Dakota and graduated high Planting a wildlife school in Minnesota. He attended St. Cloud State University where he received his degree in Field Biology-Wildlife Management. Through the years he has been an active volunteer with the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the Wildlife Society. When not at work Matt enjoys fishing hunting, camping and spending time with his friends and family.
District Conservationist Walker Cory Walker started working as the District Conservationist for the Morris NRCS Field Office on May 20, 2013. He manages the work completed by USDA-NRCS in Stevens County. He works on addressing landowners’ and operators’ resource concerns. He can help them with getting financial assistance through USDA programs such as EQIP, CSP, WRP or CRP. Walker was raised on farm near Villard, in Pope County. He graduated
from Minnewaska Area High School and graduated from the University of Minnesota, Crookston with a degree in Natural
WRP Contract Technician Rose Matt Rose started work at the Stevens County NRCS Field Office in Morris in May 2012. He is the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) Contract Technician, a position coordinated by Ducks Unlimited. The goal of the position is to acquire land for wetland restoration. This increases native habitat which in turn will increase wildlife populations. Rose provides technical service to current WRP easements and to landowners that are interested in enrolling their land into the WRP.
Along with Stevens County, Matt also works on WRP easements in Big Stone and Swift counties.
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Cover crop of radishes planted in Stevens County
friendly cover crop such as buckwheat or brassicas and leaving the growth and/or the grain can be a very valuable winter food source for a wide variety of wildlife and pollinators. Legumes alone or in combination with grasses can provide quicker soil biology/biota restoration and nitrogen fixation. An early summer planted legume will grow rapidly and fix a good amount of nitrogen prior to a killing frost when it will be terminated. All legume seed is recommended to be inoculated. Brassicas provide excellent weed control and nitrogen scavenging potential. The tap roots are excellent at penetrating tillage pans and dense soil layers. NRCS has many valuable tools for producers interested in trying cover crops on their operation. These tools can help producers determine what species would be best suited for their goals with cover crops, range of seeding rates and recommended seeding dates to establish a successful cover crop. Seed can be
drilled, broadcast, or aerial applied. Another thing to consider when planning a cover crop is to look into herbicide resistance to what has been applied on your field. Some chemicals can have an 18 month residual, which could negatively affect your cover crop. In 2014, EQIP assisted numerous producers who wanted to try a cover crop on their land. Approximately 375 acres was seeded to a mix of cover crops that were to be left un-tilled over winter. The EQIP program provides producers with a good opportunity to try cover crops on their land. Producers must have an approved EQIP contract to receive payment. Payments in EQIP range from $36-73 per acre, depending on your scenario. Be sure to work with your crop insurance agent to make sure the cover crop will not interfere with your crop insurance program. Stop by the NRCS office in Morris for more information on cover crops!
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Page Page10 6 - Saturday, February 28, 2015
What I know to be true about the place called SWELL Ranger Randee
Pomme de Terre River update
The Pomme de Terre River is a valuable natural resource here in west central Minnesota. It helps drain rainwater away from our agricultural, recreational and residential landscape while also providing habitat for many species of plants and animals. Throughout the watershed, the Pomme de Terre River carries water, organisms and nutrients to areas downstream. Ranger Randee teaches a lesson to are students at the ScanFor decades, people dia Woods Environmental Learning Lab (SWELL) in rural Cyrus/ living in and around the Morris. Pomme de Terre River watershed have been concerned about their river, and rightly so. They have witnessed their river turn muddy brown in periods of high flow and green with algae in spots during periods of low flow. They recognize that these observances would also have an effect on the lakes of the watershed. In 1981, a group of concerned citizens took action to begin addressing the is-
sues facing the Pomme de Terre River, its tributaries, and the entire watershed. The group consisted of six Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors and six county commissioners from the counties with land the watershed (Stevens, Swift, Grant, Ottertail, Douglas and Big Stone). That group fully implemented a Joint Powers Agreement on August 11, 1981 and called themselves the Pomme de Terre River Association. While the association had little money to operate with initially, they had, at the very least, set the wheels in motion and eventually things started to happen in the watershed. Today, the group is a conservation machine! Within the past five years, the association has received more than six grants that total well over $1.5 million in funding, which is being used to implement conservation practices
that help reduce non-point source pollution. In 2014 alone, the Pomme de Terre River Association was able to install 16 rain gardens, three shoreline buffers, 17 water & sediment control basins, and provide low interest septic loans to several watershed residents. Additionally, the association provided funding for local SWCDs to enroll over 483 acres into federal conservation programs. The future looks bright for the watershed, as two more grants totalling in over $600,000 were awarded to the Pomme de Terre River Association in 2014 and early 2015. To stay up to date with all the changes, events, and projects happening within the association please visit our website at www.pdtriver. org or visit our Facebook page Pomme de Terre River Association.
Erickson Wetland Specialist with NRCS Students show appreciation for lessons learned from Ranger Randee at SWELL.
• I do know that students have learned what benefits wetlands hold for us all as they observe those at SWELL and we use common everyday items like sponges, pillows, and alka seltzer to define those benefits. • I do know that with the placement of the log cabin from the Stevens County Historical Society at the SWELL site, the Stevens County Historical Society was forward thinking.
Taylor Hufford was our Stevens SWCD District Conservation Corps intern for 2014. He worked on tree planting, mowing, rain gardens, and WRP/RIM monitoring. He is a student at University of Minnesota Crockston, Natural Resouces Management and Animal Science.
26406 470th Avenue, Morris, MN 56267
• I do know that students learn how to engage at a moment’s notice as the wonders of nature occur just that suddenly and you need to be ready to observe and learn. And I do know that I have indeed enjoyed the opportunity to share environmental, conservation and historical education at the SWELL site. This job has kept me “young of mind,” if not young of body!
Adam Erickson started with NRCS as a Wetland Specialist in October of 2011. He is housed in the Stevens County NRCS office and travels to NRCS Area 2 field offices to assist with the certified wetland determination process. He received a B.S. in Aquatic Biology from Bemidji State University in 2006. In the past he had worked seasonally for the Stevens SWCD between high school and
John Lembcke, Assistant Technician John Lembcke started employment with Stevens SWCD in April 2013. As the district’s Assistant Technician, he works with planting native grasses, trees, rain gardens, and with weed control. He resides in Morris where he was born and raised. After high school John attended Minnesota State University Moorhead and received a degree in Business Administrations. Following college he returned back to Morris and worked for Lembcke’s Garage for nine years. John is presently serving as Second not at work, she enjoys Assistant Chief with the horseback riding, reading, Morris Fire Department, and watching her sons play which he has been a memsports.
Staebler SWCD Office Manager since 2005 Chris Staebler has been our Office Manager since the fall of 2005. Her main role is to provide support to the SWCD board and staff, as well as to the Pomme de Terre Joint Powers Board and its technical committee. She oversees the financial recordkeeping and daily operations at the office and helps with field work when needed. Chris graduated from the University of Minnesota Morris with a degree in English. She has worked in Morris since then and lives with her husband and two sons south of town. When
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District 1 Supervisor Dave Lonergan
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college. Prior to NRCS, he was employed by West Central Environmental Consultants. Adam grew up locally on a farm near Donnelly, raising grassfed beef cattle. He enjoys being busy, spending time with his family, working on the farm and being outdoors hunting and fishing. Adam currently lives in Cyrus with his wife Katie and two sons Callan and Kadam.
Dave Lonergan was elected to the Stevens SWCD board of Supervisors in 2000 and he serves in District 1, which includes Rendsville, Swan Lake and Framnas Townships. Dave lives with his wife Elsie on a family farm in Rendsville Township (rural Donnelly). Dave and Elsie have three children and four grandkids. Dave has implemented many conservation practices on his farm land including sediment dams, CRP and grass waterways. They have all been very
successful in controlling soil erosion. Dave enjoys working with all the the great staff at the Stevens SWCD and with his fellow board members.
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I have been teaching and leading excursions and explorations at the place called SWELL for over 19 years and 38 seasons. I began with no specific title other than educator, and that quickly turned into the name “Ranger Randee” as I mischievously put that on the lesson opportunities to the teachers. Well it stuck, and I must say of all the things I may or may not be called in my life, this is one of my all-time favorites and a title I can try to grow into and fulfill each season I work at this magical place. • I do know that Linda and Karl Retzlaff should be honored for providing us with this space that for so many years has been a learning center for students from all over Stevens County as well as across our county boundaries. • I do know that the originator group of teachers who put the grant and ideas together should be commended for their inspiration! • I do know that I was captivated into the position from the very first that I heard about it. • I do know that following the end of grant funding through the Blandin Foundation, when the Stevens County Environmental Services and SWCD picked up the funding for the position to continue, the students and I were very grateful. • I do know that students know that the invention of Velcro fasteners came from a look at nature’s own cockle-burr [burdock] for inspiration.
Morris, Minnesota 56267
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
The Wonder of Wolves
Saturday, February 28, 2015- Page Page11 7
Annual Conservation Poster Contest winners Each year, the Stevens Soil & Water Conservation District sponsors a poster and mural contest for fifth and sixth grade students in each of the Stevens County elementary schools. Staff from Stevens SWCD visit each class and present information on a current conservation topic. This year’s topic was “Dig Deeper: Mysteries in the Soil.” Students from
Morris, Hancock, and St. Mary’s elementary schools listened to presentations by SWCD staff and then submitted individual posters or group murals for our contest. Winners were chosen at each school. Stevens SWCD gave Dig Deeper t-shirts to each county winner. Next year’s theme will be “Local Heroes: Your Hardworking Pollinators.”
St. Mary’s Elementary had five mural winners in the Stevens SWCD poster and mural contest. (L to R) back row: MacKenna Kehoe, Kylie Swanson, and Amber Hentges, sixth grade teacher. Front row: Calista Kill, LaRae Kram, and Kennedy Hill.
(Above) Students had the chance to see and learn firsthand about wolves and what the skulls and artifacts look like up close.
The Wonder of Wolves was presented in March to fourth graders at Morris Area Elementary by the Prairie Express Ecology Bus Center. The day started with an assembly of Morris, Hancock, Chokio-Alberta and St. Mary’s students in the Morris Area School Media Center, followed by break out sessions for each class. The students learned about wolf characteristics, adaptations and behavior. In the classroom breakout sessions, students also participated in hands-on learning with furs, skulls, Students had the chance to tracks and other animal compare pelts from fox, coyartifacts. Students par- otes and wolves. ticipated in wolf communication activities as well. The program was made possible through funding provided by the Comprehensive Local Water Plan.
Stevens Soil and Water Conservation District named local winners in their poster and mural contest. Morris Area Elementary students include: Fifth grade winners (back row L to R) Justus Moser, Tristan Hoyer, Sydney Solive, Sophia Carlsen, Katlyn Suess. Front row: Kaylie Raths, Chloe Mogard, Emma Bowman, Natalia Obregon, Luci Bransel.
Hancock Elementary fifth and sixth grade winners in the Stevens SWCD poster and mural contest, “Dig Deep the Secrets of Soil,” were (L to R back row): Miranda Chamberlain, Greta Schaefer, Harliegh Schlief, and Savannah Schlief. In front: Preston Rohloff, Lindsey Mattson, Alexis Staples.
Congratulations to Preston Rohloff, from Hancock EleSixth grade winners from Morris Area Elementary: (L to R) Jorge mentary, who placed first in Aquino, Bo Massner, Carissa Oberg, Kendra Wevley, Taryn Paul. the Area 2 poster competition.
Congratulations to MacKenna Kehoe and Kylie Swanson from St. Mary’s Elementary, who placed second in the Area 2 mural competition.
Wetland Conservation Act – WCA for tiling, mitigating, or wetland banking
What is the state law? The Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) is a state law that regulates the activities that result in the draining, filling, or excavating of wetlands in Minnesota, including those on agricultural land. It is administered by local government units; in rural areas this is usually the County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). SWCDs also provide technical assistance to landowners. Federal and Minnesota laws were enacted a couple decades ago to address the draining and filling of wetland areas. Both sets of laws rely on the knowledge and actions of landowners to assure compliance with their requirements. It is important for agricultural producers to be aware of these regulations in order to limit their risk.
Landowners need to know that just because you’re in compliance with one program doesn’t always mean you’re in compliance with others. What should you do before you start a project? 1. Complete your “AD1026” form at your local USDA office. 2. Bring a copy to the WCA Administrator and explain what you plan to do. If you are interested in tiling, mitigating or putting some previously drained acres into the wetland bank, the WCA Administrator can advise you if your project is allowed under WCA or if you need to submit an application to the local government. Involving the WCA Administrator from the beginning is the easiest and best way to avoid problems. Request a field visit by
the WCA administrator. This can help identify regulated wetlands on your property, and regulations that could affect your project. Many wetlands do not contain standing water or are only saturated for part of the year, and can be difficult for landowners to identify. If you need a contractor, make sure they submit a “Contractor Liability Form”. Contractors who conduct projects that will impact a wetland are required to notify the local government. The Contractor Responsibility and Landowner Statement From is available at www.bwsr.state.mn.us/ wetlands/forms and must be mailed to the local government prior to starting work. Communication is the key! Compliance with USDA (Swamp buster) does not mean compli-
ance with other wetland laws. A quick call or stop at your SWCD office prior to beginning your project will help you comply with
the laws and save a project from potential additional costs and delays. The WCA contact for Stevens County is Matt
Solemsaas, District Administrator at Stevens SWCD. If you have any questions stop by or call (320)589-4886 ext 112.
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
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Solemsaas serves as County Agricultural Inspector The duties of the County Agricultural Inspector (CAI) are to inspect all land in the county for the presence of prohibited noxious weeds. This is done with assistance from local weed inspectors (township and city officials or their appointees). If you would like to report noxious weeds, please contact your local township or city official to begin the investigation process. Another duty of the CAI is to help enforce the seed law. A sufficient amount of seed is collected and tested each year to ensure the protection of the citizens and businesses in the
county through truthfully labeled seed and for fair competition. The CAI also administers the pesticide applicators test for commercial applicators. Study materials can be obtained from the University of Minnesota Extension Service in the Stevens County Courthouse. Pesticide applicators licenses are issued by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA). Any questions regarding certification can be directed to Matt Solemsaas at (320)5894886 ext 112. When you are ready to schedule the exam:
1. Contact Matt Solemsaas for an appointment 2. Fill out application and pay licensing fee either online at the Dept of Ag website or in person the day of testing. 3. What to bring on test day: • Payment or proof of payment if application made ahead of time • Number 2 pencils • Valid photo ID & calculator If you have any questions about noxious weeds in Stevens County, stop by Stevens SWCD or call (320)589-4886 ext 112.
District 3 Supervisor Jim Krosch Jim Krosch has been a Supervisor with the Stevens SWCD since 2004. He represents District 3, which is in the southwest corner of the county and includes the townships of Baker, Stevens, and Synnes. While on the board, Jim has had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC to testify at a committee hearing, he has gone to St Paul several times to meet with legislators during the annual SWCD Legislative Day, and he currently holds the position of Secretary/ Treasurer for the West Central Area 2 association, the 12-county group of SWCDs that Stevens SWCD belongs to. Jim first got interested in the work SWCDs do when he came to the SWCD office to see what could be raising sheep, traveling, done with some water erooutdoor activities, boating sion issues he was having and scrapbooking in her on his land. Since then, spare time. he has learned that the
The Audubon Center of the Northwoods presented “Northland Niche” for the second graders in Stevens County schools. Students had an opportunity to meet Spike and learn about the porcupine.
Johnston coordinates variety of environmental education programs
Judy Johnston has been with the Stevens SWCD since 1995. As the Education & Promotion Coordinator, she works closely with the education program and promoting the district’s conservation activities. Judy coordinates a variety of environmental education programs for youth as well as adults. She enjoys teaching about our natural resources and conservation of soil and water. She is the coordinator for both the Area 2 and State Envirothons for high school students across the state. Judy also helps
when needed with district services such as planting trees, rain gardens and shoreline restorations. Judy is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. She lives on a small farm near Morris with her husband Lee. Their daughter Natalie is a senior at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul in Animal Science. Their son Justin and his wife Brandi live in Lubbock, Texas where Justin is doing an advanced degree in Meat Science. Judy enjoys
Project Coordinator House
Jared House is the Project Coordinator for the Pomme de Terre River Association, whose office is housed out of the Stevens SWCD. His duties include the coordination of the water conservation efforts of the six counties within the Pomme de Terre Watershed (Big Stone, Douglas, Grant, Stevens, Swift, and Otter Tail). The group works with local landowners, private groups, and government agencies to help improve the water quality of the Pomme de
Terre watershed. Jared obtained a B.S. in Aquatic Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies from Bemidji State University, where he is currently finishing up his masters degree in Biology. Prior to moving to Morris, Jared worked as a technician for the Minnesota DNR assisting in faucet snail, waterfowl, and shallow lakes research. When not hard at work Jared enjoys fishing, hunting, scuba diving, and spending time with his
wife and plethora of animals.
Rice is District Technician at SWCD Andy Rice is the District Technician at Stevens SWCD. He is involved with the promotion, implementation, and maintenance of conservation programs that include CCRP, CRP, RIM, WRPRIM, State Cost-Share and EQIP. This includes enrolling land, creating conservation plans, implementing practices, and planning mid-contract management activities.
Andy administers the tree program which includes sales, planting, planning, and implementation. He is also the coordinator for the Walk In Access program. Andy attended Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, where he received a B.S. degree in Environmental Science with emphasis in Natural Science. Andy lives in Alexandria with his wife and two sons.
focus of SWCDs is much broader than that, including urban, lakeshore, and wildlife concerns, as well as the work done to improve our working farm lands. Jim has installed a number of conservation practices on his land, including grass waterways, sediment dams, and CRP, and he is enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) as well. Jim is excited to learn how we can utilize cover crops to improve the soil health
of our land here in Stevens County, and he has a small field enrolled in EQIP where he and Cory from the NRCS are experimenting with tillage practices and cover crops. Jim and his wife Jackie bounced around a little before finally settling back in Stevens County. After Jim graduated from Willmar for Diesel Mechanics, they moved to Williston for two years during the oil boom of the 1970s and 80s. Then they lived in Fargo for five years before coming back to Stevens County, where Jim worked for Kleespie Tank and Westmor while farming with his dad, Gordon. Jim and Jackie live southwest of Alberta on the farm his folks moved onto back in 1947, and they farm with the help of their whole family: Brad (Heather, Zoe, and Mya), Amanda Barsness (Mark), and Cody (Molly).
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Saturday, February 28, 2015- Page Page13 9
How do whales relate to Minnesota? Pope and Stevens County Water
Fest in its ninth year
Mr. Berget’s third grade classes pose for a photo during the “Whale in Our School” assembly at Morris Area Elementary School.
It may sound strange to talk about these marine mammals here in the middle of North America, but it makes perfect sense when you understand that Minnesota shares the same big watershed as these enormous, gentle giants! Coordinated by the Stevens SWCD and paid for by the Stevens County Water Plan, Stevens County elementary students had the opportunity to learn
about features that classify whales and humans into the same animal group, the variety of whales in our oceans, what they eat, how they live and other fascinating details about whales. To add even more fun, the “Whale in our School” assembly culminated with a tour inside a life-size model of the biggest whale of all – the Blue Whale! Classroom work-
shops dive deeper into ocean life and whale adaptations with experiments and activities to learn more about the amazing features of these gentle giants of our oceans. This is a favorite classroom presentation among third grade students in Stevens County. They just love the chance to go inside a very life-like 70 foot whale!
On Sept. 12, 2014 over 300 sixth grade students and teachers from Pope and Stevens counties attended the ninth Annual Pope & Stevens County Water Fest. Students from Minnewaska, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, Morris Area Elementary, St. Mary’s, Hancock, and Glacial Hills attended this year’s event, which was held at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Glenwood. The students were involved in a day of hands-on learning about the water cycle, water conservation, macro invertebrates, aquatic intruders, Bubbleology, Incredible Journey and the lake game. The presenters were from various agencies including the Science Museum of Minnesota, Pope & Stevens Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Middle Fork Watershed, MPCA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Fork Crow River Watershed District, and the Glenwood DNR office.
Sixth grade students enjoy a day learning about water quality at Water Fest in Glenwood
Chrystal Dunker from the Prairie Ecology Bus Center presents the program “Whales” to third graders at Morris Area Schools.
Wiechmann, Administrative Assistant for NRCS
1000 Atlantic Avenue, Morris
(320) 589-4744
species. Kasey has a degree in environmental studies and was also an intern with the Pomme de Terre River Association last summer. Kasey is interested in conservation, enjoys hiking trails, and likes spending time with friends in the area.
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Kasey Wiechmann, a 2014 graduate of the University of Minnesota in Morris, joined the NRCS as an administrative assistant in February 2015. She will be dividing her time between the Pope and Stevens County NRCS offices helping to process wetland determinations and keeping conservation program files up to date. Kasey worked with the Stevens SWCD as a conservation intern in the fall of 2014 and worked on developing promotional materials for the district, including information about conservation efforts within the Mustinka Watershed and handouts to be used in helping stop the spread of aquatic invasive
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MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE - SWCD
Morris, Minnesota 56267
Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) grassland management is on-going
Prescribed burn being completed on a WRP in 2014.
There are over 60 permanent Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) easements in Stevens County and many of these have been established for a few years now. All require periodic grassland management to continue to provide longterm conservation benefits. Benefits of managing these easements include: preventing them from turning into brushland, keeping grassed-based conservation practices working properly, keeping unwanted species from getting established and becoming a nuisance, and maintaining the soil erosion, water quality, soil quality and carbon sequestration benefits. Maintenance of the vegetation on these easements typically occurs once every three to five years, depending on the situation. We are striving to work with landowners to get a schedule through the use of site specific management
plans. These management plans allow the landowners to work with vendors or complete the work themselves when conducting management activities. Common management activities in Stevens County in 2014 were prescribed burning, managed haying, and prescribed grazing. Prescribed burning is the most common management; however we will be doing more prescribed grazing on easements in 2015. Prescribed grazing doesn’t work for everyone, but it has been shown to be very beneficial for improving the vegetation on the easement and does not hinder wildlife like a prescribed burn or haying would. Landowners with WRP lands or who may be interested in enrolling in the program who would like more information on easement management options are encouraged to come discuss them with us in the office.
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