THE MONTANA CONSERVATIONIST

News from the Montana Association

of Conservation Districts

1101 Eleventh Avenue Helena, MT 59601 406-443-5711 www.macdnet.org This newsletter is made possible by a 223 grant from DNRC

March 31, 2015 Volume 8 Issue 7

Light snow, warm temps, high winds could mean influx of spring weeds

New CD Directory available Lewis & Clark County includes water availability in new growth plan Highlights from USDA Ag census Opportunities MACD Calendar

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Too Many Steves Four Conservation Districts Supervisors appointed to state leadership roles, three of whom are named Steve.

Last week, another CD Supervisor was asked to serve Montana by taking on additional responsibilities. Richard Kerstein, who lives in Scobey and is the Chairman of the Daniels County Conservation District, has been nominated to be on the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

If his appointment passes (and we predict it will), Richard will be the first Supervisor on the Fish and Wildlife Commission in many years, maybe ever. His appointment would also address a long standing MACD Resolution that asked that a Supervisor be on the Commission.

Richard joins three other Supervisors recently appointed to a statewide responsibility. They all happen to be named Steve and the three serve on the Montana Invasive Species Advisory Council:

Steve Hertel, Moore. Qualification: Private Land Owner. Hertel is a farmer and rancher and currently serves on the Fergus County Conservation District and volunteers for the Moore Rural Fire District as a firefighter and an AEMT.

Steve Tyrrel, Billings. Qualification: Private Industry. Tyrrel is the Founder, Vice President and CEO of Integrated Ag Services, Inc.

Steve Wanderaas, Vida. Qualification: Montana Conservation District Representative. Wanderaas is on the McCone County Conservation District and has worked in farming and agriculture his entire life.

We’d like to add that there is a reason that Montana is looking to Conservation Districts for counsel and wisdom. Nearly eight decades on the land have given our people an understanding of nature and natural resources that benefits the entire state. MACD continues to push Districts into the forefront and we think you will see more of this kind of recruitment in the near future in other programs.

Congratulations to all four Supervisors!

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THE MONTANA CONSERVATIONIST

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From the Prairie Star: Field experts forecast high weed pressure this growing season as weather conditions have caused rapid weed seed movement across the Wheat Belt.

Light snow and high winds resulted in an increase in seed movement throughout the winter. A couple of inches of snow in March or April will provide moisture and give the weed seeds a base to germinate, says Abe Smith, market development specialist, Dow AgroSciences. As

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a result, wheat growers could see a higher volume of weed pressure early in the growing season.

“We had unseasonably warm temperatures, and if we get late-season precipitation from snow, fields will be set up to have a large influx of small weeds germinating early in the season,” Smith says. “Growers should prepare to cut weeds off at the pass and start the season with clean fields.”

With an anticipated increase in weed pressure, scouting is

Light snow, warm temps, high winds could mean influx of spring weeds

Photo by the Big Hole Watershed Committee

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especially important. Smith urges growers to watch for winter annuals and early germinating weeds that can compete with crops at planting.

Spring wheat growers might see more kochia, in particular, across the Northern Plains this season because of its prolific seed production and the tumbleweed nature of its seed distribution, according to Smith.

“Kochia is a tough weed to control because it produces a lot of seeds,” he says. “We’re also starting to see glyphosate-resistant populations, so we have to make sure growers are selecting the right herbicides to address those.” READ MORE

Quote of the Week: “We lost 61 calves that first year. The next year we lost 56, the next 53,” he said. “The longer the cattle were exposed to predation, the fewer we lost. This year we had one wolf kill, one bear kill and two missing calves.” That’s Wyoming rancher Jon Robinett, discussing his experiences dealing with wolves in what we felt was a very well written article about a subject that’s still touchy twenty years after the introduction of wolves to YNP. READ IT HERE>

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THE MONTANA CONSERVATIONIST

Lewis & Clark County Includes Water Availability in New Growth Plan

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Editor’s Note: We saw this article in the Independent Record and felt that it was relevant to Conservation Districts, because as agricultural users, we are the highest users of both surface & ground water, and therefore have the biggest stake in making sure that water is used efficiently.

From the Independent Record: People don't generally think of living where there is no water, yet homes have sprung up across the Helena Valley in places where groundwater is both plentiful and scarce.

A Key Issues Report for the Lewis and Clark County growth plan update, which is currently in progress, focuses on five issues that face most new subdivisions. Wastewater disposal, roads, fire protection and flooding are among these issues. So is availability of water.

Water and roads are the two most limiting factors for development, said George Thebarge, the county’s community development and planning department director.

“There are parts of the valley where there is simply not enough water to sustain development,” Thebarge told the county commission when presenting the key finding report.

The Key Issues Report speaks to how the number of homes in a small area can have consequences on an aquifer that might not otherwise show signs of

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depletion where there are far fewer homes. In other of the document’s chapters, subdivision density is also linked to roads, wastewater disposal and fire protection.

"The density of development in various portions of the Helena Valley must reflect groundwater conditions and limitations," the report said.

Craig Charlton, the planning board's vice chairman, said the growth policy, unlike zoning, doesn’t implement specific restrictions.

“The idea with the growth plan isn’t to drive development farther out, it is to drive smart development,” Charlton said.

Smart development, he explained, places high density subdivisions closer to existing infrastructure such as is available through the city of Helena. READ MORE

Results from the 2012 USDA Ag Census caught our eye this week, and we thought we’d share a few interesting snippets:

1. 97% of all farms were family owned in 2012. However, about half of all farmland in the US was operated by small family farms. (“Small Family Farm” is defined as a family owned operation where gross cash farm income is less than $350,000)

2. The majority of small family farm operators work part time off-farm to supplement their income.

3. 15% of small family farms are run by women.

4. In Montana, 31% of all farms are “small” and owned by someone with a primary occupation other than the farm itself. (Think wealthy landowners). Meanwhile, 24% are small farms where the operator is retired.

5. About 5% of farms in Montana are not owned by a family.

6. 697 family farms in Montana had a gross cash farm income of greater than $1,000,000. That’s only 2.5% of all MT farms.

7. 64 percent of all vegetable sales and 66 percent of all dairy sales come from the 3 percent of farms that are large or very large family farms.

Ag Census: 97% of all US farms are family owned

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Grants Montana Specialty Crop Block Grant Funding Increased to $1.3 million

The Montana Department of Agriculture is announcing that an estimated $1,300,000 in federal funding is expected to be available through the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG) program. Montana’s SCBG program benefits projects solely enhancing the competitiveness of Montana specialty crops, including fruits and vegetables, peas, lentils, horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture. More info

Programs Call for Groundwater Investigation Program Projects

The Ground-Water Steering Committee is currently accepting nominations for Ground-Water Investigation Program (GWIP) projects to be initiated during 2016. GWIP projects are nominated to and prioritized by the Ground-Water Steering Committee, and conducted by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. More info

Enrollment Now Open for Irrigation Water Management 2015

MACD is pleased to provide another year of our Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Service. MACD’s IWM Service is available to all Montana irrigators and can be used in conjunction with NRCS EQIP irrigation programs. Three levels of irrigation management are available, and MACD’s IWM

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they want. The Program Manager position will focus on managing and initiating conservation, land use and rural development projects in the Northern Rockies, primarily in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Application Deadline: April 3. More info

Dredge Operator, Richland & Roosevelt CDs

This position requires someone to operate portable dredge jointly owned by the Richland/Roosevelt Conservation Districts, to remove silt from pump sites on the Lower Missouri. Application Deadline: April 10. More info

Workshops Montana Water Resources: Research Tools and Information

Montana Watercourse is hosting a workshop in Billings on Water Rights. The workshop will be on April 9, 2015 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in Billings. Realtor continuing education credits are available. More info

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Service will assist producers with the maintenance of soil moisture records and provide feedback on the application of water and energy based on their enrolled level. More info

NRCS Accepting Applications for Conservation Stewardship Program

NRCS is making $100 million available this year through the Conservation Stewardship Program for farm, ranch, and forest operators to take additional conservation steps to improve their natural resources. Although applications are accepted year round, applications must be submitted by Feb. 27, 2015 to be considered for this year’s funding. More info

Jobs FWP Watercraft Inspectors

FWP is seeking applicants to staff their seasonal watercraft inspection stations in locations across the state. These jobs are a great way for people to get a foot in the door at FWP and build a resume towards natural resource management careers. More info

Good Thymes Camp Assistant Director

The Madison Conservation District & Madison Farm to Fork are seeking an assistant for their natural resource themed summer camp. The position is part time & seasonal. More info

Future West Program Manager

Future West is a non-profit organization that helps communities create the future

OPPORTUNITIES

Don’t Forget: It’s time to ask your local schools to participate in the National Association of Conservation Districts’ annual Poster Contest. This year’s theme is: “Local Heroes: Your Hardworking Pollinators.”

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THE MONTANA CONSERVATIONIST

Pasture Health Workshop, Ennis

DNRC Education Grants Due

Montana Water Resources: Resource Tools & Information Workshop

MACD Board Conference Call

Madison & Ruby Valley Conservation Districts Banquet

Montana Envirothon

Earth Day

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Coming Up:

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Got an event to share? Please email

tmc@macdnet.org with details on your organization’s

upcoming workshops & events, so we can let the rest

of the conservation community know!

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The Montana Conservationist strives to present news & information relevant to Montana’s Conservation Districts. However, the views and opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of MACD or its affiliates.

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New CD Directory Available DNRC has released a 2015-2016 version of their Conservation District Directory.

The document contains a complete listing of contact information for all districts in the state, plus meeting dates. It also includes contact information for associated state agencies and associations.

You can download & print the directory on the DNRC website, here.

Plus: New Admin Listserver We’d also like to add that there is a new way to get in touch with all CD administrators in the state.

MACD set up a Google Group for all the administrators. We’re hoping this will be a much easier way to keep track of & manage the admin email addresses, and that this list will serve as a clearing house for all the information being sent to administrators.

Just email administrators@macdnet.org. Please use wisely & sparingly, though, as the last thing our hardworking administrators need is a crowded inbox. If you’re unsure whether something has been sent to the list, please first email it to kate@macdnet.org, and I’ll make sure it gets out.