UPCOMING MEETINGS/REMINDERS THIS MONTH AND NEXT MONTH
Morris County
Conservation District
Council Grove, KS
December 25 – Christmas Day HOLIDAY

January 1 -       New Year’s Day HOLIDAY

January 13 -     District Board meeting

January 19 -     Martin Luther King, Jr. HOLIDAY

January 27 -     Conservation Edition in Council Grove Republican

January 31 -     Morris County Conservation District’s 69th Annual Meeting, 6:30 p.m.









Funding is provided in part by the State Conservation Commission through appropriation from the Kansas Water Plan Fund.
All programs of the Morris County Conservation District are available without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age or handicap.

All photos are the property of the Morris County Conservation District and are not to be reproduced without written permission from the Morris County Conservation District


CRP PRACTICE CP38E NOW AVAILABLE FOR KANSAS UPLAND GAME BIRDS
Manhattan, Kansas, March 14, 2008 --- Bill R. Fuller, State Executive Director of the Kansas USDA Farm Service Agency announced approval of a Kansas project under the Conservation Reserve Program's (CRP) State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practice CP38E.
The goal of the Kansas Upland Game Birds SAFE project is to improve populations of bobwhite quail, ringneck pheasant, greater prairie chicken, and other grassland associated wildlife by creating nesting/brood-rearing habitat on portions of crop fields.  This SAFE project will establish and maintain 30,100 acres of CRP consisting of diverse native grass and forb cover.  Quail, pheasant and other grassland birds are species that will benefit from SAFE enrollments.  Priority will be given to using SAFE to complement local efforts, and project coordinators expect upland birds should respond within the first year of planting.  Acres enrolled in the SAFE project will also provide water quality and reduce soil erosion.
To be eligible, land must be located anywhere in Kansas, with priority for land located in Kansas CRP Conservation Priority Areas 2, 5 and 8.  In addition, land must meet the basic CRP eligibility requirements.  Acceptable land is cropland that was planted or considered planted to an agricultural commodity in four out of six years between 1996 and 2001 and which is also physically and legally capable of being planted in a normal manner to an agricultural commodity.  Dryland corners of center-pivot irrigation systems may be also be eligible.
Rental rates are based on three predominate soils.  FSA bases rental rates on the average value of dry-land cash rent for the past three years and adjusts rates to reflect the relative productivity of soils within each county.
A one-time up front signing incentive payment of $100 per acre for CRP contracts of 10 years or more will be paid by FSA after eligibility criteria are met and the CRP contract is approved.  A one-time practice incentive payment equal to 40 percent of the eligible installation costs will be paid after the CRP practice is installed, eligible costs are verified and other payment eligibility criteria are met.  FSA will also pay cost-share payments up to 50 percent of the eligible cost of establishing a permanent cover.
Contracts are for not less than 10, nor more than 15 years.  The effective date of the CRP contract is the first day of the month following the month of approval.  In certain circumstances, producers may defer the effective date for up to six months.
Maximum acreage enrollment is 5 acres for fields less than 25 acres, or 20 percent of a field for fields 25 acres or greater, with a maximum acreage of 80 acres per field.  Fields less than 5 acres may be enrolled in their entirety.
Mid-contract management requirements will apply to CP38E enrollments, with activities designed in the conservation plan to maximize the benefits for wildlife throughout the CRP contract period.
Signup for CP38E begins the later of March 17, 2008 or if/when Congress reauthorizes the continuation of CRP at local FSA county offices and runs continuously until the acreage goal of 30,100 is met.
A fact sheet with map of priority areas may be obtained at www.fsa.usda.gov/ks.
Stewardship Week Press Release
April 27 to May 4, 2008

Local contact: ( Morris County Conservation District )
Phone: ( 620-767-5111 Ext. 101 )
e-mail:
( jobea.titus@ks.nacdnet.net )
WATER IS LIFE

  The Morris County Conservation District encourages you to think about your personal responsibility to be a good steward of the natural resources, including water, during its annual Stewardship Week celebration.  The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has proclaimed April 27 to May 4, 2008 as Stewardship Week with the theme Water is Life.
The Earth’s water is in constant motion in the process known as the hydrologic (water) cycle.  There is no beginning or end to the hydrologic cycle.  Water available to users can change due to the cycles of weather and changes in water quality.  Throughout time, the same water has been transferred into the Earth's atmosphere and dropped on land again where it follows the water cycle through plants, soil, water bodies, animals and clouds. That means the water we use today is the same water that was here when dinosaurs roamed the land.
  What can we do? Become aware of water quality and quantity in your community.  Understand how watersheds work. We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are the places we call home, where we work and where we play. Everyone relies on water and other natural resources to exist. What you and others do on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and our other natural resources. Managing the water and other natural resources is an effective and efficient way to sustain the local economy and environmental health.
  Kent L. Bacon acts as the Chairman for the Morris County Conservation District.  The District was formed to assist people in Morris County, and is your local voice for “Natural Resource” concerns. 
  The Morris County Conservation District is a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts (www.nacdnet.org) which oversees the Stewardship Week program.  Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation.  NACD represents the nations 3,000 conservation districts, which were established to encourage resource conservation across the country.
“Each of us needs to take steps to invest in understanding the importance of water in our everyday life,” said NACD CEO Krysta Harden. “Water is not a renewable resource.  Education in your community and schools will benefit all citizens, for years to come as they gain a better appreciation of the importance of water resources. Conservation districts are working with local communities to address water quantity and quality issues in every county in America.”
     For information about Stewardship Week and conservation, contact the Morris County Conservation District at 620-767-5111 Ext. 101. or email: jobea.titus@ks.nacdnet.net You can visit www.nacdnet.org to learn more about NACD and Stewardship Week.
COST-SHARE SIGN-UP ANNOUNCED FOR
MORRIS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Cost Share Sign-Up has ended for this year.
If you have any questions or concerns about these programs, please call Jo Bea Titus - Hutchinson, District Manager/Water Quality Coordinator, at the Morris County Conservation District at 620-767-5111 Ext. 101. or email: jobea.titus@ks.nacdnet.net

The Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC) traveled to Council Grove  on May 5th  for a "Natural Resource" agriculture assembly for 80 third graders from CGES, PHES and WCES.  Chelsea Good, presenter, taught about agricuture topics such as:  non renewable resources, what comes from a cow, where cotton comes from, only 1/32 of the Earth to produce food, and how well buffer strips keep soil from eroding into our streams.  The following sponsors:  Morris County Conservation District, Twin Lakes WRAPS Project, Morris County Farm Bureau Association, and Council Grove and Dwight PTO' s funded this educational activity.

The Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC)
Click on image to enlarge.