Fall 2010 Garfield County Conservation District Newsletter
Content
“ L o c a l “OUR
C o m m o n
S e n s e
C o n s e r v a t i o n ”
LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER”-M ARTIN L UTHER KING
Inside this issue:
MRCDC hires Coordinator Russian Olive Debate USDA stops using leaf beetles MMRIC News Release80 Women Stepping Forward for Agricultural Symposium Canada thistle– Research Project 75th Anniversary– a peek at The past
Fall 2010 Issue
Missouri River Conservation Districts Council (MRCDC) hires new Coordinator:
MRCDC welcomes Laurie Riley as its new coordinator. Riley comes from Corvallis, Montana, where she served as executive director of the Bitterroot Water Forum. Prior to joining the Water Forum in 2007, she was a restoration and business development specialist with an ecological restoration company specializing in restoration projects across the West. Riley earned a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana. She has experienced in grant writing, basin planning and community involvement.
In the continuing debate over the fate of the Russian Olive in Montana:
There are arguments on both sides of the fence when it comes to this tree/brush/weed. When the Russian olive was brought to America from Europe and western Asia it was used as an ornamental plant and for windbreaks and erosion control. It was many years later that Russian olive (and tamarisk/salt cedar) came to be considered an invasive plant. It is considered a noxious weed in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming parts of Utah, and Treasure County Montana. There is no federal state concerning Russian Olive. In August, 2008, Russian olive was petitioned for inclusion of the Montana state noxious weed list by Montana Audubon and the Montana Native Plant Society. The following link is to the Montana Audubon Russian Olive Policy Guidance Document adopted by the Montana Audubon Board in January 2006 and update as of August 2, 2010: http://mtaudubon.org/issues/hot/documents/Russian_Olive_Policy-5-07_update_8-2010.pdf. -taken from the Montana Conservationist
http://garfieldcountycd.org
Garfield County Conservation District News
Page 2
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
USDA stops using leaf beetles against invasive saltcedar– concern for endangered bird prompts change.—article taken from Farm & Ranch Weekly
Concern about an endangered bird has caused the US Department of Agriculture to declare a ceasefire in its biological war against saltcedar, an invasive tree that has taken over riparian areas across the West. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ended its program of releasing saltcedar leaf beetles to eat saltcedar, also known as tamarisk, in 13 states; Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. The reason for the program’s demise is the south-western willow flycatcher, and endangered species found in scattered pockets around the Southwest. The bird nests in saltcedar, as well as in native willows and cottonwoods. Concern that beetles could destroy much of the bird’s nesting habitat was why the USDA excluded New Mexico, Arizona and California form the beetle-release program, which began in 2005. Now, scientists think the beetles are likely to spread from the states where they were introduced. They say it could be just a matter of time before the insects chew through saltcedar all the way down the Colorado River drainage in Arizona and eastern California. “The beetles move around. They don’t stay where you put them,” Alan Dowdy, director of invertebrate and biological control programs for APHIS in Riversdale, MD. The USDA moved to end the beetle program last year, he said. A June 15 memo from Dowdy told APHIS state directors that APHIS no longer endorsed releasing saltcedar leaf beetles and stated that doing so could be prosecuted and punished by a fine up to $250,000 per violation. The change has environmentalists who opposed the use of saltcedar leaf beetles from the beginning saying “I told you so.” They also said it might be too little, too late to prevent one artificially introduced species from destroying another and wiping out an endangered native species in the process. “It’s very serious,’ said Robin Siler, with the Center for Biological Diversity. The Tuscan, Arizona based group and the Maricopa Audubon Society sued APHIS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service last year over the release of saltcedar leaf beetles in southern Utah in 2006. The released beetles proliferated, the groups said, destroying several saltcedar trees containing south-western willow flycatcher nests. The release also opened a door for the beetles to spread southward, the groups said. Saltcedar grows up to 30 feet tall. The tree was introduced to the West during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and has since spread along streams throughout the region. One of the problems with the trees is it concentrates salt in its leaves. When those leaves fall, salt can concentrate around the trees and prevent anything else from growing. Saltcedar has been successful in part because of the dams built in the West during the 20th century, said Matthew Chew, an assistance research professor at the Arizona State University. The dams altered the natural flow of Western rivers like the Colorado, giving saltcedar trees an advantage over native willows and cottonwoods. “They are adapted to this new grime– this new, artificially managed regime,” Chew said. “We created a habitat. We created the perfect conditions.” The federal government’s view that saltcedar leaf beetles could do no harm was an “illusion,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of the Washington, DC– based for Environmental Responsibility. “Perhaps the best hope for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher is for it to develop a taste for leaf beetles,” Ruch said. END OF ARTICLE
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 3
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
News Release Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee MRRIC Briefed on high water & adaptive management; transmits values summary The Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) met for the eleventh time on July 20-22 in Sheridan, Wyo. The 70-member committee is comprised of stakeholders and representatives of state, tribal, and federal governments throughout the basin that provides recommendations to federal agencies on existing and future federal programs for Missouri River recovery. Jody Farhat, Chief, Missouri River Basin Water Management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), reviewed the causes of high river flows and flooding since spring and the agency’s plans for evacuating 9 million acre-feet of water from reservoirs before March 1, 2011 (a typical family of 5 uses an acre-foot of water per year). “The Missouri is a run-off driven system,: Farhat explained, noting the daily actions her agency takes to capture as much flood water as possible. Farhat described how sufficient flood water storage appeared to be available in the six mainstream reservoirs on March 1, 200, but late snow and heavy rain resulted in run-off at 145% of normal, making this the 7th wettest year to date since 1898. Total mainstream reservoir storage is now at 66 million acre-feet. The Corps must now draw reservoir levels down so that storage capacity is restored for spring 2011 run-off. Releases from Gavins Point Dam (the lowest mainstream dam) will increase to 46,000 cubic-feet per second (cfs) by mid-August and will continue at the rate until mid-December. These flows will allow a 10-day extension of the navigation season. MRRIC is directed by Congress to make recommendations for recovering the least tern and piping plover, both listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) official Henry Maddux updated the Committee on the impact on high water on these species. Maddux reported that birds nests on banks and sandbars have been inundated by high water and the chick-fledging rate is likely to decline this year. Some previously constructed bird habitat has been inundated. Farhat also noted that additional habitat construction this year will be delayed. USACE and USFWS staff briefed on the concept of Adaptive Management and how this environmental decision-making tool will be used in the Missouri River recovery program. Adaptive Management uses successive rounds of monitoring, analysis, and informed experimentation to achieve recovery program objectives in highly uncertain conditions. MRRIC and federal agencies plan to discuss how the Committee may be involved in this Adaptive Management program for the Missouri River. In business sessions, MRRIC members reached final consensus to transmit to the Corps a summary of social, economic, tribal and cultural values about the uses and benefits of the Missouri River agency consideration in developing the long-term (30-50 years) vision for Missouri River recovery (Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan or MRERP). The values described in the summary, collected during a five-month process, are the opinions of individual members and alternatives and are not themselves a consensus recommendation of MRRIC. The Committee also reached final consensus on recommendations to the Corps on the agency’s FY2011 recovery program work plan and how the Corps should deal with a different funding level (either reduced or increased) that is currently included in the President’s budget. The President’s budget includes $78.4 million for habitat creation, monitoring, scientific investigations, and other projects supportive of ongoing efforts to recover threatened and endangered species and habitat associated with the river. Article continued to page 4
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 4
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
If more funds are appropriated, MRRIC recommends the additional funds be used to support science programs and nesting birds. If funds are reduced, MRRIC recommends emphasis still be given to science programs and habitat for the least terns and piping plovers. In other actions, the Committee: Finalized a recommendation to the Secretary of the Army and other federal agencies that MRRIC members be eligible for reimbursement for meeting-related travel. MRRIC members are unpaid volunteers who, unlike federal advisory groups, are not reimbursed for their travel. Reached tentative consensus on recommendation regarding pilot projects for least terns and piping plovers’ nesting habitat in ears beyond those currently utilized to be included in future work plans on how USFWS can help to facilitate their implementation. Reached tentative consensus on a recommendation to the Corps and USFWS that the agencies conduct government-to-government consultation with tribes about participation in MRRIC. MRRIC was authorized by Congress in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act and established in 2008 by the Assistance Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). Its duties include providing recommendations to the Secretary of the Army and other federal, state and tribal governments on efforts to recover ESA-listed species, mitigate habitat loss, and restore the ecosystem to protect other native species. MRRIC is staffed by RESOLVE, a Washington DC dispute resolution firm, under a contract with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution and with the assistance of federal agency staff. The next MRRIC meeting will be in Sioux Falls, Iowa, on October 1-21, 2010. For more information on MRRIC, please contact John Thorson, Committee Chair, at 406-826-0500 or by email at [email protected]. Other links related to the Missouri River recovery effort are: mrric.org and moriverrecovery.org. END OF ARTICLE
“Women Stepping Forward For Agricultural Symposium” Women Stepping Forward for Agricultural Symposium will be held October 5 & 6 2010 at the Montana Club in Helena, Montana. Registration is $60 prior to September 22 and $70 following September 22. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn downtown. Mention the Symposium when calling to reserve your room. To receive the special rate rooms must be reserved by September 22, 2010. For more information or to obtain a registration form contact your local USDA Service Center or log on to the Montana NRCS website at http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/news/womenag.html. You may also contact Andrea Ceartin, NRCS to attend at 406-522-4025 or email at [email protected]
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 5
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
Canada thistle Research ProjectBy Shanna Murnion– Garfield County Conservation District Field Technician This was the first year of a research project to determine if stem mining weevils can control Canada thistle in Garfield County. The weevil attack the plant by boring into it and mining towards the main stem. The older larvae will mine the stem, crown, and root. The project started in July when four sites around the county were chosen with heavy thistle infestation. These sites are named A, B, C and D. The beginning of the project consisted of data collection. Each site has a treated (bug release) and untreated (control) area. The perimeter of the treated areas were recorded with a GPS. Ten plots were inventoried in the treated area and five plots in the untreated area. Canada thistle stems and the average plant height were counted in a one yard square frame plot. The next part of the project was to release the stem mining weevils. The bugs were picked up from Integrated Weed Control in Bozeman. The cost for one container was $100. Each site had a predetermined number of containers to release. At sites A, B and C, four containers were used and at D, one container was used. Each container carries approximately 100 bugs. The sites the bugs were released were marked with a fence post and GPS. The rest of the project will continue over the next three years. More data will be collected at each plot on how the weevils are controlling the thistle. Each site will be revisited each summer in hopes to find less Canada thistle until it is gone!
Garfield County Conservation District News
http://garfieldcountydc.org
Page 7
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
.
75th Anniversary - A Peek at the Past
Soil Conservation in the New Deal Congress
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=463
April 27, 1935 On this date, as blistering heat sapped the American West of much needed moisture, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. Throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Dakotas during the early 1930s, high winds stirred the arid soil, loosened after years of rapid homesteading and commercial agriculture. Nearly 180 dust storms ripped across the southern plains during 1933, a prelude to the major storm of May 1934, which whipped an estimated 350 million tons of earth into the sky. It trapped people in their homes and suffocated cattle on the plains. Dust fell like snow in Chicago and eastern cities. Sailors on ships 300 miles off the Atlantic coast swept Kansan soil from their decks. Similar storms plagued America’s center well into 1935. In response, western House Democrats introduced H.R. 7054, “to provide for the protection of land resources against soil erosion, and for other purposes.” Unlike the ecological forces at work on the plains, John Marvin Jones of Texas explained, “the bill is simple and easily understood.” Bill sponsor John Joseph Dempsey of New Mexico—whom colleagues described as a “soil erosion enthusiast”—argued that the measure was of national interest, and therefore vital. John Conover Nichols of Oklahoma, whose state dust storms hit particularly hard, noted that in uprooting its subsoil, the United States “[had] been living in a fool’s paradise, with respect to the security of [its] most basic asset.” With the understanding that such storms posed a national threat, the New Deal Congress approved the bill. The ambitious act established the Soil Conservation Service to combat soil erosion and to preserve natural resources, “control floods, prevent impairment of reservoirs, and maintain the navigability of rivers and harbors, protect public health, public lands and relieve unemployment.” The Soil Conservation Act rewarded farmers who planted grasses and legumes to support the soil, rather than commercial crops which exhausted its nutrients—a difficult measure for many farmers to agree to during the Great Depression. The act, however, classified commercial harvests like wheat as a threat to the plain’s soil, giving farmers a chance to wean their fields from surplus crops at the federal government’s expense. While the act appropriated no money upfront, it left open the option to fund projects with “such sums as Congress may from time to time determine necessary.” President Roosevelt’s advisor, Rexford Tugwell, lauded the measure. “Under this plan,” said Tugwell, “it will pay farmers, for the first time, to be social-minded, to do something for all instead of for himself alone.”
It has been a joy & privilege to work for the Soil Conservation Service & now the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the past 25 years. The local farmers and ranchers feed the nation providing a healthy & abundant food supply. It is a pleasure working with all of you. Sue FitzGerald
Garfield County Conservation District
http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 7
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
Fried Zucchini 1 LG egg, beaten 1/3 cup milk 1 cup flour Salt and pepper, to taste 6 zucchini cut into circles 1 cup olive or canola oil In a bowl mix egg, milk, flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. If too thick, add water. If too thin, add flour. Dip zucchini in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot!
ITEMS FOR SALE “Weeds of the West” “Grassland Plants of South Dakota” “Range Plants of Montana” Landownership Map Book -one township per page Landownership Map Book -four township per page Garfield County Wall Map Garfield County Road Map Rental No Till Drill Fabric Layer (min of $10.00) Soil Sampling Probe ATV Sprayer ATV Broadcast Spreader ATV Herbicide Applicator Plant Supplies Tree Sentry Mesh Tube, 3ft Bamboo Stake, 4ft Fabric Staple - 6” x 1” Fabric Staple - 10” x 2” Landscape Fabric 6’ x 500’ roll 6’ x 300’ roll
$28.00 $25.00 $17.00 $50.00
ATV SPREADER
$25.00 $25.00 $10.00 $2.00/acre $0.10/ft 5 day loan $25.00/day $15.00/day $15.00/day $2.75 $0.50 $0.20 $0.10 each $0.15 each $130.00 $100.00
ATV SPRAYER
NO TILL DRILL
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Garfield County Conservation District News
Garfield County Conservation District 307 Main (PO Box 369) Jordan, MT 59337
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Billings, MT PERMIT NO. 11
All Garfield County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, gender, political beliefs, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.
Board of Supervisors Monte Billing……………..……………………………………Chairman Dean Rogge,…………………………………………….Vice Chairman Travis Browning…………………….………………………Supervisor Mike McKeever…………………..……………….…………Supervisor Alan Pluhar…………………………………………..………Supervisor Nathan Saylor..……………………………………...Urban Supervisor Nicole Downs..………………………………………Urban Supervisor
Field Office Staff: Garfield County Conservation District Amanda Lammers, District Administrator Kayla Higgins, Administrative Assistant Natural Resource Conservation Service Sue FitzGerald,
The public is welcome to attend the meetings of the Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Please call for meeting date and time.
District Conservationist John Monahan, Soil Conservationist B.G. FitzGerald,
Views expressed by individual columnists in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Garfield County Conservation District. 310 Permits
Soil Conservation Technician
A 310 permit is required if you are planning any project including the construction of new facilities or the modification, operation, and maintenance of an existing facility that may affect the natural existing shape and form of any stream, its banks, or its tributaries. Any private entity or non-governmental individual that proposes to work in or near a stream on public or private land must obtain a 310 Permit prior to any activity in or near a perennially flowing stream. Contact the Garfield County Conservation District for Permit Applications.
Garfield County Conservation District News
http://garfieldcountcd.org
C o m m o n
S e n s e
C o n s e r v a t i o n ”
LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THINGS THAT MATTER”-M ARTIN L UTHER KING
Inside this issue:
MRCDC hires Coordinator Russian Olive Debate USDA stops using leaf beetles MMRIC News Release80 Women Stepping Forward for Agricultural Symposium Canada thistle– Research Project 75th Anniversary– a peek at The past
Fall 2010 Issue
Missouri River Conservation Districts Council (MRCDC) hires new Coordinator:
MRCDC welcomes Laurie Riley as its new coordinator. Riley comes from Corvallis, Montana, where she served as executive director of the Bitterroot Water Forum. Prior to joining the Water Forum in 2007, she was a restoration and business development specialist with an ecological restoration company specializing in restoration projects across the West. Riley earned a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana. She has experienced in grant writing, basin planning and community involvement.
In the continuing debate over the fate of the Russian Olive in Montana:
There are arguments on both sides of the fence when it comes to this tree/brush/weed. When the Russian olive was brought to America from Europe and western Asia it was used as an ornamental plant and for windbreaks and erosion control. It was many years later that Russian olive (and tamarisk/salt cedar) came to be considered an invasive plant. It is considered a noxious weed in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming parts of Utah, and Treasure County Montana. There is no federal state concerning Russian Olive. In August, 2008, Russian olive was petitioned for inclusion of the Montana state noxious weed list by Montana Audubon and the Montana Native Plant Society. The following link is to the Montana Audubon Russian Olive Policy Guidance Document adopted by the Montana Audubon Board in January 2006 and update as of August 2, 2010: http://mtaudubon.org/issues/hot/documents/Russian_Olive_Policy-5-07_update_8-2010.pdf. -taken from the Montana Conservationist
http://garfieldcountycd.org
Garfield County Conservation District News
Page 2
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
USDA stops using leaf beetles against invasive saltcedar– concern for endangered bird prompts change.—article taken from Farm & Ranch Weekly
Concern about an endangered bird has caused the US Department of Agriculture to declare a ceasefire in its biological war against saltcedar, an invasive tree that has taken over riparian areas across the West. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ended its program of releasing saltcedar leaf beetles to eat saltcedar, also known as tamarisk, in 13 states; Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. The reason for the program’s demise is the south-western willow flycatcher, and endangered species found in scattered pockets around the Southwest. The bird nests in saltcedar, as well as in native willows and cottonwoods. Concern that beetles could destroy much of the bird’s nesting habitat was why the USDA excluded New Mexico, Arizona and California form the beetle-release program, which began in 2005. Now, scientists think the beetles are likely to spread from the states where they were introduced. They say it could be just a matter of time before the insects chew through saltcedar all the way down the Colorado River drainage in Arizona and eastern California. “The beetles move around. They don’t stay where you put them,” Alan Dowdy, director of invertebrate and biological control programs for APHIS in Riversdale, MD. The USDA moved to end the beetle program last year, he said. A June 15 memo from Dowdy told APHIS state directors that APHIS no longer endorsed releasing saltcedar leaf beetles and stated that doing so could be prosecuted and punished by a fine up to $250,000 per violation. The change has environmentalists who opposed the use of saltcedar leaf beetles from the beginning saying “I told you so.” They also said it might be too little, too late to prevent one artificially introduced species from destroying another and wiping out an endangered native species in the process. “It’s very serious,’ said Robin Siler, with the Center for Biological Diversity. The Tuscan, Arizona based group and the Maricopa Audubon Society sued APHIS and the US Fish and Wildlife Service last year over the release of saltcedar leaf beetles in southern Utah in 2006. The released beetles proliferated, the groups said, destroying several saltcedar trees containing south-western willow flycatcher nests. The release also opened a door for the beetles to spread southward, the groups said. Saltcedar grows up to 30 feet tall. The tree was introduced to the West during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and has since spread along streams throughout the region. One of the problems with the trees is it concentrates salt in its leaves. When those leaves fall, salt can concentrate around the trees and prevent anything else from growing. Saltcedar has been successful in part because of the dams built in the West during the 20th century, said Matthew Chew, an assistance research professor at the Arizona State University. The dams altered the natural flow of Western rivers like the Colorado, giving saltcedar trees an advantage over native willows and cottonwoods. “They are adapted to this new grime– this new, artificially managed regime,” Chew said. “We created a habitat. We created the perfect conditions.” The federal government’s view that saltcedar leaf beetles could do no harm was an “illusion,” said Jeff Ruch, executive director of the Washington, DC– based for Environmental Responsibility. “Perhaps the best hope for the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher is for it to develop a taste for leaf beetles,” Ruch said. END OF ARTICLE
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 3
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
News Release Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee MRRIC Briefed on high water & adaptive management; transmits values summary The Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) met for the eleventh time on July 20-22 in Sheridan, Wyo. The 70-member committee is comprised of stakeholders and representatives of state, tribal, and federal governments throughout the basin that provides recommendations to federal agencies on existing and future federal programs for Missouri River recovery. Jody Farhat, Chief, Missouri River Basin Water Management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), reviewed the causes of high river flows and flooding since spring and the agency’s plans for evacuating 9 million acre-feet of water from reservoirs before March 1, 2011 (a typical family of 5 uses an acre-foot of water per year). “The Missouri is a run-off driven system,: Farhat explained, noting the daily actions her agency takes to capture as much flood water as possible. Farhat described how sufficient flood water storage appeared to be available in the six mainstream reservoirs on March 1, 200, but late snow and heavy rain resulted in run-off at 145% of normal, making this the 7th wettest year to date since 1898. Total mainstream reservoir storage is now at 66 million acre-feet. The Corps must now draw reservoir levels down so that storage capacity is restored for spring 2011 run-off. Releases from Gavins Point Dam (the lowest mainstream dam) will increase to 46,000 cubic-feet per second (cfs) by mid-August and will continue at the rate until mid-December. These flows will allow a 10-day extension of the navigation season. MRRIC is directed by Congress to make recommendations for recovering the least tern and piping plover, both listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) official Henry Maddux updated the Committee on the impact on high water on these species. Maddux reported that birds nests on banks and sandbars have been inundated by high water and the chick-fledging rate is likely to decline this year. Some previously constructed bird habitat has been inundated. Farhat also noted that additional habitat construction this year will be delayed. USACE and USFWS staff briefed on the concept of Adaptive Management and how this environmental decision-making tool will be used in the Missouri River recovery program. Adaptive Management uses successive rounds of monitoring, analysis, and informed experimentation to achieve recovery program objectives in highly uncertain conditions. MRRIC and federal agencies plan to discuss how the Committee may be involved in this Adaptive Management program for the Missouri River. In business sessions, MRRIC members reached final consensus to transmit to the Corps a summary of social, economic, tribal and cultural values about the uses and benefits of the Missouri River agency consideration in developing the long-term (30-50 years) vision for Missouri River recovery (Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan or MRERP). The values described in the summary, collected during a five-month process, are the opinions of individual members and alternatives and are not themselves a consensus recommendation of MRRIC. The Committee also reached final consensus on recommendations to the Corps on the agency’s FY2011 recovery program work plan and how the Corps should deal with a different funding level (either reduced or increased) that is currently included in the President’s budget. The President’s budget includes $78.4 million for habitat creation, monitoring, scientific investigations, and other projects supportive of ongoing efforts to recover threatened and endangered species and habitat associated with the river. Article continued to page 4
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 4
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
If more funds are appropriated, MRRIC recommends the additional funds be used to support science programs and nesting birds. If funds are reduced, MRRIC recommends emphasis still be given to science programs and habitat for the least terns and piping plovers. In other actions, the Committee: Finalized a recommendation to the Secretary of the Army and other federal agencies that MRRIC members be eligible for reimbursement for meeting-related travel. MRRIC members are unpaid volunteers who, unlike federal advisory groups, are not reimbursed for their travel. Reached tentative consensus on recommendation regarding pilot projects for least terns and piping plovers’ nesting habitat in ears beyond those currently utilized to be included in future work plans on how USFWS can help to facilitate their implementation. Reached tentative consensus on a recommendation to the Corps and USFWS that the agencies conduct government-to-government consultation with tribes about participation in MRRIC. MRRIC was authorized by Congress in the 2007 Water Resources Development Act and established in 2008 by the Assistance Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). Its duties include providing recommendations to the Secretary of the Army and other federal, state and tribal governments on efforts to recover ESA-listed species, mitigate habitat loss, and restore the ecosystem to protect other native species. MRRIC is staffed by RESOLVE, a Washington DC dispute resolution firm, under a contract with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution and with the assistance of federal agency staff. The next MRRIC meeting will be in Sioux Falls, Iowa, on October 1-21, 2010. For more information on MRRIC, please contact John Thorson, Committee Chair, at 406-826-0500 or by email at [email protected]. Other links related to the Missouri River recovery effort are: mrric.org and moriverrecovery.org. END OF ARTICLE
“Women Stepping Forward For Agricultural Symposium” Women Stepping Forward for Agricultural Symposium will be held October 5 & 6 2010 at the Montana Club in Helena, Montana. Registration is $60 prior to September 22 and $70 following September 22. A block of rooms have been reserved at the Holiday Inn downtown. Mention the Symposium when calling to reserve your room. To receive the special rate rooms must be reserved by September 22, 2010. For more information or to obtain a registration form contact your local USDA Service Center or log on to the Montana NRCS website at http://www.mt.nrcs.usda.gov/news/womenag.html. You may also contact Andrea Ceartin, NRCS to attend at 406-522-4025 or email at [email protected]
Garfield County Conservation District News http://garfieldcountycd.org
Page 5
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
Canada thistle Research ProjectBy Shanna Murnion– Garfield County Conservation District Field Technician This was the first year of a research project to determine if stem mining weevils can control Canada thistle in Garfield County. The weevil attack the plant by boring into it and mining towards the main stem. The older larvae will mine the stem, crown, and root. The project started in July when four sites around the county were chosen with heavy thistle infestation. These sites are named A, B, C and D. The beginning of the project consisted of data collection. Each site has a treated (bug release) and untreated (control) area. The perimeter of the treated areas were recorded with a GPS. Ten plots were inventoried in the treated area and five plots in the untreated area. Canada thistle stems and the average plant height were counted in a one yard square frame plot. The next part of the project was to release the stem mining weevils. The bugs were picked up from Integrated Weed Control in Bozeman. The cost for one container was $100. Each site had a predetermined number of containers to release. At sites A, B and C, four containers were used and at D, one container was used. Each container carries approximately 100 bugs. The sites the bugs were released were marked with a fence post and GPS. The rest of the project will continue over the next three years. More data will be collected at each plot on how the weevils are controlling the thistle. Each site will be revisited each summer in hopes to find less Canada thistle until it is gone!
Garfield County Conservation District News
http://garfieldcountydc.org
Page 7
“Local Common Sense Conservation”
.
75th Anniversary - A Peek at the Past
Soil Conservation in the New Deal Congress
Office of History and Preservation, Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/highlights.html?action=view&intID=463
April 27, 1935 On this date, as blistering heat sapped the American West of much needed moisture, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. Throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and the Dakotas during the early 1930s, high winds stirred the arid soil, loosened after years of rapid homesteading and commercial agriculture. Nearly 180 dust storms ripped across the southern plains during 1933, a prelude to the major storm of May 1934, which whipped an estimated 350 million tons of earth into the sky. It trapped people in their homes and suffocated cattle on the plains. Dust fell like snow in Chicago and eastern cities. Sailors on ships 300 miles off the Atlantic coast swept Kansan soil from their decks. Similar storms plagued America’s center well into 1935. In response, western House Democrats introduced H.R. 7054, “to provide for the protection of land resources against soil erosion, and for other purposes.” Unlike the ecological forces at work on the plains, John Marvin Jones of Texas explained, “the bill is simple and easily understood.” Bill sponsor John Joseph Dempsey of New Mexico—whom colleagues described as a “soil erosion enthusiast”—argued that the measure was of national interest, and therefore vital. John Conover Nichols of Oklahoma, whose state dust storms hit particularly hard, noted that in uprooting its subsoil, the United States “[had] been living in a fool’s paradise, with respect to the security of [its] most basic asset.” With the understanding that such storms posed a national threat, the New Deal Congress approved the bill. The ambitious act established the Soil Conservation Service to combat soil erosion and to preserve natural resources, “control floods, prevent impairment of reservoirs, and maintain the navigability of rivers and harbors, protect public health, public lands and relieve unemployment.” The Soil Conservation Act rewarded farmers who planted grasses and legumes to support the soil, rather than commercial crops which exhausted its nutrients—a difficult measure for many farmers to agree to during the Great Depression. The act, however, classified commercial harvests like wheat as a threat to the plain’s soil, giving farmers a chance to wean their fields from surplus crops at the federal government’s expense. While the act appropriated no money upfront, it left open the option to fund projects with “such sums as Congress may from time to time determine necessary.” President Roosevelt’s advisor, Rexford Tugwell, lauded the measure. “Under this plan,” said Tugwell, “it will pay farmers, for the first time, to be social-minded, to do something for all instead of for himself alone.”
It has been a joy & privilege to work for the Soil Conservation Service & now the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the past 25 years. The local farmers and ranchers feed the nation providing a healthy & abundant food supply. It is a pleasure working with all of you. Sue FitzGerald
Garfield County Conservation District
http://garfieldcountycd.org
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“Local Common Sense Conservation”
Fried Zucchini 1 LG egg, beaten 1/3 cup milk 1 cup flour Salt and pepper, to taste 6 zucchini cut into circles 1 cup olive or canola oil In a bowl mix egg, milk, flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. If too thick, add water. If too thin, add flour. Dip zucchini in batter and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve hot!
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Garfield County Conservation District News
Garfield County Conservation District 307 Main (PO Box 369) Jordan, MT 59337
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID Billings, MT PERMIT NO. 11
All Garfield County Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, gender, political beliefs, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.
Board of Supervisors Monte Billing……………..……………………………………Chairman Dean Rogge,…………………………………………….Vice Chairman Travis Browning…………………….………………………Supervisor Mike McKeever…………………..……………….…………Supervisor Alan Pluhar…………………………………………..………Supervisor Nathan Saylor..……………………………………...Urban Supervisor Nicole Downs..………………………………………Urban Supervisor
Field Office Staff: Garfield County Conservation District Amanda Lammers, District Administrator Kayla Higgins, Administrative Assistant Natural Resource Conservation Service Sue FitzGerald,
The public is welcome to attend the meetings of the Conservation District Board of Supervisors. Please call for meeting date and time.
District Conservationist John Monahan, Soil Conservationist B.G. FitzGerald,
Views expressed by individual columnists in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Garfield County Conservation District. 310 Permits
Soil Conservation Technician
A 310 permit is required if you are planning any project including the construction of new facilities or the modification, operation, and maintenance of an existing facility that may affect the natural existing shape and form of any stream, its banks, or its tributaries. Any private entity or non-governmental individual that proposes to work in or near a stream on public or private land must obtain a 310 Permit prior to any activity in or near a perennially flowing stream. Contact the Garfield County Conservation District for Permit Applications.
Garfield County Conservation District News
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