U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, P.O.
Box 33124, Casper, WY 82602
Phone (307) 233-6750
Volume 4, Issue 4,
October 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
* State Conservationist's Corner
* Small parcels need help too!
*
Gillette office participates in World Water Monitoring Day
* Pape family
wins 2009 Regional Environmental Stewardship Award
*
From Playground to Community
Garden
* Central Wyoming College Outreach
* Earth Team
* Outreach tools available to
help you Brag!, Toot your Horn!, and Share
your Story!
* HR News
We begin the new fiscal year with the FY 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill
being signed into law on October 21. Although we have not yet received our
state-specific allocation, I am cautiously optimistic that we will receive a
significant increase in both mandatory and discretionary funding levels.
Additional funding will allow Wyoming to fill several critical vacancies, and
continue to grow a diverse, technically excellent workforce. As you know, a
significant portion of our Technical Assistance funding depends on the
successful obligation of Farm Bill Program Financial Assistance dollars. In
2009 you once again showed amazing resiliency, as you all were able to focus on
priorities to obligate our funds, and use those resources to help Wyoming’s
agricultural community address their resource concerns. I once again look
forward to hearing of the ways in which we have utilized technical and program
funds to help conserve Wyoming’s natural resources. I’m confident that you and
our conservation partners will identify additional resource concerns, and
innovative ways to address them, using the suite of tools at our disposal.
As we move forward with strategic planning, we are focused on meeting the
priorities of the Department and our Agency. I have repeatedly articulated my
three priorities for Wyoming (1) conservation planning and training; (2) being
open, honest, transparent and accountable, and (3) being prepared for our future
challenges, but I wanted to remind everyone what Chief White’s priorities are:
(1) ensure conservation gets on the ground, (2) get our house in order, and (3)
create a climate where the Agency can succeed. NRCS’ goals under the Chief’s
over-arching priorities are to help our Nation have high quality, productive
soils; clean and abundant water; healthy plant and animal communities and clean
air. To ensure we meet those goals and priorities, they have been incorporated
into our 2010 Wyoming Business Plan. Our Business Plan is not only our primary
management tool, but also serves as a mechanism to support field offices, so I
hope that each of you took the opportunity to provide input into the development
of our State Business Plan.
Finally, please understand that there will continue to be requests with short
time-lines. Although we do all that we can to buffer you from these requests,
we will continue to be challenged by program implementation deadlines, and/or
requests for information with an extremely short turn around. I would ask that
you please “assume positive intent” when you get that urgent call or e-mail, and
understand that we are once again relying on your capacity, dedication and
knowledge to ensure timely and correct information. Your input guarantees that
Wyoming is well represented, and any information that is passed on, is as
accurate and realistic as possible.
As always, my door is open, so please don’t hesitate to stop by to say “hi”
or talk about any other issue you wish to discuss.
Thank you for all you do for NRCS and for all the hard work and dedication
you provide to the farming and ranching community of our great state.
 Back to Top
By Tim Becket, District Conservationist, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), Wheatland, and Dallas Mount, University of Wyoming
Cooperative Extension Service Educator, Wheatland
Dallas Mount shows tall wheatgrass that became overly mature
and unpalatable because cattle never reached some areas.
“Involvement in a Barnyards and Backyards effort on a small parcel of land in
Platte County has been a little different but rewarding,” said Tim Becket,
District Conservationist in the Wheatland Field Office.
“In Wyoming we are usually working with producers on larger parcels of land.
This particular tract is 78 acres, but I believe our conservation technical
assistance is valuable anywhere, regardless of the size of the property, so this
has been another opportunity to help the resources in our area of the state.”
As a partner on the small acreage team, NRCS is involved in a Barnyards and
Backyards project near Wheatland. Becket, who was involved in the initial
planning meeting for these 78 acres, is working with the landowner to develop a
water line to run through the middle of the property that will include a series
of livestock watering tanks. Financial assistance through the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) may be on the horizon as well.
Becket said that this turned out to be a unique situation and has not
required a great deal of on-the-ground time from him because this particular
property owner is no stranger to natural resource conservation and land
management. University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service Educator Dallas
Mount, who previously owned a two-acre home site adjoining the 78 acres,
nominated the property as a small acreage project. However, the owners decided
to sell two weeks after Mount submitted the nomination. Mount bought the parcel
and is now working to repair, restore and rehabilitate.
Becket and Mount agree that this particular project is a win-win situation;
certainly a win for the land and, while initially not in the picture as the land
owner, Mount can now use his skills to implement practices that will maximize
and benefit the resources on his own property.
Future plans, in addition to the pipeline, include making use of irrigation
water that has been used on other lands for the past 15 years. Mount is also
planning to implement a livestock grazing management system to increase the
desirable grasses that have been reduced from a continuous grazing program.
Invasive weed and Russian olive control are also at the top of the list.
Still another benefit of this project is that it will serve as one of three
demonstration sites across the state. Each site has its own individualized
soils, resources and resource concerns. These variables offer small acreage
landowners the opportunity to learn from properties with similar issues. The
acreages may serve as workshop sites in the future.
Progress on the demonstration projects can be tracked through the Barnyards
and Backyards magazine, the website
http://barnyardsandbackyards.com, (right sidebar, quick links, property
improvement project), Facebook, and YouTube (linked from the property
improvement project link).
Back to Top
Tim Kellogg, District Conservationist, Gillette Field Office with 7th graders
On October 16th, the 7th grade, Sage Valley Junior High students became
involved on a local, national, and international scale by participating in World
Water Monitoring Day™ held at Gillette Fishing Lake. The 62 students tested four
basic indicators of water quality; dissolved oxygen, acidity (pH), temperature
and turbidity. The monitoring day was hosted by the Wyoming Department of
Environmental Quality, City of Gillette, WWC Engineering, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Wyoming Game and Fish, Campbell County Weed and Pest, and
Campbell County Conservation District.
World Water Monitoring Day is an international education and outreach program
that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources
around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local
water bodies.
Back to Top
Norman Pape and Jennifer Hayward, District Conservationist at the Pinedale Field
Office, closely examine the wire on the newly installed wildlife friendly fence.
The Pape Family, Norman and Barbara Pape and sons Fred and David and
families, owners and operators of Pape Ranches, Daniel, Wyoming, are recipients
of the Region V 2009 Environmental Stewardship Award. The Papes were recognized
for their commitment to conserving natural resources during the 2009 Cattle
Industry Summer Conference.
The family is one of seven regional winners in the 2009 Environmental
Stewardship competition with nominations from across the United States. One of
the seven regional winners will be selected for the national award to be
announced in January.
Nominated by the Pinedale NRCS Field Office and Sublette County Conservation
District, the Pape family received the 2008 Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Environmental Stewardship Award and Leopold Conservation Award . A tour of the
ranches was held during the summer of 2008 where over 200 people saw
on-the-ground natural resource management and stewardship that will ensure the
sustainability of the ranch for future generations. Pape Ranches centers on
five ideals: keep the ranch as a working cattle ranch; provide a place for
family to live and work; preserve open spaces; continue to provide resources for
the wildlife; and provide public access so everyone can enjoy the beauty of the
country.
Congratulations to the Pape family!
Back to Top
Many thanks to Christina Schmidt, Weston County Natural Resource District
Manager, and Tracy Pinter, Natural Resource Specialist in the Newcastle NRCS
Office, for submitting this article and sharing their story about how an idea,
much determination and dedication, and a tremendous amount of work turned a
labor of love into a community pride project in Newcastle.
Newcastle’s community garden thrives. Individual raised beds
are seen in background.
The Weston County Community Garden is located on a 1.75 acre lot at the
Weston County Senior Center. The Center used to be the community elementary
school and the lot was a playground at one time. It has sat empty for many years
and seemed like the perfect place for a garden. The Senior Center board was
enthusiastic about the project when we approached them with the idea and gave
their approval for the garden in April. We then began designing plans and
soliciting funds in May.
Although this project is still developing, we already have a small fruit tree
orchard, a pumpkin patch, dozens of raised beds for herbs or vegetables (which
community members can ‘rent’ for the growing season), flower beds and a
concreted area with picnic benches where gardeners and other members of the
community can sit, relax and enjoy the garden. There is also a small greenhouse
attached to the Senior Center building, leftover from the days when it was a
school. One of our volunteers has renovated it and started dozens of seedlings
in it, which were later transferred to the garden. Next year, we hope to add
bird baths, birdhouses, a berry patch for growing strawberries and raspberries,
and a xeric plant demonstration area.
There are currently 44 raised beds of various sizes installed, with more
being put in place in the spring. Some of the plots already have top soil, aged
manure and compost incorporated into them, while others have top soil only.
Aged manure is available on site for gardeners to use in their garden plot as
needed and gardeners are welcome to add their own compost or other soil
amendments. Hoses with sprinkler nozzles are available at the garden, but
gardeners bring their own gloves and tools when they work in their plots.
All of the raised beds are four feet in width and are available in four feet,
eight feet, twelve feet and sixteen feet lengths. Bed fees range in price from
$5 to $20 for the season.
Gardeners are allowed to plant any variety of flowers, herbs or vegetables
for their own use that they choose, and are responsible for all watering,
weeding and care of their bed, including clean-up at the end of the growing
season. Gardeners are also able to rent a row in the pumpkin patch to grow
larger plants such as sunflowers, pumpkins, squash and melons.
Anyone interested in having a raised bed simply fills out an application that
is available at the Weston County Senior Services office and beds are assigned
on a first come, first served basis. A list of policies and procedures for the
garden is made available to let gardeners know how the garden is intended to
operate and outlines basic rules for all participants to follow. As a group, the
Garden Committee decided that the garden should operate with only organic soil
amendments and organic methods of pest and weed control.
We had great participation this first year. Due to our late start in the
spring, we weren’t sure if people were going to be able to plant this year.
However, all our plans proceeded quicker than expected and some raised beds were
ready for planting by mid-June.
We started with a totally blank slate. The lot was a great size for a garden,
but we had to remove debris, complete the fencing around it to protect it from
deer, and build and fill the raised beds. By the time we started building beds,
word had spread and we already had gardeners wanting to plant. We ended up with
about a dozen different gardeners this year and we are close to doubling that
number for next year already. This is a project that the community has really
been enthusiastic about.
Donations through the Senior Center are always being accepted and we have had
several generous memorials made to the garden. Also, we have received funding
from the city of Newcastle, Weston County, Weston County Senior Services, the
Weston County Natural Resource District and a $1,000 grant from Powder River
Energy Corporation. Additionally, the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp inmates
and several community members have contributed their time making the raised
beds, fencing the lot, weeding, planting trees and shrubs and other necessary
projects to get the garden in usable condition. Other community members donated
materials such as top soil, aged manure, mulch, plants and other items.
Back to Top
Ben Bonella, (r) Rangeland Management Specialist and Disability & Veterans
Program Manager in the Greybull Field Office, presents information on the
Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Ben is assisted by Professor Steven
McAllister.
Students at Central Wyoming College (CWC) now have a better understanding of
the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as an agency – the “who we are
and what we do.”
Ben Bonella, Rangeland Management Specialist and Disability and Veterans
Program Manager in the Greybull Field Office, provided agency information and
discussed the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) with attendees to his
presentation on October 14. Approximately 50 students from the Environment,
Health and Safety Program at CWC in Riverton attended the session.
NRCS involvement in lectures, field demonstrations, and serving as technical
advisors for professors are future possibilities. Discussion with professors
included what classes CWC would need to incorporate into its curriculum to help
qualify students for NRCS jobs. In addition, a job qualification packet,
outlining specific course work needed to qualify for NRCS positions, was
provided to the professors.
Back to Top
Earth Team member Joshua Chan-Woo Cohoon helps stake out a dam for a pond in
Converse County.
Thanks to Our Volunteers!
Once again, in FY2009, Wyoming NRCS reaped the benefits of the services of
our Earth Team members as shown in the following report submitted to the
National Earth Team office in Des Moines, Iowa.
Wyoming FY2009 Report:
Number of volunteers: 22
Number of hours donated: 2,247
NRCS offices using volunteers: 17
Our Earth Team members serve in many capacities to help us meet our goals and
objectives. They volunteer for a variety of reasons such as:
- Helping others
- Interest in the work or activity
- Wanting to learn and gain experience
- Have a lot of free time
- Devoted to the cause
- Know someone who was involved
For whatever the reason, we appreciate the time and talents our volunteer
workforce dedicates to helping people help the land in Wyoming.
Back to Top
When was the last time you “bragged, tooted your
own horn, or shared your pride in the results of a project you helped to
implement”? You do have “bragging rights” about the assistance you are
providing to Wyoming producers to put conservation on the ground. You are the
specialists that Help People Help the Land.
We often request success stories. If you won’t
share them for yourself, share them for your customers. As our society moves
farther and farther away from agriculture, we need to help the urban population
understand the “what’s in it for me” aspect of the big picture and that they
share in the benefits of natural resource conservation on private land. We need
to help them understand that private land conservation extends far beyond the
boundaries of the landowner’s private property.
Everyone of you have projects that need to be
shared through a tour, a news release, a story in a magazine, an announcement on
radio, a feature on TV or a PowerPoint presentation to community groups.
Conservation of natural resources is important to
everyone so go ahead, “brag” about how you have helped Wyoming’s landscape
remain beautiful, productive, and sustainable for our future generations!
Here is a fact sheet containing outreach tools
available to help you spread the word:
Publications, Displays, and More
Back to Top
New Hires:
Ken Von Buettner, Hydrologic Technician, GS-7, Casper SO,
eff. 10/28
Promotions:
Shawna Taylor, Soil Conservationist, GS-9, Cheyenne, eff.
8/16
Leslie Schroeder, Soil Scientist, GS-9, Pinedale, eff. 8/16
Andrea Meyer, Soil Conservationist, GS-12, Douglas, eff. 8/17
Debra Knox, Human Resources Specialist, GS-11, Casper SO,
eff. 8/30
Reassignments:
Bryan Christensen, Rangeland Management Specialist, GS-11,
from Vernal, UT, to Pinedale, eff. 9/27
Shawn Nield, Assistant State Soil Scientist, GS-12, Casper
SO, eff. 10/23
Retirement:
Terry Gonzales, Hydrologic Technician, Casper SO, eff. 10/31
PJ Stillwell, Area Management Assistant, Riverton AO, eff.
10/31
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-END-
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all
its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age,
disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental
status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs,
reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of
program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of
discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272
(voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and
employer.
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