Soil and water news, 2011 May

News from Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission
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rain in the southeast and duthwest. Thi quickly brings back memories of the challenge faced during past drought cycles. However, Mstrkt Spotlight endured and persevered through those times, and I am confident that we can face whateve lies ahead now. I choose to believe whatever trials we endure currently will make u stronger for the next challenge we will face. we work with smaller state and federal budg along with a slow economic recovely, my fai streng.thened daily. by. m.y .personal belief God is in control. I hope you have the Sam confidence about the future.

In this edition of the newsletter, you'll find n on multiple soil and water conservation distri events aimed at educating landowners a consmation. You might be surprised by diverse topics, but conservation affects
aspect of our lives - from where we live, to
we eat, to our general welfare and safety.

Thanks for reading,

Natural Resources Consenratio
- Workshop 50thAnniversary
- ABAC Campus Tifton, Ga

June 5-9
www.ahac.edu/dnr
National Get Outdoors Day

-t.~~ ~., ,. , ,: ':.i":i,~~~k.

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GeorgialFlorida Tobacco Tour June 13-15

I

I I I Conservation to hel~ p .protect natural resources '
and promote conservation education in Georgia.

The Rolling Hfils R ~ o u r c Ce of~servation and Development Council has developed a
farm workbodcfor individuals are

looking to keep their farm in productionas it

passes to future generations.

Georgia Land Conservation Program
1 Over the past year, the Georgia

I

conservation Program (GLCP) made substantial

advances toward protecting Georgia's land,

water, forest, and agricultural resources. With

the help of public and private partners, the

program is responsible for ensuring the

permanent conservation of over 75,000

acreslast year. To view the 2010 Annual
Georgia Land Conservation Report clickhere.

The Land Conservation Council governs the GLCP Program and is comprised of five state agencies (including GSWCC) and four gubernatorial appointees.

Tucker Turf LLC is currently working with the Georgia Forestry Commission and GSWCC I todonate a conservation easement of 1,055 acres in Houston County. This property will be the flrst agricultural row crop conservation easement under the GLCP, and contains significant floodplain habitat along Big Indian Creek. This land easement will prote the natural value of the property while assurin it's ability to be used for agricultural production.

News from Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission

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The UGA Cooperative Extension Service

now works to provide Master Gardener

certification to kids. The 2011 effort to

'Grow Green Kids' through the Jr. Master

Gardener curriculum is taught locally b!

volunteer staff from the Georgia Associatior

of Conservation District Supervisors an(

GSWCC. Volunteers offer weekly classe:

at Clarke County's J.J. Harris Elementary

- School for 3rd 5th grades. Classes started

-

the first week Of

and work to cover

a new topic each week'

have

learned about container gardening, the best

time to plant new seeds, the water cycle,

Instructor ~tGSWCC Staft Jt-tlllllcl =CaaIuIlust- ail" Jr. Master Gardeners stand beside their newly
planted container garden.

soil properties and plant basics. J.J. Harris offers "cluster" periods every Thursday where

students can sign up for a one hour class of their choice. The twelve week course recently

concluded in April and eleven students successfully earned a Jr. Master Gardener's certificate.

Georgia's Regional Water Planning Councils have regularly met since February 2009 to prepare draft regional water plans. The State Water Plan requires that the initial draft recommended regional water plans are subject to public notice and a comment period prior to adoption of the plans by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

4 public notice and comment period for these initial regional plans will be open until June 22,

2011. Please take the time to review the regional water plan for your area and provide the
souncil with your remarks. Visit www.aearaiawatarolannlna.orafor more information.

Regional Office News

rn

Region I-Northwest Georgia The Blue Ridge Mountain Soil and Water conservation District (SWCD) joined up with the Chestattee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D) office and

the Blairsville Natural Resources conservation Services (NRCS) to host the 134" Union County

Arbor Day Celebration on February 17", 2011. Attendants planted a tree at the Veterans Administration Building near Blairsville, Georgia.

The Limestone Valley SWCD partnered with the Limestone Valley RC&D to plant trees and teach a soils course at Dawnville Elementary School in Whitfield County. The district also hosted a Level 10 course for the Local Issuing Authorities in the district, providing the course at cost, in

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order to show their appreciation for the authorities' continued support for local erosion and sedimentation programs.

This spring, the Coosa River SWCD
g+?- sponsored Project WET, a water education

workshop for K-12 teachers, at the

Arrowhead Environmental Education Center

in Floyd County. The Coosa River District

supervisors honored the Bartow County

Road Department and the Bartow County

Commissioner for their continued

maintenance of county watershed flood Mrs. Loughridge's 3rd Grade class plants trees

control structures and presented omcials with with (L-R)Will Matson, Doug Cabe, and John

a certificate of appreciation. The district was

Loughridge.

also active during Georgia Ag Awareness

Week (March 14-20), participating in Agricultural Days at Floyd and Polk County Elementaly

schools.

The West GA SWCD sponsored three teams in the annual Georgia Envirothon competition. The district's 2010 scholarship was awarded to Savannah Brown; her future education plans include attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to study diversified agriculture and natural resource conservation.

Joel Keith, chairman of the Roosevelt SWCD, was recently honored for 25 years of service to the district and Troup County. The district is currently making plans to host its annual Youth Wildlife Field Day in the fall of the year at Troup County High School.

Region Il-Northeast Georgia The Oconee River SWCD, in cooperation with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) & the Oconee River RC&D, hosted a Small Farm Conference in Athens, Ga. Athens Mayor, Nancy Denson started off the conference activities with a warm welcome on Thursday
March 31". Conference sessions targeted small, limited resource farmers and drew over 130 attendees and exhibitors to the two day event. Breakout sessions provided

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attendees with the chance to learn about GSWCC Staff Ben Ruzowicz performs a sheep shearing

state and federal agricultural programs, demonstration at the Small Farm Conferencein

organic and naturally grown certifications,

Athens.

effective ways to market to a consumer,

safe food handling techniques, and more. Individuals toured Plow Point Farms and Whippoorwill

Hollow Farms in the Athens area and learned about individual success stories and agritourism

related activities that farmers had effectively incorporated into their own operations. The Small

Farm Conference came to a close on Friday, April lS as Gteorgia Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black gave the closing keynote address.

Region Ill-Metro The City of Clarkston's Friendship Forest was recently awarded a $10,000 federal grant administered through GSWCC to restore wildlife habitat. The ffunds came from the US Fish and Wildlife Service through their Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to assist in the protection of habitat types that conserve or restore native vegetation, hydrology, and soils associated
Congressman Hank Johnson with members of the with imperiled ecosystems. The largely Friends of Friendship Forest, DeKalb District urban area of Clarkston, just east of Atlanta,
Supervisors, GSWCC staff, and Clarkston officials. provided an ideal setting to display conselvation and education practices for the
protection and restoration of impaired fish and wildlife habitat.

In March of 2002, the City of Clarkston designated the 15 acres of fields, tree stands and streams as public greenspace, renaming the protected area Friendship Forest in 2003. Since its inception, Clarkston and the Friends of Friendship Forest have worked to transform the acreage into a wildlife sanctuary with the long-term goal of protecting wildlife habitat.

GSWCC worked with the City of Clarkston and other partners to plan, implement and monitor the project. Cooperating agencies include the DeKalb County SWCD, the USDA-NRCS, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division. The city recently welcomed Congressman Hank Johnson, 4thCongressional District, to Friendship Forestto view their restoration efforts.
I Region IV-Central Georgia

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Since February of this year, Region IV has worked with seven landowners to complete conservation agreements through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) Program. In addition, the Milledgeville office is currently lagoon accepting pump-out applications for the Piedmont SWCD and Oconee River RC&D. Approved applications will receive aid collecting lagoon and soil samples from Benny Smith and son, Kevin Smith stand in animal operations. Once sample results are returned, Nutrient Budget Worksheets are front of PFW exclusion fencing. developed for participating producers and GSWCC staff help coordinate a schedule for lagoon pump-out in order to fertilize on-farm crops while protectingwater quality in nearby streams.
Approximately 40 guests attended the Upper Ocmulgee River SWCD's Conservationist of the Year Banquet held at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield on March 15, 2011. Supervisor Charlie Lane presented the Jasper County Conservation Award to Charles Brock, and Supervisor David Hays presented the Newton County conservation Award to Crystal Organic Farm.

The Central Georgia SWCD held their 49' annual Conservationist of the Year Program at the First Baptist Church in Cochran on April 12. Two hundred guests were in attendance. Bleckley County District Supervisor, Paul English gave special recognition and honor to deceased Bleckley County Supervisor David Dykes, Sr.; a scholarship has been established in remembrance of Mr. Dykes. The district honored the following conservationist award winners: (Bleckley Co.) Michael Yearty, (Dodge Co.) Clay, Brian, and Brodie McCranie, (Johnson Co.) Bobby Edward Hall (Laurens Co.) Bill A. Mathis, (Twiggs Co.) Jerry Newby, (Washington Co.) Bobby Brantley (Wilkinson Co.) Carbo Ceramics.

I Cochran Ofnce
I
I

On April 20th and 21st the GSWCC Cochran office participated in a field day at Gully Branch Tree Farm
attended by 1'' graders from the Susie Dasher School in Dublin. Approximately 250 students and 25 teachers were in attendance. 2011 marks the third year that the Cochran office has been invited to Gully Branch for the two day event. GSWCC staff, David Hall and Brian Home informed students about the importance of water
I conservation and resource protection. Irrigation

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GSWCCstaff Brian Home teaches water Technician, Brian Horne stated "It is good to know that

conservation to 1st graders at GUI~Y our children are learning the value of consetvation at a

Branch.

young age." The Cochran office has also been busy contracting 15

irrigation pivot retrofits for the GSWCC Mobile Irrigation Lab Program. The Pond Program has

completed seven contracts since January 2011 and is currently working on designs and cost

estimates for additional pond agreements.

Region V-Southwest Georgia The Middle South Georgia and Flint River SWCDs

hosted the Ochlockonee River Basin 319 Water Quality Field Day on March 10 in Meigs. Heavy use areas and

buffer exclusion fencing practices were installed through

the Upper Ochlockonee River Basin TMDL

Implementation Project. This is a federally funded

program administered by GSWCC and made possible

through an agreement with the Georgia Environmental

Protection Division using Section 319(h) funding of the Clean Water Act. GSWCC Project Coordinator Jonathan Hall highlighted the agricultural best management

Project Coordinator, Jonathan Hall addresses field day attendants.

practices installed on Gene Willis' farm targeting water quality improvements. Field day

attendants toured the farm on trolleys generously provided by the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural

College. Regional Representative, Luke Crosson discussed irrigation efficiency and the GSWCC

Ponds Program. Stay Tuff Fencing offered field day attendants a demonstration displaying the

proper way to brace fencing.

IRegion VCSoutheast Georgia

1
Coastal SWCD Supervisor, Cecil Stafford was selected

as a district winner of the 2011 Governor's

Environmental Stewardship Award for Agriculture as

presented by the Honorable Nathan Deal and The

Honorable Gary Black at the National Agricultural Week

Kick-off Program on March 22, 2011 in Atlanta. Cecil

and Hazel Stafford were nominated for their exemplaty

stewardship on Bluebeny Hill Farm, a 33-acre blueberty

operation near Ludowici, Georgia. The Stafford family

worked for years to clear their land, three acres at a

(L-R) Ag

Gary

Haztimeel, in order to establish rabbiteye blueberries. In

I

I CecS iltaffo Gorvd erlnor Nathan addition to their berry crop, the Staffords have created

Deal.

silvopasture to allow high quality forage for 75 goats,

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while also producing timber on the same land. Cecil Stafford has a history of soil and water conservation and has worked to install best management practices on his farm so that he may "preserve something for future generations."

1 GSWCC Joins Governor's Water Supply Task Force

rn

The Governor's Water Supply Program was created by Governor Nathan Deal's executive order on January 25,2011. The order called for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to develop and implement the program, which will assist local governments to cultivate new sources of water supply in order to adequately meet future water demands in Georgia. As part of the order, GEFA assembled a Water Supply Task Force to provide skilled guidance for the program's development.

The Georgia Soil and Water ~onservationCommission is proud to be a member of the Governor's Task Force.

Cogongrass is an aggressive perennial grass that invades both natural and disturbed areas across the Southeastern U.S. The grass is classified as a Federal Noxious Weed, due to its ability to successfully disperse, colonize and spread, competing with other native vegetation. The Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) has launched an effort to eradicate cogongrass in Georgia. A flowering seed head makes this grass easier to identify from March through June.
To find out more about this noxious weed, view the GFC 2011 Cwonarass U~dateand help statewide efforts to identify and eliminate this invasive species.
District Spotlight
Walton County Soil and Water Conservation District Since its inception, the Walton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has maintained a strong focus, treating each acre of land in Walton County in accordance with its needs and using each acre in accordance with its capabilities. This group of land stewards is responsible for setting priorities for Walton County's soil and water resources and educating local citizens about resource conservation. The district pledges annual commitments to local conselvation-minded groups, sponsoring students in their attendance to the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and recognizing local landowners who achieve outstanding accomplishments in the field of soil and water conservation.

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The district has supported outdoor education classrooms for the public, like the Julian E. Brown EnvironmentalStudy Area in Monroe, Georgia. Walton County District
1 Supervisors helped to plant wildlife
plots to encourage healthy habitats and monitor for undesirable plant species. The district partnered with the Oconee River RC&D to erect a
I s-e. rie.s. of si"ons for the classroom in
order to identify key resources within the EnvironmentalStudy Area.

The Walton Co. SWCD sponsored NRCW students Jessica Crow and Haley Broach in 2010.

The Walton County District is actively involved in community forestry efforts. District Supervisor Crista Carrell (who is also the GACDS Executive Director), along with the Ownee River RC&D, administers a $16,870 grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission to benefit the City of Monroe's community forests. The grant provides for an inventoly of trees on city properties, a management plan, and educational programs for city and county employees. In 2010, the district sponsored a 'Making the Shade' project at Atha Road Elementary School and helped plant over 40 trees on campus. In addition, the Walton County SWCD was awarded a grant from the Ownee River RC&D for purchasing live trees ($6,000 in estimated value) to plant in Matthews and ~hildersParks in Monroe.

Walton County Supervisors work in cooperation with GSWCC and NRCS to help mitigate erosion and sedimentation issues inside the county. District supervisors regularly receive updates on local erosion and sedimentation plan approvals from NRCS reviewers. In order to help target agricultural resource concerns, the district works with NRCS to set local annual priorities for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

I

ing ---k

for

more

information?. Contact

your

local

GSWCC

office1

Region I

Rome Office - John Loughridge
Reeionl@easwcc.orq. (706) 295-6131

Region II
Athens Office - Robert Amos ReeionZ@easwcc.orq- (706) 552-4479

- Region Ill
Conyers Office Russell Tonning

News from Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission
Region IV
Milledgeville Office - Keegan Malone Reeion4Qeaswcc.orq - (478)445-5766
- Region V
Dawson Office Luke Crosson
Region5@easwcc.orq- (229)995-6001
- Region VI
Statesboro Office Rahn Milligan
Reeion6@gaswcc,orq- (912)681-5241
visit us on the web at www.easwcc. eeoreia.eov
Loren Moore, Editor
lhebert@eoswcc.orq

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