Trails Coordinator position closes Friday!

Golden Hills RC&D is hiring a Trails Coordinator to lead the development, maintenance, and promotion of recreational mixed-use trails for Pottawattamie County as part of our outdoor recreation and tourism team.

This position will work closely with the Pottawattamie County Trails Association, County Conservation, local governments, and regional partners to implement a collaborative, long-term vision for trails and bike-related initiatives.

Download the full job description & application details at goldenhillsrcd.org/job-openings

Applications due Friday, August 8.

Streambank stabilization & other practices eligible for cost-share!

Many streambanks in the deep loess soils region of western Iowa have severe to extreme bank erosion.

Bank stabilization is an eligible practice in our RCPP program.

Are you a landowner in the West Nish watershed? Please help us by completing this quick survey!

Photo above of bank stabilization project underway along the West Nish as part of RCPP, from East Pottawattamie SWCD Facebook page.

Prairie seed harvest season is here

Now through late October is the peak of the prairie seed harvest season! Our first event is this Thursday, August 7, at Hitchcock Nature Center. We have numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the Loess Hills this fall.

No experience necessary, but expect to traverse rugged terrain. Events may be canceled due to inclement weather, so check the website on the day of the event to confirm.

Other August opportunities include:

•Friday, August 29 at Folsom Point Preserve

•Sunday, August 31 at Pony Creek

Find all the details at goldenhillsrcd.org/prairieseed

Cost share available for regenerative ag practices

Golden Hills has cost-share available for regenerative agriculture practices in southwest Iowa!

This program is for historically underserved farmers & ranchers, including those who are Beginning, Socially Disadvantaged, Veteran, and/or Limited Resource.

A variety of practices are eligible for financial assistance up to $10,000, with some match required. Practices that reduce nutrient pollution and improve soil health are highest priority.

We recently completed projects with Mud Ridge Ranch and Spring Creek Organics, both in Montgomery County. These projects included fencing to prevent livestock from eroding the banks along a farm pond, and increasing perennial pasture for livestock grazing.

Find out if you're eligible and apply at https://www.goldenhillsrcd.org/regenag.html

Golden Hills participating in Cover Crop Research Program

Golden Hills Project Coordinator Shaun Ahern was selected to participate in the Midwest Cover Crops Council's Cover Crop Essentials course, designed for Midwest ag professionals. This virtual course emphasizes bi-weekly cohort discussions and provides seed for demo plots to be used in course activities. For this program, we are planting small cover crop plots outside our office for research & demonstration purposes. Shaun will also participate in virtual sessions to discuss the findings and learn more about cover crops to then share that info with local farmers.

Native plants for sale!

We have a limited number of native flowers for sale. These were grown from locally-harvested seed.



Find the species list and order yours at goldenhillsrcd.org/plantsale

Watershed structure trainings held earlier this summer

Golden Hills has been working with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other partners to inventory PL-566 watershed structures across Iowa and provide trainings about their operation & maintenance.

Many ponds and lakes were built using federal funding several decades ago, but have had varying levels of inspections and maintenance. These trainings intend to ensure that dams are still structurally sound for the long term.

Learn more and watch a virtual presentation: https://www.goldenhillsrcd.org/wfpo.html

Meet Our Board

Golden Hills is governed by a Board of Directors with geographic representation from throughout southwest Iowa.

Current board members include (top row, L to R):

• Steve Baier, Cass County (Board Chair)
• Susan Miller, Pottawattamie County (Secretary & Treasurer)
• Peter Johnson, Fremont County

Bottom row, L to R:

• Brian Rife, Harrison County
• Beau Boeye, Montgomery County
• Jack Sayers, Mills County

Read all our board members' bios here.

Golden Hills RC&D  |  712-482-3029  | goldenhillsrcd.org