Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
February 28, 2018
Conservation Update

February 15 - February 28, 2018
 

IASWCD News
2017 Indiana Conservation Partnership Accomplishments
The 2017 accomplishments, as well as past accomplishments pages, have now been posted on the ICP website

IASWCD e-Newsletters
IASWCD e-Newsletters are sent every other Wednesday to your inbox. You can view this newsletter and past IASWCD newsletters on the IASWCD website.

Legislative Updates Posted on IASWCD Website
There are weekly updates regarding the 2018 Session IN General Assembly posted on the Clean Water Indiana (CWI) page of the IASWCD website.
NACD News
NACD Applauds Senate's Confirmation of Bill Northey
This afternoon, after months of delay, the U.S. Senate confirmed Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey as USDA's Under Secretary for the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service (FFAS). Under USDA's proposed reorganization, Northey's role would ultimately transition to become Under Secretary of the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area.
"Today's vote was long overdue," NACD President Brent Van Dyke said. "Throughout his career, Mr. Northey has proven his commitment to agriculture and conservation by working alongside landowners to implement the conservation programs most vital to our nation's producers. His extensive leadership experience in conservation and production agriculture has more than prepared him to lead this new mission area for the USDA." Read more...

NACD Releases Promotional Videos
During the 2018 Annual Meeting in Nashville, NACD debuted a  series of three promotional videos  to highlight what conservation districts and the national association do on a daily basis to protect our nation's natural resources. Check these out! Great way to promote the district and share at community meetings.

NCPP Listening Sessions Start in Indiana
The National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) held its first of eight listening sessions on Friday, February 23 in Indianapolis at the NRCS state office. Members of the NCPP leadership team gathered to hear how conservation planning and practice implementation have been promoted and implemented throughout the state, including the progress that has been made for cover crop adoption in recent years.  National representatives from the five conservation partnerships were in attendance - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA), National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils (NARCDC) and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). North Central Region Representative Beth Mason represented NACD and gave a presentation on the results from the NCPP Field Staff Survey conducted in 2016. Read more...

MARCH 2018 Urban & Community Conservation Webinar  
March 15
12 p.m. - 1 p.m. EST
This webinar wi ll feature two green infrastructure management tools.  For the past two years, the Westmoreland Conservation District in Pennsylvania has been implementing a program to monitor locally-installed green infrastructure projects with "real-time" sensing technologies. The district currently has monitoring devices installed throughout the county in best management practices (BMPs) such as rain gardens, green roofs and permeable pavements. Read more...

NACD Forestry Notes Publication
Forestry Notes is a monthly publication NACD produces in collaboration with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. Each edition includes prime examples of district-led forestry projects and partnerships focused on finding and implementing solutions to modern forestry challenges. Read the latest edition...
ISDA News
2017 Annual Report
ISDA Division of Soil Conservation has published their 2017 Annual Report

Next State Soil Conservation Board Meeting (SSCB)
March 20
9:30 am - 12 noon (EST)
NRCS Indianapolis Office, 6013 Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278

Leadership Institute

March 9 
9:30 am to 3:30 pm EST
"Communication"
Prophetstown State Park
USDA-NRCS News
Webinar: Feral Swine Issue, Problem and Biology
March 7 @ 2 pm EST
Participants will learn about the Feral Swine issue, the NRCS pilot project, and problems caused by wild pigs. This webinar will be presented by professionals from several agencies and will introduce the feral swine issue that has been receiving a great deal of interest in recent years. The NRCS multi-state feral swine pilot project will be updated. Discussion will be included on the Federal Feral Swine Task Force: creation and duties; feral swine biology and management, and recent research on the control of feral swine. Register and read more...
Other News
Indiana DNR
LARE: New Watershed Restoration Biologist Hired
Austin Taylor has been hired as the new Watershed Restoration Biologist with the Aquatic Habitat Unit in the Fisheries Section. Beginning this week, Austin's  duties include working with the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program out of the DFW central office in Indianapolis on Watershed Land Treatment projects, Watershed Diagnostic Studies and other "duties as assigned" that her predecessor,  Ashlee Haviland had before leaving for Virginia in 2017.  The responsibilities of this position also include coordinating fish kill case investigations and settlements and working to perform restoration following recovery of damages from such fish kills.Austin grew up in the Indianapolis area and graduated from IUPUI in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Earth and Water Resources and minors in Chemistry and Geology.  Click here for a list of 
the LARE Program, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Staff Contact List. 

2018 Indiana Tree Farm Landowners Clinic and Field Tour
This clinic is a program designed to provide landowners interested in managing their forests and wild lands an introduction to management practices and resources for advice and assistance. Early bird registration due by March 12. More information ...
March 16 Field Tour
1 pm to 4 pm
The Wilkins Farm Woods
Linden, IN
March 17 Clinic
8:30 am to 4 pm
John S. Wright Forestry Center
West Lafayette, IN

Xerces Society
February 2018 eNewsletter now available.

IndyStar Article:  Indiana's forests are in danger, and the threat: You
by Sarah Bowman (February 12, 2018)
Indiana's forests are in jeopardy.  Now before pointing to the "Save Yellowwood" sign in your front yard in agreement or sighing at the gall of the so called "tree huggers" in exasperation, this discussion is not about the state's public forests.
No - rather, it's the private forests at stake. The ones surrounding the house where you live, the ones where you go four-wheeling with family, the ones where you go hunting with friends or the ones where you chop wood to feed your fires. The ones you own. Read more...
In This Issue
Quick Links
Upcoming Events
Please refer to the IASWCD Events and CCSI Soil Health Events calendars for a full list of upcoming events and more details regarding these events below: 

March 1 - Johnson County: Forest Management

March 2 -  Leadership Institute

March 6 - KNOW HOW Education Seminar, Fishers, IN

March 7 - KNOW HOW Education Seminar, Ft. Wayne, IN

March 7 - Southern Indiana Grazing Conference, Odon, IN

March 9 -  Leadership Institute

March 10 - Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

March 11- Daylight Saving Time Starts

March 20 - NACD Fly-In

March 20 - SSCB Meeting

March 22 -  Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

March 22-23 - Indiana Lakes Management Conference

March 24 - Spring Wild Edibles Workshop, Morgan County

March 29 -   -  Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

April 5 - Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

April 12 Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

April 14 - Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

April 19 - Forest Managment for the Private Woodland Owner, Johnson County

April 29-May 6, 2018 - NACD Stewardship Week

May 28 - Memorial Day

August 2-8 - NACD Summer Meeting

August 28 -  Leadership Institute

November 30 - Leadership Institute

December 7 - Leadership Institute
Current Job Openings *

See Job Descriptions and/or Applications at www.IASWCD.org 

Special Projects Director
SWCS

Biologist - Big Rivers (IL/KY/MO)  - Ducks Unlimited

*(Note: please submit job openings to: 
amy-work@iaswcd.org 
and include instructions for applying, deadline, 
and job description
 in a single PDF file. Thank you.)