Supplement to The Scott County Record
Scott County Conservation Awards Protecting our land for future ag producers and our community
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Supplement to The Scott County Record
Conservation district meeting is Thursday The 72nd annual meeting of the Scott County Conservation District will include a noon luncheon and awards presentation on Thurs., Feb. 2, at the Wm. Carpenter 4-H Building, Scott City. There will also be a brief business meeting prior to the awards program. Two members will be elected to the board of supervisors for a three-year term. The terms of Clint Dearden and Trevor Cox are expiring. Members of the board include Clint Dearden, chairman; Bill Winderlin, vicechairman; Trevor Cox, Kelley Palkowitsh and Bob Miller. Kasey Robinson is the NRCS district
coordinator and Morgan Barnhart is the district manager. Other staff members include Marty Gugelman, engineering technician, and Rick Rogers, soil technician. Key Banker Jordan Duff, First National Bank, will be presenting awards to the following recipients: Bankers’ Award: H&H Farms, Gene and Allen Hess. Windbreak Award: Larry Faurot. Sixth grade conservation powerpoint winners are: First: Garrison Turner Second: Brylie Bennett Third: Johnna Sowers
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State’s water vision calls for local leadership Since the original call for the LongTerm Water Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas (The Water Vision) by Gov. Brownback in 2013, there has been a concentrated effort to include local stakeholders and decision makers in the process. As a result of public input during the Water Vision process, the state has been divided into 14 regional planning areas from the original 12 basins to better reflect water resource planning and management. More than 175 volunteers are members of the Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) who are committed to solving their region’s water issues. In 2016 they worked to develop action plans to achieve short- and long-term goals in their region. Each region has identified their highest priority issues and will soon be leading implementation of the action plans
that were approved by the Kansas Water Authority in the fall of 2016. In the Upper Smoky Hill Region, which covers seven counties in west-central Kansas including the areas covered by Groundwater Management District No. 1, the RAC members determined their priority goal was to reduce irrigation use by 25 percent based on recent water use history to extend the useable lifetime of the region’s water supplies. The second goal is to reduce the rate of depletion of the groundwater aquifer to sustain the local irrigation-dependent economy into the future. The Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Water Resources has created the Water Conservation Area (WCA) program. Now, individual water right owners are able to control their own water future and are given a great amount of flexibility in
developing personalized plans. A WCA is taking shape in Wichita County, where a group of locals have put together a plan to create a county-wide conservation area. For more information on the Wichita County water conservation plan, visit: www.wichitacountywater.wordpress.com. The Regional Advisory Committee places importance on educating the water users of the area. One of these initiatives involves the RAC helping host the 2017 Water Talk Series held in conjunction with the Groundwater Management District No. 1 annual meeting. The series will highlight the regional goals, water resource situation, and tools available to extend the usable water supplies and economic well-being of Kansans in the region. The 2017 Water Talk Series will be held in six cities this winter, with a
stop in Sharon Springs on Thurs., Feb. 2, 11:00 a.m., at the Wallace County Fairgrounds. The RAC encourages all water users to attend. Another meeting will be held at the Finney County Fairgrounds, Garden City, on Tues., Feb. 14, 9:00 a.m. “This coming year we must all come together to implement the action items identified to successfully meet the priority goals for each region,” says Tracy Streeter, director of the Kansas Water Office. “I encourage everyone to go to our website, attend a RAC meeting in your area and become more knowledgeable about the water resource issues we are facing or will face in the future.” More information about the Regional Advisory Committees and The Water Vision can be found on the Kansas Water Office website at: http://www.kwo.org/ The-Vision.html.
Congratulations Conservation Winners, past present and future While you’re gearing up to prepare the land for another growing year, know that we are here for you. We deliver bulk fuel for car, truck and tractor Service truck for In--eld assistance 24-Hr. Cardtrol-gas, diesel and off-road Oil changes and alignments for all your vehicles
Call today to get your trucks and tractors serviced and eld-ready!
Great Western Tire 1503 S. Main, Scott City • 620-872-3393
Supplement to The Scott County Record
Questions abound about future ag policy Mary Fund, executive director Kansas Rural Center
In mid-December Congress and the president passed and signed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government and avoid a potential government shutdown. This includes USDA programs. Each year Congress is charged with developing and passing appropriations legislation to fund the government for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on October 1. For the past several years, Congress has not been able to agree on appropriations so they pass Continuing Resolutions. The December 2016 CR extends last year’s funding levels to April 28, 2017. Before then, Congress and the new Administration will work out an appropriations budget to last until September 30, 2017. Given the new administration and changes in all of the federal departments and agencies including USDA, the first half of 2017 will be telling on the future direction and fate of many federal programs. Farmers are nervous as the farm economy is precarious with low commod-
ity prices, reminding many of the 1980’s farm crisis. Land values, while they have dipped, continue to be high, making entry into farming difficult and questionable for new farmers. Conservation programs are needed now more than ever to protect soil and water resources and help our food producers adapt to new climate realities. But, how well does the new administration understand the connections between conservation and the regenerative needs of our food system? Will the new administration heed the warnings about soil health and the impact of climate uncertainties on food production, and support programs and efforts to make our farms and food system more resilient? Will programs help to ensure the next generation of farmers and ranchers be continued? And will the gains made for sustainable farming practices over the past twenty years or more receive support? Discussion about a 2017 federal farm bill has already begun, and programs that serve the nation’s farms and ranches will be under pressure, as will nutrition and other related food programs.
What can the SCCD do for you? •Take technical, financial and educational resources and focus them on the needs of individuals. •Prepare resource plans for landowners and operators. •Hire staff to provide technical services and other functions. •Receive federal, state, county or other funding. •Prepare long-range and annual plans for resource management. •Provide education assistance to schools, landowners and others. Conservation districts provide a ready-made vehicle to address local resource problems and to help landowners address efforts to improve water quality, soil quality, grassland health and wildlife habitat, just to name a few.
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Playas support wildlife diversity in Great Plains Miruh Hamend Playa Lakes Joint Venture
Playas are those shallow and ephemeral ponds we see after rainfall. Some dry up within days. Others contain water for weeks or months. Research shows these ephemeral wetlands recharge groundwater, like the Ogallala Aquifer. They’re wonderful water filtration systems - keeping fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides out of the groundwater. Then, there’s that other reason - taking care of nature and the abundant wildlife found around playas. When you talk to Tom Flowers, a retired district conservationist with the USDA at Meade and an enthusiastic
bird-watcher, his astonishment about the life-cycle of these playas becomes apparent. He says these ephemeral lakes are almost magical. “They can be dry for 15 or 20 years, have a rainfall event, and immediately within days perennial plants show up. They’ve lay dormant beneath the ground for all these years and as soon as that soil becomes moist, they shoot up and produce bulrush, cattails, mud plantain, spikerush, a host of plants,” he says. That explosion of plant life is just part of it. Flowers is fascinated by the small creatures that wake up. “They fall down in the cracks when it’s dry, and they just lay there as eggs. As soon as it gets wet, within just a few
days, the eggs hatch, they grow, and they become small invertebrates such as fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, clam shrimp and snails.” That bursting-forth of plant and animal life is irresistible to local and migrating birds. The grasses, plants, and those little invertebrates are all a ready feast for the birds - both the locals and the commuters. According to Susan Skagen, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, “There is a broad diversity of birds migrating north and south, and using wetlands, including playas, for rest stops. “You’ll see a lot of the shorebirds that are making very long-distance migrations: White-rumped Sandpiper,
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover. They go right through the heart of the plains. It’s the shortest distance from Tierra del Fuego, which is how far some of them actually fly from, all the way up to the arctic.” “Many of these birds eat the small little animals in playas,” explains Flowers. “So, even though playas don’t hold water very long, they’re absolutely critically important for not only migratory birds but also our summer and resident birds for nesting and feeding.” To hear Flowers tell it, it’s as if playas are the town square for wildlife: “Not only birds, but bison, raccoons, coyotes, deer, everything come to have a drink.”
Supplement to The Scott County Record
NRCS invests $8.1M in Ogallala Aquifer Initiative The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing $8.1 million in the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative (OAI) to help farmers and ranchers conserve billions of gallons of water annually while strengthening agricultural operations. The Ogallala Aquifer has suffered in recent years from increased periods of drought and declining water resources and experienced a long term decline in groundwater levels, especially in southern parts of the aquifer. “The Ogallala Aquifer Initiative helps landowners build resilience in their farms and ranches and better manage water use,” said Eric Banks, NRCS Kansas State Conservationist. Since 2011, NRCS has invested $89.5 million in helping more than 1,775 agricultural producers conserve water on 366,000 acres. NRCS offers conservation planning assistance to farmers and ranchers throughout the Ogallala to help them develop and implement conservation plans, practices and activities to reduce water use while maintaining profitable operations. NRCS also offers financial assistance through several farm bill conservation programs to help implement
new conservation practices and activities. NRCS supports local efforts to conserve the quality and quantity of water in nine targeted focus areas through the OAI. These projects use Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funding for practices including building soil health by using cover crops and no-till, which allow the soil to hold water longer and buffer roots from higher temperatures; improving the efficiency of irrigation systems; and implementing prescribed grazing to relieve pressure on stressed vegetation. Kansas has received over $1 million for the OAI and will provide an additional $100,000 from the general EQIP allocation for this effort. The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and includes nearly all of Nebraska and large sections of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. It is the primary water source for the High Plains region. Covering nearly 174,000 square miles, it supports the production of nearly onefifth of the wheat, corn, cotton, and cattle produced in the United States and also supplies 30 percent of all water used for irrigation.
Cost-Share Money Available Cost-share money is available for upgrading septic systems and plugging abandoned wells. Contact the Scott County Conservation District • 1410 Main, or call 872-5312
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Bankers’ Award
H&H Farms getting the most out of limited water resources Through three generations and more than 60 years in agriculture, the Hess family knows that the key to survival is the ability to adapt. They were at the forefront of strip-till farming as a means of conserving water and they have also adapted to their farming operation to the declining availability of groundwater for their center pivot operations. Their ability to incorporate new ideas into their ag operation are one reason why Gene and Allen Hess, partners in H&H Farms, are the Banker’s Award winner being recognized by the Scott County Conservation District. The Hess family put down their ag roots northwest of Scott City when R.B. (Robert) Hess, Gene’s father, purchased farm ground northwest of Scott City. For many years, Gene and his brother, Delmar, farmed the site and in 1975 Hess Brothers was recognized as the Banker’s Award Winner for their conservation efforts. When Gene’s son, Allen, graduated from Wichita State University in 1976, he returned to the family operation which also included Hess Cattle Company. They got out of the cattle feeding business about four years ago. Gene and Allen formed the H&H Farms partnership in 1992. While Allen had thoughts of pursuing a professional music career while at WSU, he would always return home to farm during the summers. “I’ve been working here since I was 12, but coming back during the summers made me appreciate being here even
Bankers’ Award winners Gene (left) and Allen Hess at their family farming operation northwest of Scott City. (Record Photo)
more,” he says. “I’m glad that Dad and I have this chance to continue farming together.” Irrigation Efficiency Like most farmers with access to adequate groundwater, the Hesses were
flood irrigators. The transition to striptill farming meant more efficient use of water, fields were able to retain moisture better and it reduced their operation costs. “When we were flood irrigating we’d have to work a field with six operations.
You had to keep it clean in order for the water to get from one end of the field to the other,” noted Gene. “Now, we only need two operations.” Allen says they will no-till wheat back into corn stalks and corn back into wheat (see H&H FARMS on page 15)
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understanding link to the Ogallala
Playas replenish, improve water quality in region Miruh Hamend Playa Lakes Joint Venture
As communities struggle to deal with drought and declining aquifers, playas a major yet relatively unknown natural resource - are playing a role in replenishing and improving the quality of the region’s water supply. What are playas? They are the most numerous wetlands in the region, with more than 80,000 scattered across the western Great Plains. These shallow water catchment areas found at the lowest point in a watershed have a layer of clay soil that enables groundwater recharge and cleans the water going into the aquifer. Research has shown that these shallow, temporary wetlands are a primary source of recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer, contributing up to 95 percent of inflow of water to the aquifer and improving the quality of that water. Recharge rates in playa basins are 10 to 100 times higher than under other areas, and groundwater recharge may exceed three inches per year in unaltered playas. Aquifer recharge occurs through playa basins and along the perimeter of playas. When a dry playa receives a surge of water from rainfall, water flows into the playa basin and moves through the clay layer via large cracks. These cracks eventually swell shut as the clay absorbs water making the basin impermeable. Recharge continues to occur along the playa’s perimeters as long as it is submerged in water, much like water running over a bowl’s lip. In addition, the water reaching the aquifer through healthy or unaltered playas is of higher quality than that going
Joe Kramer, wetland coordinator with the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, discusses the benefits of playas and their role in the environment during a recent tour in Western Kansas that included stops at the Vance and Louise Ehmke farm in Lane County. (Record Photo)
through other pathways. This happens in two ways: first, as rainfall and runoff travel toward the playa, the surrounding grasses trap sediments, which can carry contaminants into the playa; then, as the water moves through the clay floor of the playa, a second ‘cleaning’ process occurs as the soils beneath the playa remove nitrates and other dissolved contaminants. This recharge through playas is a continuous process. In fact, water reaching the aquifer today started its journey during our parents and grandparents lifetimes; and the water recharging now
will be available for today’s children and nants and there are no pits or other modifuture generations. fications to the playa. Filling in pits is one of the easiest Help Playas Do Their Job ways to restore a playa. In most cases, Healthy, functioning playas are areas the spoil pile from the original excavaof focused recharge and improve the tion is present and used to refill the pit. quality of water flowing into the Ogallala Once filled, rainwater and runoff can Aquifer. To continue to work effectively, reach the large cracks in a dry playa playas need their basins to be intact, which is essential for recharge to occur excess sediment removed, and a filtering - rather than collecting in the pit. grass buffer that traps sediment while The shallow water that spreads across allowing water to reach the playa. the playa also allows plants to flourish, Playas work best when they are sur- which in turn provides important food rounded by a native grass buffer that and habitat for migrating birds and other filters out soil and agricultural contami- wildlife.
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Windbreak Award
reaping the benefits Windbreak requires a never-ending commitment Ask anyone who has ever planted a windbreak in Western Kansas and they will agree on two things. It’s never easy and it can be a neverending project. In the 17 years since planting a windbreak around his homestead 6-1/2 miles east of Scott City, Larry Faurot has had to deal with prolonged periods of drought along with a continuing battle with critters that like to feed on the shrubs. The effort has been more than worthwhile. “I planted this to protect my home from the wind and it’s done a great job,” says Faurot, who is this year’s Windbreak Award winner recognized by the Scott County Conservation District. Faurot purchased the land, which included an old farm home, in 1998 and the following year began a major tree planting project that would wrap around his property on all four sides. On the outside of the windbreak were two rows of eastern red cedars, roughly 200 trees planted 15 feet apart. On the inside was a row of sandhill plum and fragrant sumac which included 250 shrubs planted about six feet apart. That’s about 1.5 acres of trees. To aid the bareroot trees in getting off to a better start, Faurot also installed a drip irrigation system and put down a plastic weed barrier.
Larry Faurot (above) with part of the windbreak that lines the east side of his homestead. The project includes two rows of eastern red cedars and a single row with a mix of fragrant sumac and sandhill plums bushes. (Below) Snow drifts that had built up against his windbreak last winter.
However, he ran into difficulties immediately. He lost about 90 percent of the eastern red cedars in the first year and he was notified by the Kansas State University forestry division, which provided the trees, that they were part of a “bad batch.” “It seems that everyone who purchased trees that year lost a majority of them. They replaced all of them at no cost,” says Faurot. The bigger issue was replanting about (see FAUROT on page 16)
Supplement to The Scott County Record
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Conservation trees available from K-State Have you ever thought of planting a woodlot, habitat for wildlife or a tree windbreak? State forester Larry Biles, who oversees the Kansas Conservation Tree Planting Program at Kansas State University, has begun taking seedling orders for spring delivery. County Extension offices have order blanks that list the species for sale: •Bare-root shrubs: American plum, caragana, common ninebark, choke cherry, elderberry, fragrant sumac, golden currant, lilac, Peking cotoneaster and sand hill plum. •Bare-root deciduous trees: bald cypress, black walnut, black walnut stratified seed, bur oak, chinkapin oak, cottonwood, hackberry, honeylocust, lacebark elm, northern red oak, pawpaw,
pecan, pecan stratified seed, persimmon, redbud, red mulberry, shumard oak, sycamore and silver maple. •Bare-root evergreen trees: Ponderosa pine, Eastern white pine, Eastern redcedar, Rocky Mountain juniper and oriental arborvitae. •Container-grown evergreens: Ponderosa pine, southwestern white pine and eastern red cedar. Prices are $20 for units of 25 bare-root trees and shrubs. Stratified seed is $13 for each unit of 100, and container-grown trees are $50 for each unit of 25. Additional offerings include a songbird bundle for $16, a quail bundle for $60, a pheasant bundle for $80, marking flags for $12.50, rabbit protective tubes (25) for $12.50, root protective slurry for $8.50 and weed barrier fabric for $50 for 25 pieces.
Bare-root seedlings grow one or two years in a field nursery, then are lifted and shipped bare-root without soil on the roots. Container-grown plants start in a greenhouse. They leave the greenhouse with roots holding the soil in a plug. Biles said container-grown seedlings usually have improved survival and growth rates. He also noted that K-State grows many of the seedlings offered in the conservation tree program from the best known sources. These Kansas-grown seedlings should perform better in the Kansas environment than seedlings started in other states. As a cooperative federal and state program there are certain restrictions on the sale of plants through this program. Plants must be used for conservation purposes.
Approved uses include windbreaks, woodlots, wildlife habitat, Christmas trees, erosion control, noise and dust barriers, snow fences, riparian protection and other conservation purposes. There are no restrictions on the ownership of property or its location (i.e. rural vs. urban). The only restriction is that the plants cannot be used in landscaping or for resale for landscaping. Trees can be ordered online at www. kansasforests.org/conservationindex. shtml. Extension personnel can also provide spacing recommendations for the various conservation projects, leaflets for the songbird and wildlife bundles, tips on planting and installing weed barrier fabric, and ways to use rabbit protective tubes.
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H&H Farms stubble. When not planted to corn or wheat, they will have about one-third of their acreage in summer fallow. The Hesses credit Circle C Farms with initiating the strip-till practice on their operation. “They did it for about three years and that’s what sold us,” noted Gene. “I remember when we got a five inch rain, which is a rarity, and there was no water runoff from the field. In the days of flood irrigating, if you had 50/100 of an inch you’d have water running off the field. “It was pretty evident that we were using water more efficiently, plus the residue protects the topsoil.” However, the Hesses have also had to adapt to a declining Ogallala Aquifer and lower pumping capacity from its wells. As a result, they will plant half a circle to wheat and the other half to corn while
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operating the center pivot only on the corn acreage. While limiting the pivot to half a circle was an easy adjustment with modern technology, there was one small problem. The pivot could be programmed to reverse direction to within one degree in a 180 degree half circle, but that wasn’t precise enough. It still meant that about 50 feet of corn was not getting water coverage. Allen contacted the company that designed the system and advised them that they needed to program the pivot to operate within 1/10 of a degree. “When you’re operating a center pivot on a full circle it isn’t a big deal, but when you’re covering half a circle like we are, that one degree was leaving about 50 feet uncovered,” noted Allen. “They made the adjustment and I think they helped a lot of guys in the process.”
Supplement to The Scott County Record
Faurot 180 trees in rows where the drip line and matting were already in place. It was a time-consuming re-do. Despite the age of the windbreak, the drip system remains an essential element. During the severe drought that impacted the area for about five years, Faurot still lost some eastern red cedars, but he feels the losses would have been more severe without the steady supply of water. “In Western Kansas you can’t count on Mother Nature to do it all,” he points out. Maintaining the sandhill plums has been a work in progress. They were hit hard during the drought and Faurot has plans to purchase another 50 to fill gaps in his windbreak. Two years ago, when he needed to plant 40 additional red cedars on the east side of his property, Faurot purchased
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established trees that could be relocated. The benefits of a well-established windbreak have been proven. During a snow storm last winter, snow had drifted nearly as high as the top of the trees along the north side of his property. During the first 15 years of his CRP contract Faurot had the option of mowing or applying chemicals to control weeds within his windbreak. He chose to mow and pull weeds by hand, acknowledging that it required a lot of maintenance. “Now that the 15 years are up, I let the weeds grow and provide pheasant cover,” he says. With hunting habitat in mind, Faurot has added a 75 foot CRP barrier strip for wildlife around the outside of his windbreak in addition to 125-foot strips on each side of the railroad tracks just north of his property.
Applications available for updated stewardship program The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been accepting applications for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). With input from farmers, ranchers, and forestry landowners, CSP has been updated with more options to get increased payments based on new bundles of conservation practices. Also, new modeling tools have been created to show payment scenarios for various conservation practices. NRCS is taking CSP applications until February 3.
Information about CSP, including national and state ranking questions and enhancement descriptions, is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/csp. Applications and program information are available in local service centers. With over 70 million acres enrolled, CSP is the nation’s largest conservation program. It pays agricultural producers and forest landowners for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat - all while maintaining active agriculture production on their land.
Visit the Scott County website at www.scottcountyconservationdistrict.com
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Pollinator grant to raise awareness of pesticide use The Kansas Rural Center has received funding from the Ceres Trust to carry out work to protect pollinators from the harms of pesticides. The project will organize a grassroots effort that engages farmers, beekeepers, conservationists, local food advocates and others, and raise awareness about the harmful effects of pesticides on pollinators. It will also offer information and education on safe alternatives to pesticide use in agriculture, and advocate for public policy and programs that support a diversified, ecologically based agricultural system that promotes pollinator health. In the U.S. and around the world, pollinator populations have been declin-
ing for a number of years. Habitat loss, increasing use of pesticides, decreasing biodiversity, diseases, pests and other environmental stressors have all contributed to long-term decline in pollinator populations. Recent, particularly dramatic declines in pollinator populations correspond startlingly to the rapid rise in use of systemic pesticides within the last decade. Systemic pesticides, particularly those in the neonicotinoid class, are thought to cause significant harm to pollinators, as well as other species. To receive information about this project, sign up for Kansas Rural Center e-mail updates at https://kansasruralcenter. org/, or contact Project Coordinator Joanna Voigt at jvoigt@kansasrural center.org, or 866-579-5469.
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Website has info for well owners
A website now provides information about Kansas private well construction, maintenance and testing, thanks to participants in the Kansas Environmental Leadership Program (KELP). The site is available at http://www.kswaterwell.org. It also provides links to relevant Kansas State University Research and Extension publications. The EPA reports that about 15 percent of Americans have their own source of drinking water. The EPA recommends testing wells yearly for coliform bacteria, nitrates and other contaminants.
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protecting the Monarch
NRCS, USFWS partner to accelerate conservation on ag land for butterflies The monarch butterfly is a new national priority species of Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW), a partnership between the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Populations of monarchs, a pollinator species cherished across North America, have declined significantly during the past two decades. This collaboration aims to help the species recover by working with agricultural producers to make wildlife-friendly improvements on their farms, ranches and forests. “Producers can make simple and inexpensive tweaks on working lands that provide monumental benefits to monarch butterflies and a variety of other insects and wildlife,” said NRCS Chief Jason Weller. “By adding the monarch to Working Lands for Wildlife, we can accelerate conservation for the species at the heart of its migration corridor.” NRCS and USFWS recently completed a conference report that explains how conservation practices can help the eastern monarch population, a species known for its remarkable annual, multi-generational migration between central Mexico and the United States and Canada. This report is an initial step toward adding the monarch to WLFW, which uses a science-based, targeted approach to help a variety of at-risk species. “We need to make every effort to help ensure monarchs don’t become endangered now and in the long term,” said USFWS Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. “Conservation efforts on agricultural lands across the nation can have a significant positive impact on monarchs as well as many other pollinator insects and birds. Working with farmers and other private landowners, we can ensure
a future filled with monarchs.” The monarch butterfly joins an array of wildlife species across the country already part of WLFW, including the greater sage-grouse and New England cottontail, two recent successes in species conservation. The USFWS determined in 2015 that the two species didn’t warrant protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because of voluntary conservation efforts underway to restore habitat.
that benefit the monarch. Meanwhile, through the conference report, the USFWS provides producers with regulatory predictability should the monarch become listed under the ESA. Predictability provides landowners with peace of mind - no matter the legal status of a species under ESA - that they can keep their working lands working with NRCS conservation systems in place. Work through WLFW centers on 10 states in the Midwest and southern Great Regulatory Predictability Plains that are considered the core of the Through WLFW, NRCS provides monarch’s migration route and breeding technical and financial assistance to help habitat. Much of this work will focus on producers adopt conservation practices planting and enhancing stands of milk-
weed and other high-value nectar plants for monarchs. Assistance is available to producers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. USFWS has committed $20 million over five years to support monarch conservation efforts. Additionally, USFWS is working with partners, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Wildlife Federation and the Mexican and Canadian governments to leverage resources and investments to support and implement conservation actions across the continent. (See MONARCHS on page 19)
Supplement to The Scott County Record
Testing private wells If a private well is your only source of drinking water, how safe is it for human or animal use? Testing is the only way to be sure of water’s quality. Because laws requiring water testing apply only to public water supplies, nobody is mandated to test their water. Even though studies show groundwater is relatively safe, annual bacteriological and nitrate tests are recommended. The bacteria test determines if you have potable water (free of bacteria that could cause disease). This test is for coliform bacteria which are found in the intestines and waste material of people and other warm-blooded animals.
Monarchs During the past two years, NRCS has made available $6 million through a variety of Farm Bill conservation programs for monarch conservation in the 10 states. Additionally, NRCS is working with partners, including The Xerces Society and General Mills, to increase staffing capacity to help producers design customized conservation strategies for working lands. The two agencies’ efforts contribute to
The presence of more than one or two counts of coliform in water is assumed to mean contamination from animal wastes and possibly disease-causing organisms. For more information on private well testing or to pickup a test kit, contact the Scott County Extension office. Water testing is available by contacting the Scott County Health Department at 872-5774. Testing is scheduled for the first Monday of each month, so call to get your name on the schedule. There are more than 30 laboratories certified by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment that can analyze water samples.
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a multi-agency, international strategy to reverse the monarch’s population decline in North America, estimated to have decreased from one billion butterflies in 1995 down to an estimated 34 million. Through the National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, the United States has a goal of increasing the eastern population of monarchs back to 225 million by 2020.
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Our congratulations to the winner of the Scott County Bankers’ Award for outstanding conservation practices
H&H Farms
join the list of previous winners 1945 Roland W. Harkness Norman C. Buehler Henry D. Parkinson George H. Mulch William E. Melson 1946 C.E. Conine Forest C. Brookover Harold Kirk Otto Geeseka 1947 Richard Christy C.T. Hutchins 1948 Richard Hollister Carl Kramer 1949 Dennis G. Buehler Howard Cheney Roy O. Murphey Glen E. Ryan Lloyd Stockwell 1950 C.W. Dickhut, Jr. Otto H. Woodrick Austin Been Fawn Rose 1951 Bernarr H. Nelson Charles W. Shearmire Russell Unruh 1952 Mrs. Ruby H. Wilkens Albert H. Skibbe John Wiechman 1953 Ralph Grothusen F.W. Krause Jess Bright 1954 E.R. Patton I.J. Spitzer Don Christy
1955 Roger Heim William Beaton Leslie Yager 1956 Norman Harper Sam Frick B.B. Harkness 1957 Delmar Huck Harold Crist W.J. Wasinger Floyd Krebs Alvin Rodenberg 1958 Alfred Winderlin 1959 Clarence Tucker S.W. Filson and Louis Parkinson 1960 Glen Ramsey Ted Crist G. Wiechman 1961 Ronald Beach Oliver Bebermeyer Armin Strickert 1962 Dale Conine Lester and Bill See Marion Hutchins 1963 Harry Dirks 1964 John Hrbek Duwane Patton 1965 Marvin Wiechman Chas. Socolfsky 1966 Robert Koehn Chester Scott Andrew Hoeme Melvin Clark
1967 Alan Stewart Alva Dearden Homer Janssen Virgil Lorg (A.H. Bierman) 1968 G.T. Riner Chas. Winderlin Primus Suppes (Morrison and Long) Frank Snyder 1969 Walter Yost Elmer Carson Robert Hoeme 1970 Harold Ellis 1971 B.H. Kimball Roy Watkins Lee Brown 1972 Bill Carpenter Wilmer Krug Clarence Powers Wilford Crist Paul Winderlin 1973 Garold Been Clifford Scheuerman Loren Janzen Maurice Dirks 1974 Clyde Schinnerer Robert Harkness Earnest Fick Merlin Conine 1975 Delmar and Gene Hess Wallace Robinson lll Sol Scheuerman 1976 Charles Ramsey Jon Ramsey Floyd Fairleigh
1977 June Pickett Edw. Reifschneider Ervin Nightengale 1978 Lowell Rudolph Albert Dague Ray Schmidt Dan Carter 1979 Herbert Stevens Larry and Galen Decker George Armantrout 1980 Wayne Rudolph Don Wiechman Lester Rodenberg 1981 Loyal and Woodrow Hoffman Larry Huck Earl and Larry Vulgamore 1982 Gary Haupt Clarence and Ashley Luke Richard Ramsey 1983 Robert Winderlin Mike Scheuerman Robert and Wm. Novak 1984 Sam Brookover Keith Janzen Ron Riner 1985 Bill Huseman Jack Frick Terry Faurot Ronald Eaton 1986 John Beaton Bruce Wilkens Jerald Doornbos
1987 Mike Ellis Vance Wiechman Larry Ryan 1988 Marvin Farr Jon Buehler Charles Moore, Sr. Charles Moore, Jr. 1989 Ervin Nichols Bernard and Terry Rose Berl Minnix 1990 Leona Numrich Griffith Cattle Co. 1991 Merle Mc Kean Robert Dearden Raymond Dearden Lonnie Dearden 1992 Fred and Eva Young Warren and Nellie Deeds 1993 Edwin Allen Paul and Pauline Strickert 1994 Richard Randall 1995 Daryl Dirks 1996 Mike and Kay Harkness 1997 Prairie Trout Farms 1998 Rick Kahl Lonnie Dearden Dennis Allen Jason Allen 1999 Terry and Jon Berning 2000 Steve and Jack Schmitt
1425 S. Main Street • Scott City (620) 872-2227 www.wsbks.com
Garden City • Leoti • Goodland • Colby • St. Francis • Dodge City
2001 Randy and Cindy Scheuerman 2002 Gary and Laylene Janssen Rick and Lori Krause 2003 Dave Novak 2004 Stacy Hoeme 2005 Allan and Anita Hoeme Craig Hoeme Robert & Patricia Hoeme, Jr. 2006 Richard and Rita Buehler Alfred and Sally Janssen 2007 Craig and Larry Hughes 2008 Brian and Myles Vulgamore 2009 Norman Keyse 2010 Will See Cattle Co. Duane and Molly Williams Scott and Aleta See Alan and Tonja Williams 2011 Dennis Bontrager 2012 Chris and Letha Winderlin 2013 Chris Winderlin 2014 Bob and Donna Eitel 2015 Devin Hutchins 2016 Aaron and Joshua Beaton 2017 Gene and Allen Hess