CDI - REGION 6
SPRING REGIONAL MEETING
MARCH 13, 2013
CENTRAL IOWA EXPO
BOONE, IA
10 AM – 2 PM
TOTAL ATTENDEES
____30_____ Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners
____19_____ Staff (NRCS, DSC, SWCD)
WELCOME
The meeting started with a welcoming statement from Clare Lindahl, Executive Director of Conservation Districts of Iowa along with Kevin Griggs,Region 6 Director/Treasurer and Chairperson of the Boone Soil & Water Conservation District.
AGENCY REPORTS
MOVING CONSERVATION FORWARD IN THE FACT OF CHANGE: The Role of Conservation Districts of Iowa & Commissioners
CDI - Clare Lindahl, Executive Director covered the role of Conservation Districts of Iowa and District Commissioners. Some of the highlights from her presentation were: New Award Program, Legislative Outreach, Tools; i.e., newsletters, social media, Soil & Conservation Week (April 28 – May 5), CDI Office Relocation and the Annual Conference (Sept. 4 -5).
THE IOWA NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY: What does it mean for Farmers & Districts?
DSC – Jim Gillespie
Gillespie asked everyone to introduce themselves before he started his PowerPoint presentation. The following were some highlights of his program: What is the Strategy, Why and Why Now – 45% reduction by 2013, Science Assessment, Reaching 45% Goal, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Reduction Practices, Summary of “Example” Scenarios, Agricultural Nonpoint Sources, The Goal – Iowa is the Leader, Iowa Strategy Approach to Nonpoint Sources, 22 Nonpoint Source Action Items, Strategy Implementation and Why is this Strategy Important? Materials were also distributed to everyone about this strategy and a listing of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Practices. Gillespie finished with a question and answer session. More information on this strategy can be found at
COVER CROPS: A Yearin Reviewand the Year Aheadan Iowa Farmer’s Perspectiveon CoverCrops
CDI – Clare Lindahl, Executive Director
BOONE SWCD – Jeremy Gustafson, Commissioner/Farmer
The following are highlights of the Power Point Presentation: Benefits, Areas of Continued Research, State Assistance (C/S not more that 30% of IFIP allocation), and $25 per acre and can be co-mingled with Federal EQIP funding, Insurance, Promotion and Resources. Jeremy Gustafson completed the presentation with slides of different types of cover crop and reported on what seeding he has done on his farming operation.
Kevin Griggs noted that the travel mugs on the tables were also an educational tool about watersheds. He updated the audience on the tour after the meeting at the ISU Bio Century Research Farm.
PARTNER REPORTS:
CDI – Jim Frederick, President and Tim Palmer, Past President and NACD Executive Board member
Jim gave an update on FBXII and FBXIII. He also reviewed a couple resolutions that will be submitted at the Annual Conference.
Tim reported on NACD business. Iowa is in the top 10 states for NACD membership. All resolutions are due by April 12th. He reminded everyone about Soil & Water Conservation Week, He will be attending a conference in June in Washington, D.C. and also stated the Annual Conference dates of September 4th & 5ththis year at the Sheraton in West Des Moines,
IDALS-DSC – Jim Gillespie, Mike Franklin and Matt McDonald. Adam Kiel, IDNR
Jim started out reviewing the budget request for FY’14 that was also distributed to everyone. The Division of Soil Conservation requested a budget that would restore the funds to the 2008 level. The Low-Interest and No-Interest Loan Programs are still available. Doug Volz, Commissioner from Dallas SWCD, questioned why the state couldn’t take $1M from the $800M surplus and use it to hire the remaining 20 State Secretaries openings? At that point, Clare Lindahl, CDI Executive Director, stated that, “All 500 Commissioners should be calling their legislators and asking the very same question.”
Mike Franklin reported on Request for proposals/projects application. Based on the funding there no requests this year.
Matt McDonald reported on the Summer Internship Project. An email was sent out regarding this project yesterday. DSC funds $9/hour and the District fund $1/hour. Eligible candidates are enrolled in college with Ag, Construction, Engineering, Public Relations type majors.
IDALS-DSC con’t.
Adam Kiel, from the Iowa DNR, titled his report “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” He reviewed the DNR budget which included the lack of funding in the proposed state budget for Lake Restoration. This funding will affect the Big Creek Watershed in Boone and Polk Counties. The funding in FY’12 was $6.8M and FY’13 funding proposed is $1M.
NRCS – Jay Mar, State Conservationist and Kevin McCall, Area 2 Assistant State Conservationist
Jay Mar asked Kevin McCall to give everyone an update on challenges due to the lack of the Farm Bill and what the sequestration means to NRCS. McCall stated at this point, they do not foresee any furloughs for NRCS employees. Kevin would like to attend District meetings and asked that the secretaries email him with meeting dates and times. He also reported that the FBXIII contracts do not include any CRP right now, but may be added later. The CDSI transition is on hold due to budget constraints and technological hurdles. Before introducing Jay Mar, our new State Conservationist, McCall gave a brief background on Jay.
Jay Mar thanked everyone for coming to the regional meeting and talked about his work experience and with landowners from all the different country and states he had worked. North Dakota, Wyoming, Denmark, Delaware and Connecticut. He encouraged the Commissioners and staff to meet with the landowners out in the field and would also like to see Districts apply for the Conservation Innovative Grants. After listening to Jeremy Gustafson and his experience with cover crops, one of the proposals could be technology related to establishing cover crops.
PRESENTATION BY BOONE SWCD – Soil Loss Complaint Process – Kevin Griggs, Chairperson
Due to lack of time, Kevin Griggs asked everyone to look at their handouts. A flowchart and guidelines for filing Soil Loss Complaints under the Code of Iowa Chapter 161A. He encouraged all the Commissioner to place these documents in their handbooks.
He then asked everyone to stand up and look under their chair for a “page flag.” If their chair had a flag on it, they won the table’s centerpiece – the Kalonchoe plant.
ADJOURN – The meeting was adjourned at 2:30 PM. Following the meeting approximately 12 people attended the tour of Iowa State’s University Bio Century Research Farm.