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Conservation INsight
August 14, 2019
IASWCD News
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Indiana
Conservation
Awards
 Nominations are now being accepted for the conservation awards listed here. All winning recipients will be recognized at the Awards Luncheon during the 2020 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs on Tuesday, January 14.

Nominations for these awards are due
by September 6.

Supervisor of the Year
Conservation Farmer of the Year Award
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IASWCD Resolution Submission
Districts - if you would like to submit a resolution for consideration, please fill out this  online form . Resolutions are  due to the IASWCD office by Friday, September 6, 2019 .
District Supervisor and Staff
Summer Training
August 20 - Fulton County (registration now closed for this meeting)
August 22 - Orange County (registration now closed for this meeting)
August 27 - Delaware County
August 29 - Putnam County
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
ISDA and IASWCD are combining the past "region meetings" that took place in the spring and fall into one summer training for SWCD staff and supervisors. All four summer trainings will be identical and take place on four separate dates in four separate locations throughout the state. Feel free to attend the date and location that best fits your schedule. $20 per person with dinner included.
Upcoming Training Sessions for ICP Employees

Pollinator Training
August 22 - Allen County
Key topics include pollinator/beneficial insect habitat needs, how to plan pollinator habitat, planting and maintaining habitat, and field observations. Register by August 15.

Soil Testing and Interpreting Results Training
This training will be offered in six different counties on six different dates.
September 17-26.

Wetland Restoration Workshop
This hands-on restoration workshop is designed for individuals who would like to learn how to use practical, low cost techniques for building wetlands. October 12-13 in Muncie.
NACD News
Indiana's LaPorte County and Women4theLand Featured in the latest edition of NACD's Foresty Notes .
Virginia Team Named 2019 NCF-Envirothon Champions
Raleigh, NC – On August 2, the Jamestown High School team from Williamsburg, Va., was named the champion of the 2019 National Conservation Foundation (NCF)-Envirothon, an international environmental and natural resources education competition for high schoolers. “I’d like to congratulate the Jamestown team and all of the teams for their hard work and dedication,” NCF Chair Steve Robinson said.
Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides their members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise noted.
NCF Announces Launch of NGLI Application Period
SANTA FE, N.M. (August 5, 2019) – Today, the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Chairman Steve Robinson announced the opening of the application period for the inaugural cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI).
NGLI, a program of the NCF, will train seven applicants over the course of 2020, with one participant selected from each of the National Association of Conservation Districts’ (NACD) regions. Due September 20.
IDEA News
2019 IDEA Fall Conference
October 1-3
Clifty Inn, Madison, IN
Registration deadline: August 30.
ISDA News
USDA-NRCS News
USDA seeks New Priority Watersheds for the Mississippi River Basin Initiative and National Water Quality Initiative - DUE SEPTEMBER 20
Jerry Raynor, State Conservationist for Indiana’s USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced July 15 they are accepting proposals to designate new priority watersheds for the Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) and National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).  
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USDA-FSA News
Report: Farmers Prevented from Planting Crops on More than 19 Million Acres
WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2019 – Agricultural producers reported they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres in 2019, according to a  new report  released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began releasing the report in 2007 and 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time last year. 
Of those prevented plant acres, more than 73 percent were in 12 Midwestern states, where heavy rainfall and flooding this year has prevented many producers from planting mostly corn, soybeans and wheat. 
Photo credit: Heather Shireman, Bartholomew Co SWCD
IDNR News
Other News
Project Wingspan Online Training
Project Wingspan is looking for enthusiastic seed collecting volunteers in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to help collect seeds from milkweed and other common forage plants. As a seed collecting volunteer you will be provided with the training needed to make valuable contributions to support migrating monarchs and resident rusty patched bumble bees.
The Indiana Invasives Initiative Advances Grassroots Engagement Across the State
Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management has worked alongside the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to combat invasive plants and raise public awareness of the devastation caused by these non-native pests. It became clear that the problem of invasives must be addressed at the local level through local people using local resources. At the end of 2017 to coordinate their efforts, SICIM and the NRCS signed a fiveyear agreement to develop local Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas (CISMAs) throughout Indiana. SICIM launched the Indiana Invasives Initiative (III) in 2018 to implement this agreement. Through the III, a team of five Regional Specialists employed by SICIM are actively working at the grassroots level with local conservation agencies to develop new CISMAs and provide technical assistance to landowners.
Grant Funding Available from the Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation
IFEF is pleased to announce that we have funding for  $500.00 competitive grants , which are available for projects that align with our mission and vision of educating about forestry stewardship and forestry management. In addition, this year, we are offering  up to $1,000.00  grant opportunities for projects that feature and promote outreach and communication specifically about young forests and their importance to create forest diversity.
 
If you have great ideas for a project (may include, but is not limited to field days, video, flyers, advertisements, photos with captions, other multi-media, etc.) to promote Indiana forestry initiatives, let us know! We are interested in evaluating your project! 
 
Grant applications are open August 2 and close on October 6. 
Healing The Heartland: Rural Mental Health Symposium on September 10
Mental health issues are impacting our agricultural and rural communities each and every day. Increased understanding of the impact, resources and ways to overcome this impact is needed.  Together, we must seek to be better informed and discover solutions to support our farm families and rural communities. We can do more to engage and advocate to restore health and hope in the Heartland.
The goal for this unique program is to increase awareness of the importance of addressing mental health issues, understand the impact of stress factors and identify ways to support at risk individuals. Our hope is to elevate the importance of the need for easily accessible resources to support agricultural and rural communities. 
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Job Postings  :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the  IASWCD website.
  • Conservation Technician and Outreach Assistant, Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at:  amy-work@iaswcd.org .  Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
Cover crop, Diakon radish
Photo credit: Edwin Remsberg and USDA-SARE
Upcoming Conservation Events  :
August 16 - Big Pine Creek Watershed Historical Tour
August 17 - Invasive Species Mgmt Primer, Wabash Co.
August 20-21 - Conservation in Action Tour
August 20 - Supervisor and Staff Summer Training
August 22 - ICP Pollinator Training
August 22 - Supervisor and Staff Summer Training
August 24 - Invasive Species Work Day, Wabash Co.
August 27 - Supervisor and Staff Summer Training
August 27 - Cover Crop Workshop, Miami Co.
August 28 - Indiana Land Use Summit
August 29 - Supervisor and Staff Summer Training
September 5 - Organic Grain Field Day
September 5 - Grassland for Game Birds, Jennings Co.
September 5 - Women's Learning Circle, Huntington Co.
September 10 - Frank Gibbs, Wabash and Grant Co.
September 14 - Native Plant Sale
September 17 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 - ICP Soil Testing Training (six dates, six locations)
October 1-3 - IDEA Fall Conference, Clifty Inn
October 10 - Women's Learning Circle, Lawrence Co.
October 12 - Forestry Field Day, Orange Co.
October 29 - State Soil Conservation Board meeting
October 29 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 5 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
November 12 - Learn the Dirt on Soil, Monroe Co.
2020:
January 12-14 - Annual Indiana SWCD Conference, Indpls.

For a complete list of upcoming conservation events,  go to the Events Calendar on the IASWCD website .