Through a cooperative agreement between the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Timmons Group has partnered with AACD and NRCS to develop the ConserveAZ Portal, a system to assist Arizona’s conservation districts and NRCS to better identify resource conservation needs and concerns to develop conservation plans; monitor progress in priority areas and track problem areas; and measure how NRCS funding is used for on-the-ground conservation projects and to record qualitative results.
Phase One of the portal has been completed, which involved GIS analysis to highlight areas of greatest conservation need and the ability of resource professionals to identify those areas spatially and recommend on-the-ground practices.
“We wanted something live and visual, that enabled statewide tracking and visual dashboard reporting when creating conservation plans, so it was exciting when Timmons Group came on,” AACD Executive Director Deborrah Smith said.
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For now, the focus is on mapping out the areas and acreage with specific conservation concerns and determining how many of those acres are utilizing which conservation practices. From there, individual districts can make decisions on priorities, what species to plant, and/or specific areas to burn or treat.
“There is a ton of great conservation work happening on the ground,” Timmons Group’s Director of Geospatial Solutions Lowell Ballard said. “It remains difficult to tell the stories… we don’t have metrics; we don’t have ways to drive stories. When you’re working across landscapes, it’s very hard for people to communicate without visuals.”
Of the 42 districts in Arizona, AACD identified 10 for the pilot efforts for Phase One. By the end of the year, an additional 15 districts are expected to be included. AACD is also working with 10 tribal districts to get them on board with the project.
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Lincoln, Gaston and Mecklenberg Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) joined forces to open a forest to the public in North Carolina for forestry and SWCD educational programs, an effort that resulted in state funding for the project.
In 2011, through a partnership with the North Carolina Association of SWCDs (NCASWCD) and the state forestry agency, the three conservation districts met and lobbied county commissioners and state legislators. It took several years, but in 2018, the State Legislature allotted in its budget more than $3 million to construct a 6,000 square-foot education center with public amenities at the Mountain Island Lake Educational State Forest (MIESF). The group hopes to have a grand opening later this year.
“Education is one of the most important things we do, and this facility lends itself to educating our youth to the topic of a diminishing resource,” Mecklenburg SWCD Vice Chair Nancy Carter said.
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More than 100 New York Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and soil and water conservation district (SWCD) staff tuned into a silvopasture webinar in February. Silvopasture is one of the five recognized agroforestry practices.
“Historically, as foresters, we were trained to keep livestock out of the woods,” New York NRCS Forester Mike Fournier said. “Silvopasture has made us rethink that rule, and we now see how the overlap of these land management systems can work.”
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California
Yolo RCD takes lead in local fire safe council
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The formation of the Yolo County Fire Safe Council is an effort being supported by the Yolo County Office of Emergency Services and led by the Yolo County Resource Conservation District with funding from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Key stakeholders include local government, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, county service areas, agencies, utilities, first responders, local organizations and interested members of the public from Yolo and neighboring counties.
The Fire Safe Council was formed after the LNU Complex Fire in order to communicate and collaborate on supporting wildfire preparedness and prevention.
Recordings of the meetings are available here. |
Colorado
Slash pile burn helps eliminate hazardous forest fuels
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The Gravitas Peak Prescribed Fire Module and the Ember Alliance, with support from the Big Thompson Conservation District, conducted a slash pile burn in March near the town of Estes Park. Several local agencies helped to coordinate the event, including the Estes Valley Fire Protection District.
The slash pile burn was conducted to remove hazardous forest fuels following the completion of forest thinning treatments. The treatments and the prescribed fire are designed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire to the surrounding forest and communities.
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Ohio
SWCD hosts 'Growing Healthy Trees' series
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Part one, held on the evening of March 24, will feature Kathy Smith, a forestry educator for the Ohio State University Extension, who will discuss tree selection, plant characteristics, species and soil preference; David Tidd, systems arborist for Consolidated Cooperative, will discuss site selection, utilities and placement.
Amy Stone, OSU Extension educator from Lucas County, will discuss planting options and long-term care and maintenance in part two of the series on March 31.
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Add your conservation district's tree sale, state association meeting, field day or celebration to NACD's calendar!
Click the button above to submit an event. Events will be reviewed by the website administrator and published to NACD's online calendar when approved. |
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