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Conservation INsight
April 13, 2023
IASWCD News
April Lunch 'n Learns
One each week in April
These one-hour long Zoom learning sessions are geared towards Indiana SWCD Staff and Supervisors. All are welcome to attend!

Each presentation will include time for Q&A. 
Please register for each session individually to receive the Zoom link. (These sessions will be recorded and posted on the IASWCD website.)

April 5: Source Water Protection & The Farm Bill - Presenter: Toby Days, Source Water Specialist, Alliance of Indiana Rural Water
Recording posted on IASWCD website.

April 12: NACD: Advocating for Districts Nationally as One Voice - Presenter: Beth Mason, North Central Region Rep, National Association of Conservation Districts
Recording available soon.

April 19: Resources and Assistance for Woodland Owners - Presenter: Liz Jackson, Forestry Extension Specialist for Purdue University Dept of Forestry & Natural Resources; Executive Director, Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Assoc and the National Walnut Council

April 27: Invasive Species GIS Tool Development via Partnership Presenter: Claire Lane, Urban Conservationist, Hamilton County SWCD

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Legislative Updates for Districts
Each week of the current State Legislative Session, Liz Rice, IASWCD Executive Director, forwards an update to Indiana's Soil & Water Conservation Districts. If you missed one, these are posted on the IASWCD website, CWI page.
Nominations Open for
2023 River Friendly Farmers
Annually, each county Soil and Water Conservation District may nominate up to two farmers who do an outstanding job of protecting rivers, lakes and streams through their every day conservation management practices on the farm. Watershed organizations also may nominate farmers for the award by submitting an application through a county SWCD. Nominations are now being accepted through June 8, 2023.
Having trouble viewing the IASWCD website? 
The IASWCD web address has been updated to https://iaswcd.org/
If you have been viewing it and/or have it saved with "wordpress" in the url, it will no longer be visible there. Please change your search setting to only "iaswcd.org"
CCSI News
CCSI Newsletter
Check out the latest newsletter from CCSI! Meet the new staff, get updates on their soil health podcasts, and more.
TNC-CCSI Mini Grants Funding
As announced earlier this year, TNC & CCSI joined forces to offer a limited number of mini-grants to conservation partners. Priority is for projects located S of I-70 and W of I-69 (see map.)
 
Projects must be in the Wabash River Watershed and must focus on Soil Health on Indiana Cropland. That can include demos for crop-land adjacent projects like prairie strips, buffers, pollinator and upland bird habitat, etc. Urban focused projects will not be considered for these grants.
 
The grants are NOT competitive! Applications are reviewed by a team from TNC and CCSI on a rolling basis, and approximately half of funds available have been allocated thus far.
 
Grant information can be downloaded here.
Grant application form can be downloaded here.
ISDA News
District Support Specialists Update
IDEM News
Watershed Management Plans
A watershed plan is a strategy and a work plan for achieving water resource goals that provides assessment and management information for a geographically defined watershed. The primary purpose of a watershed management plan is to guide watershed coordinators, resource managers, policy makers, and community organizations to restore and protect the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands in a given watershed. The plan is intended to be a practical tool with specific recommendations on practices to improve and sustain water quality. Check out the latest plans on the IDEM website.
FFY 2024 319 Grant solicitation information available
Solicitation information for FFY 2024 Section 319 grant funds is now available on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) website (https://www.in.gov/idem/nps/progress-evaluation/319205j-grant-application-instructions/). Notice of Intent (NOI) emails for the FFY 2024 grant solicitation are due June 1, 2023. The NOI is a formal notification of the intent to submit an application and includes a brief description of the project. This is a requirement if you are going to submit an application for grant funding. Applications for FFY 2024 Section 319 grant funds are due September 1, 2023. Your electronic application submittal must be received by IDEM on or before September 1, 2023. Please review the solicitation announcement (https://www.in.gov/idem/nps/files/funding_319_solicitation_announcement.pdf) for important information including project eligibility, funding priorities, and application requirements. Please note that Section 319 applications will only be reviewed from applicants who submitted an approved NOI.
All projects must include a matching contribution, from non-federal funds, of 40 percent of the total project cost. While timeframes can change from year to year, in recent years, applicants have officially been notified of the grant award after Congress releases funds in June or July. Applicants should plan that if a grant is awarded, project start dates would be in the last quarter of 2024 at the earliest.
If you have questions, please contact Kathleen Hagan.
USDA-NRCS News
NRCS Announces $75 Million to Assist Producers Transitioning to Organic as Part of USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative
WASHINGTON, April 10, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced details around its $75 million investment in conservation assistance for producers transitioning to organic production. As part of the multi-agency Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will dedicate financial and technical assistance to a new organic management standard and partner with new organic technical experts to increase staff capacity and expertise. 
Papa G’s Organic Hemp Farm works with Indiana NRCS to build high tunnel, improve crop quality
April 7, 2023 - Jeffery Garland had spent years living in Los Angeles and then Colorado building a successful content creation business. He worked on tv and movie sets taking photographs, filmed commercials and built a network of contacts across multiple industries.
Then, like so many others, his life came to a screeching halt in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic began raging throughout the world and the industries he relied on shut down. So, he picked up the phone, called his dad and pitched him on a radical idea.
Urban Producers, Public Invited to Attend April Meeting of Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production 
WASHINGTON, March 30, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the fifth public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on April 18, 2023. 
USDA Invests $12 million in Cooperative Agreements for Conservation on Grazing Lands and Support for Farmers and Ranchers
April 7, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $12 million in cooperative agreements for 49 projects that expand access to conservation technical assistance for livestock producers and increase the use of conservation practices on grazing lands. The funding is provided through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI).
Indiana Grazing Bites April 2023
With spring officially underway, retired Indiana NRCS grazing specialist Victor Shelton provides tips to help you decided when is the right time to start grazing your fields and ensure you can maximize the forage in your fields.
New “Bobscapes” Mobile App Helps Establish National Bobwhite Database
A new mobile app, Bobscapes, enlists the help of citizens to track bobwhite populations and collect the data that scientists need to better manage habitat for the bobwhite and other grassland species nationally. The app not only helps record the location of bobwhite populations, but also helps connect land managers with voluntary conservation assistance and helps direct management resources for bobwhite habitat.
USDA-FSA News
Indiana Newsletter
Purdue Extension News
Purdue Extension Farm Stress Farm Women Survey, Deadline April 14
The Purdue Extension Farm Stress team is conducting a survey of farm women to help support them and their families when dealing with farm stress. Farm stress doesn’t always have to be perceived as negative as sometimes it can be positive. Their goal with the survey is to gain an understanding where farm women are currently with managing stress for themselves and/or their families.
IDNR News
IDNR - Division of Fish & Wildlife Newsletter
Other News
Pre-Order the 2023 Climate Change is in Our Hands Poster
The 2023 Climate Change is in Our Hands Poster is now available for pre-order. Created by artist Carol Schwartz, this poster focusses on climate change and pollinators, and how there are “little things” that we can do as individuals to help fight climate change while supporting pollinators, the little creatures that do so much. Climate change is in our hands, and the little things we do each day can make a difference in the health of pollinators, people, and the planet. 
Pre-Water Summit Virtual Forum
Water Withdrawals, Transfers, Sustainable Use and Policy in Indiana
The proposal to supply water to the LEAP Lebanon Innovation District by withdrawing water from the Wabash River aquifer and transferring it to the White River basin has generated many questions. Questions about the project, water rights, usage, and more will be addressed by Indiana water science and policy experts and decision-makers in this upcoming forum hosted by the White River Alliance and Purdue University Institute for a Sustainable Future. You can view the agenda and speakers here.

When: April 14, 2023 from 1:30-3:30 PM
Where: Zoom, registration is required.
Watershed leaders: Meeting to Guide New RCPP Proposals
May 24 @ 11 am (Central)
Many agricultural water quality projects in the Midwest have used the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), with successes and challenges in meeting the program’s full potential. Recent federal legislation will increase RCPP funding five-fold over the next four years, with potentially more flexibility for innovative projects.

Sand County Foundation invites you to an online Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds meeting on May 24th to guide project leaders in developing new RCPP proposals. Whether you might lead a project yourself or team up with a lead partner.
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Job Postings :
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the IASWCD website.
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.
Upcoming Conservation Events :
April 19 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
April 26 - Indiana Envirothon State Competition
April 27 - IASWCD Lunch 'n Learn
July 10-11 - Conservation in Action Tour
August 6-9 - SWCS International Annual Conference, Des Moines, IA
August 9 - River Friendly Farmer Award Ceremony, Indianapolis
October 4-6 - Indiana District Employee Fall Conference

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