Fillmore Soil and Water
Conservation
District
2008 ANNUAL PLAN
The
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the Fillmore SWCD Annual Plan is to
provide direction on district goals to staff and supervisors for the year. It serves as a tool to prioritize the
workload of the district so those goals can be achieved.
The annual plan is used in conjunction with the
county water plan to help determine needs for staffing, funding and program
priorities to best ensure that the district is able to implement the county
water plan, its comprehensive plan.
Development of the annual plan is accomplished
through an annual planning meeting conducted by staff, supervisors and other
partners where all participants give input so that the best plan can be
developed and that common goals are developed.
All programs and activities are subject to funding.
I.
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
GOAL 1:
Enhance and maintain soil resources by promoting best management
practices to reduce erosion and sustain soil productivity.
Objective 1
Provide information and education to the public on
soils, soil conservation practices and run-off control.
1.
Provide information to the public through the media about the impacts
of soil erosion.
2. Communicate with state and
federal legislators about conservation programs and their effectiveness and
continue to lobby for conservation initiatives.
3.
Encourage the planting of soil conserving crops, cover crops and crop
diversity.
4. Provide financial and technical
assistance for grazing studies and educational programs for pasture management
through grazing field days and pasture management workshops.
5.
Facilitate a
No-till Informational Exchange through the implementation of workshops,
producer meetings and field demonstrations.
6.
Provide soil stewardship materials to churches requesting packets,
including local
information.
7. Promote and target
continuous CRP through the coordinated Buffer Strip Initiative for maximum soil
and water benefits with emphasis on DNR protected shore land areas.
8. Assist NRCS with the tillage
transect survey to provide information to the public on the trends of tillage
practices and residue management utilizing current staff.
9. More direct
contact with Lanesboro and Chatfield schools, through board members, to encourage
participation in 6th grade field
day and other events or activities.
10. Continue to hold annual
awards banquet. Sponsor a speaker to
speak about district programs and benefits of the SWCD’s accomplishments.
Objective 2
Provide funding and technical assistance for the
implementation of conservation practices and best management practices that
reduce soil erosion.
1.
Facilitate workload derived from the August 2007 flooding events. This
includes special cost-funds provided by two
2.
Promote, administer and provide technical assistance to landowners for
the state cost-share program.
3. Provide assistance to NRCS
in the implementation of the Federal Programs.
4.
Provide assistance to the county for the revision and implementation of
the county soil loss ordinance and schedule a meeting with County representatives
to facilitate use of ordinance where
prudent.
5. Administer the Ag BMP low
interest loan program to provide funds for conservation practice implementation
and the purchase of no-till tillage equipment, as per NRCS No-Till practice
standards.
6. Provide technical and
financial support and administration of the District Push-Up Pond Program.
7. Provide technical and
financial support and administration of the District Cover Crop Program for corn
silage acres.
GOAL 2:
Maintain and improve surface and groundwater quality to meet the needs
of the public
Objective 1
Reduce pollution impacts on surface and groundwater
due to non-point source pollution from leaching and run-off from animal feedlots,
manure storage facilities and manure applied to the land.
1. Support grant acquisition
for feedlot improvements
2. Provide technical assistance
for nutrient management planning and manure management.
3. Provide information to livestock
producers about alternative management techniques that may reduce the potential
for pollution.
4. Promote local cost-share
programs to provide 50% cost-share up to $2,000 for non-engineered feedlot
run-off control practices and odor control (with priority to run-off control)
for existing building sites. Funding may
come from the base feedlot grant, South Branch Root River 319 Grant, South Fork
Root River Challenge Grant, or Hiawatha Valley RC&D grant funds.
5.
Provide the Ag BMP low interest loan program for ag waste
management. Promote the program through public informational
meetings and presentations.
6. Gather information on
existing composting of dead animals and pursue a demonstration site.
7. Promote a successful feedlot
pollution abatement project as a demonstration site.
8. Promote local cost-share
programs to provide 50% cost-share up to $4,000 for non-engineered feedlot
run-off control practices. Funding would
come from
Objective 2
Reduce the potential for pollution of surface and
groundwater resources due to the karst topography.
1.
Cost-share the sealing of hazardous wells using state cost share funds
where prudent.
Apply for
grants to promote education of well sealing.
2.
3.
Assist public water suppliers with identifying potential contaminant
sources in wellhead protection areas as requested.
4.
Support dye trace studies in the entire project areas of the South
Branch and
5.
Promote sinkhole and shoreline site protection by use of buffers.
6.
Assist with the administration of the Decorah Shale Ordinance.
7.
Facilitate meeting on ground and surface water protection to targeted
audience.
Objective 3
Protect surface and groundwater from contamination
from agricultural and non-agricultural use of fertilizers and pesticides.
1.
Educate producers
and landowners on the effects of over application of fertilizer and build-up of
nutrients, and disseminate information on available technical and financial
assistance.
2. Promote no fall application of
nitrogen via anhydrous ammonia, urea and 28% fertilizer focusing efforts on
producers and commercial suppliers.
3. Expand the citizen MPCA
Citizen Stream Monitoring Program.
4. Cooperate with MPCA and MDA in
establishing additional surface water monitoring sites and parameters.
5. Conduct storm drain
stenciling in at least one town in cooperation with a volunteer group.
6.
Promote Minnesota Department of Agricultures waste pesticide
collection.
Objective 4
Provide education and information about drinking
water quality and ways to protect drinking water supplies.
1. Provide training to local
officials and others about existing tools for land management and develop a
list of resource people to contact for various resource issues.
2. Provide testing of wells for
coli-form, nitrates, and atrazine.
3. Conduct at least two
water-testing clinics.
4. Participate
in regional ground water monitoring efforts.
Objective 5
Reduce contaminants from sewage and wastewater in surface
and groundwater by ensuring that all residences have access to adequate water
treatment.
1. Provide Ag BMP low interest
loan funds for the replacement of failing individual sewage treatment systems.
2. Assist with the continued implementation
of the ISTS Pilot Program
3. Identify failing septic
systems in priority areas and promote Ag BMP low interest loans for funding
upgrades.
4. Develop a county financial
assistance program for ISTS and well upgrades.
5. Assist with regional 319 grants for waste water.
Objective 6
Protect surface and groundwater from contamination
due to improper solid and hazardous waste disposal.
1. Clean-up at least one
illegal dump site and/or a sinkhole dump.
2. Participate in Household Hazardous Waste collection.
Objective 7
Reduce the risks to public
health and impacts on surface and groundwater from petroleum products,
chemicals and other potentially hazardous materials from storage tank leaks and
overfills.
1.
Pursue
funding for cost-share automatic fuel shut-offs.
2.
Provide
education and pursue funding for on farm tank spill containment and dispenser
control.
3.
Work
with the county to develop fuel storage ordinances and set-backs.
GOAL
3: Promote the wise use of natural resources
to sustain productivity while promoting stewardship of plant and animal
communities.
Objective 1
Promote the establishment of
permanent vegetative cover to provide habitat for wildlife species and protect
water quality and soil erosion.
1.
Continue to administer the district tree
program including tree sales and design of farmstead windbreaks.
2.
Research and promote the sale of a seed
mixture for rain and/or butterfly gardens.
3.
Promote and provide funding for the Forest
Stewardship Program.
4.
Promote and
provide technical assistance to landowners for the RIM program through direct
mailings, news articles and radio ads.
5.
Promote
re-vegetation of native species through programs including CCRP and those from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department.
6.
Encourage
perennial crops and cover crops through the District corn silage cover crop
program.
7.
Promote
an educational nut harvest program with assistance from MN DNR, 4-H groups, Boy
& Girl Scout groups and area producers.
Objective 2
Enhance the benefits of
wetlands, floodplains and shorelands.
1.
Administer the
2.
Cooperate with conservation groups and other
government agencies to promote the use of rotational grazing in shoreland
areas.
3.
Complete at least one wetland restoration
project per year.
GOAL 4:
Carry out the duties of the soil and water conservation district in the
most efficient and professional manner.
Objective 1