Okmulgee County Conservation District
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission has announced Program Year 13 of the state’s Locally-Led Conservation Cost-Share Program. The agency approved guidelines for the latest program at its Sept. 1 meeting. The program began in 1997 with the goal reducing soil erosion and improving water quality by providing financial assistance to landowners for applying soil and water conservation practices. A few changes were made with the goal of going further to help landowners recover from the effects of the exceptional drought this year.
Conservation Cost Share Program
One change is that the program is being opened up earlier than most years. The Cost-Share Program overlaps years because it is designed to extend through two growing seasons to allow ample opportunity, under normal conditions, to install the conservation practices. In past years the program has opened at different times of the year from October to February, and the run for 16-24 months for completion of installation of the practices. Only once before has it begun in September and only once has it begun earlier. The first year of the Cost-Share Program, 1997, it began in August, also a year of exceptional drought.
“With the losses the state’s agricultural producers have endured this year, it’s important we help them recover and the conservation cost-share program will be of great assistance,” said Gov. Mary Fallin. “I appreciate the Commission expediting these funds more quickly than normal to help producers prepare for the next rain event,” she added.
“This is a great time to expand our water holding capacity on farms for when it does rain,” said Jim Reese, state Sec. of Agriculture and Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
“We want to open up this year’s program as soon as possible so that local conservation districts can make it available to help landowners, farmers and ranchers, who have been impacted by the severity of the drought,” said Mike Thralls, Conservation Commission executive director.
Another change that might be of help during dry weather is allowing the installation of a pipeline to move water from a supply source to a point of use for livestock. Previously, installation of pipelines was only covered in the creation of a new watering facility. Now as a stand-alone practice, a pipeline can be installed in an existing watering system. This change is intended to help rotational grazing operations by providing additional locations to water livestock.
Funding for Program Year 13 in the amount of $1,150,527 is made up of $739,391 appropriated for that purpose by the state Legislature for fiscal year 2012 along with $411,136 in funds not spent from previous program years.
Practices in the Conservation Cost-Share Program vary across the state according to priorities set by the local conservation district board of directors. Some of those available that also provide benefits during dry weather include constructing ponds, installing water troughs or tanks and drilling new wells.
“Our area producers will welcome the opportunity to create more watering facilities or water storage,” said Dwane Thompson, chair of the Okmulgee County Conservation District. “When we get more rain again, these practices will help prepare for future dry spells.”
Practices that help reduce soil erosion during wetter periods are also included in the Conservation Cost-Share Program. Those practices are terraces, grassed waterways, diversions, critical area planting and grade stabilization structures. Additional practices available are brush management including removal of eastern redcedar, fencing, pasture and hay planting, range planting, nutrient management and pest management.
The sign up period for this program year runs from September 8, 2011 through October 14, 2011. Applications may be obtained by visiting the office of the Okmulgee County Conservation District at 719 E. 8th Street, Suite B, Okmulgee, OK. For electronic copy (e-mail) call 918-756-8111 or e-mail OkmulgeeCCD@conservation.ok.gov.
Abandoned Oil Field and Mine Land Reclamations
Okmulgee County has over 3,000 acres of land that have been damaged by past oil field or mining operations. These areas are now only unsightly, but they are unproductive and are a threat to water quality. The opertions that created these situations were carried out prior to current laws that regulate reclamation and management of such areas. Most of the sites have remained unreclaimed over the years because landowners didn't have the resources to fix them.
Background of reclamation work: Amendments to Oklahoma's Solid Waste Management Act, passed in 1996 made possible a partnership between the Department of Environmental Quality, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and conservation districts, ane the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board. This legislation, along with new and existing funding, also facilitated the use of organic waste material in the reclamation of these damages lands in Okmulgee County and other counties. These agencies contintinue to work together and with landowners to reshape the damaged areas, establish erosion control measures, apply organic matter such as bio-solids, and other soil amendments and revegetate them.
First to Participate: The Okmulgee County Conservation District was the first agency to enter into a contract with ODEQ to participate in this land reclamation program. The District constructs fences, repairs the gullies and washes, applies organic matter, plants grasses and applies mulch to the project areas. Since that first contract in 1997, the District has assisted with the reclamation of over 45 sites encompassing 210 acres on oil-field damaged land. Coordinating with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission's Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, the district also assisted on 18 tracts covering 731 acres of abandoned coal mine land. The district continues to assist various entities in the reclamation process of damaged land.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers landowners financial, technical, and educational assistance to implement conservation practices on privately owned land. Using this help, farmers and ranchers apply practices that reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance forest land, wetlands, grazing lands, and wildlife habitat. Incentives offered by USDA promote sustainable agricultural practices, which protect and conserve valuable farmland for future generations. USDA assistance also helps individuals and communities restore natural resources after floods, fires, or other natural disasters.
The Okmulgee field office of the NRCS-USDA is dedicated to assisting land owners/users with their conservation planning. The soil conservationists will meet with you to discuss your conservation needs and assist in developing the right conservation plan for you. The NRCS has many different programs for which you might apply such as EQIP, WHIP, WRP, ORGANIC EQIP, and CSP.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) works primarily in locally identified conservation priority areas where there are significant problems with natural resources. High priority is given to areas where State or local governments offer financial, technical, or educational assistance, and to areas where agricultural improvements will help meet water quality objectives. Activities must be carried out according to a conservation plan.
EQIP offers contracts that provide incentive payments and cost sharing for conservation practices, such as manure management systems, pest management, erosion control, and other practices to improve and maintain the health of natural resources.
The 2008 Farm Bill highlights the availability of financial and technical assistance to help producers of all commodities meet their conservation goals, including producers transitioning to organic farming and currently certified organic producers. The assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the EQIP program helps producers plan and implement conservation practices to allow their organic operations to be environmentally sustainable. EQIP is primarily used to provide financial and technical assistance to implement conservation practices to address soil, water, air, plant, animal, and energy resources. A new organic provision targets organic producers and producers transitioning to organic production:
The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program to restore wetlands. Participating landowners can establish conservation easements of either permanent or 30-year duration or can enter into restoration cost-share agreements where no easement is involved. In exchange for establishing a permanent easement, the landowner receives payment up to the agricultural value of the land and 100 percent of the restoration costs for restoring the wetland. The 30-year easement payment is 75 percent of what would be provided for a permanent easement on the same site and 75 percent of the restoration cost. The voluntary agreements are for a minimum 10-year duration and provide for 75 percent of the cost of restoring the involved wetlands. Easements set limits on how the lands may be used in the future. Restoration cost-share agreements establish wetland protection and restoration as the primary land use for the duration of the agreement. In all instances, landowners continue to control access to their land.
The EWP Program is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural occurences. All projects undertaken, with the exception of the pruchase of floodplain easements, must have a project sponsor. Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance, but must be represented by a project sponsor. EWP is designed for recovery measures to safeguard lives and property as a result of natural disaster. Threats that the EWP Program addresses are termed watershed impairments. These include but are not limited to debri clogged stream channels, indermined and unstable streambanks, jeopardized water control structures and public infrastructures, wind-borne debri removal, and damaged upland sites stripped of protective vegetation by fire or drought.
The Conservation Reserve Program reduces soil erosion, protects the Nation's ability to produce food and fiber, reduces sedimentation in streams and lakes, improves water quality, establishes wildlife habitat, and enhances forest and wetland resources. It encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as tame or native grasses, wildlife plantings, trees, filterstrips, or riparian buffers. Farmers receive an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract. Cost sharing is provided to establish the vegetative cover practices.
The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides financial incentives to develop habitat for fish and wildlife on private lands. Participants agree to implement a wildlife habitat development plan and USDA agrees to provide cost-share assistance for the initial implementation of wildlife habitat development practices. USDA and program participants enter into a cost-share agreement for wildlife habitat development. This agreement generally lasts a minimum of 5 years from the date that the contract is signed.