March 2020
WADE Conference 2020
The CTD is partnering with WADE to bring you some special content at the 2020 WADE conference to be held June 15-17, 2020 at the Sleeping Lady in Leavenworth, WA. Registration is now open!!
Please go to the WADE page to find registration and schedule details.
The CTD is sponsoring the following sessions at WADE:
Monday, June 15 from 2:00-3:30
Keynote speaker David Montgomery, renowned professor and author of Dirt, The Hidden Half of Nature, and Growing a Revolution, joins us for a rousing presentation mashup of his ideas and motivation for conservation. Start the conference off with a dose of inspiration! (Bring your Montgomery books to request an autograph!)
Tuesday, June 16
Special tracks in the Farm and Fields and Riparian Tracks. See WADE schedule for details.
Wednesday, June 17th from 8:00-11:00
Using Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health, Allen Casey, NRCS – Cover crops can play a big role in improving soil health in agricultural settings. This NRCS training will highlight the beneficial properties of cover crops on soil health and how to communicate those to landowners. Space is limited. Please request registration. You will be contacted directly if you are confirmed in the course.
Stream Visual Assessment Protocol 2 (SVAP2), Rachel Maggi, NRCS – SVAP2 is an NRCS assessment protocol that provides an initial evaluation of the condition of wadeable stream ecosystems at the property level. This preliminary assessment will allow planners to assist landowners with determining and understanding the quality of stream habitats located on their property and in identifying resource concerns and their potential causes. Space is limited. Please request registration. You will be contacted directly if you are confirmed in the course.
Bird Walk at Sleeping Lady, Heather Murphy – Spend the morning walking the grounds of Sleeping Lady during the height of birding season with wildlife biologist and bird watcher extraordinaire, Heather Murphy. Heather will take you on a walk of the grounds identifying birds and discussing their interaction with the local flora and fauna. You must bring your own binoculars. (http://wildtales.com). Space is limited. Please request registration. You will be contacted directly if you are confirmed in the session.
Thank you to all of those who filled out the recent Training Event Request Form! The CTD is currently working with NRCS to finalize CD staff seats in these trainings. You will be contacted directly regarding each course you indicated in the survey.
Questions? Contact us: training@wactd.org
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can."
-- Arthur Ashe
Certification Webinar
Did you miss Thursday's webinar on Certification?
The CTD hosted a special webinar on Thursday, March 5th to help CD staff better understand the three CTD Planner Certifications - Riparian, Farm, and Dairy - available, why you need to apply, and how to navigate the application process. The first deadline for applications is approaching, so now is the time to get clarity on the process and advocate support from your District!
If you missed the webinar, don't worry! You can find the recorded webinar on the CTD Training Events page.
And take note: The application deadline for Certification Applications has been extended to April 17, 2020.
Questions? Contact us: certification@wactd.org
NACD News & Grant Opportunities
NACD recently awarded 4 inaugural grants through the Friends of NACD District Grant Program! Congratulations to Butte Soil and Water Conservation District in Idaho who received a grant to start an agricultural chemical container recycling program. This program aims to support small-scale district projects across the country. Additional grants will be offered in the fall of 2020. More information: www.nacdnet.org/get-involved/friends-of-nacd/friends-of-nacd-district-grants-program/
An additional 21 districts also received grants through NACD’s Urban Agriculture Conservation (UAC) program, including 2 districts in California and 6 districts in Washington. Read more about these projects online, and consider applying for UAC grant in the fall.
And more good news from WA Conservation Districts!:
The Cascadia Conservation District (CD) in Wenatchee, Wash., partnered with the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and nearly a dozen other Washington State agencies to update the Chelan County Good Neighbor Handbook, a 36-page guide for property owners, newcomers and residents. Cascadia CD is listed in two sections of the handbook, including a section on community wildfire protection planning, where the conservation district is listed as a resource in offering a free wildfire risk assessment; and a section on living with and protecting endangered and sensitive species.
Apply now!
CTD Conservation Planner Applications are now being accepted for Riparian, Farm, and Dairy planners.
Our certification program has been vetted with partners and experts to ensure it provide both verification of your skills and a pathway to help you advance. Whether you a new or veteran planner, you are encouraged to start your certification process today.
Even if you are still working on completing your training, please get yourself enrolled at the Level 1 certification for your discipline!
For more information, and to start your application process today, go to: www.wactd.org/certification.
The first round of applications are due by April 17, 2020 for special acknowledgement at the WADE 2020 conference.is placeholder text.
Save the Date!
October 27-29, 2020
The Grove Hotel in Boise, Idaho
Nutrient cycling and recycling, fate and transport of nutrients across multiple landscapes of agriculture, and food safety related to water irrigation management will be the focus of the conference. An emphasis will be placed on adoption of innovative technology and building relationships which will promote recycling of manure nutrients via crops and forages.
Highlights will include specific education tracks focusing on:
phosphorus and nitrogen movement in the agricultural landscape
safe use of compost for vegetable crop production
multi-year compost rate and crop rotation with manure
irrigation water quality and food safety (FSMA)
compost utilization
soil health
current state of phosphorus management with the P-Index tool
use of manure with berries and vegetable crops
effect of manure stockpiling on nutrient leaching
fate and transport of nutrients and pathogens
technologies for capture and recycling of manure phosphorus and solids
carbon sequestering and storage
predicting nitrogen mineralization in organic farming systems
safe use of compost/manure for vegetable crops
role of tannins and carbohydrates on rate of gain, economics, and nutrient cycling in grazing systems
irrigation management and food safety
A producer panel will feature producers’ experiences with nutrient management, perspectives on conservation efforts and opinions about their operations. The conference will conclude with a discussion of potential action plans for future outreach efforts. The intent will be to build on the regional network of advisors and educators and take the knowledge gained at the conference into action in the field.
**Continuing education credits are expected to be available for certified crop advisors, professional animal scientists, conservation district employees, professional engineers, technical service providers and others.
And In Other News...
by Heather Cayton, for ConservationCorridor.org
By John Pickrell, for ScienceNews.org
If you have an idea for the newsletter, a project or photo you'd like featured, or just want to say hello, email communications@wactd.org. We'd love to hear from you!