2002-07-25_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Scoop Qn 'The Dc Zone veryone has heard about reducing the amount of pollutants going into the rivers. Many only consider the effects these pollutants have at a local level, such as unsafe water for drinking, swimming, or fishing. These pollutants in our water are not only affecting us. They travel all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The Dead Zane Once all the pollutants reach the Gulf of Mexico they create the problem of hypoxia_ The hypoxic zone, also called the dead zone, is an area in the Gulf of Mexico were no Life exists. There is not enough oxygen for life. The average size of the hypo~ic zone is 7,000 square miles.. The size of the hypoxic zone fluctuates depending on rainfall. Years with more rain dilates the pollutants so the hypoxic zone shrinks a little. Less rain causes the hypoxic zone to grow a little. Result Of The Dead Zone Fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico have to go further out in the Gulf to find their catch. There are also local effects of the hypoxic zone. Approximately 56% of the nitrate load comes into the Mississippi River~before the Ohio River enters it. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 90% of the nitrates in the Guif of Mexico originate in Midwestern states. Some people feel that agriculture is being unfairly targeted. In some instances that may be the case, even so the agricultural community needs to take action. If the problem is not corrected farmers may face stricter regulations in the future. Visit LTs ®n The Web e would like to invite you to visit us on the Internet. Our website will be a great place to learn about BERBI and the projects that we are working on. Our web address is www.berbi.ora New Gr is Mean Continued Projects e have several sources of funding this year. With these funding sources we are able to work on several projects that would not be possible otherwise. One project that we have received a grant for is our annual Land Stewardship Opportunities for Women Landowners conference. This year we have received a grant through EQIP This grant money will be used to help cover the costs that are accrued while putting on the conference. It is our hope that with this money we will be able to promote land stewardship among women landowners. Another project that is possible through grant money is our Non Point Source Accelerated Implementation program. This is made possible through an EPA 319 grant. The goal of this program is to have accelerated implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP) in the Greater Blue Earth River Basin. The grant will fund a cost share program to help landowners adopt BMP's. SWCD's would provide the technical assistance to the landowners. Examples of BMP that could use the cost share include water storage, open the intake alternatives, terraces, waterways, Ag waste, diversions, critical area seeding, and cover crops- An easement programs would is also part of this grant. Easements would be paid to take sensitive areas out of row crop production and put them into perennial vegetation. Another part of the grant is to provide training for Ag waste pit abandonment. This EPA grant is for $571,250 and is the largest BERBI has ever received. We also have received a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Under this grant we will be developing a non-game birding trail which wilt cover the Greater Blue Earth River Watershed. We will be working with several other groups on this project. ~. "s . ~; Date For The Annnal Land Stewardship Conference Is Set his year's Land Stewardship Opportunities For Women Landowners Conference will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2002. The conference will be held at the South Central Technical College Conference Center in North Mankato, Minnesota from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Registration will begin at 8:30 am. There will be a variety of speakers that will cover a wide array of topics. There will also be several displays on many topics. This year's keynote speaker will be David Geis presenting "City Boy to Rural Conservationist of the Year". Mr. Geis has a herd of buffalo that he raises on native prairie and will be speaking about his experiences in conservation. There are several other speakers who will be at this year's conference. Butch Haldennan will talk about kids canoeing on the Minnesota River. Gary Wyatt will speak about bucking buckthorn. I{aty Warfel will talk about transitioning from home gardening to a commercial scale. Randy Schindle will speak about maintaining your prairie. Strategies for sustainable living will be presented by Paul Muesig. Daniel and Terese Hall will talk about the advantages of grazing. Cathi Fouchi will speak about the topic of rain gardens. Other speakers are still being added to the program. Did you know that almost 40% of the Ag land in the United States is owned by women, yet there are not that many women landowners that attend conferences devoted to land -Page 6-