Volume XIV No. 3 Summer Newsletter, 2009 Serving Grand and Summit Counties

MIDDLE PARK CONSERVATION DISTRICT PO BOX 265 KREMMLING CO 80459-0265

Middle Park Conservation District

Bonnie Koblitz District Manager Newsletter Editor bonnie.koblitz@co.nacdnet.net Board of Supervisors Dave Abbott, President Cameron Taussig, Vice-President John Miller, Secretary-Treasurer John Kossler, member John Longhill, member

USDA-NRCS Kremmling Field Office Mark Volt District Conservationist Matt Barnes Rangeland Management Specialist 106 S 2nd Street PO Box 265 Kremmling, CO 80459-0265 970-724-3456 Monthly Board of Supervisors meeting held first Tuesday of every month at 6 pm. The Public is invited to all Board of Supervisors Meetings.

HAY DAY A GREAT SUCCESS IN STEAMBOAT SPRINGS! Approximately 100 people attended Hay Day in Steamboat Springs at the Sydney Peak Ranch. The District helped sponsor the event and had a booth which our board members staffed. Pictured on the left is John Kossler from Blue Valley Ranch in our booth. Speakers presented information on topics ranging from alternative fertilizers to when to cut hay. A great time was had by all.

PRESCRIBED GRAZING AND HERDING WORKSHOP A weekend workshop on prescribed grazing and herding will be offered on Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29 at Blue Valley Ranch on Highway 9. This workshop enlists the knowledge and skills of Guy Glosson, who will teach participants about low-stress livestock handling, which in turn makes applying prescribed grazing easier and more efficient. Prescribed grazing has been demon-strated to increase grass production and keep rangelands healthy. Guy manages the award-winning Mesquite Grove Ranch in Snyder, Texas, and learned his skills from stockmanship guru Bud Wil-liams. The workshop is most suited to those who work with cattle on a regular basis. Those who administer grazing permits on public lands would also benefit from this workshop. The fee for the workshop is $50 per person for the weekend, and space is limited. There will be an indoor seminar introducing prescribed grazing and herding, and then most of the weekend practicing low-stress live-stock handling techniques on foot with cattle in the handling facilities. On Friday evening, we are hosting a special event slide show on herding in the West Elks with guest speakers Dave Bradford (Paonia Ranger District) and John Kossler, at the CSU Extension Hall on the fairgrounds. Lunches will be provided and reservations are required. Call the Conservation District to sign up.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital and familial status. (Not all prohibited basis apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for commu-nication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agricultures, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C. or call 1-800-245-634– or (202) 720-1127. USDA is an equal opportunity employer.

NEW LAW ALLOWING RAINWATER COLLECTION IN COLORADO… But….you must meet ALL of the following criteria in order to collect rainwater: 1. the property on which the collection takes place is residential; 2. the landowner uses a well, or is legally entitled to a well for water supply; 3. the well is permitted for domestic uses; 4. there is no water supply from a municipality or water district; 5. the rainwater is collected only from the roof; 6. the rainwater is used for only those purposes al-lowed by the well permit. Contact Colorado Division of Water Resources—AskDWR@state.co.us

GRASS SEED SALES GOING STRONG So far grass seed sales have been very strong. The Conservation District has sold 1300 pounds of forest mix, a mix designed for areas where beetle kill trees have been removed. 200 pounds of our short mix, designed for around buildings and in drier areas, have been sold. Grand County purchased 1500 pounds of the short mix. We have also sold 550 pounds of the smooth brome/pubescent wheatgrass mix, which is a great soil stabilizer. Customers have purchased 26 pounds of wildflower mix total. This mix comes in 1/2-pound bags and has eight different wild-flower species in it. Most are natives and most are perennials. Other mixes that have been purchased are the irrigated meadow mix and the dura-turf lawn mix. We are coming up on the next good time for planting seed and that is the monsoon season, usually occurring from mid-July to early August. This is a time when rains can occur almost daily to moisten the soil which is necessary for seeds to germinate. If seeds can’t be planted during the mon-soons, then it is best to wait until October right before the snow pack is on the ground. Seeds need soil contact and enough moisture to germinate and become established plants. The soil crust should be broken before seeds are scattered. They should be covered with only 1/4 inch of soil on top and a light mulch should follow to preserve moisture. Anyone with seeding questions is encouraged to call the District office at 724-3456. Summer hours are irregular so call before stopping in.

DISTRICT DISTRIBUTED 1,550 POUNDS OF CLOVER SEED FROM HABITAT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

Middle Park Habitat Partnership Program (HPP) provided 15 ranchers with 1,550 pounds of clover seed that were applied to 400 acres to improve wildlife habitat on private lands. The seed was free to ranchers. The program is designed to reduce livestock/wildlife conflicts

EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON FISH & WILDLIFE

A new bibliography of publications about effects of conservation practices on dozens of different kinds of North American fish and wildlife is now available free of charge from the National Agricultural Library (NAL) in PDF and HTML formats. The bibliography lists scientific journal articles, technical reports and other documents published mostly from 2000 to 2007. Dozens of different kinds of wildlife—badger, bear, beaver, deer, ducks, grouse, songbirds and more—are included as are many species of fish such as large mouth bass, walleye, salmon and trout. Though primarily intended for natural resource profession-als—particularly those involved in conservation and restoration of natural environments—the bibliogra-phy is also useful for everyone interested in conservation of fish and wildlife habitats. This resource fea-tures more than 2,000 citations, plus a search tool to help viewers nimbly navigate favorite topics. Many citations include helpful summaries, or a URL that takes them to the full document on the Web. Conser-vation practices covered range from creating structures in streams—to improve conditions for fish—to using fire or prescribed burning to benefit elk. Ecosystems addressed include croplands, grazing lands, forests, streams, rivers, wetlands and mixed habitats such as pine-grasslands. The bibliography is spon-sored by NRCS. The website to go to is http://www.nal.nal.usda.gov/wqic/ceap/07CEAP.shtml. Yes, the website is long, but if you put it into your favorites, the site has topics that can be browsed and easily used to find information.

To access agriculture statistics and reports, go to http://www.nass.usda.gov.

GRAND COUNTY HERBICIDE ASSISTANCE Every Friday from 8:30 to noon, Grand County Division of Natural Resources provides 4 gallons of mixed herbicide for any small landowner of 5 acres or less for free. Landowners must bring their own sprayer container. They have already assisted 30 different small landowners with this program. Ap-proximately 650 acres of weeds have been treated for a cost to the County of $13,000. Weeds that have been treated are the usual culprits: Canada thistle, musk thistle, hounds tongue, white top, ox-eye daisy, leafy spurge, spotted knapweed and mayweed chamomile. Call their office at 887-0745 if you are interested in taking advantage of this program.

RANCHES CAN BENEFIT FROM PARTNERS FOR FISH & WILDLIFE PROGRAM

The US Fish & Wildlife Service has funds available for wildlife habitat projects. If it’s the right project they will pay 75% cost-share and provide technical assistance. The projects must be beneficial to migratory song birds, sage grouse, cutthroat trout, water birds or big game. Some of the benefits of these kinds of pro-jects for ranches are stream fencing, pasture fencing, livestock water, aspen regeneration, beaver dam con-trol, stream improvements, wetlands restoration, sagebrush treatments, shallow water projects, riparian graz-ing plans, headgate installations, irrigation improvements, artificial spring creation, pinon-juniper removal, native vegetation plantings, headgate protections from beaver, and cutthroat trout stream restorations. Fund-ing is available any time of the year, but is best allocated in spring and summer months. Anyone interested in pursuing wildlife habitat projects, should call the District at 970-724-3456.

Middle Park Conservation District Hay Contest Notice to all hay producers! The District will be sponsoring its annual Hay Contest again this year. It will be in September. Watch the newspapers and your email for the exact date and other activities surrounding the event. As you begin to cut hay, watch for that perfect bale to enter in the contest. Call for information at 724-3456.

HELP THE DISTRICT REDUCE ITS PAPER! Newsletters and other announcements can be sent to you by email. If you would like to help the District re-duce its paper use, please call the office with your email address, or send a message to Bonnie at the follow-ing address: bonnie.koblitz@co.nacdnet.net. Your help in this effort is greatly appreciated.