Upcoming Dates

Thurs – 5/10/12	ACCD Board Meeting – 7:30 p.m.
Tues – 5/15/12	WSCC Field Tour featuring ACCD Projects in Asotin County – 1-5 p.m. Followed by a no-host interactive dinner meeting from 6-8 p.m. at the Quality Inn in Clarkston, WA
Wed – 5/16/12	WSCC Planning Meeting at the Quality Inn in Clarkston, WA – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Thurs - 5/17/12	WSCC Meeting at the Quality Inn in Clarkston, WA – 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2012 Annual Tree Sale

THANK YOU!!

To everyone who participated in the 2012 Asotin County Conservation District Tree Sale!

It was once again a great success and our appreciation goes to:
The Asotin County Master Gardeners

Jerry Hendrickson Jim Schroeder and Courtney Smith
for all their help during the Tree Sale! See you next Year!

ACCD BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE CHANGED

Effective July 7, 2011, the regularly scheduled Board Meetings have been changed to once a month.

The Board Meetings will be held on Thursday in the first full week of each month.

Asotin Creek Intensively Monitored Watershed Study
September 2011

The District recently received notification from the WA State Department of Revenue of changes to the "sales/use tax exemption for replacement parts for qualifying farm machinery and equipment, as it applies to irrigation equipment." Although this does not affect the District, this may or may not apply to you. Further information can be obtained at http://dor.wa.gov or by calling DOR at 1-800-647-7706.

"Tidbits" Water Temperature Monitoring Launched

As part of our grant from Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) the District will conduct water temperature monitoring on streams throughout Asotin County. In July we deployed eight temperature monitoring devices (tidbits), one in each of the following: Cottonwood Creek, Rattlesnake Creek, Mill Creek, Couse Creek, Tenmile Creek, George Creek and two in Asotin Creek. The District is conducting the monitoring to set a benchmark of current stream temperatures, to be able to track the improved temperatures from implemented projects and practices in the future. We will be collecting the tidbits in October and deploying them again in spring of 2012. The process will be repeatedthrough the fall of 2013 so three years of data will be collected by the end of the grant.

Ag Research Funding is Investment in the Future of the Dinner Plate

Stop and think where the world would be if genetic material hadn’t been developed for reduced wheat straw or dwarf soft white wheat varieties. Or genetics that enabled rapid plant emergence, seedling vigor, tiller development, and improved yield of all commodities. Now we need improvements like leaf stripe and stem rust resistance to name but a few attributes wheat scientists are working on. What about a dark spring wheat that efficiently converts nitrogen to higher protein levels requiring less fertilizer usage for higher quality milling. Research and Scientific Development have given us all what we happily enjoy today. This has enabled US citizens to purchase a cheap source of food whenever we want it. The entire world has benefited from scientific research that has come from our Land Grant University research system. Without the improvements that have been accomplished through research funding, we would more than likely just be another developing country with food shortage issues hounding us at every turn. Other countries around the world are definitely better off today for the efforts that have been accomplished by our Land Grant Schools here in the Pacific Northwest. That doesn’t just include the sharing of science and technology to struggling regions across the world, but the increased levels of safe food production for everyone. The majority of our soft white wheat varieties are exported to Asian countries, so it is important that we produce a high quality product that those countries will favor. Gov. Gregoire recently announced that the State reached a record high in Ag exports the final quarter of 2010 and first of 2011, thus bucking the trend of the general economic condition of the State. The three largest commodity purchasers in Washington were Japan, Canada, and China. Growth of sales increased 29% to China alone, up to $247 million of products sold. This is important, even though China hasn’t become a large wheat purchaser yet, we have gained their trust and in time they will take a look at wheat. China has a lot of mouths to feed, so this is only good news for our economic outlook. Population prognosticators predict a sharp increase in the number of mouths to feed over the next 25 years. These increases will need to be fed through improved technology from research. Progress will need to occur for every food source we grow whether it is wheat, corn, or garbanzo beans. As budgets are tightened and trimmed let’s not forget how we arrived here, or how we are going to get to tomorrow. Ag research has provided us a stable and secure source of food for generations. Now, it is helping to provide for our sources of fuel. To continue the needed growth to provide for future generations it will certainly require our investment. That is not something to be taken lightly, but to serve as a source of pride.

Click on the links below for more information!

ENVIROTHON 2011

FORESTRY COST SHARE PROGRAM

 The District still has forestry cost share money available for landowners to improve their timberlands or to create defensible space around their forest homes. The District will reimburse 75% of your actual cost with per acre not to exceed rates. You can do the work or contract it out. Now is a great time to give the District a call at 509-758-8012 to schedule a site visit.

CRP Signup #41 Results

Asotin County accepted 7198 acres into CRP in the newly completed general signup. A total of 39 contracts will be established from the 45 applications that the County accepted. Of the 39 accepted applications, 8 were from newly offered croplands. “I felt the sign up was very successful, and worth waiting for”, stated Geremy Nelson from FSA Asotin/Garfield County CED. That brings the County back to the 25% cropland base limitation, and will not be eligible for additional acreage until existing contracts expire in the fall of 2012. It is unknown at this point whether or not there will be a general signup in 2012. Those participants with accepted applications will work to complete conservation plans with NRCS this summer prior to contract completion with FSA in September.

"Northwest AgPlastics is a national leader in pesticide container recycling and a major contributor to over 110,000,000 lbs. of plastic pesticide containers collected nationally since 1992! Washington’s continued success relies on your outreach efforts to growers, public works, and agricultural or urban commercial application companies. Your efforts are what makes us stand apart in our stewardship responsibilities.

2011 Northwest AgPlastics pick-up locations and dates are posted at http://www.nwagplastics.com/ Click ‘Schedules’ and scroll to Eastern or Western Washington links.

Northwest Ag Plastics, Inc. collects and granulates plastic pesticide containers for the agricultural industry in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Recyclable plastic can include plastic containers that held pesticides, micro-nutrients, adjuvants and cleaners; now including mini-bulks, contact Northwest Ag Plastics for more information on handling mini-bulks."

CREP Cost-Share Opportunities

Water Development:
50% cost-share increased from $3,000 to $3,600 of up to $7,200 total cost. Additional cost-share from other sources is available to complete project.

Pipeline:
50% cost-share increased from $2,000 to $2,400 of up to $4,800 total cost. Additional cost-share from other sources is available to complete project.

Livestock Watering Facilities:
50% cost-share increased from $2,000 to $2,400 of up to $4,800 total cost. Additional cost-share from other sources is available to complete project.

Contact Casey Scott at the
ACCD District Office
for information and assistance.
509-758-8012 or caseyaccd@cableone.net

ACCD Contractor List Update Information
Contractors – Please contact the District Office at 758-8012 to be put on the list
OR to remain on the list and provide current information.