Pheasants Forever Biologists to Conduct CRP Workshops

Pheasants Forever workshops to assist landowners in CRP enrollment

The Farm Service Agency will administer a Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up May 20, 2013 through June 14, 2013. To get the word out about this sign-up period and to assist landowners in signing up, Kansas Pheasants Forever biologists will conduct a series of workshops across the state.

The workshops will be set up to answer any questions landowners have about CRP, as well as provide attendees with information on how they can improve their chances of getting accepted through the use of practices beneficial to wildlife. Several of the workshop locations are accepting walk-in customers and appointments to provide one-on-one, site-specific consultations. To find a Pheasants Forever CRP workshop near you, see the list below.

Landowners enrolled in the CRP program receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving covers on eligible farmland. Land that is not currently enrolled in CRP can be offered during sign-up if all eligibility requirements are met. Contracts awarded during this general sign-up will become effective October 1, 2013.

The CRP program was first included in the 1985 Farm Bill to reduce soil erosion by taking land out of production and establishing permanent cover. At the time, it was estimated that topsoil was being lost at a rate of 3 billion tons per year due to erosion. Today’s CRP program has evolved to address issues of water quality, as well as wildlife habitat. In Kansas, CRP has reduced erosion, improved water and air quality, and provided more than 2 million acres of native grass habitat critical to prairie wildlife, including the lesser-prairie chicken.

Abilene	USDA Service Center	May 6	2 p.m.
Atwood	Rawlins Co. USDA ServiceCenter	May 21	9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Belleville	USDA Service Center	May 27	9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Belleville	USDA Service Center	May 28	9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Beloit	USDA Service Center	May 20	8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Beloit	USDA Service Center	May 21	8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Burlington	Fairgrounds - Kelly Hall	May 17	10 a.m.
Clay Center	Fairgrounds 4-H Building	May 9	2 p.m.
Colby	Meadow Lake Golf Course	May 15	6:30 p.m.
Concordia	USDA Service Center	May 22	9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Concordia	USDA Service Center	May 23	9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Dighton	Lane County Courthouse	May 9	1 p.m.
Elkhart	Morton County NRCS/FSA	May 7	8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Frankfort	Frankfort Reg. Edu. Center	May 16	7 p.m.
Garden City	Finney Co. Fairgrounds	May 13	12 p.m.
Goodland	Sherman Co. USDA ServiceCenter	May 13	9 a.m. MST/10 a.m. CST
Great Bend	Kansas Wetlands EducationCenter	May 14	9:30 a.m.
Hiawatha	Klinefelter Farm	May 15	6:00 p.m.
Holton	USDA Service Center	May 16	8 a.m.
Hoxie	Midwest Energy Community Room	May 14	8 a.m. CST
Hugoton	Stevens County NRCS/FSA	May 14	8 a.m.–2 p.m., 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
Hugoton	Stevens County Fair Office	May 14	2:30 p.m.
Hugoton	Stevens County Fair Office	May 14	6 p.m.
Hutchinson	Hutchinson Public Library	May 9	2:30 p.m.
Jetmore	USDA Service Center	May 15	8 a.m.
Johnson	Stanton County NRCS/FSA	May 8	7:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Lakin	Kearny County FSA/NRCS	May 17	7 a.m.– 1 p.m.
Liberal	Seward County NRCS/FSA	May 16	8am - 5pm
Liberal	Seward County Activity	May 16	6:00 p.m.
Mankato	Mankato USDA ServiceCenter	May 29	9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Mankato	Mankato USDA ServiceCenter	May 30	9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Marion	Marion City BuildingBasement	May 8	1:00 p.m.
Ness City	USDA Service Center	May 17	8:00 a.m.
Norton	Norton County USDAService Center	May 24	8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Oberlin	Decatur County USDAService Center	May 20	8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saint John	Stafford County Annex	May 13	9 p.m.
Seneca	Seneca Free Library	May 14	6 p.m.
St. Francis	Cheyenne County USDAService Center	May 22	9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Sublette	Haskell County NRCS/FSA	May 9	11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Ulysses	Grant County NRCS/FSA	May 9	9:00 a.m.
Ulysses	Grant County NRCS/FSA	May 15	8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ulysses	Grant County 4-H Building	May 15	6:30 p.m.
Washington	1st National Bank	May 14	9:30 a.m.
Winfield	Cowley County USDAService Center	May 23	9:00 a.m.
Winfield	Cowley County USDAService Center	May 28	9:00 a.m.
YatesCenter	County Fairgrounds - Bressner Hall	May 17	2:00 p.m.

O.K. Kids Day to be held at Great Plains Nature Center

Youngsters can learn about the invisible power of wind during “Winds Across Kansas” workshop

Invisible, yet extremely powerful, wind is steadily becoming an important source of energy for many Kansas businesses. At the same rate, wind is also an integral part of existence for many wildlife species, which is why the Kansas Wildscape Foundation, along with the Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC) of Wichita, is hosting an O.K. Kids Day, “Winds Across Kansas.”

From 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 4, youngsters can enjoy a variety of activities including building a kite or birdhouse, archery practice, fishing at Chisholm Island Pond, and much more.

In addition to crafts and outdoor recreation, participants can also sit in on several animal presentations, as well as explore boats made of natural materials.

Event sponsors include the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, the Kansas Wildscape Foundation, Coleman, Wichita Thunder, AmeriCorps, Cabela’s, NuStar Energy, and Natural Grocers.

Concessions will be made available for purchase at the event.

The GPNC is located at 6232 E 29th Street North, Wichita.

Participants do not need to pre-register, however those interested in fishing will need to register the day of the event.

For more information, including a complete list of scheduled activities, call (316) 683-5499 ext. 105, or visit www.gpnc.org.

Conservation Federation of Missouri Seeks ED

Missourians for Conservation of Natural Resources and

Protection of our Outdoor Heritage

On September 10, 1935, a group of concerned citizens cared enough to join together with a mission of taking conservation out of politics. Their initiative petition campaign resulted in the creation of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Since then, CFM has undertaken many successful battles to ensure Missouri continues to be the leading state in conservation policies and funding. Today CFM is the largest and most representative conservation group in Missouri. CFM is the Missouri affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.

            We now have an opening for Executive Director. The Executive Director is the chief executive officer for CFM. Primary responsibilities include effective implementation of CFM’s mission, goals, policies and procedures with respect for Missouri’s rich conservation heritage.  The Director must have advanced skills in planning, developing, funding, marketing, analyzing and evaluating a wide range of financial, administrative, and managerial programs. Contact CFM for a complete job description for additional details. 

            Those interested in applying need to submit a cover letter and resume to the following address:

Conservation Federation of Missouri

Attention: Micaela Haymaker

728 West Main

Jefferson City, MO 65101

            Email: mhaymaker@confedmo.org

            For more information on Conservation Federation of Missouri, please visit our website www.confedmo.org

2013 Fishing Atlas now Available

Kansas Fishing Atlas is one-stop shopping for anglers in search of the perfect fishing hole

Packed with over 60 pages of detailed, easy-to-read maps, the 2013 Kansas Fishing Atlas is a must-have for any angler. In addition to maps of public waters, anglers can also find maps of Fishing Impoundment and Stream Habitats (F.I.S.H.) waters, Community Fisheries Assistance Program (CFAP) leased properties, and lakes deemed as Family Friendly Facilities (FFF).

F.I.S.H.

F.I.S.H. sites are privately-owned ponds or streams the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has leased and opened to public fishing. These sites are numbered in red on each map.

CFAP

CFAP leases fishing rights for lakes operated by communities to ensure no additional fees are charged for anglers. More than 200 community lakes, covering nearly 13,000 acres, are enrolled in CFAP for 2013.

FFF

FFF lakes are alcohol-free fishing spots with flush toilets, regular security patrols, security lighting and easy accessibility, making them perfect for family fishing outings. FFF lakes are indicated on the list of CFAP-enrolled properties found at the front of the fishing atlas.

Anglers can obtain the 2013 Kansas Fishing Atlas from most KDWPT offices and license vendors, as well as online at www.ksoutdoors.com

To download an electronic version of the 2013 Kansas Fishing Atlas, visit www.ksoutdoors.com and click “KDWPT-Info/Locations/Hunting-Fishing-Maps-by-County/2013-Fishing-Atlas.”

25th 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program Contest

by Cindy Higgins and Cynthia Rhodes

                                                Photo by Cindy Higgins

The 25^th 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP) contest took place April 12 at Flat Rock Ranch, residence of Bob and Karen Henderson, by Hamilton in Greenwood County. Bob and Charlie Lee, Kansas State University, started this contest in 1988. 

Two age groups (9-13 and 14-18 years) competed in this wildlife management contest that required students to identify foods eaten by wildlife, determine wildlife habitat by observing aerial photographs, choose wildlife management practices for a specific species and land area, and write a management plan. 

Competitors, boys and girls, totaled 42 students comprising ten teams and a number of individuals. Event winners were as follows. 

Junior Division: 

1^st Individual – Hunter Mericle

2^nd Individual – Bailey Haunschild

3^rd Individual – Hunter Seacrest

1^st Team – Pleasanton FFA B-Team

2^nd Team – Newton Jr.

3^rd Team – Cowley Junior G Team

Senior Division:

1^st Individual – Brooke Falk

2^nd Individual – Fritz Berger

3^rd Individual – Jennifer Coates

1^st Team – Cowley Sr.

2^nd Team – Mission Valley 1

3^rd Team – Sylvan Grove

The 2013 National Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program will be held in Trafalgar, Indiana at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center on July 21 –July 24. The top Kansas Senior Division team is eligible to compete at this national event.

Information needed to compete in the contest is contained in the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Handbook 2^nd Edition, which is on the KWF website (www.kswildlife.org).

Council Grove Regional Envirothon

by Cindy Higgins and Cynthia Rhodes

                                                               Photo by Cindy Higgins

On April 24, 23 teams participated in the Council Grove Regional Envirothon, which was attended by more than two hundred competitors, team advisors, parents, U.S. Army “solider buddies,” NRCS staff, two KWF board members, and others. Teams attended presentations in the morning and were tested in the afternoon. Cold weather prompted organizers to move the event from Canning Creek Cove at the Council Grove Reservoir to the Morris County 4-H Building.

The Kansas Envirothon is an outdoor environmental high school competition where students learn and are tested on soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics, and a current issue. This year, all teams are required to compete in oral presentations over the topic of grasslands.

The competition results are as follows.

1^st place  Clay Center High School

2^nd place  White City High School

3^rd place  Wakefield High School

4^th place  Mission Valley High School

Top teams from the four Kansas Regional Envirothon competitions will compete for the Kansas State Envirothon honors on May 8 at the WebsterConference Center by Salina. More information about the Envirothon contests may be found at the KWF website (www.kswildlife.org).