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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Mo- Sen adci U.‘ So P.< W. Off Pei ( Jl A S ( . — United States Department of ooil Water Consemtio Agriculture Soil Conservation Service SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1991 Volume 12, Number 3 Coven The Castlelands RC&D Area has many wondrous scenes such as this landscape in rural southeastern Utah. A related story on page 21 describes a Soil Conservation Service program that will use landscape design in specific projects to enhance the environment and economy. Comments from the SCS Chief: (Ron Nichols photo) Soil and Water Conservation News is the official magazine of the Soil Conservation Service. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of public business required by law of Bringing New Life to Rural Areas this Department. Use of funds for printing Soil and Water Conservation News has been approved by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Soil and Water Conservation News (ISSN- All the wonderful programs and projects in the world aren’t likely to suc¬ 0199-9060) is published 6 times a year. Postage paid at Washington, D.C. ceed without the kind of people who make things happen. We are fortu¬ nate to have just such people contributing their time to our Resource Soil and Water Conservation News and other SCS reports are available electronically on the Conservation and Development (RC&D) areas. Computerized Information Delivery (CID) System. Most everyone professes concern about the quality of life in our rural For subscription information, call 202-447-5505. areas. Citizens want to do something about such things as soil erosion, old or nonexistent community facilities, loss of jobs, and lack of natural Edward Madigan Secretary of Agriculture outdoor recreation areas for young people. RC&D provides a framework for dealing with some of these issues James Moseley Assistant Secretary through citizen participation. RC&D is as much a way of doing things— Natural Resources and Environment a process—as it is a program. It exemplifies the neighborly approach: William J. Richards RC&D is run by the people who live in the areas it serves, and they set the Chief Soil Conservation Service priorities for their communities. People who volunteer for RC&D activi¬ ties are those who believe that one person can make a difference. Henry Wyman Director RC&D councils are organized locally and voluntarily by county and lo¬ SCS Public Information Division cal public agencies, such as soil and water conservation districts, and Leslie Jane Wilder nonprofit organizations. Once formed, a council applies to the U.S. De¬ Editor partment of Agriculture (USDA) for authorization to establish an RC&D Paul DuMont area, which usually covers several counties. SCS then assigns a coordina¬ Mary Jo Stine Associate Editors tor to the area, to assist the sponsors. RC&D offers technical and limited financial assistance—and, occasion¬ Kim Berry-Brown Ted Kupelian ally, loans—to rural communities for measures that conserve and im¬ Contributing Editors prove use of land and develop natural resources in an environmentally Chris Lozos sound way. Typical RC&D projects include developing new markets for Design Consultant crops, livestock, and forest products; helping farmers diversify their Magazine inquiries crops; developing recreation facilities and promoting tourism; encourag¬ Send inquiries to: The Editor, Soil and Water Conservation News, Public Information Division, ing local employment through expansion of existing industries and attrac¬ Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of tion of new ones; and improving community facilities such as schools, Agriculture, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013-2890. hospitals, libraries, and fire houses. We’ve been hearing a lot lately about empowerment—giving people Subscriptions $6.00 per year domestic; $7.50 per year foreign. the authority to make important decisions affecting their lives. Well, the Single copies $1.25 domestic; $1.50 foreign. Send RC&D program has been empowering rural people for nearly 30 years. It subscription orders to: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, was authorized by Congress in 1962 and strengthened in the 1981 farm Washington, DC 20402 bill. Over the past 5 years, the scope of the RC&D program has broad¬ Reprint permission ened in response to USDA’s rural development initiatives. Content of this magazine may be reprinted without special permission. Mention of source is I’m pleased that SCS—through the RC&D program—can be a catalyst requested. Noncopyrighted photos are available for action. But, the real credit goes to the many residents who are help¬ to mass media in color transparencies or black and white glossies. ing to make their communities better places in which to live. Commercial names Mention of commercial enterprises or brand names does not constitute endorsement or imply preference by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All programs and services of the Soil Conservation Service are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap. 2 Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 Contents Creating Industries 4 Turn-Key, Full Circle Help Iowa Forests 5 RC&D Helps ‘Design’ Wood Bikes in Arkansas 6 Missouri RC&D’s Urge Wood Pellet Conversion 7 RC&D Begins Louisiana Industry 8 Ohio Trees for Ohio Christmases Improving Recreation 9 Kansas Lake Benefits Recreation, Economy 10 Illinois Tames Devil’s Backbone 11 Focus on Diversity Serving the Community 15 Community Center Comes to Idaho 16 First State RC&D Helps Serenity House 17 New Center Offers Youth Life Skills (N.Y.) 18 Flood Control Promoted (Puerto Rico) 19 New Mexico Celebration to Honor Smokey 20 Hawaii RC&D Helps Battle Plant Pest I Departments 1 21 News Briefs 23 New in Print 24 Calendar Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 3 Creating Industries Turn-Key, concern centers on what will hap¬ and the board decided that soil pen to land now enrolled in CRP conservation and establishment of when the program expires. a new industry could be accom¬ Full Circle The board’s forestry committee plished together. recommended that the RC&D work The board established a goal of Help Iowa towards a goal of getting trees getting 10 percent of the CRP land planted on more CRP areas, since planted with walnut or oak. To it will take a longer period before reach that goal, the Geode board Forests the trees can be harvested. adopted a forestry program that in¬ “Prior to 1986, only one-half of 1 cluded an accelerated tree planting percent of all CRP land in the Ge¬ service—called Turn-Key Tree ode RC&D area was planted to Planting—and a management ser¬ HE GEODE Resource Con¬ trees,” said Sherman Smith, RC&D vice of woodland resources— servation and Develop¬ committee chairman. called Full Circle Forestry. ment (RC&D) Area Execu¬ Soil survey data indicate that 76 Turn-Key Tree Planting is a tive Board is urging the percent of soils in the Geode RC&D model of purchased services planting of more trees on are suitable for growing black wal¬ needed in an age of specialized ag¬ Conservation Reserve Program nut, red oak, and white oak. riculture and absentee ownership. (CRP) acres. The board’s major Smith’s committee recommended Landowners in southeastern Iowa Turn-Key Tree Planting, involving accelerated tree planting of walnuts and oaks, is part of the forestry services offered landowners participating in the Conservation Reserve Program in southeastern Iowa by the Geode RC&D Area council. (Geode RC&D Area photo) 4 Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 say they have to concentrate their by the Iowa Department of Natural marketing techniques. Landown¬ time on agricultural production, Resources, Division of Forestry. ers must reinvest part of their sale rather than planting and managing During 1988, trees were planted proceeds in reforesting harvested woodlands. This program offers a on 214 acres, and in 1989, 285 more timberland areas. means whereby landowners can acres were planted. In 1990, nearly Initially, nearly 1,000 woodland get the help they need. 700 acres were planted to hard¬ owners in Des Moines, Henry, Lee, In Turn-Key, the RC&D offers a woods and a few acres to conifers. and Louisa Counties will be con¬ 5-year contract to landowners to Full Circle Forestry had its birth tacted as part of the Full Circle carry out accelerated tree planting in July 1989 following a grant from program. These landowners con¬ on marginal, open land (such as the Leopold Center for Sustainable trol nearly 150,000 acres of wood¬ CRP land) to ensure a future sup¬ Agriculture and additional assis¬ land. The program can be a model ply of high-quality timber prod¬ tance from SCS. During the fall of that other RC&D areas can study ucts. Geode contracts with profes¬ 1989, Geode hired a professional for their possible use. sionals to carry out cover seeding, forester, Bob Petrzelka, to manage tree planting, herbicidal applica¬ the entire forestry program. Ron Snyder, Geode RC&D coordinator, SCS, Burlington, Iowa tion, and mowing. The landowner Landowners can obtain a com¬ pays a flat rate for these services. prehensive package that includes Forestation plans need approval forest management (pruning, thin¬ ning, and harvesting) and timber RC&D Helps eastern part of the State was fire¬ said Philips. “Among the new wood. products now available are the “At that time, firewood sales decorative wooden bicycles and ‘Design’ were making up less than 1 percent gun cabinets. By helping our com¬ of the potential timber market,” pany, which just celebrated its first Wood Bikes said Charles Smart, a retired busi¬ anniversary, the East Arkansas ness leader from Piggott, Ark., and RC&D has helped the economy in chairman of the RC&D council. the area.” In Arkansas “Our RC&D council knew the re¬ Smart believes that every RC&D source had much potential.” council has opportunities to help So Smart obtained a $40,000 small business people like Jerry grant through the USDA Forest Ser¬ Philips launch companies that will OODEN, decorative vice to help a local business, De¬ provide employment opportunities bicycles and gun sign Concepts, into full production. in the communities as well as raise cabinets, made from Design Concepts owner Jerry the standard of living for the resi¬ Arkansas lumber, are Philips used the money to pur¬ dents. two new products chase more equipment, promote that resulted from an East Arkan¬ finished products, and recruit and Suzanne Pugh, public affairs specialist, SCS, sas Resource Conservation and De¬ Little Rock, Ark. train new personnel. He hired velopment (RC&D) Area project. seven additional employees in In the fall of 1990, the RC&D 1990. council discovered that the only “Our main product is wooden real market for timber in the north¬ shutters made from hardwoods,” Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 5 “It’s a warmer heat, and it’s constant. Using the wood pellet stove probably cut our heating bill in half.” Missouri RC&D’s: The Areas, Councils, and Projects RC&D’s Urge The Resource Conservation and tive Board wanted to conserve soil Development (RC&D) Program is and water by planting more trees Wood Pellet a Federal rural development pro¬ on Conservation Reserve Program gram run by people who live in the (CRP) lands. The board: areas it serves. It was established • Formed a task force of people M by the Food and Agriculture Act of from USDA and State and local or¬ 1962 to heip local units of govern¬ ganizations who held brain-storm¬ ment conserve and properly use ing sessions at three meetings to natural resources in solving local devise an action plan; IMBER IS BIG business in problems. • Listed who would take responsi¬ the Ozarks. But the saw¬ Each RC&D area usually covers bility for each phase of action: cost dust byproduct of sawmill several counties and is run by a charges, services provided, work operations has been a nui¬ council (or board) representing the guarantees, and site preparation sance. sponsoring organizations—county and tree planting operations; Now, thanks to a wood pellet governments, soil and water con¬ • Developed a plan of goals, ob¬ stove rebate program—$500 to servation districts, towns, water jectives, and strategies to imple¬ each purchaser of an approved districts, and other nonprofit ment Turn-Key Tree Planting; and wood pellet stove—sponsored by groups. Council members com¬ • Turned over implementation to the Top of the Ozarks, the Big monly include farmers, ranchers, the RC&D coordinator and the dis¬ Springs, and the Southwest Mis¬ bankers, politicians, homemakers, trict forester, and hired a forestry souri Resource Conservation and environmentalists, and others who consultant. Development (RC&D) Area Coun¬ volunteer time to help solve local These are just some of the ac¬ cils, sawmill operators can look problems. tions representing how one RC&D forward to taking the “by” out of The council in each area is as¬ area handled one project. Every byproduct. sisted by an RC&D coordinator, a project is different and requires dif¬ “We estimate that over 6,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture ferent board actions. tons of sawdust are produced employee whose job it is to “make weekly here,” said Frank Farmer, things happen.” Ron Page, national RC&D coordinator, SCS, State RC&D association president. In southeastern Iowa, for in¬ Washington, D.C. “Creating a market for wood pel¬ stance, the Geode RC&D Execu¬ lets could entice a wood pellet pro¬ duction company to open a plant in the region. ergy-saver rebates from the State She says her shop stays cleaner “Since wood pellets are made so far. Funding for the State re¬ since switching to pellet fuel. Pel¬ from compressed sawdust, a bates comes from the U.S. Depart¬ lets create almost no wood ash or new market would be born. In ment of Energy, Missouri Depart¬ smoke, and there is no creosote essence, a byproduct would be¬ ment of Natural Resources, and the buildup. come a product.” Tennessee Valley Authority. Mattingly says she believes in To create the demand for pel¬ Mary Mattingly, owner of Coun¬ the efficiency of a wood pellet lets, the three RC&D councils try Quilts in Van Buren, Mo., likes stove. The three RC&D councils in wanted to install 400 pellet-burning the pellet stove she purchased. southern Missouri hope to make stoves throughout 41 southern “It’s a warmer heat, and it’s con¬ believers out of a lot more people. Missouri counties during the 1989 stant. Using the wood pellet stove and 1990 heating seasons. More probably cut our heating bill in Charlie Rahm, public affairs specialist, SCS, than 100 people have received en¬ half.” Columbia, Mo. 6 Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 Industry HEN HE first heard that Louisiana im¬ ported baled pine straw for landscaping use, Danny Clement exclaimed, “That’s crazy! This State has over 7 million acres of pine land; why are we importing pine straw?” Commercial baling of pine straw in Louisiana has increased, thanks to the State’s resource A new Louisiana industry began conservation and development councils. (D. Clement photo) with Clement’s reaction. As Capi¬ tal Resource Conservation and De¬ tinues to guide the industry’s became known as the Louisiana velopment (RC&D) council coordi¬ development. Pine Straw Association. nator, Clement suggested that his “In the early phase of the Said Association President Tom council try to start a commercial industry’s development, establish¬ Reinhart, “Our 60-member group is pine-straw enterprise. ing credibility was the challenge,” dedicated to producing a high- The council, organized with the noted Heintz. “People had trouble quality Louisiana product, and sell¬ assistance of the Soil Conservation believing pine straw was a viable ing it at a reasonable price. The Service, did not yet have specific industry.” State’s RC&D network will provide goals. But the project was in line A turning point came early in administrative support until the as¬ with its mission of rural economic 1989 through a contact that the sociation can move out on its development and appeared to Capital RC&D Council made with a own.” have good potential. major North Carolina pine-straw Figures show the progress of the In his travels as coordinator, producer. All the RC&D councils industry. “In 1990, Louisiana pine- Clement had noticed that pine- in Louisiana—Capital, Trailblazer, straw producers netted almost straw mulch was sold commer¬ and Twin Valley—worked with the $163,000 selling about 45,750 cially in the area by Harvey Heintz, producer and the USDA’s Forest bales,” said Dr. Robert Mills, for¬ known to many local people as the Service to make large tracts of estry specialist for the State’s Co¬ “Straw Boss.” At Clement’s urging, long-leaf pine available for a pilot operative Extension Service. “By Heintz became an RC&D council pine- straw harvesting project. the end of 1991,1 project that pro¬ member and helped promote the The councils held a rural media ducers will sell 10 percent more pine-straw industry in Louisiana. field day and demonstration of this bales of pine straw than in 1990.” In December 1986, Heintz and project in May 1989. Over 100 The pride of the Louisiana RC&D Clement got 40 forestry and busi¬ people attended the event, and councils grows along with the in¬ ness experts together to discuss several potential producers ex¬ dustry they sparked into being. how they could establish the in¬ pressed interest in the business. dustry. That meeting resulted in In July 1989, producers and oth¬ Herb Bourque, public affairs specialist, SCS, a plan of action that today con¬ Alexandria, La. ers willing to support the new in¬ dustry formed a group that later Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991 7 Crossroads RC&D recently received assistance and grants worth $75,000 to help the cooperatives promote wholesale market development. Ohio Trees their cooperative spirit, leader¬ growers in six counties in east-cen¬ ship, and striving for quality. tral Ohio. Crossroads RC&D recently re¬ In the Muskingum association, For Ohio ceived assistance and grants worth membership has also reached 50. $75,000 to help the cooperatives The association serves Christmas Christmases promote wholesale market devel¬ tree growers in 12 counties in opment. southeastern Ohio. In 1989, the as¬ Membership of landowners in sociation sold 600 cut trees; in the Carroll association has grown 1990, the association sold over HEN WE to 50 in just 3 years. During the 1,500 cut trees. found out that 1989 season, the association sold The Soil Conservation Service two out of 5,000 cut trees; in the 1990 season, provides information and technical every three they sold 4,000 cut trees and assistance to association mem¬ Christmas $20,000 worth of balled and dug bers. The council’s efforts have trees sold in Ohio were from out of trees. This association serves also led to USDA’s Agricultural Co¬ State, the Cross¬ operative Service roads Resource opening a field of¬ Conservation and fice in 1990 in Co¬ Development lumbus, Ohio, to (RC&D) Area began assist cooperatives investigating how throughout the to get people to buy State. Ohio-grown Christ¬ The Carroll and mas trees,” said Muskingum asso¬ Edgar Wallace, ciations plan to ex¬ RC&D council pand their 1991 chairman. marketing season As a result, the to carve out a Carroll Christmas larger share of po¬ Tree Growers Asso¬ tential Christmas ciation—Ohio’s first tree sales for their Christmas tree co¬ growers. Some operative—was es¬ growers even plan tablished in 1987 to stock deciduous with RC&D assis¬ trees and other tance, and the landscape plants to Muskingum Valley expand the poten¬ Christmas Tree Tree growers belonging to Ohio’s first tial for sales Growers Association—Ohio’s sec¬ Christmas tree cooperative attend training throughout the year. sessions offered by the cooperative on ond Christmas tree cooperative— members’ tree plantations. Crossroads was established in 1988. Both RC&D Area Council helped organize Ohio’s Nancy Tressel, Crossroads RC&D secretary, have proved successful because of Christmas tree cooperatives. (Robert SCS, Zoar, Ohio Drown photo) Soil and Water Conservation News September-October 1991