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Websites of Interest

 

 

You can get Topographic Maps Online @ www.topozone.com,

Plants Database can be obtained @ plants.usda.gov,

Microsoft Terra Server Image Page and aerial photos @ terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com

 

Warm Season Grasses:  Why are they so good for wildlife?

 

Many wildlife and resource professionals are encouraging Warm Season grasses in their wildlife management plants.  This information will describe the many benefits of warm season grasses and why to include them in your plans.

 

What are Warm Season Grasses?

Grasses are frequently categorized into two groups—cool season and warm season grasses. Cool season grasses, such as fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and brome grass, set seed in late-spring and early summer. Warm season grasses, often, called native prairie grasses, set seed in late summer and early fall. Therefore, warm season grasses, such as big bluestem, Indian grass, sideoats grama, and switch grass, are most vigorous during the hot summer months when cool season grasses have already reached maturity.

 

What are the benefits of Warm Season Grasses?

· Are native to Michigan

· Can improve soil organic matter

· Deep root systems to stabilize soil

· Grow well on poor soils and do not require fertilizers

· Provide high-quality wildlife habitat

· Provides quality pasture forage late in the summer

· Can help reduce soil erosion

 

Wildlife benefits of warm season grasses

Warm season grasses provide good cover for a variety of wildlife species. Most warm season grasses are bunch grasses rather than sod grasses. The clumps of grass are ideal sites for nests, the spaces among clumps allow small ground-dwelling wildlife to move freely yet still provide good overhead cover.  Warm season grasses do not lodge (bend over) easily. Thus, they provide ideal nesting and winter cover for many ground nesting birds such as ring-necked pheasant. While they provide excellent cover, warm season grasses provide little food for wildlife. However, adding native forbs (non-woody plants that are not grasses or sedges) will enhance the food value of any planting.  Often these forbs have showy flowers that bloom throughout the spring, summer, or fall.

 

Establishing warm season grasses

One drawback to planting warm season grasses can be the difficulty in establishment. Warm season grasses can become established a year after planting but it can take 2 or 3 years in some cases. This can become problematic since landowners often desire immediate results and planting will look “weedy” before the warm season grasses become established. Field preparation needs to be conducted to properly control weeds, which is critical during establishment. Also, most stands of warm season grasses are planted with a special no-till drill. While there are some draw backs during establishment, planting native warm season grass can provide long lasting habitat for all upland birds and deer. For additional information on assistance with establishing native grasses contact, the USDA-NRCS and Mason-Lake CD office.

NRCS NEWS

 

WHO WE ARE

 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the

federal government agency that works hand-in-hand with people to conserve natural resources on private land.  Using our scientific and technical expertise, and our partnerships with Conservation Districts and others, we help conserve and enhance all natural resources on private lands.

 

OUR MISSION

 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.

 

OUR VISION

 

Harmony between People and the Land.

CONTACT PERSON

 

Kelly Bushong

 

655 N. Scottville Rd.

Scottville, MI 49454

(231) 757-3707

Fax (231) 757-4133

kelly.bushong@mi.usda.gov

**For more information on these and other Programs & Services go to:

www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov

Seth Earls NRCS welcome

 

Hello, I am Seth Earl, a Soil Conservationist for NRCS. I moved to the Ludington area in September from Fort Collins Colorado where I attended Colorado State University receiving a degree in Soil and Crop Science in August of 2007.

I grew up in Hillsdale County Michigan which is located on the tri-state border of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. As a youth in rural Michigan I was extremely involved in 4-H and FFA. I grew up milking on a 120 cow dairy farm and cash crop operation. It was through those experiences that I discovered that I wanted to work with the Natural Resources and Agriculture field.

In 2003 I was fortunate enough to be elected as a Michigan Association State FFA Officer. The FFA is a youth organization that has over 460,000 members nationwide, in Michigan there are roughly 5,200 members. As officers we were responsible for coordinating tours, organizing meetings and conducting an annual state convention In 2004, I received my American FFA degree which is given to only 2% of FFA members nationwide.

             While attending college in Colorado I was a researcher on a Western Great Plains limited irrigation crop rotation project. We examined the emerging issues and potential impacts of water use between agricultural producers and citizens of the Rocky Mountain region. The project was funded through the city of Parker which is a suburb of Denver.

I have really enjoyed my short time here. I have had the opportunity to meet some great individuals and I am looking forward to becoming acquainted with more people in the near future. Throughout my travels all over the United States I have seen some great places and met some wonderful people, but Mason County and the surrounding community is truly one of the most unique places I have visited. Thank you and I look forward to working with many of you in the near future.

 

Seth’s e-mail address is seth.earl@mi.usda.gov

 

Wetlands Reserve Program    (WRP)

The wetland reserve program (WRP) is a voluntary USDA program that provides technical and financial assistance to eligible landowners to address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water and related natural resource concerns on private lands in an environmentally beneficial cost-effective manner. This program provides an opportunity for landowners to receive financial incentives to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring marginal land from agriculture.

 

Why Wetlands?

The spirit and focus of WRP in Michigan is to provide a wide diversity of high quality wetland, and associated upland as habitat for migratory birds and wildlife. A diversity of wetland types such as emergent marshes, shrub-scrub, and wet prairies, to name a few, is the key to the WRP success in Michigan. The importance of the need for high quality, diverse wetland habitat is born out in the fact that 50 percent of Michigan's threatened or endangered species require healthy, fully functional wetlands to complete their life cycle.

The restoration of high quality wetland habitat brings with it the restoration of a wide array of associated wetland functions and values. The public benefits because the restored wetlands provide important wetland functions such as water quality improvement, attenuation of flood waters, ground water recharge, filtration of water borne sediment, control of shoreline erosion, and protection of, and habitat for, native fauna and flora. People benefit from wetland values, such as bird watching, hiking, photography, fishing, and hunting.

 

How Does WRP Benefit You?

·       Receive financial compensation;

·       Enhance wetland values that benefit you and society;

·       Reduce problems associated with farming potentially difficult areas;

·       Practice conservation stewardship;

·       Provide recreational opportunities.

 

How the Program Works

Landowners who choose to participate in WRP may sell a conservation easement or enter into a cost-share restoration agreement with USDA to restore and protect wetlands. The landowner voluntarily limits future use of the land, yet retains private ownership. The landowner and NRCS develop a plan for the restoration and maintenance of the wetland.

The program offers landowners three options: permanent easements, 30-year easements, and restoration cost-share agreements of minimum 10-year duration.

Permanent Easement. This is a conservation easement in perpetuity. Easement payment will be the lesser of: the agricultural value of the land, an established payment cap, or an amount offered by the landowner. In addition to paying for the easement, USDA pays 100 percent of the costs of restoring the wetland.

30-Year Easement. This is a conservation easement lasting 30 years. Easement payments are 75 percent of what would be paid for a permanent easement. USDA also pays 75 percent of restoration costs.

Restoration Cost-Share Agreement. This is an agreement (generally for a minimum of 10 years in duration) to re-establish degraded or lost wetland habitat. USDA pays 75 percent of the cost of the restoration activity. This does not place an easement on the property. The landowner provides the restoration site without reimbursement.

 

Eligibility

Landowner. To offer a conservation easement, the landowner must have owned the land for at least 1 year prior to enrolling the land in the program unless the land was inherited or the landowner can prove the land was not obtained for the purpose of enrolling it in the program. To participate in a restoration cost-share agreement, the landowner must show evidence of ownership.

Land. To be eligible for WRP, land must be restorable and be suitable for wildlife benefits. This includes:

·       Wetlands farmed under natural conditions;

·       Farmed wetlands;

·       Prior converted cropland;

·       Farmed wetland pasture;

·       Farmland that has become a wetland as a result of flooding;

·       Rangeland, pasture, or production forestland where the hydrology has been significantly degraded and can be restored;

·       Riparian areas which link protected wetlands;

·       Lands adjacent to protected wetlands that contribute significantly to wetland functions and values; and

·       Previously restored wetlands (Conservation Reserve Program [CRP] land is eligible if it meets WRP requirements).

Ineligible Land. Ineligible land includes wetlands converted after December 23, 1985; lands with timber stands established under a CRP contract; Federal lands; and lands where conditions make restoration impossible. A landowner continues to control access to the land--and may lease the land--for hunting, fishing, and other undeveloped recreational activities. Contract the Natural Resources Conservation Service at the Scottville USDA Service Center if you are interested in this program.

 

At the left: One of the many wetland areas restored in Mason County under the NRCS Wetland Reserve Program.