Winter Gatherings

February is a busy month here in York County. Our office is busy writing grant proposals, finishing reports & preparing for the upcoming field season. Although we are in the dead of winter, or sort of winter, with another 6 weeks to go (thanks to P. Phil!) this is not the time to hibernate in your dens. Instead, there are many opportunities for you to learn & explore. So grab your coat & scarf & head out to some of these great events.

Three Rivers Land Trust is hosting their annual meeting on Wednesday February 8th at 6pm in the lower level of the Springvale Library. The featured speaker (& I don't want to ruffle any feathers here) is an Owl, well actually the Center for Wildlife will be showing off some of their residents & teaching us about how Owls live in Maine. This is a great chance to see an Owl up close. It'll be a hootin' good time!

On Thursday February 16th, the York County Soil & Water Conservation District will be hosting it's Annual Meeting in the Heritage room (lower level) of the Anderson Learning Center (21 Bradeen St. Springvale). Join us for our social hour at 6pm, including a silent auction & refreshments. The business meeting will start at 7pm & will include presentation of awards to landowners in York County (I can't tell you who - it's suppose to be a surprise!). Come learn more about us & the work we are doing in York County.

Salmon Falls: Forestry sign up workshop will be held on Wednesday February 22nd at 6pm at the Acton Town Hall. This is a great opportunity to learn more about forest management & conservation plans from local, State & Federal organizations. Landowners will be able to work directly with staff to fill out the applications to particpate in many of the cost share programs available to Maine landowners. Although this is geared towards forestry, any landowner with interest in Farm Bill & conservation programs are encouraged to attend.
Here are some other great outdoor events:

Winter Wildlife Day - at Wells Reserve - February 23 http://www.wellsreserve.org/visit/calendar/401-winter_wildlife_day

Heart of Maine’s  10th Annual Soils Quality Conference   Feb. 28-29, 2012  Bangor Motor Inn

And in March....

Farm Business Skills Weekend Retreat

Friday evening, March 9^th thru Sunday noon, March 11^th  www.mesas.org

The Alfred Conservation Commission will be hosting a multimedia presentation about the Alaskan wilderness next week on Thursday, February 16th at 6:30 at the Alfred Town Hall.
 All ages are encouraged to attend.

Salmon Falls Watershed Workshops announced

“Your Land, CLEAN WATER, Your Legacy" 

A panel of local landowners, foresters, and staff from state and local conservation organizations will discuss practices that can protect the water quality of the Salmon Falls Watershed and the types of financial and technical assistance programs that are available to implement them.

Join us for one of 3 workshops being offerred in the Salmon Falls Watershed.

November 7th, 6:00pm at the Governor's Inn in Rochester, NH (please register at  www.prep.unh.edu/sfwc.htm)

November 16th, 6:oopm at Noble High School in N. Berwick, ME (no registration required)

December 7th, 6:oopm at the Acton Town Hall, Acton ,ME  (no registration required)

Come learn how communities and landowners can work together to protect water quality and other key natural resources to keep the Salmon Falls River Watershed healthy, vibrant, and economically viable.  Hear how you can contribute through voluntary measures such as forest management plans, conservation easements and more.  Find out about the financial and technical assistance that is available to help implement these measures.

The Salmon Falls Watershed was recently identified by the US Forest Service as the watershed most at risk in the US to suffer a reduction in water quality due to land development within the next twenty years.  A watershed is a region where all runoff flows into the same major waterway, such as the Salmon Falls River.  Some pristine head water lakes of the Salmon Falls River already show declining water quality and the river itself has shown signs of stress for several decades. The risk for the future is that thousands of acres of working farms and forest land could be converted to development, with more negative impacts on water quality, local tourism, property values, and the regional economy.

Changes to the District Forest

If you have recently driven by the Sid Emery Demo Forest on Brock Road you will have noticed a few changes. We have just finished a managed harvest using modern logging equipment on the property. This harvest is part of a forest management plan designed by Erik Grove of Southern Maine Forestry Services & the District Forestry committee. The original managment plan was funded through a Project Canopy grant & calls for several different types of harvest techniques to help create a working forest. Landowners can walk the trails & can see how a particular type of harvest will look on the land.

We chose the modern, larger equipment harvest first because, if done right, the impact on the land is minimal & the harvest is efficient. This saves both the logger & landowner time & money.

Hardwood was removed for pulp & firewood releasing the understory of young pine that can now grow to maturity. We also had a load of red pine poles cut to thin out the planted stands.

We have also created a wildlife opening as part of the landing site. This 1 acre clearing will become prime habitat for game birds, rabbits, deer, moose & bear. The scrubby growth that will emerge in the spring will provide food & shelter. You can also expect blackberry bushes to sprout. Those seeds have been hanging out in the soil for decades just waiting for an opportunity to sprout & grow.

The Demo forest is open to non-motorized use. This is a day-use area so fires & camping are not allowed.
Hunters please be aware that many folks hike the trails, walk their dogs & ride horses on the Demo forest. We also have folks looking for geocaches on the property. Everyone needs to wear blaze orange during hunting season. Please take the time to put on a vest & hat so you can be seen.

We hope you visit the Demo Forest & enjoy the quiet trails. If you would like to voluteer to help us out in any way feel free to call the office at 201-324-0888 X 214 or email info@yorkswcd.org.

Planned Harvest in Action

Join us on Saturday September 17th from 9:ooam - 12:00 pm for a tour of an active harvest on the Sid Emery Demo Forest off Brock Road, Lyman. Forester Erik Grove will lead the tour to look at how a carefully planned harvest is a successful harvest. Watch modern logging equipment at work & see how efficient the big machines can be even on a small harvest.
The YCSWCD work with Erik Grove  & utilizing a Project Canopy Grant to create a sound Forest Management plan. The objective of the District is to provide a place to show proper forest management in a working forest. We will host other workshops at this site in the future as well.
Please call our office if you have any questions.  Please dress appropriately for the weather & woods walking.

Farm & Forest Program Sign ups

Here are several program sign up deadlines on the horizon for farmers.


Maine Farms for the FutureThe Phase 1-Business Planning Grant provides up to $6,000 for farmers to develop a written business plan that includes detailed cash flow analyses and profit & loss statements.  Successful applicants receive 17 months of technical assistance - from the Maine Department of Agriculture and the University of Maine Small Business Development Centers - to research & analyze their "idea for change".  The grant funds also enable farmers to hire professional consultants, researchers and other key advisors of their own choosing. The deadline to apply for a Round 11 - Phase 1 grant, is Wednesday, October 5th, 2011.  Grant awards will be announced in early November.

September 2, 2011 Sign up Deadline

·        Maine landowners who would like assistance in developing, improving, or managing wildlife habitat or restoring natural ecosystems, are encouraged to apply for the federal Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Through WHIP, the NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to landowners and others to develop upland, wetland, riparian, and aquatic habitat areas on their property.

·        Funding through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) is available to assist Maine forest land owners with forest land planning and management under the New England/New York Forestry Initiative, improving wildlife habitat, forest health and productivity, and water quality. Eligible conservation practices include forest stand improvement, integrated pest management, early successional habitat development and management, tree and shrub establishment, upland wildlife habitat management, stream crossings, riparian forest buffer, fish passage, stream habitat improvement and management, forest trails and landings, conservation cover, access roads, road/trail/landing closure and treatment, wetland restoration, tree and shrub site preparation, and wetland wildlife habitat management.

·        Applications are being accepted for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), which provides financial incentives to help producers restore farmland, including pastures, which were once wetlands to create fully-functioning wetlands again. This is a great opportunity for many landowners who may have land that is poorly drained and difficult to cultivate, landowners who are looking to cut back on farming but don’t want to sell the land, or those landowners interested in establishing and protecting prime wildlife habitat.

For more information go to www.me.nrcs.usda.gov or contact your nearest USDA Service Center, listed online at http://offices.usda.gov or in the telephone book under United States Government, Agriculture Department.

Since 1935, NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources. NRCS employees provide technical assistance based on sound science and that is suited to a customer’s specific needs, and provides financial assistance for many conservation activities.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

For more information on the above programs contact your local NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) USDA Service Center.

York County IPP Week - Survey your lake front!

This week is the official YC Lakes Survey week. So get out there with your boat (or you can snorkel) & start looking for those invasive aquatic plants that could be lurking just below the surface. It's simple enough & you can do your lake front property in under an hour - though I will warn you that once you start looking you might just keep going!
We are focusing on the littoral zone - basically where light reaches the bottom. FMI visit or upcoming training opportunities visit http://www.mainevlmp.org/ .

2011 YCIASP Symposium - Building Invasive Plant Patrol Teams

Just a reminder that the YCIASP Symposium: Building Invasive Plant Patroll Teams is scheduled for tomorrow night in the Anderson Learning Center on Bradeen St in Springvale starting at 6pm. We will be meeting downstairs in the Heritage room - please use the Bradeen St entrance. This program is FREE & open to the public. Call 324-0888 X 214 FMI