Todd County Conservation District
Plan of Work
July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023
The Todd County Conservation District organized, and operates, under Kentucky revised statutes to carry out a program to protect, maintain, and develop the natural resources of Todd County.
To accomplish this, the Conservation District has prepared a Long Range Plan of Work which is based upon a conservation needs inventory, current trends, and programs of local, state and federal governments. The major objectives and goals of the Long Range Plan is to devise and apply best management practices to protect and maintain the natural resources of soil, water, forest, and wildlife as well as education and promotion.
Mission Statement:
Provide services, education, and promotion as effectively as possible to maximize the preservation of our natural resources while maintaining a strong cooperative with landowners, organizations, and communities.
Goals:
Approximately 800 cropland farms in Todd County contain highly erodible land. One of our main objectives is to provide assistance to farmers in meeting compliance plan requirements. Todd County has a total of approximately 5196 acres on 369 contracts in the 10-year Conservation Reserve Program. The District will work to assist the landowners with land being released from the 10-year program and re-enrollment in the program as signups are announced. We also work closely with the Division of Forestry and the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife concerning these programs.
Districts play an important role in developing and carrying out information and education programs on compliance requirements, and by providing overall guidance, organization, and administration of the program.
The District will furnish assistance in planning and applying conservation measures on their land, based upon soil capability and treat according to its needs. Special emphasis will be given to water quality and to preventing and controlling erosion on sloping cropland being used for intensive crop production. The district will continue to assist with planning Environmental Quality Incentives Programs. These plans will improve farmland within the county. The district will continue to assist with the nine current Conservation Stewardship Program contracts. These contracts cover 5,384 acres throughout the county.
The District strives to promote the use of Best Management Practices. Farm tours, as well as other natural resources tours, will be held. We will continue to promote the recognition of good stewards by submitting award applications through various programs.
Assistance will also be provided to those non-farm groups having a need to develop a soil and water conservation plan to solve problems of resources development. Assistance will be provided to upgrade and/or maintain the outdoor classroom sites at the North Todd Elementary School, Todd County Middle School, and South Todd Elementary School. Assistance will also be given to the City of Guthrie, City of Elkton, and City of Trenton for flood control, housing development, and water quality projects. We will participate in the Farm Safety Days and the no-till tours.
East Fork Pond River and Mud River Watershed, PL-556 projects, will continue to receive whatever assistance the district can provide. The need for an adequate county water supply will also be one of our top priorities.
An information and educational program will be conducted to keep the citizens of Todd County informed as to the district’s accomplishments. This will be accomplished through conservation newsletters, tours, awards banquet, newspaper articles, picture displays, meetings, and radio programs. We have a resource library readily available to the community. Articles, brochures and information is divided and filed according to subject to facilitate educators, students, etc. in locating the needed material. We encourage landowners to stay abreast of the current Farm Bill Program and encourage all landowners, who have not written an Ag Water Quality Plan, to contact our office to help assist in completion of the plan.
To encourage local interest, the district has several slide presentations and videos concerning conservation in Todd County. These are available for loan to the public and local schools. An updated display board of the district activities will be shown in the schools, state, and regional meetings, and public buildings throughout the year.
The district supervisors will receive training in the role of supervisors.
The District will promote Soil Stewardship Week by providing information booklets and materials to each minister and school teacher in Todd County at no charge. The purpose is to create a greater awareness of our responsibilities for our natural resources.
The District promotes the Kentucky Farm Bureau and Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts writing and art contest in our county. Participation has been 100% for the last thirty one years in our county for grades one through eight. High school students from the agriculture department also participate in the writing contest.
We hand out tree seedlings every spring to the citizens of Todd County. This project promotes forest stewardship and Arbor Day and Earth Day. Members of the community look forward to this and trees provide excellent public relations as well as an opportunity for environmental awareness.
The District will continue to provide part-time secretarial assistance and employs a conservation technician full time. This is to be accomplished by financial assistance through the Todd County Fiscal Court tax levy and financial assistance from Kentucky Association Conservation District/Natural Resource Conservation Service.
The District will continue to encourage participation in the State Cost Share Program. As federal programs are eliminated due to budget reductions, the request for state cost share funds will increase.
The District will continue to remain informed of USDA restructuring events and their impact on the conservation districts. As more responsibilities are placed upon the district, we must be prepared to face the challenges by adding personnel and technology necessary to carry out our goals.
The foregoing objectives and goals, along with the attached plan of operation and budget, constitute the Program of Work for the Todd County Conservation District for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.