What's New at the

Camas Soil Conservation District?

Last UpdatOctober 2005

Schedule of Events

October board meeting 18th at the district office on Main St in Fairfield.

Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts annual conference.: November 13th through 16th in Boise Member Steve Miller, Vice Chairman Bob Rodman and District Staff Nan Reedy will attend.

November 15th - will be held at conference if there is quorum..

 
  • The Southern Idaho Regional Bio-Control Program which began its life as the Camas Bug Crew back in 1998 had a very successful 2005 season. Nan Reedy, the Camas SCD district employee is the Regional Administrator for this program. Bug Crews and supervisors were hired in Blaine, Camas, and Gooding and Lincoln counties.At the close of the season (end of insect cycles and start of school) all Bug Crews had met their objectives and almost 16,000 beneficial insects were released in four counties. Many of those insects were harvested in Camas County where the insects would die from lack of food if they weren't harvested and moved. In honor of the success of the Cams Bio-Control Project, the Administrator created a full color before and after booklet of the original nine sites on Camas Prairie.Those books were mailed to all funders and the landowners who so generously gave their knapweed infestations to the Bug Crew for demonstration plots. Many of the sites have experienced a jaw-dropping reduction in knapweed plants. All reports have been completed and submitted to the appropriate funding partners. The final 2005 steering committee meeting was held in September.
  • Need to contact us? Leave a message for Joe Schwarzbach at 208-764-3223 or Email camasscd@onewest.net . The office is staffed Monday through Friday. Joe sometimes is working in the field, but he will reply to your message. Nan, the administrative assistant, can be reached at 934-8481 ext.3 during regular business hours or emailed at goodingscd@onewest.net

Summary Recent Board Meetings

* Joe Schwarzbach continues at the TMDL planner for the IASCD.

* The District instigated a deep well monitoring project and hired a technician to visit selected wells twice a month for the irrgation season, measuring the depth to water. One final measurement is scheduled to be made at the close of fall. Tom Rice was hired to accomplish the tasks. No outside funding was found for the project, but it will be sought. The data collected will be delivered to US Geological Survey for interpretation.

*Video - the District has completed four video public service announcements. The PSA's concern weeds, riparian areas, water quality and environmental education and feature video clips from local places with local people. Bill Davis can be seen fishing at a pond without benefit of hook or bait. but that is a Hollywood tradition Jim Kramer, a retired board member, provided his two-year old grandson for a cameo spot. The District hopes to get some air time on television stations in the Twin Falls area most likely after the winter season concludes.

*IASCD Division IV Fall Meeting is scheduled for October 19th in Hailey at the senior citizen's center.. The annual Conservation Speech and Poster Contests will be held during the meeting as well. This will be the first year in many that Camas SCD will not have a speaker.

*Last year Steve Miller was elected to serve as the Director of the Division IV. He is serving the eleven soil conservation districts in south-central Idaho, representing them at quarterly meetings and annual, spring and fall meetings. He took office in January.

*The District is researching the possibility of creating a native plant nursery with a two-fold purpose. The first would be to supply native nursery stock both wetland and upland plants to agencies, companies or individuals. This could be especially helpful for restoration projects or mitigation projects. The other purpose would be the educational value for students at the Camas County School District and would incorporate a class in horticulture with hands-on work in the greenhouse and a marketing/business curriculum.