GULF COAST SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
ANNUAL REPORT
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008

The district, which was formed in 1945, is a legal subdivision of the Louisiana State Government responsible for the conservation of soil and water resources.  It is governed by three elected and two appointed supervisors.  Louie Barbe III, Edwin Quinn, and Jim Paul Dupont are elected, while Harold Aymond and William Hardeman are appointed by the Louisiana State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.  Board meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. at 1400 Highway 14, Suite B, Lake Charles, Louisiana.  The public is invited to attend.  This fiscal year the officers were as follows:

                       

                                    Harold Aymond          Chairman

                                    Edwin Quinn               Vice-Chairman

Louie Barbe III          Secretary-Treasurer

 

The district board extends congratulations to Dr. Harold Aymond for 25 years of service to the Gulf Coast SWCD.

 

The district has two full-time employees:  Patti Busby, District Secretary, and Celina Yentzen, Office/Program Assistant, and two part-time employees, Blake Karam and Jordan Allen, District Technicians. 

 

The goals of the district are to coordinate conservation activities and educational programs, and to provide technical assistance to landowners and units of government on the use of their soil, water, and related resources.

 

Gulf Coast SWCD would like to thank its partners, NRCS, Imperial Calcasieu RC&D, LDAF, LNPI, and other Federal, State and Local Agencies, Cooperators, Landowners, Land Users and area Educators, who help the district accomplish its goals for conservation.  Also, a special “thanks” to Apache Corporation and Farmers Rice Mill for their support.

 

In partnership with the district is USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Frank Chapman is the NRCS District Conservationist at the Lake Charles Field Office providing assistance to District Cooperators in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes.  His staff includes:  Dustin Farmer, Soil Conservationist, and George Mason, Soil Conservation Technician.

 

Since 1935, the NRCS (originally called the Soil Conservation Service) has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources.  Partnerships, like the one with conservation districts, expand the reach and depth of conservation on the land.  Along with conservation districts, the NRCS puts cooperative conservation to work in an effort to “Help the People Help the Land.”

 

Conservation is indeed a team effort and another vital part of the team needed to keep NRCS’ and the District’s long-standing commitment to working with people to protect and conserve natural resources is the Earth Team Volunteer Program.  The District has had another active year in recruiting volunteers to commit their time and talent to conservation.  This fiscal year, 45 “Earth Team” volunteers have been recruited with a total of 243 hours logged. 

 

The District, with technical assistance provided through the NRCS, has been active in addressing natural resource concerns with landowners and land users in Southwest Louisiana during this fiscal year.  Below is a summary of the District’s performance for this fiscal year in partnership with NRCS:

 

                        Number of District Cooperators                        2109

                        New Cooperators                                            15

                        Land owners/operators assisted                                    4432

                        Conservation Plans written                                14,322 acres

                        Cropland with conservation applied to

                           Improve Soil Quality                                      2,994 acres

                        Land with conservation applied to

                           Improve Water Quality                                  10,374 acres   

                        Land with conservation applied to

                           Improve Irrigation efficiency                           1,335 acres

                        Grazing and forest land with conservation

                           Applied to protect/improve resource base      9,850 acres

                        Non-federal land with conservation applied to

                           Improve fish & wildlife habitat quality             10,808 acres

                        Land and water resources benefited by RC&D

                            Projects                                                        18 acres

                        Number of EQIP Contracts funded                   27

                        Total EQIP dollars obligated                             $587,710

                        Number of WHIP Contracts funded                  5

                        Total WHIP dollars obligated                            $58,470

 

Cooperators have been assisted with the installation of the following Conservation practices to treat natural resource problems:

 

                        Brush Management                                           413 Acres

                        Fencing                                                            4932 feet

Grade Stabilization Structures                           5 structures

Heavy Use Area                                               2 pads

Irrigation Land Leveling                                    673 Acres

Irrigation Water Management                            525 Acres

Nutrient Management                                       2626 Acres

Pest Management                                             1573 Acres

Pipelines (livestock)                                          1260 feet

Prescribed Grazing                                           10,747 Acres

Residue Management                                        2634 Acres

                        Underground Irrigation Pipeline                         2332 feet

                        Upland Wildlife Habitat Management                291 Acres

Watering Facilities                                            2 facilities

                        Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management              10,518 Acres

                        Conservation Crop Rotation                             301 Acres

                        Critical Area Planting                                        1 acre

                        Pasture and Hayland Planting                            81 acres

                        Pond                                                                1 pond

                        Prescribed Burning                                           130 acres

                        Tree/Shrub Establishment                                  23 acres

 

 

The District actively participated in the 2007-08 District Vegetative Planting Program with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LADNR) and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) in the restoration and conservation of coastal wetlands.  The District installed seven projects that consisted of planting and monitoring 63,600 feet of shoreline and 12,288 feet of interior vegetative plantings. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Environmental Specialist, Marc Carlson, oversees this program and is housed in the Lake Charles Field Office with NRCS and the District.

 

The District has a very outstanding and active Information/Education Program.  During this fiscal year, the District has sponsored 83 Information/Education activities reaching 3,074 students, 420,337 citizens and teachers and training 13 educators.  From April 27 – May 4, 2008, the board of supervisors sponsored Soil and Water Stewardship Week with the theme being, “Water is Life.”  Some of the activities for the week include:

 

·        Distribution of 50 flyers and 20 Posters

·        Library display at Central Library in Lake Charles

·        Contacted 50 schools and presentations done in 5 classes

·        Contacted one church and provided 200 bulletin inserts

·        Other classrooms (a total of 31) participated by allowing the district to distribute free resources including bookmarks, comic books, posters, activity sheets, and other resources

·        Mayor Randy Roach proclaimed the week as “Soil and Water Stewardship Week” for the city of Lake Charles

·        Had 9 Radio spots, 6 news releases, and one TV spot on KPLC

·        Sent out 250 letters, 164 of which were “thank you” letters to district cooperators.

·        Distributed in the schools a total of 800 themed comic books, 400 other conservation comic books from other sources, 800 activity sheets, 30 educator guides, and 25 information sheets in support of “Energy Star”

 

The highlight of the week, as always, was visiting area schools.  In keeping with the theme, “Water is Life,” the students this year pretended to be a water drop traveling through the water cycle.  They made “water cycle” bracelets using colored beads to represent each phase of the water cycle. 

Participating schools and educators include:

 

            Nelson Elementary:                   Tara Parra

                                                            Brian Smith

                                                            Jackie Smith

            Starks Elementary:                    Brenda Doyle

            Moss Bluff Elementary:             Donna Reynolds

                                                            Lori Comeaux

            St. Margaret Catholic:               Suzanne Navarro

                                                            Alice Adams

            LeBlanc Middle School:            Michelle Ortego

                                                            Thomas Finnie

            Fairview Elementary:                 B. Sargeant

                                                            K. Thibodeaux

 

The district extends a special “Thank You” to all our participants!  They have made this year’s Soil and Water Stewardship Program the largest ever!

 

In addition, the district was honored to receive the LACD Auxiliary’s 2007 State Soil and Water Stewardship Second Place award at the LACD Convention in January, 2008 for their Stewardship Program.

 

“Plant a Tree for our Future” was the theme of the district’s first annual 4th Grade Tree Planting Project.  In conjunction with the annual Tree Seedling Sale, the district provided live oak seedlings and planting instructions to over 400 fourth grade students and teachers in January, 2008.  Each student and teacher was also given NACD’s comic book, The Hidden Treasure.  Four schools, Fairview Elementary, Moss Bluff Elementary, Nelson Elementary, and Western Heights Elementary, participated with 15 teachers.  The district provided teachers with packets that included lesson plans and activities. 

 

Louisiana Native Plant Initiative (LNPI):  The district actively assists Cecilia Richmond, Nursery Manager, for the newly formed LNPI.  The LNPI propagates Louisiana native eco-types of primarily prairie plants to make them available for commercial growers.

 

Some other activities that the district has accomplished during July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 include:

 

  • Participated in the Fenton Rice Field Day in July, 2007.
  • Continued implementing the EWP Downed Timber Removal Program which was initiated in 2005 after Hurricane Rita.
  • Maintained District Website to provide vital conservation information and links to government and private environmental agencies.  A total of 6, 203 citizens have been reached through the website this year.
  • District Cooperator, Dezere Richard, who raises cattle and produces hay in Calcasieu Parish, was one of the first of nine women to receive the Master Farmer Certificate.
  • Participated in World Water Monitoring Day with 13 students at McNeese State University and 2 adults.
  • Sponsored the LACD Auxiliary Poster Contest, Area III Forestry Contest and FFA Land Judging Contest.
  • Sent out 10 News Releases to local newspapers and radio and television stations to inform land users and others on conservation topics.  These releases had the potential of reaching approximately 393,889 citizens.
  • Hosted the annual EQIP Work Group Meeting on October 18, 2007.
  • Held an annual District Tree Seedling Sale in February, 2008 and reached approximately 300 citizens.
  • Assisted one teacher with constructing a Butterfly Garden for students at Nelson Elementary.
  • Participated in McNeese State University Career Day on February 25, 2008 which reached about 300 students.
  • Participated in Wetland Awareness Day in conjunction with Earth Day.
  • Attended and actively participated in the LACD Convention in Alexandria, Louisiana January 9 – 11, 2008.
  • Actively cooperates with NRCS to provide training to new employees.
  • Actively stays informed with farm bill legislation and corresponds with legislators concerning conservation issues.

 

 

 

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