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Become a WNRCD Stewardship Member Today !!

Join WNRCD

Become a Member Today!!

Endless Stewardship opportunities…….. Workshops/ Educational programs…..First chance to order from the WNRCD Tree Sale….Quarterly e-news…. and Personalized resources in areas that interest you !!!

For more information, please click here:

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What are YOUR natural resource concerns???

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District is interested in your thoughts and concerns on natural resource concerns of the District.  Let us know what projects are priority to you!!

What issues are you seeing?

Please feel free to call or email us.

info@winooskinrcd.org 

 

 

 

 

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Local Work Group Meeting 9-16-16

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) will host a Local Work Group meeting on Friday September 16, 2016 at The Waterbury Congregational Church, 8N Main Street, Waterbury VT. The meeting will run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., for the purpose of discussing natural resource concerns and issues of District residents. All are encouraged to attend and discuss natural resource conservation concerns throughout the Winooski Conservation District. The District encompasses all of Chittenden County, Washington County and the towns of Orange, Williamstown and Washington in Orange County.

The information gathered will help the WNRCD update the drafting of the District’s 5 year strategic plan, priorities projects and future partnerships. The priority concerns identified will also help inform ranking questions for landowners seeking funding through the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS). This is an opportunity for District residents to share thoughts on a variety of natural resource issues ranging from urban runoff, sodium chloride application, wetland protection to invasive species management. District Manager; Corrina Parnapy said: “We are all partners in the protection of our natural resources. It is essential that the public help shape the direction and work that is accomplished on their behalf. We encourage residents to come out, meet our staff, enjoy some refreshments, learn more about the WNRCD and partner with us for the protection of our natural resources.”

Please RSVP to: info@winooskinrcd.org

 

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Lawn Care Survey; Your participation is needed !!

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District on behalf of the Lake Champlain Sea Grant and partner organizations, are interested in your lawn care practices.

We are reaching out to adults (18+) in the Lake Champlain Basin to help us understand how people manage their lawns. We are interested in learning about your lawn care practices as a major source of pollution to Lake Champlain is phosphorus. Since this nutrient can travel from people’s homes via erosion from lawns, understanding how people care for their lawns can help us and our partners develop educational materials to help promote best practices that minimize runoff and produce healthy soils, which stay in place.

We would be grateful if you would be willing to spend about 7 minutes to complete a survey to share how you manage your lawn and where you get your lawn care information. Use this link to access the survey http://tinyurl.com/LCLawncare

If you have questions or concerns about this survey or our outreach efforts related to promoting healthy soils, please contact Dr. Kristine Stepenuck at 802-656-8504 or kstepenu@uvm.edu.

If you are interested in viewing the WNRCD new lawn care factsheet on how to maintain an environmentally friendly lawn, please visit the factsheet page of our website.

Thank you for your assistance.

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WNRCD Seeking Bids

The WNRCD is seeking bids from qualified professionals.   For more information and to view the RFP’s please click here.

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Visit our NEW Services Provided Page

Visit the new Services Provided page to see how the WNRCD can assist you.  Contract with the WNRCD.

From grant management,  project development, outreach and education to algal analysis, we are here to assist you.  Services can be contracted at the bargain price of $40 an hour.  For more information please visit: Services Provided  or email: info@winooskinrcd.org

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Updates on the RAP’s

Required Agricultural Practices

The RAP Webpage

Our RAP webpage is the clearinghouse for information regarding the proposed rules and all the supporting documents:http://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality/regulations/rap

 

RAP Outreach Flyer

The 1-page flyer which will run in this month’s Agriview announcing the RAP webinar and Public Hearing schedule.  Please feel free to distribute widely. Click here to view: RAP Proposed Rule Flyer for Agriview-05312016

 

The Actual RAP Proposed Rule

The RAP Proposed Rule, as filed with the Secretary of State, is attached to this e-mail.  You can also download it from our website by clicking on the graphic below: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/Required-Agricultural-Practices-Regulations-Proposed-Rule-05122016.pdf

 

RAP Proposed Rule Highlighted Changes Summary

We have also provided a “Highlighted Changes Summary” which goes through RAP Proposed Rule and highlights the changes made between the 2nd draft of the RAPs and the Proposed Rule.  We then provide a discussion as to reasoning why the rule was changed.  Download that document here: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Proposed-Rule-Highlighted-Summary-Document-05132016.pdf

 

RAP Effective Dates Guidance

Many are likely to ask about the timing of the rules and when certain parts of the rules will go into effect.  Please refer everyone to the “RAP Effective Dates Guide” we’ve provided for reference: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Effective-Dates-Discussion-05162016.pdf

 

The Summary Factsheets

Two summary factsheets have been updated since the 1st draft of the RAPs to review major parts of the RAP Proposed Rule.  One has to do with Farm Size and what responsibilities are at different thresholds, as well as a summary of baseline RAP rules.

  1. http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Proposed-Rule-Farm-Size-Factsheet-05162016.pdf
  2. http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Proposed-Rule-Highlighted-Summary-Factsheet-05162016.pdf

 

The Public Hearings

The 5 public hearings we’ve scheduled are on our ‘public hearings section’ of the website:

The five public hearings will be held:

Date Meeting Title/Subject Location Time
6/21/2016 Public Hearing – St. Albans
RAP Proposed Rule
St. Albans Hiistorical Museum
9 Church Street, St. Albans City, VT 05478
12:30 – 3:30pm
6/22/2016 Public Hearing – Brandon
RAP Proposed Rule
Brandon American Legion
590 Franklin St., Brandon, VT 05733
12:30 – 3:30 pm
6/23/2016 Public Hearing – So. Royalton
RAP Proposed Rule
Vermont Law School
Chase Center
164 Chelsea St., South Royalton, VT 05068
12:30 – 3:30 pm
6/28/2016 Public Hearing – Newport
RAP Proposed Rule
Newport American Legion
160 Freeman St., Newport, VT 05855
12:30 – 3:30 pm
6/29/2016 Public Hearing – Brattleboro
RAP Proposed Rule
Brattleboro American Legion
32 Linden St., Brattleboro, VT 05301
12:30 – 3:30 pm

 

The Webinars

We’re going to be hosting webinars to present a summary of the Proposed RAP Rule.  Signup below! https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/5938291152303942401

You can watch the first recorded webinar through the link below: https://youtu.be/Albhv3ed8xo

You can download a copy of the presentation used for the webinar here: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Proposed-Rule-Presentation-05262016.pdf

 

The Timeline

See the link below for the RAP timeline outlining the rulemaking process moving forward and where we’ve been to date:

http://agriculture.vermont.gov/sites/ag/files/pdf/water_quality/RAP/RAP-Proposed-Rule-Timeline-05132016.pdf

 

Public Comment

Please be sure to share with every farmer we work with that Public Comment is now OPEN.  Now’s the time to share comment on the RAP Proposed Rule.  Refer them to AGR.RAP@vermont.gov or be sure to tell them to write us at 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05620—or attend a public hearing in June.

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Backyard Woods Program

Do you own less than 25 acres in Washington County? Are you interested in learning more about your woods? Do you want to become a more active steward of your woods? Then you may be interested in a NEW Backyard Woods Program being piloted this June by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program.  The Vermont Backyard Woods Program is a four-week online program. Each week we will explore a unit that include the following themes:  An Introduction to Your Backyard and Beyond, Getting to Know Your Woods, Backyard Woods Projects, Developing a Backyard Woods Action Plan.  For more information please visit:

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Seasonal Internship with WNRCD

The WNRCD currently has an opening for a seasonal intern as our Outreach Specialist.  For more information and to review the complete internship description, please click here.

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New Blog post: The Dirt about Earthworms

Read the WNRCD new Blog (Watershed Notes) post on Earthworms

It is spring! We dig in our gardens and find wriggly earthworm in the soil. But depending on whether you are in a field or forest earthworms can be a benefit or hurt.   When the glaciers of the last ice age moved over North America, the ice scraped soil off the bedrock a… (read more)