ROGERS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

STRIVING TO CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGH EDUCATION AND PRACTICES

Rogers County Conservation District: 2008-2009 Annual Report

The mission of the Rogers County Conservation District is to offer technical, informational and educational assets to our clients and partners in order to ensure sound management of our natural resources and to pass on a tradition of responsible land stewardship. (Adopted June 2009)

Good stewardship of Rogers County’s natural resources. (Adopted June 2009)

The Rogers County Conservation District was incorporated by the State of Oklahoma on September 30, 1941. The District includes all of Rogers County and comprises an area of 713 square miles equaling 456,320 acres. The District is a legally constituted sub-division of the State of Oklahoma with powers, duties and responsibilities defined in 27A O.S. § 3–2–101. Conservation Districts are a way of providing local solutions to local problems through locally led conservation practices and decision making. The District is directed by the locally elected and appointed five member board of directors who assume responsibility for conservation activities within the legal bounds of the District.

Funding is appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature, through the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, for allocation to the District. The USDA: Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal partner of the Rogers County Conservation District and is co-located in the Claremore Field Office and Technical Service Office.

Stewardship

•Careful and responsible management of natural resources is the primary function of the district.

•Resource management decisions are based on input from partners, employees, directors and clients.

•Good stewardship is founded in good science.

Service

•Our clients, employees and board members should expect courtesy, respect and equitable treatment.

•A courteous and professional attitude is essential to a good work environment.

•A willingness to listen and understand is vital to responsible resource management.

Partnership

•Sound natural resource management depends on traditional and non-traditional partners alike.

•Good relationships between the district, local, state, federal and tribal organizations leads to success.

•Maintaining current relationships and seeking out new partners can ensure success for the future.

The Conservation Cost-Share Program provides financial assistance to landowners and supports the application of conservation practices. Approved practices are aimed at preventing erosion and protecting water quality.

Conservation districts administer the program to meet local needs. Districts select practices from a state list to offer landowners, establish cost-share rates, set signup periods, establish application ranking procedures, take applications, and assist approved landowners in completing paperwork for payment. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides free technical assistance for the conservation practices.

Rogers County Conservation District was allocated $20,000.00 for cost-share year 9 (FY2008-2009), and administered seven contracts to completion. The district was allocated $14,400.00 for cost-share year 10 (FY2009-2010). Eight contracts are currently being administered.

Oklahoma leads the nation with 2,105 upstream flood control dams constructed under the USDA Watershed Program. Oklahoma’s conservation districts are primary watershed project sponsors. These dams are located in 121 watersheds in 64 counties and provide $75 million in annual estimated benefits from reduced flood damages and other benefits.

Nearly 35,000 acres of the Pryor Creek drainage is located within the boundary of Rogers County. The Rogers County Conservation District is the local sponsor for six of the eight structures in the Pryor Creek watershed.

The Rogers County Conservation District works with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in making annual inspections of these flood control dams and providing maintenance work on the structures. Efforts include, clearing brush and trees from the dams and earthen spillways, preventing and repairing erosion problems, mowing and maintaining good vegetative cover, and keeping the principal spillway inlet tower clear of debris.

The annual monetary contribution to operation and maintenance of local infrastructure is $44,582.00. Nearly 9,500 tons of sediment is conserved in the watershed through proper function of the structures.

Coal mining has been underway in Oklahoma since 1872. In a 16-county area of eastern Oklahoma (including Rogers County), over 32,000 acres were surfaced mined and another 40,000 acres were underground mined and left un-reclaimed. Today, surface mining continues to be the primary mining method used in the state.

In 1977 the "Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act" was passed by congress. This federal legislation established a nationwide system for controlling the surface effects of active coal mining. The act also established a trust fund for the purpose of reclaiming orphan coal mine land that endangers public health and/or safety. Money for the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Trust Fund is generated from a tax on active coal mining. By law, a state is to receive at least one half of the fees collected in that state. The United States Department of the Interior, Office of Surface Mining (OSM) is the federal agency responsible for allocating the reclamation fees in the trust fund. The tax on active coal mining will end in 2021. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission administers this program across Oklahoma

Rogers County is said to have approximately one-half of all abandoned mine land in Oklahoma. The district is cooperating with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission/ AML division to eliminate many hazards left from abandoned coal mines. In the last year 4 new reclamation projects have been completed and the district was contracted to re-vegetate the finished dirt work in order to prevent soil erosion and return the property to productive grazing land.

The Rogers County Conservation District conducted a seminar series in the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Seminars were held the third week of each month in the evening.

Topics:

October, 2008 - Farm Pond Management: More Fish, Better Water

November, 2008 - Conservation Cost-share: Program Uses and Qualifications

January, 2008 - Small Pasture Management: Large Returns on Small Acreages

February, 2009 - Prescribed Burning: Using Fire for Management

March, 2009 - Conservation Landscaping: Habitat Around Your Home

Attendance was fair and evaluations indicated that attendees were satisfied with the information provided and would attend additional seminars if presented. Additional information requested that the majority of the attendees knew who the Rogers County Conservation District was and what services were available.

The Rogers County Conservation District has always had an active conservation education program. In addition to our cooperative operation of the Rogers State University Conservation Education Reserve, district personnel are active with the Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education, the Oklahoma Envirothon competition, the Oklahoma Wildlife Expo and assist other conservation districts with conservation education activities when able. Our website, www.rogerscountyconservationdistrict.org, serves as a contact point for educators booking field trips to the RSU Reserve and as a source for information to Rogers County residents.

Conservation Education Activity Statistics for FY 2008-2009: