Delta Conservation District
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Mission of the Delta Conservation District (DCD) is to provide for the
conservation and preservation of our natural resources and agricultural
heritage in order to ensure the health prosperity and welfare of the
citizens of the District and the State of Colorado. The DCD is a
non-profit local government entity run by a publicly elected board of
supervisors who all volunteer their time to see to the operations of the
district. The District operates solely on grants and donations.
Strengthening community -
The DCD brings funds and projects to the community to strengthen producers financially working in agriculture and preserving the areas' natural resources by providing funds through cost share incentive funds via the Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The DCD helped provide financial assistance to landowners in Delta County totaling $1.4 Million from USDA, BOR and CSCB in the prior year.
The Delta Conservation District launched an assertive Education and Outreach campaign in 2010 under the direction of the current Education & Outreach (E&O) committee consisting of the newly hired District Manager, Kristie Martin, and four supervisors: Ralph D’Alessandro, Susan Raymond, Jim Cazer and Gayle Ware. The primary goal of the E&O program was to educate the landowners on the preservation and conservation of its natural resources and the value of its agricultural heritage. Its overall goal is to develop or cooperate on programs that instruct and encourage landowners, agencies and youth about the importance of water quality and use, soil health, land utilization, weed control and renewable energy and encourage the development and utilization of the local agricultural community.
Summary of Delta Conservation District’s Education and Outreach 2011
• Hosted an inter-active booth at the Delta County Fair staffed daily with Board Supervisors, District employees and a NRCS staff. This year several mini-workshops were offered covering topics such as Conservation Planning, Irrigation Practices, and Crop Measurement tools and demonstration were done on the Hydraulic Water Lab and Riparian River Trailer.
• Hosted a four-session all-day Small Acreage Workshop with over one hundred in attendance covering Ag Economics, Noxious Weed Control and Optimal Soil Health.
• Participated and promoted The Soil Health Research Study and workshop
• Hosted a three-night Irrigation Water User Series with a record total attendance of 325 people covering Ditch and Lateral Funding Opportunities, Micro-Hydro Revenue Generation, Water Rights and new Landowner Etiquette
• Support and participation of a Rangeland Workshop on the LeValley Ranch
• Publication of numerous press releases in local news publications to promote District activities and program awareness
• Purchased and distributed Priority Weeds of Western Colorado booklet
• Provided five youth scholarships to Camp Rocky
• Hosted in-office pre-camp pizza party. Introduced youth to various career opportunities in Natural Resources
• Promoted and supported Teens on Farm, an organization that helps connect youth workers to local farmers.
• Assisted in nearby Districts’ Water Festivals
• Presented two-days of classroom instruction at Delta Middle School on Natural Resources and Watershed education
• Held the District’s first youth poster contest reaching over 150 students with a conservation message and collecting 40 posters for this year’s CACD poster contest
• Held the first known photo contest in the District presenting eight conservation photos at the state conference
• Hosted an Oil and Gas public forum reaching 80 participants covering the extent of oil and gas exploration in Delta Conservation District and its impact on air and water quality
The DCD also took a Local Foods to Local Markets Resolution to the state level and passed through support from the state Colorado Association of Conservation Districts to lobby on behalf of small acreage farming and production.
In summation, in just one year’s time The Delta Conservation District has superseded expectations in it Education and Outreach efforts to develop or cooperate on programs that instruct and encourage landowner, agencies and youth about importance of water quality and use, soil health, land utilization, weed control and renewable energy and encourage the development and utilization of the local agricultural community!
Empowering individuals to serve the community -
Youth have been funded to serve on local farms via the Teens on Farms project the District supports and more broadly to conserve the area's natural resources through the Camp Rocky program and its outreach program in local schools. The DCD worked this year with a local conservation center (NWCC) to help remove invasive weeds along a two mile stretch of a conservation easement along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and continues to work with that organization to obtain BOR funding to work in the Paonia River Park. Most recently the District has worked with local irrigation ditch companies to provide information and urge comment letters be sent to the Bureau of Land Management paralleling its own letter identifying issues and concerns potentially impacting the area's agriculture and its critical agricultural water supply as a result of the planned 30,000 acre oil and gas parcel lease sale in the North Fork Valley. The nine-member board is a voluntary position and requires endless hours of volunteer time. The board has representation from all areas of Delta County.
Build bridges between individuals and groups within the community -
The DCD has attempted to provide education on oil and gas drilling to landowners and promote communication between the industry, governmental agencies and landowners on the potential impacts of oil and gas development within the area and its watershed. It has attempted to unite agricultural producers and water irrigation users on the issue of potential impacts to each of oil and gas drilling in the area and the watershed. It has also given presentations to local civic groups, such as rotary, on the programs available to landowners to help preserve the area's natural resources. The DCD also acts as a liaison and a communications conduit for the federally run programs offered by Natural Resources Conservations Services (NRCS) to the farmer, rancher and private landowner on the financial and technical services available to them.
Strengthening community -
The DCD brings funds and projects to the community to strengthen producers financially working in agriculture and preserving the areas' natural resources by providing funds through cost share incentive funds via the Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The DCD helped provide financial assistance to landowners in Delta County totaling $1.4 Million from USDA, BOR and CSCB in the prior year.
The Delta Conservation District launched an assertive Education and Outreach campaign in 2010 under the direction of the current Education & Outreach (E&O) committee consisting of the newly hired District Manager, Kristie Martin, and four supervisors: Ralph D’Alessandro, Susan Raymond, Jim Cazer and Gayle Ware. The primary goal of the E&O program was to educate the landowners on the preservation and conservation of its natural resources and the value of its agricultural heritage. Its overall goal is to develop or cooperate on programs that instruct and encourage landowners, agencies and youth about the importance of water quality and use, soil health, land utilization, weed control and renewable energy and encourage the development and utilization of the local agricultural community.
Summary of Delta Conservation District’s Education and Outreach 2011
• Hosted an inter-active booth at the Delta County Fair staffed daily with Board Supervisors, District employees and a NRCS staff. This year several mini-workshops were offered covering topics such as Conservation Planning, Irrigation Practices, and Crop Measurement tools and demonstration were done on the Hydraulic Water Lab and Riparian River Trailer.
• Hosted a four-session all-day Small Acreage Workshop with over one hundred in attendance covering Ag Economics, Noxious Weed Control and Optimal Soil Health.
• Participated and promoted The Soil Health Research Study and workshop
• Hosted a three-night Irrigation Water User Series with a record total attendance of 325 people covering Ditch and Lateral Funding Opportunities, Micro-Hydro Revenue Generation, Water Rights and new Landowner Etiquette
• Support and participation of a Rangeland Workshop on the LeValley Ranch
• Publication of numerous press releases in local news publications to promote District activities and program awareness
• Purchased and distributed Priority Weeds of Western Colorado booklet
• Provided five youth scholarships to Camp Rocky
• Hosted in-office pre-camp pizza party. Introduced youth to various career opportunities in Natural Resources
• Promoted and supported Teens on Farm, an organization that helps connect youth workers to local farmers.
• Assisted in nearby Districts’ Water Festivals
• Presented two-days of classroom instruction at Delta Middle School on Natural Resources and Watershed education
• Held the District’s first youth poster contest reaching over 150 students with a conservation message and collecting 40 posters for this year’s CACD poster contest
• Held the first known photo contest in the District presenting eight conservation photos at the state conference
• Hosted an Oil and Gas public forum reaching 80 participants covering the extent of oil and gas exploration in Delta Conservation District and its impact on air and water quality
The DCD also took a Local Foods to Local Markets Resolution to the state level and passed through support from the state Colorado Association of Conservation Districts to lobby on behalf of small acreage farming and production.
In summation, in just one year’s time The Delta Conservation District has superseded expectations in it Education and Outreach efforts to develop or cooperate on programs that instruct and encourage landowner, agencies and youth about importance of water quality and use, soil health, land utilization, weed control and renewable energy and encourage the development and utilization of the local agricultural community!
Empowering individuals to serve the community -
Youth have been funded to serve on local farms via the Teens on Farms project the District supports and more broadly to conserve the area's natural resources through the Camp Rocky program and its outreach program in local schools. The DCD worked this year with a local conservation center (NWCC) to help remove invasive weeds along a two mile stretch of a conservation easement along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and continues to work with that organization to obtain BOR funding to work in the Paonia River Park. Most recently the District has worked with local irrigation ditch companies to provide information and urge comment letters be sent to the Bureau of Land Management paralleling its own letter identifying issues and concerns potentially impacting the area's agriculture and its critical agricultural water supply as a result of the planned 30,000 acre oil and gas parcel lease sale in the North Fork Valley. The nine-member board is a voluntary position and requires endless hours of volunteer time. The board has representation from all areas of Delta County.
Build bridges between individuals and groups within the community -
The DCD has attempted to provide education on oil and gas drilling to landowners and promote communication between the industry, governmental agencies and landowners on the potential impacts of oil and gas development within the area and its watershed. It has attempted to unite agricultural producers and water irrigation users on the issue of potential impacts to each of oil and gas drilling in the area and the watershed. It has also given presentations to local civic groups, such as rotary, on the programs available to landowners to help preserve the area's natural resources. The DCD also acts as a liaison and a communications conduit for the federally run programs offered by Natural Resources Conservations Services (NRCS) to the farmer, rancher and private landowner on the financial and technical services available to them.
