HomeMy WebLinkAboutOC Soil & Water minutes 021016BOARD MINUTES
ORANGE SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Environment & Agricultural Building, Hillsborough
February 10, 2016
Supervisors Present:
Others Present:
Chris Hogan, Chairman
Brent Bogue, NRCS
Morris Shambley, Treasurer
Gail Hughes, Soil Con
Roger Tate, Supervisor
Lisa Pope, Admin. Asst.
Clay Parker, Supervisor
Kenny Ray, Soil Con
Todd Roberts, Soil Con
Chairman, C. Hogan, called the meeting to order at 8:45 a.m
December 9, 2015 Meeting Minutes were reviewed and approved as submitted. R. Tate moved
for approval, M. Shambley seconded.
NC Ag Cost Share Program - NCACSP
T. Roberts and K. Ray submitted the following Application, Contracts and Requests for
Payments PY 2016:
NCACSP Requests for Payments
❖ 68- 2015 -005 — Chad Gentry: 31.75 acres Long Term No Till (CS) $4,762. Tate moved
to approve, Shambley seconded.
❖ 68- 2016 -002 — Tate, Inc.: .77 acres grassed waterways; .08 ac. Field borders $2,073.
(CS) Parker moved to approve, Shambley seconded. (Please note that Supervisor, R.
Tate, abstained from vote)
❖ 68- 2016 -004 — Cross Creek Dairy /Rock Hill Farm: .49 acres grassed waterways (CS)
and .67 acres field borders (CS) totaling $2,744.
R. Tate moved to approve; M. Shambley seconded.
Additional NCACSP discussion included:
NCACSP /CLAP Program Review slated for March 17 -18, 2016
No Till Drill Rental — Pope distributed spreadsheet reflecting the amounts that the drill
has generated year to date.
Community Conservation Assistance Program (CLAP)
G. Hughes reported on new CCAP Applications. Orange SWCD allocation is $6,583.
✓ 68- 2016 -501 — Darryl Riggins: Critical area plantings $565.00 (Ranking: 130 pts)
✓ 68- 2016 -502 — Meaghun Darab: Rain Garden, critical seeding $211.00 (Ranking: 110)
✓ 68- 2016 -503 — Dean Bidgood: Rain garden, stream bank protection $1,630.00
(Ranking: 150)
✓ 68- 2016 -504 - Jeff Michalski: Rain garden, diversion $1,700 (Ranking: 130)
C. Parker moved to blanket approve the above four new applications; M. Shambley seconded.
319 Falls Lake Horse Grant Funds
Request for Payment Approvals from December 29, 2015:
DDB Customs -David Brooks -68- 2016 -050: New Application & Contract: Livestock Exclusion
totaling $307.00. Contract could not be completed due to rain /weather conditions. Contract
could not be extended past December 31, 2015. Original funds were returned to the
State /Division. New Application was approved. Tate moved to approve; Parker seconded.
Contract approved: Tate moved; Parker seconded. Payment was approved. Parker move to
approve; Shambley seconded.
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
B. Bogue reported that 28 applications have been taken for Orange County. There were a variety
of applications submitted. Ranking for these applications was due two weeks ago; waiting to see
which applications were approved for funding
Bogue updated the Board on his schedule. He currently spends his time in other Districts (six
total) as needed. He still tries to split his time between Person, Orange and the remaining four
districts. Employee Bill Woods and Bogue are assisting several districts that have new district &
NRCS employees. Bogue stated that it is uncertain at this time when a permanent NRCS
supervisor will be hired. State Con, Tim Beard, said that it could possibly be up to 6 -8 months.
Position has been sent to Washington, D.C. to be advertised. Long Range Plan for these six
Districts is to have six NRCS full time employees in place.
Educational Update
Pope & Hughes discussed the following:
Pope discussed the Blackwood Farm Educational Trail. With the assistance of Piedmont
Community Conservation Project Manager, two grants were submitted for the trail which
includes Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Sierra Club. Unfortunately, Orange SWCD was not
awarded funds from these two grants. At the December 9, 2015 Board Meeting, the OSWCD
Board approved up to $3,000 from the Patterson Account to begin creating the kiosks needed for
this trail. The Board requested an estimate for costs of materials which Pope provided. Today
the Board approved an additional $2,000. to assist with the art needed for trail signage and the
boardwalk platform over the wetland area. Local Cedar Ridge high school student has agreed to
complete art work as needed. Shambley approved an additional $2,000. be allotted for the
Blackwood Farm Discovery Educational Trail from the Patterson Account; Parker seconded.
Piedmont Envirothon (Area III) will take place on March 22 at Elon University. Volunteers are
needed. See L. Pope for volunteer registration information. The State Envirothon is scheduled
for April 29 -30. Orange SWCD anticipates have 5 teams total competing at the Area
Envirothon,
Orange /Durham SWCD Pond Clinic will be held on Saturday, May 7 at the Orange County
Blackwood Farm. Employees Roberts, Ray and Pope are currently working on fund raising
opportunities for this project along with securing guest speakers, etc.
The Orange SWCD Second Annual Blueberry Plant Sale will be held on Friday, February 26.
An estimated 400 plants are scheduled to be sold to raise funds to send several Orange County
high school students to the Resource Conservation Workshop at NCSU in June, 2016.
Budget and Miscellaneous Discussion
Ag Preservation Board would like to host a complimentary meal to honor VAD /EVAD
participants. G. Hughes stated that a late fall 2016 is being considered at this time. More info is
forthcoming.
G. Hughes discussed Budget. Budget proposals were submitted February 1st. L. Pope provided
the Board with current account balances and expenditures.
Voluntary Ag Program (VAD) Update was presented to the Board by G. Hughes. Total
acreage in program is 8,536 acres in VAD and 1,859 acres in EVAD totaling 10,395 acres in
program at this time.
The Board discussed the possibility of donating Quentin Patterson's photo library to UNC to
archive. UNC would handle on line pictures that are currently archived at the Hillsborough
Historical Museum. A link to UNC website would be easily accessed from our Orange
SWCD /DEAPR webpage. G. Hughes was requested by the Board to provide more details on
this subject in the near future.
With no further discussion, meeting was adjourned.
By: McWr(,kSh�, Secretary /Treasurer