District Report - 2006
The District held its annual banquet in Sherman. Awards were presented to Cummings Farms of Sherman as the Conservation Farmer of Year, Debbie Melvin as the Conservation Educator of the Year, John Qualey was presented a Diversified Farmer Award and Frank Landry and Sons was named as an Outstanding Conservation Contractor. Andrea Newman was also recognized for her many years of service to the District.
On Saturday May 13th, the SASWCD coordinated and hosted an Arbor Day Celebration with the Maine Forest Service and Irving Woodlands. Over 100 people participated in the softwood seedling give away in front of Houlton's Shop and Save.
Successfully implemented Phase III of an erosion control project on the North Shore of Drew's Lake.
On July 18th, the SASWCD worked with the Maine Forest Service to put on a workshop for GPS and GIS. The Northern Maine Chapter of Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, St. John Aroostook RC & D and Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District were vital partners in this day long seminar.
Continued work on a joint project with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to implement a component of the Watershed Initiative Grant featuring mulching and winter cover crop application. 20 farmers and over 3,800 acres of cropland were enrolled in the program in 2006.
The SASWCD set up a Natural Resources Field Day at the Bird Farm in Houlton on August 10th. Several organization participated, the UMaine Cooperative Extension, Aroostook Riders ATV Club, Maine Forest Service and Region II School of Applied Technology, Stantec Consulting, NRCS-ARS, Sea & C Consulting, RC & D, IF & W and NRCS. The field day was a cooperative effort with these organizations and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. Various topics were addressed, such as Winter Cover and Mulching, ATV Safety and Stream Protection, Live Cut-to-Length Timber Harvesting, Storm Water Management, Rain Simulation and Soil Quality Analysis. There were 50-60 people attending and WAGM TV covered the event.
On September 5th, the District correlated an evening seminar on the Conservation Security Program from NRCS for local farmers. Twelve people attended the seminar.
Conducted a fall tour featuring BMP work at Drew's Lake and Watershed Initiative trials at numerous farms through out the area. The tour also took a look at Low Impact Tree Harvesting Technique from Prentiss and Carlisle's operation and an EQIP site with a heavy use area and waste storage facility. As a follow up to the field day in August, the tour covered the trial sites at the Bird Farm from the Mulching and Winter Cover Program and took a look at how Jimmy Creek was improving since the Aroostook Riders repaired the Creek and trails in that area. The tour ended at the new pedestrian bridge in downtown Houlton.
The SASWCD annual calendar went through a major "make-over". For over 40 years the District has done "Barn Calendars" the exemplified the project currently going on. It was decided by the board of directors that a change was necessary for the calendars. We went with a desktop style calendar with pictures of local children in various agricultural settings. The District also decided to sell the calendars and use the proceeds for a Tangle Wood 4-H camp scholarship.
Worked OWL and the Watershed Coalition for a crafts seminar at Houlton Regiona Hospital in December. We worked on wreaths, ginger bread houses and other crafts emphasizing the use of products found in nature. The pariticipation from parents and children was overwhelming.