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SASWCD HAPPENINGS

Nov 2022 tillage radish for web

Annual Local Work Group meeting, February 2 at 10am at USDA Service Center, 304 North St, Houlton. Are you a landowner, woodland owner, or farmer? Are you interested in applying for NRCS funding to accomplish projects to help conserve your land? Would you like to participate in deciding how this funding is distributed throughout Southern Aroostook? Please join us as we host the annual LWG meeting to discuss prioritizing funding for NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). The meeting is open to the public and is a good time to learn about NRCS cost-share programs and discuss Southern Aroostook's natural resource priorities. Registration is requested but not required. Please call or email SASWCD at 254-4126 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Winter Ag School 2023, The SASWCD has begun planning for our annual Winter Ag School class series to begin March, 2023. If there is a topic that you are interested in that you would like to learn more about, please let us know! Check back here or follow us on Facebook to find up-to-date class information.

Tree and Shrub Sale is now available with a focus this year on a wider variety of trees and shrubs. You may download a pdf of the order form HERE or email SASWCD to request one to be mailed to you. All orders with payment are due at SASWCD by March 16. We believe planting a tree is a small act for the collective good so plant more trees!

Invasive Forest Pests Booth at the Houlton Chamber of Commerce's Southern Aroostook Recreation and Trade Show at Millar Arena April 15 and 16. Come play some corn hole with forest pests beanbags and learn more about how to slow down, look for, and keep out invasives from our treasured woodlands.

GRANT PROJECTS

PROJECT CANOPY GRANT - The SASWCD was awarded a 2020 Project Canopy Grant, a community forestry program of the Maine Forest Service, to conduct a street tree survey in Houlton. The project has been completed with a written report provided to the Town of Houlton that includes recommendations and guidance on future maintenance and tree plantings within the town. Tara King, GIS specialist with NRCS, developed an interactive map of surveyed trees that allows users to glean specific information on the trees. The online map can be accessed at ArcGIS Dashboards. The District has received a new Project Canopy Grant and will begin implementing some tree planting in the town in 2023. Like SASWCD's Facebook page to learn about this planting project.

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About Soil and Water Conservation Districts:

Soil and Water Conservation Districts work as the grass roots connection between local, state and federal agencies and producers and have done so since 1935, when Congress agreed to a Soil Conservation Service after spending an afternoon in session with skies darkened by soil particles blown in from the Great Plains. The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District became recognized under Maine State Law in January of 1942. Since then, the SASWCD has grown from working with farmers as conservation "cooperators" to include all landowners.

Education for all landowners is an important part of our work. Check out listings under "Education" and "Fundraising" to see what is happening this fall in Southern Aroostook.