MASWCD South Central Area 6 Serving the 11 SWCD’s in South Central Minnesota Renville, McLeod, Sibley, Nicollet, Le Sueur, Brown, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Waseca, Martin, Faribault OFFICERS Director Mark Schnobrich 24209 Unit Ave Hutchinson, MN 55350 320-583-1460 [email protected] McLeod SWCD Co-Director Bob Nielsen 19336 331st Ave Green Isle, MN 55338 507-326-5695 South Central Area 6 Fall Meeting Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Courtland Community Center, 300 Railroad Street, Courtland, MN 55021 9:00 am Registration 9:30 am Call to order, Pledge, Roll call, Agenda, Minutes 9:40 am MASWCD Legislative Committee Report – Dr. Kathryn Kelly, Renville SWCD MASWCD Resolution Committee Report – Greg Roiger, Brown SWCD 10:00am Nutrient Reduction Strategy: David Wall, MPCA Watershed Division Minnesota’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy was recently completed and will guide the state in reducing excess nitrogen and phosphorus in waters. Fundamental elements of the strategy include: nutrient sources, clear goals, accounting for recent progress, prioritizing solutions, supporting local planning and implementation, and improving tracking and accountability. Successful implementation of the strategy will require broad support, coordination, and collaboration among agencies, academia, local government, private industry, and citizens. This session will also provide an overview of strategies outlined in the report that include tile drainage water treatment and storage, tillage practices, cover crops and perennials for riparian zones, and fertilizer use efficiencies to name a few. Sibley SWCD Secretary/Treasurer Wayne Grams 24799 501 Ave Winthrop, MN 55396 218-341-3406 [email protected] Sibley SWCD MASWCD South Central Area 6’s purpose is to provide for education, communication, cooperation, and coordination between and among its member districts and affiliated partners, in order that the quality of the natural resources and environment within the member districts jurisdiction and MASWCD as a whole, will be maintained and improved to the greatest possible extent. 10:30am SWCD Conservation Fee Proposal: Doug Thomas, BWSR Acting Assistant Director The MASWCD leadership is seeking legislative authority for SWCDs to raise their own revenue through one or more new mechanisms. The proposed funding recommendations provide districts with options, including a conservation fee concept. This session will provide an overview of the fee recommendations and how it could work for SWCD operations and conservation projects. 11:00 am Technical Service Area 6 and GIS Services: Zach Braun, South Central TSA As natural resource professionals, SWCDs will rely on the analytical power of GIS for help in making critical decisions as we manage Minnesota’s natural resources. This session will provide an overview of GIS application and how this work will assist in the implementation of SWCD conservation practices in the South Central MASWCD area. REMINDER: MASWCD Convention Dec. 7 to Dec. 9 DoubleTree Hotel Bloomington 12:00 noon Lunch - an opportunity for SWCD officials to network with peers and partners 1:00 pm Technical Service Area 6 Strategic Discussion facilitators: BWSR Board Conservationists Chris Hughes and Adam Beilke – Specialized conservation programs, retiring SWCD staff and future budget constraints will impact the local field office. All these factors may lead to the increased need for SWCDs to share resource management staffing expertise. This session will provide a forum for strategic discussion and an opportunity for SWCDs to provide input on the conservation delivery system along with what you envision the future SWCD shared serves needs to be. Time will be spent discussing a number of questions that will touch on topics such as mission, growing workload and specialized services that could be shared. 2:30 pm Adjournment Director’s closing remarks, Upcoming Meetings: MASWCD Annual Convention December 7 – 9, 2014, DoubleTree Hotel Bloomington Area 6 Spring Meeting ?????, 2015