Meade County Resilient Forest Project Improves Land Quality
The final day to apply for consideration for this FY is February 3, 2023.
NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS), Huron, South Dakota (SD), January 4, 2023 – Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project Resilient Forest Landscapes will soon be underway in southwestern Meade County, SD, serving the community and improving land quality. This 3-year project is one of 17 selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and federally-funded through the NRCS conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The purpose of this project is to address overstocked stands of ponderosa pine and will be implemented by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Elk Creek Conservation District, and South Dakota Family Forests Association in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and landowners. Individuals within the project areas are eligible to apply for financial assistance. The final day to apply for consideration for this FY is February 3, 2023.
The NRCS’ conservation specialists and partners are coordinating these projects throughout the state. Through collectively focusing expertise and resources on the highest priority resource concerns in the highest priority areas, CIS projects can yield the most impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. The Resilient Forest Landscapes Project partners with South Dakota DANR to directly benefit forest landowners and southwestern Meade County. Project sponsors identified ‘wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation’ and ‘plant structure and composition’ as resource concern(s) and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“Reducing stand density and potential wildfire intensity in southwestern Meade County is important due to increased urban sprawl in the area. Involving private landowners is a key to the success of the project,” says Valerie Riter, District Conservationist, Sturgis, SD.
To apply to be a part of this project, find and contact your local NRCS Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center, or contact Valerie Riter, District Conservationist, at valerie.riter@usda.gov or (605) 347-4952, Ext. 3016. For more information on the CIS in South Dakota, or if you have ideas for a project, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/south-dakota/south-dakota-conservation, or contact Jeff Vander Wilt, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, at jeffrey.vanderwilt@usda.gov or (605) 352-1226.
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