Outstanding Conservation Form

Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts OUTSTANDING CONSERVATIONIST AWARD PROGRAM with support from The Farmer magazine

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Purpose: The Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD), with support from The Farmer magazine, offers the MASWCD Outstanding Conservationist Award to recognize individuals, conservation organizations, and others for outstanding accomplishments with implementing conservation practices and improving Minnesota’s natural resources. Recognition will be given for accomplishments between July 1 of last year and June 30 of this year.

Eligibility: . Each SWCD that is a member of MASWCD is eligible to participate by submitting one nominee. . SWCD supervisors and employees, and employees of state and federal agency partners are not eligible for recognition through this program. If you would like to recognize an SWCD supervisor, please consult materials for the MASWCD Outstanding Supervisor Award. If you would like to recognize an SWCD employee, please consult materials for the Outstanding District Employee of the Year Award (administered by the Board of Water & Soil Resources).

Recognition: □ Option 1) submit nominee only for recognition through the PowerPoint presentation that takes place during the Tuesday awards luncheon at the December MASWCD Convention. This is non-competitive; all entries that meet above elgibility requirements and are received by the deadline are accepted. □ Option 2) submit nominee for inclusion in the PowerPoint presentation AND submit them in the competition for the Area and State Outstanding Conservationist Awards. See below for more details.

Option 1: SLIDE SHOW ONLY Option 2: SLIDE SHOW, AREA & STATE AWARD PROGRAM

. If you are submitting your Outstanding . See information at left. Conservationist to be recognized only as your local SWCD’s PLUS… cooperator to be included in the PowerPoint Presentation, . Entries must be typed. and you are not entering them in the Area/State Award . All materials for the Area and State Award program should competition, go to the page entitled “OUTSTANDING be in 8½" x 11" paper format. CONSERVATIONIST DIGITAL PHOTOS & NARRATIVE . Do not include more than two letters of recommendation. INFORMATION;” do not complete the rest of the . PAPER copies of nomination forms & supporting application. material must be received in the MASWCD office no later . Photo & narrative information for all entries must be than August 22 and must be postal mailed to: e-mailed to [email protected] by August 22. MASWCD . A "Certificate of Merit" will be presented to each 790 Cleveland Ave. So., Suite 201 district’s Outstanding Conservationist at the MASWCD St. Paul, MN 55116 Annual Convention in December. . Materials received after August 22 will not be considered. . Districts are responsible for registering and paying for . Please do not send award nomination forms and their Outstanding Conservationists for the Outstanding supporting information via e-mail. Emailed materials will Conservationist Luncheon at the MASWCD Annual not be considered. Convention in December. This luncheon will have reserved . Nominations for the Area and State Award program seating, with a reservation chart available at the will be judged by the MASWCD Awards Committee. convention registration desk. . The SWCDs with Area Finalists will be notified in . District board members and staff are encouraged to writing/e-mail following the committee meeting. be available to their Outstanding Conservationists on-site . Area Finalists will be recognized at the MASWCD at the convention to help guide them through the Annual Convention in December. At that time, the State registration desk and the luncheon award ceremony. Award winner will be announced. . Area Finalists will receive plaques and the State Award winner will receive a framed print. OUTSTANDING CONSERVATIONIST DIGITAL PHOTOS & NARRATIVE INFORMATION

In order to recognize your SWCD’s Outstanding Conservationist during the ceremony at the annual convention, we will need two different digital photos in addition to a description/narrative that will be read as your photos are projected on-screen in the banquet hall.

 The information outlined below must be received by MASWCD no later than AUGUST 22.  We will send you a confirmation message after we receive your e-mailed photos and narrative. o If you do not receive a confirmation message within 5 business days after e-mailing your photos and narrative, please call our office so we can identify the problem and whether the information will need to be sent another way ! (MASWCD phone number is 651-690-9028).

1. DIGITAL PHOTOS E-mail TWO high quality digital photos of your Outstanding Conservationist to: [email protected]  photo file format: JPG  photo file size: the two photos together should be less than 5 MB  photo file name: use your district name and photo number for naming the photo files: for example, for Acme SWCD, files should be named acme1.jpg and acme2.jpg  photo content tips: . use one of the photos as a close-up of the nominee, and the other as an example of the conservation practices . ask the people being photographed not to wear white clothing for the photo . try not to photograph the people in front of a white backdrop  e-mail message subject line: [Acme SWCD] Outstanding Conservationist photos and narrative  e-mail message text: in the body of the e-mail message, include the narrative information requested below

2. NARRATIVE INFORMATION The follwing information must be included in your e-mail message with the photo files:  Name of SWCD  Name(s) of Outstanding Conservationist a) PROPER SPELLING OF THE NAME(S) b) PHONETIC SPELLING OF THE NAME(S) – SPELLING IT AS IT SOUNDS (This is important for correct pronunciation at at the convention)  Outstanding Conservationist Address (street address, city, state, zip)  Narrative – MAXIMUM WORD COUNT 135 WORDS . the narrative is what the moderator will read while photos of your Outstanding Conservationist are up on the screen during the PowerPoint presentation of the award ceremony . the way you write it up will be the way the moderator reads it at the convention, so please use complete sentences, proper grammer and spelling, etc. . make sure the photo descriptions correlate to the correct digital photo file . see the sample on the following page for guidance

EXAMPLE NARRATIVE… Name of District Photo 1 is a Close-up of the Winners. Name of Winner(s) Address (City) of Winner(s) From the Wilkin district, (photo 1) we have Lyle & Lois Picotte (pea-cot) and their Phonetic Spelling son, Lowell, of Wolverton. They operate a grain farm raising wheat, barley, and (spelled like it Type of soybeans and also raise and sell native grass seed. The Picottes have farmed for 42 sounds) Operation years and the farm has been in the family since the 1920s. Over the years, they have planted several windbreaks and buffer strips along Wolverton Creek. (photo 2) The Description of Photo 2 Shows Picottes see first hand the benefits of conservation on their farm. Native grasses and Conservation Conservation trees provide valuable habitat for pheasants and whitetail deer. The Picottes are Measures Used Measures Used good stewards of the land and believe if you don’t take care of your land it won’t (Shown in Photo 2) serve you properly. For office use only SWCD: ______Date Received: ______

Minnesota Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts OUTSTANDING CONSERVATIONIST AREA AND STATE AWARD PROGRAM with support from The Farmer magazine

DEADLINE: AUGUST 22

NOMINATION FORM – Area and State Award Program

The SWCD wishes to nominate the following individual(s):

Nominee Information:

Name Address Telephone Directions for finding location of household (township or other significant identification)

Nominated by:

SWCD MASWCD Area

SWCD: ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES, PLEASE TYPE-IN DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR NOMINEE.

If selected as a finalist, is the nominee willing to be featured in an article in The Farmer magazine? (place a check () next to the appropriate response) Yes No

of 2 I. Participation in the Soil and Water Conservation District’s Programs Cooperation with the SWCD through the following efforts. Please enter a check () next to each category that applies, and type-in a detailed explanation of the nominee’s activities.  A. Forestry Improvement and Establishment (tree and hedge planting & other activities) B. Wind Erosion Practices C. Pasture Improvement and Management (rotational grazing, forage management, variety selection, grazing strategies, other) D. Cropland Management (tillage, soil test, soil types, and other applicable crop strategy) E. Integrated Pest Management (scouting, insect-resistant varieties, rotations used, other) F. Livestock & Manure Management Practices (briefly describe number of livestock, type of livestock, type of enterprise, etc.) G. Buffer Practices (riparian areas, filter strips, other) H. Shoreline stabilization I. Wetland Restoration/Management J. Wildlife Practices K. Other Soil, Water and Forest Conservation Practices

II. Leadership in the community A. Please explain the nominee’s leadership and activities in the community, agencies and organizations (agricultural, environmental, civic, school, church, etc.). B. Please explain the nominee’s farmer, sportsman and conservation relationships and activities (sportsman or conservation organizations, committees, etc.)

III. Special beautification, recreation, conservation and/or education activities not included in previous points.

IV. Summary of your reasons for nominating this person for the award

– end – You may attach supporting information, including two letters of recommendation. All documents need to be 8 ½ by 11”.