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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

OTSEGO COUNTY SWCD BOARD MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 20, 2019

Members Present: Staff Present: Les Rathbun, Chair, Grange Rep. Jordan Clements, District Mgr. Meg Kennedy, Vice Chair, Cty. Rep. Sherry Mosher, District Secretary Roseboom Sr, Farm Bureau Michelle Farwell, Cty. Rep.

Absent: Ed Lentz, Member @ Large Doris Moennich, Land owner

Guest: None I. -Les called the meeting to order @ 10:00 am.

II. –Approval of May Minutes, motion to approve made by Michelle, seconded by Meg, seconded by Larry.

III. -Approval of May treasurer report, motion to approve made by Michelle, seconded by Larry. - Approval of paid bills, motion to approve made by Meg, seconded by Larry.

IV. – District Reports: Sherry -Sherry stated that she opened a new checking account for Part C funds only, allowing separate designated line item names with their balances. -The new credit cards arrived for Mark & Jessica. -Sherry asked the board for approval to attend a 2 day QuickBooks training in Albany for the updated QuickBooks pro 2019, a motion was made to approve by Larry and 2nd by Michelle, motion carried.

-District Reports: Jordan: -Jordan stated that he would like a resolution to apply for the NRCS CIG grant (Conservation Innovation Grant). The federal grant would be getting money for implementing cover crops with a self-propelled sprayer, renting a helicopter, a no till seeder. The District will be submitting 5 grants for round 25 Ag Non-Point Source, which include the following: 1-Butternut Creek Mortality Composting & Buffer Project 2-Lower Butternut Creek Conservation Crop Rotation & Buffer 3-Otsego Rotational Grazing & Buffer Project 4-Upper Susquehanna Manure Storage & Buffer Project 5-Otsego County Tire Cutter Program

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

A motion for approval was made by Michelle and 2nd by Meg, motion carried.

-Jordan reported that the District received 12 applications for the Community Conservation mini grants (CCMGP). All 12 applicants were reviewed, rated & approved. - The grant funding did not expend all funds. The remaining $3,000 will be rolled into next year’s CCMGP grant round 2.

-Jordan reviewed the 2020 proposed budget with the board members. Jordan asked for a resolution for the board to support the proposed budget, approval was made by Meg and 2nd by Larry, motion carried.

-Please see attached reports.

V.- NRCS:

No report. VI. – FSA:

No report.

A motion was made by Meg and 2nd by Michelle to adjourn regular session & enter into executive session to discuss personnel matters @ 11:50 am. Out of executive session & into regular session @ 12:27 pm. Meeting adjourned at 12:27 pm.

No further business.

Respectfully submitted,

Sherry Mosher

District Secretary

Next meeting: Thursday July 18, 2019 Finance mtg-9:30 Regular mtg-10:00

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

Mark Kugler Stream Technician May-June Monthly Report

Week of 5/20

• Finished planting Young buffer, and planted Grabo buffer • NYS Envirothon

Week of 5/27

• Researched potential grants for stream restoration • Studied for drone certification • OCCA and USDA conference calls • Site visits • Wrote buffer article for USC

Week of 6/3

• Planning for Source Water Buffer Program and Buffer Walk

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 • Conference call with Ag and Markets and OLT • Sexual Harassment Prevention Training • USC buffer steward training • Site visits • Buffer Walk

Week of 6/10

• Out sick Monday and Tuesday • Picked up weed whacker from USC in Owego • Site visits (Shaheed and Town of Hartwick) • Contacted DEC for site visits in Town of Hartwick

Week of 6/17

• Stream monitoring, and picked up chemicals from OCCA • Site visits • Created maps for DEC (Town of Hartwick projects) • Aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling () • Studied for drone certification

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

Karl Giroux District Conservation Technician Board Report

AEM:

Worked on several Ag Non Point Source grants

Gathered information from NRCS EQIP files

Created many maps from scratch for AGNPS grant submittals

Assisted with creating application and rank form for AEM Implementation Round 1 money

Assisted with construction check survey with NRCS employee

CIG:

• Attended informational CIG webinar

• Requested multiple quotes for tire cutters

• Requested multiple quotes for self-propelled sprayers (inter-seeder)

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 • Conversed with DEC Division of Air Resources to determine if we could purchase and operate a livestock

incinerator

• Requested quotes for livestock incinerator

Riparian Forest Buffers:

• Worked with our interns to plant and maintain buffers

• Checked and recorded survival data for several buffers

Ag Assessments:

• Completed approximately 3-4 ag assessments

Miscellaneous:

• Assisted Stream Technician with Macro invertebrate sampling

• Provided mechanic service on some SWCD equipment

• Coordinated post pounder rental

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

JUNE MEETING

• Grant Opportunities: A. Ag Non-Point Source (Ag & Markets): 1. Otsego County Buffer Project II A. A few designs have been completed and a few of the buffers have been planted. The remaining participating farms will be planted next spring. 2. Lower Wharton Creek Heavy Use Area Protection & Buffer Project A. Buffer was planted a few weeks ago. Covered barnyard is complete. Waiting to have a buckwall and floor poured. Once that is finished the project will be complete, 3. Upper Schenevus Watershed Prescribed Grazing & Buffer Project A. Project is nearly 90% done and should be completed in the next couple of weeks depending on weather. 4. Starting to put together (Plan) for round 25. Due in July. Currently have 7 grant applications that my staff are working on to submit.

B. Climate Resiliency Grant (Ag & Markets): 1. RFP came out in February. Due on May 13. 2. Submitted 3 applications. 3. Grant has $3.5 million available for three categories; Cover and Flairs, Stream restoration, cover crops.

C. Upper Susquehanna Coalition RCPP: (NRCS Funds)

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 1. Submitted two applications in the second round of RCPP program. The District should know if the applications receive funding late spring early summer. 2. Working on application through USC for an intern to work out of our office to do site checks and maintenance on existing planted forested buffers.

D. NYSDEC AIS Grant 1. Teaming with OCCA to provide a emergency response team to invasive species within Otsego County. 2. Also teaming with OCCA to try and eradicate invasive species within our existing forested buffers.

E. NRCS CIG Grant (Conservation innovation grant) 1. Two opportunities (Federally and State) 2. Federal Grant is going after monies for cover crops and machinery 3. State level federal grant is going after a cow incinerator. Farmer having issues dealing with down and dead cows.

• Ag & Farmland Protection Committee : A. Moving forward with monthly meetings.

• Ag Plastics : A. Working on trying to secure a buyer for plastic. Currently working with Montgomery County SWCD to try and team up with their buyer of plastic. Company is out of Alabama.

F. Emergency Services: 1. Working with Bob Satriano to place 20-22 flood gauges throughout the county. 2. Trying to find funding for flood gps gauges or camera gauges.

G. Highway Calibration Class: 1. Working with NYSDOT to provide a class in October to teach highway superintendents how to properly calibrate sanders.

H. Buffer Operation & Maintenance: 1. We have contracted with the USC to maintain 125 acres of buffers this summer. 2. Two interns: Olivia Kuss & Skyler Gerard

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 3. Checking on tree survival rates. Invasive species removal and vegetation management.

I. Hydroseeding: 1. 20 loads between: Cherry Valley, Edmeston, Worcester

May 17th, 2019 – June 20th, 2019

Conservation Technician Report

Jessica Miller

RCPP

• Working with USC and producer to update RCPP Plan for prescribed grazing and livestock watering system.

AEM

• Attended USC online tool training for Ag BMP data entry. • Completed Tier 2 for Grown and Certified in NY application. • Working on Ag Non-Point source grants round 25. • Working on AEM Implementation Round 1: Water Quality application and ranking.

Miscellaneous

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 • Conservation Innovation Grant research and webinars for state and national. • GIS Mapping for customers. • $500 Leatherstocking Envirothon grant completion form. • Attended Soil Health & Sustainability for Field Staff June 18th-June 20th at Morrisville State College for NRCS Certified Conservation Planner.

May 2019 Forestry Report

Timber Sales

Throughout the month of May our logger has been working on completing the timber harvest at Dozen Dads County Forest. During this process I worked with him to processing his payments and ensuring that the contract was being followed. He has finished the job and I did a final walk through and approved the clean up job that he did. The logger has paid in full and his security bond has been returned.

I have started to mark a new sale in Middlefield on reforestation area #6. It is in an area that I have already finished inventorying, and that section of the management plan has been completed. This sale is focusing on harvesting overstocked hardwood stands that have mature white ash. The ash is being proactively harvested to retain its value before it is infected by the emerald ash borer. This sale will need to be treated with herbicide so the sale must be purchased before the end of the growing season. It is my goal to have the sale marked and sent

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4 out by the end of June but if timber markets do not improve it may be better to hold off until prices increase.

Forest Inventory

My goal to complete the inventory on Reforestation Area #6 Unit #3 by the end of May was met and I am now working on finishing the final Unit of this property. It is my current goal to have this section completed by the end of June. Completing this goal would mean that more acres of forest were inventoried this year than all of last year.

Forest Management Plan

I have actively been working on writing the management plan for Reforestation area #6 as I have been completing inventory. In May I completed the stand reports for Unit #2 and I am currently working on Unit #3. It is my hope to have this Management plan published by early July.

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT

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Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District 967 CO HWY 33 – RIVER ROAD – COOPERSTOWN, NEW YORK 13326-9222 – PHONE (607) 547-8337 ext. 4

Outreach

In May I had the opportunity to volunteer at the New York State Envirothon. This was a two day event in which I assisted event staff with setting up and proctoring exams as well as setting up and breaking down tents and displays. Volunteering at this event gave me the opportunity to meet district staff from across the state and talk to students about forestry and forestry career paths.

Working Woodlands

The County attorney has reviewed the contract and documents needed for the working woodlands program enrollment. It appears that there are other counties going through the same process but nobody has actually finished enrollment because there is a legal question that needs to be answered. We and the Nature conservancy are not sure if it is legal to put a County reforestation area in a conservation easement. Our attorney is currently looking into this matter and so is the representative from the Nature Conservancy.

CONSERVATION- DEVELOPMENT- SELF-GOVERNMENT