Winkelman Natural Resource Conservation District

The Lower San Pedro Initiative Committee will meet Friday, March 28, at the General Kearny Inn in Kearny at 10:00. Please see the attached agenda for more information.

Agenda 3.28.2014

Arizona Section SRM Director South Workshop.pdf

The Winkelman Natural Resource Conservation District will hold a Supervisor Election on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at the Dudleyville Multi-Generational Center in Dudleyville, Arizona, from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The District is soliciting petitions for supervisor candidates.

There are two seats open for this election: a new 6-year term and an unexpired 4-year term. To be eligible, a candidate must be 18 years of age, a resident of the District, a registered voter in the State of Arizona, and have a Cooperator Agreement on file with the Winkelman Natural Resource Conservation District.

Each regular nomination petition requires the signatures of 25 district cooperators. Write-in nomination petitions do not require signatures.

Write-in nomination petitions must be filed by March 25.
Regular nomination petitions must be filed by April 24.

Please send all required forms and proof of eligibility to

NRCD Manager
Arizona State Land Department
1616 W. Adams
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Write-in Nomination Form

Nomination New Six Year Elective Term

Write-in Unexpired Elected Term

Nomination Unexpired Elected Term

25 Cooperator Signatures Form

Cooperator Agreement

Here’s a message we received today from Katie Reeves, Executive Secretary for the Arizona Association of NRCDs:

The State Association has asked that this information be delivered to the NRCD Supervisors, Staff, Volunteers, and Cooperators as soon as possible. Included below are the status updates of important legislation that the AZ NRCD’s need to be aware of. Please note that some of the items require action, and we are requesting that everyone contact their Legislators in support of the listed bills. Please let me know if you have any questions, or need help contacting your Legislators.

SB 1167-NRCD Funding, is stalled in the Senate. Senate President and chairman of the Rules Committee, Andy Biggs won’t hear it in Rules. The bill will only remove the funding cap on the Districts, but he mistakenly thinks it will automatically increase spending. We are trying to get it on the floor as an amendment to another bill. If that happens, it will then go to the House.

SB 1214-NRCD Special Expertise, passed the Senate and has been heard in the House Natural Resources Committee. Will go to Rules next. Since there is no effect on the budget, it is expected to pass. Representative Pratt has said he will make sure it comes to the Floor.

HB 2342-State Forester Health Management, this wasn’t on our radar. It funds wildland clearing and forest thinning. Mandate $1.8 million per year from general fund. Also tells the State Forester to work with other agencies, including NRCDs as partners to plan and find additional funds for thinning. Passed the House and has had a 1st and 2nd reading in the Senate. Since it is a supplemental funding bill it could face the same fate as SB 1167 in Rules.

SB 1292-Arizona Resource Advisory Council, Establishes an AZ RAC as an advisory body to the BLM and other federal land management agencies, outlines membership and duties. The Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker each appoint several members according to certain criteria. They each can appoint a member who represents either a national or regional environmental or conservation organization. Passed the Senate and House.

Below is the legislature’s summary of the SB 1292.

House of Representatives

SB 1292

Arizona resource advisory council

Sponsor: Senator Griffin

Overview
SB 1292 establishes the Arizona Resource Advisory Council (Council).

History

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) formed 29 Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) in the western states to provide advice on the management of public lands and resources. RAC recommendations address all public land issues, including: land use planning, recreation, noxious weeds, and wild horse and burro herd management areas. These federal RACs generally consist of citizens from the following three backgrounds: commercial and commodity interests, environmental and historical groups, and state and local government, Indian tribes, and the public at large.
The Department of the Interior and BLM established an RAC for Arizona under Section 309 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The Arizona RAC is required to serve in an advisory capacity concerning the planning and management of the public land resources located within the state of Arizona.

Provisions

Council Members
· Establishes the Council with the following members:
Ø Three persons appointed by the governor, one of whom is a member of the federal RAC, and who either:
i. Holds a federal grazing permit or lease within this state;
ii. Represents interests associated with transportation or rights-of-way;
iii. Represents the commercial timber industry; or
iv. Represents the mineral or energy development industry.
Ø Two persons, one each appointed by the president of the Senate (President) and the speaker of the House of Representatives (Speaker) who either:
i. Holds a federal grazing permit or lease within this state;
ii. Represents interests associated with transportation or rights-of-way;
iii. Represents the commercial timber industry; or
iv. Represents the mineral or energy development industry.
Ø One person appointed by the governor who either:
i. Represents a nationally or regionally recognized environmental or conservation organization;
ii. Represents dispersed recreational activity interests;
iii. Represents archaeological or historical interests; or
iv. Represents a nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest group.
Ø A person who is employed by the State Land Department or the Department of Water Resources and who is appointed by the governor.
Ø Two persons, one each appointed by the President and the Speaker who either:
i. Represents dispersed recreational activity interests;
ii. Represents archaeological or historical interests; or
iii. Represents a nationally or regionally recognized wild horse and burro interest group.
Ø Two persons, one each appointed by the President and the Speaker who represents a nationally or regionally recognized environmental or conservation organization.
Ø A person who holds state, county or local elected office and who is appointed by the President.
Ø A person who is a professor at a university in Arizona, who specializes in natural resource management or natural sciences and who is appointed by the President.
Ø A person who represents Indian tribes in Arizona and who is appointed by the Speaker.
Ø A public member who is appointed by the Speaker.
Council Requirements; Restrictions and Responsibilities
· Requires the Council to elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson each calendar year.
· Stipulates that the initial Council members must assign themselves by lot to terms of one, two and three year terms.
Ø All subsequent members serve three-year terms.
Ø The chairperson must notify the appointing authority on appointment of these terms.
· Specifies

that Council members are not eligible for compensation but are eligible for reimbursement of expenses pursuant to statute.
· Prohibits

Council members from participating in any specific matter with the BLM in which the member has a direct financial interest.
· Authorizes

the chairperson of the Council to establish subcommittees for the purpose of compiling information or conducting research.
· Requires the Council to assume the following responsibilities:
Ø Act as an advisory body regarding the planning and management of federal land resources in Arizona;
Ø Develop

recommendations regarding land use planning, classification and retention, the management and disposal of federal lands within Arizona and any other matter on the request of the governor, President, Speaker or the state land commissioner; and
Ø Submit an annual report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, President and Speaker on or before December 31 and provide of copy of this report to the secretary of state.
Miscellaneous
· Provides a sunset date of January 1, 2024 for the Council.
· Repeals the Act on January 1, 2025.
· Contains

a purpose statement providing that the Legislature establish the Council to advise BLM and other federal land management agencies on the planning and management of federal land resources in Arizona.

WASHINGTON, D.C.– March 20, 2014–In letters to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees, National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) President Earl Garber outlined NACD’s appropriations priorities for critical conservation programs, including Conservation Technical Assistance, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and Watershed Rehabilitation.

NACD supports President Obama’s 2015 budget of $815 million as a base for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Operations (CO) account in the Fiscal Year 2015 Agriculture Appropriations Bill. The Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program, part of the CO account administered by NRCS, supports critical, voluntary conservation practices to ensure quality water, productive land and other vital environmental benefits. Additionally, NACD requests that no funds be spent on the implementation of user fees for CTA provided through NRCS.

“User fees will discourage producers from implementing critical conservation practices at a time when they have the heavy burden of meeting the demand of a growing population,” said Garber. “This will ultimately take a toll on our nation’s natural resource base, when as we know, the cost of repair is always greater that the cost of proactive maintenance in the first place.”

For the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), NACD supports leaving the Fiscal Year 2015 funding level at $1.6 billion as allocated in the Agriculture Act of 2014. For the Watershed Rehabilitation program, NACD is urging Congress to support and preserve the gains made in the 2014 Farm Bill. While the Administration’s budget proposes no funding for Watershed Rehabilitation, the 2014 Farm Bill provides $250 million for rehabilitation of aging high hazard flood control dams constructed with the assistance of the NRCS Watershed Program. The current Watershed Program funding in the Farm Bill has put NRCS on the path toward a higher level of project implementation.

NACD also supports Interior Subcommittee Appropriations requests in the President’s 2015 budget, including $165 million for the Clean Water Act Section 319 program, a grant program to assist in mitigating nonpoint source pollution, as well as the President’s 2015 request of $229 million for State and Private Forestry programs administered by the USDA Forest Service.

“Successful conservation requires a strong public-private partnership,” said Garber. “Efforts begin at the local level, with technical assistance and funding from federal, state and local governments and the private sector.”

NACD members will be discussing these and other conservation priorities at the upcoming Spring Fly-in, March 25 and 26 in Washington, D.C.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will be holding several workshops throughout Arizona to inform stakeholders of the Water Quality Improvement Grant (WQIG) Program. With approximately 1 million dollars of available funding during each grant cycle, the WQIGs are used to implement on-the-ground projects that will reduce nonpoint source pollution to the impaired waters of Arizona. These grants are available to a wide-range of individuals and groups. To find out more about your eligibilty or to discusss a project idea, please plan to attend one of the upcoming workshops.

April 1, 2014 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tombstone, AZ

Tombstone Territories RV Resort
2111 E. Highway 82

April 3, 2014 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Safford, AZ0

Bureau of Land Management- Aravaipa Room
711 S. 14th Ave

April 8, 2014 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Springerville, AZ

Apache Sitgreaves National Forests Headquarters
30 S. Chiricahua Trail

April 10, 2014 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Webinar-Online Only

If you are interested in attending a grant workshop, please RSVP to Grant and Watershed Coordinator Samuel “Jake” Breedlove either via phone at (602) 771-4243 or, toll free, (800) 234-5677, Ext. 771-4243; or via e-mail at sb12.

Workshops with fewer than 5 RSVPs will be cancelled or rescheduled. We can only contact those who RSVP to notify them of workshop schedule changes.

To register for the April 10th webinar, please contact Samuel “Jake” Breedlove for further details. A limited number of log-ins will be provided for the webinar.

The mission of ANNIES is to develop and deliver an effective and efficient risk management educational program.

The purpose is to empower women farmers and ranchers to be better business owners and partners through networks and by managing and organizing critical information.

Women who participate in Annie’s Project are empowered to become better business partners and owners by managing agricultural risks and bringing greater financial security and well being to their families.  Farms, ranches and communities are sustained through more vibrant rural economies, improved natural resource conservation and enhanced food security.

The first session of Annie’s Project – Series 2 will be held at the Arizona Farm Bureau in Gilbert.

The session dates are as follows:
Sessions
 

# 1       March, 27      8:00 am to 4:30 pm  
# 2       April 17          8:00 am to 4:30 pm
# 3       May 15           8:00 am to 4:40 pm

All sessions include lunch.
Fee:    $100   (pays for the 3 session series)
Location:

Arizona Farm Bureau
325 S Higley Rd
Gilbert, AZ 85296

To register or ask for more information, call Peggy Jo Goodfellow at 480-635-3609 or email peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org

The Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition has posted the following update on their site

http://www.governorswindenergycoalition.org/?p=8115

We’ll keep an eye out for the actual MIT study to be posted. Please contact the clerk if you find the study anywhere and we’ll post a link.

Selected video clips from the 2014 NACD Annual Meeting are now available online.

Videos include the President’s Address, CEO Report, NRCS Chief Jason Weller, and more from Monday and Tuesday’s General Sessions.

To view news, photos and other resources from this year’s Annual Meeting, click here.

The Graham County Farm Home and Ranch Day (flyer attached) will be held on March 6th. Sharma Hammond Torrens, Land & Water Program Manager for the Arizona Land and Water Trust says, "In case anyone from your area would be interested in driving to Graham County, we will be going over the Estate Planning/Business Succession topic again."

FARM HOME RANCH DAY 2014.pdf