ACDEA scholarship applications available

The Walker County Soil & Water Conservation District is now accepting applications for a $500.00 scholarship sponsored by the Alabama Conservation District Employees Association. Applicant must be a U. S. citizen, high school senior, and living in the State of Alabama. Applications may be picked up at the District office located in the Carl Elliott Board of Education Building, Suite 207, 1710 Alabama Avenue, Jasper, AL 35501. Deadline to receive completed applications in the District office is March 4, 2011. For more information, or to request an email copy please contact Katherine Patton at (205) 387-1879 or kpattonwalkersoil@gmail.com.

2010 Land judging contest

The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Natural Resource Conservation Service hosted the 2010 annual land judging contest for high school students on October 26th at the farm of Ted Craven located in Parrish. Score cards are completed on four different land uses: cropland, pastureland, forest land and home sites. This event is designed to help the students learn more about land, soil types and capabilities, methods of soil conservation, treatments to obtain higher crop production and the selection of suitable home sites. There were eight schools from Walker, Fayette, Winston, Lawrence and Morgan Counties that participated in this year’s contest. We would like to extend a special thanks to Ted Craven for the use of his farm, District Three Commissioner Ben Huggins and his staff for digging the judging pits and to the Walker County Forestry Planning Committee for providing lunch.

Pictured above right: High individual score L-R: Chris Thrasher-Oakman High School Ag teacher, Daniel Goins-NRCS District Conservationist, James Curtis Tingle, Ted Craven-landowner, Dorman Grace-WCSWC District Chairman.

Pictured above left: Oakman High School 1st place L-R: Daniel Goins-NRCS District Conservationist, Chris Thrasher-Oakman High School Ag Teacher, James Curtis Tingle, Seth Cain, Olivia Chambers, Dustin Miles, Ted Craven-landowner, Dorman Grace-WCSWC District Chairman, not pictured Alex Ray.

Attn: Land Owners/Agricultural Producers

The Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District is accepting cost share applications for the 2011 AACDC program. This program is designed to address soil erosion, forestland and grazing land. The program offers a 75% cost share rate for approved conservation practices. Some popular practices include: cross fencing, pasture planting, pasture improvement, tree planting and livestock water systems. For more information regarding this program please call 387-1879.

Invasive species workshop

There will be an invasive species workshop on October 7, 2010, starting out at the Walker County Lake and ending at the CHS Building in Jasper. There is no registration fee to attend the workshop, however, we are requesting that reservations be made by calling Katherine at (205)387-1879.

For more information please click on the agenda copy or call (205)387-1879.

Please try this at home - How much is your tree worth?

Due to research that was conducted by the U.S. Forest Service there is now a quantifiable value that can be applied to the services provided by trees that are located next to your home or business. You can visit arborday.org/calculator to easily determine the dollar value of the economic and environmental benefits provided by any tree in your yard.

At this new site, enter your zip code, find your tree from the dropdown list, then enter the diameter of your tree and the type of property (residential or commercial).

The results show the overall annual contribution of your tree in dollars. There is also a pie chart breaking this amount into the various services provided such as stormwater retention, energy savings, air quality improvement, CO2 sequestration and property value enhancement. There are also individual tabs that take you to any of these values for additional explanation.

This is only one of the great tools that is provided at the Arbor Day website!

Walker County Selling Your Timber and Timber Tax Seminar

The Walker County Selling Your Timber and Timber Tax Seminar will be held Thursday, August 26, 2010, at The Alabama Cooperative Extension System Building located at 1501North Airport Road, Jasper, AL 35504. There will be 2.0 PLM credit hours for Professional Logging Managers and 2.0 CFE continuing education units for Registered Foresters for attending the seminar. This seminar is being sponsored by: The Walker County Forestry Planning Committee, Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Forestry Commission, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District and The Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Registration & meal will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Timber Tax will be from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Selling Your Timber will be from 7:15 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.

For more information and to register please call Katherine at (205) 387-1879.

2010 State forestry judging contest

Congratulations to Curry High School for placing 3rd in the 2010 state forestry judging contest that was held in Auburn, AL.