NEWS
New Cost Share Opportunity
New cost share opportunity for pasture and hay land planting! Call the West Pottawattamie NRCS Service Station at (712) 328 - 2489 or stop by the office for more information!
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Deadline for applications is April 5th, 2024!
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West Pottawattamie SWCD 2024 Conservation Scholarship Winners
Congratulations to our 2024 West Pottawattamie SWCD Conservation Scholarship Winners, Sterling Angeroth, Matthew Eikenberry, Rachel Gross, and Will Tiarks!
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Sterling will be graduating from Abraham Lincoln High School this Spring and is the recipient of our $500 District Conservation Scholarship. Sterling plans to attend Dralke University to pursue a degree in environmental sustainability and non-profit management. Congratulations Sterling!!
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Matthew will be graduating from Tri-Center this Spring and is the recipient of a $250 District Scholarship. Matthew plans to attend Iowa State University to earn a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and minor in ag. business. Congratulations Matthew!
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Rachel will also be graduating from Tri-Center this Spring and is the recipient of a $250 District Scholarship. Rachel will be pursuing a degree in animal science and aspires to have her own farm. Congratulations Rachel!
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Will, will be graduating from Underwood High School this Spring and is the recipient of a $250 District Scholarship. Will plans to pursue a degree in animal science specifying in production management. Congratulations Will!
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Thank you to all of our scholarship winners for applying, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
CDI Conservation Scholarship
We are now accepting applications for our CDI Conservation Scholarship.
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If you, or someone you know, is a high school senior class of 2024, and is planning on perusing a field of study in Conservation and/or Agriculture, please consider applying.
Students have a chance to be awarded a $500 scholarship at the district level, and scholarships up to $3,000 if they are chosen to move on to regional and state level.
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For more information see the attachments to this post, or email our Education Coordinator, Laura Monson, at swcdeducation@gmail.com. Applications can be sent to that email, as well as printed and brought into the Council Bluffs NRCS Field Office. Applications due, February 9th, 2024.
Women Land and Legacy December 2023 Newsletter
The December 2023 Women, Land and Legacy Newsletter has been released!
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In this month's edition you will find reflections on the past twenty years of WLL, messages from the WLL State Team members, the revised WLL Value Statement, and a Thank You to all of those who have made WLL a success for 20 years!
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To read the December 2023 WLL Newsletter
This month, we're celebrating "No-Till November" here at the NRCS and the SWCD. During the month of November we'll be encouraging farmers and ranchers to keep the stubble and give their farm a more rugged, natural look.
Soil is like the skin of the farm: it's a nourishing barrier for what grows above and beneath. But whereas a shaving razor stops at the surface of the skin, tillage rips into the soil and can inflict harm.
No-Till improves soil health by not disturbing soil microbiology. Beneficial soil microbes are essential for growing food, fiber, and fuel.
Still not convinced to #keepthestubble? No-till saves time, money (fuel) and wear on equipment. It's an economically, and environmentally, sound choice.
It's Finally No-Till November!
Women Land and Legacy October 2023 Newsletter
The October 2023 Women, Land and Legacy Newsletter has been released!
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In this month's edition you can read about the two newest chapters of WLL, meet the WLL State Team Members, how women in Iowa are leading farmland conservation efforts, and upcoming opportunities to get involved with Women Land and Legacy.
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To read the October 2023 WLL Newsletter
Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Quarterly Report
July-September 2023
New record of the Northern Flower Moth!
Take a look at the most recent (July-Sept 2023) Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Quarterly Report, from our Wildlife Biologist Tabitha Panas!
She writes: "This past quarter, I had the opportunity to help landowners plan for CRP to be implemented next year, and plan other habitat improvement practices through programs like EQIP and CSP. Landowners are able to apply for funding for activities like timber stand improvement, native grass and wildflower plantings, and prescribed fire. USDA has a large amount of funding available, and our batching deadline for landowners to apply is November 3rd.
Managing our woodlands and grasslands so that they have a high diversity in plant species, ensures that..."
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To read more about what Tabitha has been up to
The History of the Original Government Survey of Pottawattamie County
Maps and Survey Notes of Original Government Survey of Pottawattamie County, Iowa: Prepared by George M. Hilton.
The original government survey of Pottawattamie County, Iowa was made by contract surveyors in the years 1851 and 1852. Twelve Deputy Surveyors were employed to do the work. The procedure uniformly followed by the Deputy Surveyors and their parties working in Pottawattamie County, was in conformity with the laws of the United States and with the instructions issued to them by George B. Sargent, Surveyor General of the United States for Wisconsin and Iowa....
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Read on to discover more about the history of surveying!
Opportunities Available for Farmers and Landowners to Create or Enhance Wildlife Habitat on Private Lands!
With a November 3rd application deadline right around the corner, Pottawattamie USDA Service Center would like to remind farmers and landowners of the significant funding opportunities within NRCS's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to establish high-quality habitat for wildlife.
EQIP offers landowners an opportunity to receive a one-time incentive payment to install a wide array of conservation practices that can not only improve soil health and water quality but also create and improve wildlife habitat. Diverse, native habitat is critically important to sustaining healthy populations of wildlife species ranging from monarch butterflies and native bees to game species like pheasant and white-tailed deer.
A few examples of conservation activities available under this program include establishing native prairie, filter strips, contour buffer strips, edge-feathering along timber, planting trees and shrubs, removing undesirable woody brush, or invasive species removal. Other practices available aim to improve the productivity of your cropland by using no-till and cover crops.
Local USDA field office staff can assist landowners and producers with their habitat project every step of the way, for a variety of goals including creating habitat for pollinators, helping reduce erosion, increasing soil health, controlling invasive species, providing quality forage for livestock and making agricultural operations more resilient and productive.
Applications for the EQIP are accepted on a continuous basis, but the cutoff for this current round of funding is November 3rd, 2023.
For more information about EQIP and other assistance available through the USDA Service Center, contact your local Pheasants Forever Biologist, Tabitha Panas at (402) 506-0101 or by e-mail: tpanas@pheasantsforever.org or contact your local USDA Service Center.
"The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand our collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Through RCPP, NRCS seeks to... implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements...." USDA
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Eligible practices within this new opportunity include: Cover crops, denitrifying bioreactors, grade stabilization structures, streambank and shoreline protection, and terraces.
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For more information about conservation planning and financial assistance, please contact your local NRCS office. Or,
New Cost Share Opportunities in the West Nishnabotna Watershed!
Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Quarterly Report
April - June 2023
Take a look at the newest Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist report to find out what our wildlife biologist, Tabitha Panas, has been up to!
She writes: "April through June of this year has been fantastically busy and fun. I was able to get out into the field quite a bit, meeting with landowners that have new and establishing grassland seedings through various programs like CRP, EQIP, or Prairie Partners. Native seedings take a few years to get established, and I have noticed a trend that landowners planting grassland......
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To read on...
Women Land and Legacy July 2023 Newsletter
The July 2023 Women, Land and Legacy Newsletter has been released!
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In this month's edition you can read about WLL's plan to guide the next five years, the 2023 Iowa Women in Agriculture Conference, the WLL State Team Members, women-led organizations that serve to empower Iowa female farm/ land owners.
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If you'd like to read the July 2023 WLL Newsletter
click !
2022 Annual Report
The West Pottawattamie 2022 Annual Report is Now available! With offices open since last spring we have seen a lot more interest in conservation programs. A district Education Coordinator was also hired for both East and West Pottawatattamie SWCDs in 2022 with hopes of providing more education and outreach within the County.
Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Quarterly Report January - March 2023
Take a look at the newest Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist report to find out what our wildlife biologist, Tabitha Panas, has been up to!
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"Spring is in the air and folk are bust planning for the next growing season. I have been working with who will not only be planting crops, but also planting habitat in the Conservation Reserve Program in the upcoming months. The most popular CRP practices I am seeing are native seeding filterstrips and other upland bird habitat practices that....
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To read on...
The February 2023 Women, Land & Legacy Newsletter has been released! In this month's edition you can read about the newest WLL chapter, who the WLL state team members are, how gender affects successions and transfers of Iowa Farms, and upcoming opportunities with Women, Land & Legacy!
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To read the WLL Newsletter click the box below!
Women, Land and Legacy
-February 2023 Newsletter
State Cost Share Funds Now Available for Soil Health and Water Quality Practices
Farmers and landowners can now sign up for cost share funding through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to adopt soil health and water quality conservation practices. This program includes planting cover crops, transitioning acres to no-till / strip-till soil management, or applying a nitrification inhibitor. Cost share funding is limited to 160 acres per farmer or landowner, and will be available in July. However, farmers can start submitting applications immediately to their local Soil and Water Conservation District Offices!
Black Locust Control In Natural Areas
By Jason Anderson, Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist, PF
Black locust is an aggressive tree that can quickly take over grasslands and is a problem for many landowners in southwest Iowa. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a medium-sized hardwood tree native to the eastern United States. The tree has attractive flowers and foliage which led to it being cultivated and planted for landscaping, allowing it to escape and spread throughout the country. Black locust ...............
Pottawattamie County Bridges Stream Sign Project
This project will help educate and identify some of the major streams and watersheds in Pottawattamie County. Over the past three years, 57 stream signs have been added at bridges throughout our county. This project has been successful because of cooperation and contributions of many partners, including both East and West Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.
How do we achieve this mission across more than 45 U.S. states and parts of Canada? Through the dedicated efforts of our:
-149,000 members
-Diverse staff including more than 150 wildlife biologists
-More than 700 local chapters
Want to Become a Commissioner? Here's How!
If you're qualified to vote in a Pottawattamie County general election, you're an eligible candidate for election to the East Pottawattamie County Soil and Water Conservation District board. Each district is governed by five commissioners who are elected at a general elections on a nonpartisan basis for four-year terms. only one commissioner may reside in any single township. You'll need a nominating petition from the county Auditor or SWCD office.
