Wyoming Resource Education Days (WyRED) To Celebrate 20th Year in Uinta County

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1 J A N U A R Y S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T : I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Interseeding 2 Pastures Mapping Available 2 4 Our Future 3 Schedule Tire Water 4 Tanks Precip statistics 4 websites Conservation 5 Assistance Grants Seedling Trees 5 Poster Contest 6 Wyoming Resource Education Days (WyRED) To Celebrate 20th Year in Uinta County Wyoming Resource Education Days WyRED for short.is a five day camp held in the summer to teach participants about range management. Rangelands comprise almost one-half of all the lands in the world. They are extremely important to Wyoming and the rest of the world, for the goods and services they produce as well as for the ecological services they provide. The first four days of the camp are filled with fun and engaging activities, most of which take place in the field for practical, hands on learning. Some of the topics include plant anatomy, plant identification, wildlife, water quality, soil basics, GPS skills, stocking rates and field applications. On the last day of camp, everyone puts what they have learned to the test by participating in the Wyoming Range Judging Contest. The contest has divisions for all ages and levels, as well as individuals and teams. Anyone, including science teachers, 4-H leaders and club members, VoAg instructors, individuals, and adults involved with the youth are encouraged to take part in the camp. University of Wyoming and PTSB credits may also be available. The Uinta County Conservation District invites you to help us Celebrate the 20 th Anniversary of WyRED as we host the camp right here in Uinta County this summer! The camp will be held at the Uinta County Youth Camp June 22-26, More information will be available soon, but mark your calendars now so you can join us in June. Camp participants must have completed the 8th grade, however, anyone can participate in the Range Judging Contest the last day of camp. Blacks Fork Watershed Study Complete/ Meeks Cabin Dam Enlargement A meeting to present the final results of the Blacks Fork Watershed Study will be held on Monday, February 2 nd at 1:00 pm at the Uinta County Conservation District Office located at 204 East Sage Street in Lyman. Immediately following the meeting, there will be an informal discussion with the Wyoming Water Development Office concerning the Meeks Cabin Dam enlargement project. The Wyoming Water Development Commission is currently seeking Legislative approval for the funding of a Level II, Phase I Feasibility Study to investigate a potential enlargement of Meeks Cabin Dam. The Bridger Valley Water Conservancy District is sponsoring the effort, and work on the project could begin in June, An engineering consultant will be chosen to work on the project in a joint decision by the Water Development Commission and the Sponsor with a contract closing August 1, The public is invited and encouraged to attend. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the Uinta County Conservation District at

2 P A G E 2 Interseeding Pastures & Hay Fields Renovating a pasture is like making it new again, and to help it produce a higher and more quality yield of forage. The primary method of renovating an established pasture or hay field is by inter-seeding new species of grasses and legumes. Before you start to renovate a pasture, you need to look at a couple of factors. The first thing to look at is the current species composition, is it desired and producing like it should, and if it s not and there are also undesired plants then it s time to replace them. Another factor, which is the largest as it attributes to growth and production, is irrigation. Water is the number one factor limiting forage productivity in the western US and a poorly designed or inefficient irrigation system can translate to reduced forage production. After the irrigation part is under control and the desired species of grasses and legumes are present, you can fine tune your pastures and hay fields with fertilization, grazing management, and weed control. The conservation district is here to assist any landowner/producer in soil testing and seeding recommendations. Soil testing is always a good idea to start with so you know exactly what you have, and don t have, in your soil. These soil tests can be used for fertilizer recommendations and then for seeding recommendations. The district can assist landowners with soil tests by coming out to the fields/areas of concern with you and helping you take a soil sample. We can then help you ship it off to a lab that can analyze it and list exactly what is missing for that area as far as plant nutrients and also get their suggestions on what fertilizers to use. Let the Conservation District help you with soil testing and seeding recommendations Ways to interseed: There are a few ways to inter-seed and renovate pastures. The methods involved are; removing existing plants by conventional tillage (plow,disc,etc.) and reseed, over-seed desirable species into existing vegetation by broadcasting the seed, and inter-seeding desirable species into the existing vegetation by drilling with a no-till drill. There are two times a year that work best for planting, early spring and fall. Advantages of spring seeding (March-May), is that the plants have the entire growing season in which to establish, plus irrigation water is readily available. The drawback is that existing vegetation is extremely vigorous and must be suppressed, generally with herbicides or grazing to achieve the best results. The second time to seed is in the fall, and the seed will germinate once spring arrives and the soil temperature increases. Cost of inter-seeding is somewhat expensive, approximately $10-$25 per acre for drilling plus seed, herbicides, etc. Once new plants are established, it is important to follow up with good management including grazing, water, and fertilizer management. These are just a couple of brief descriptions of inter-seeding and why it may be beneficial to do some pasture renovations in your operation. Come by our office in Lyman or call Monte Hill at with any questions on seeding, methods used, and soil testing for your land. Source: Interseeding of Pastures and Hayfields (2009) by Joe E. Brummer Ranch/Land Mapping The District now offers free ranch/land maps for all landowners. These maps can have a topographic background or they can be an aerial photograph through our GIS program. We can add fences, water sources, corrals and other details so that you have a map of everything on your property. The district can also print off allotment maps for all BLM and Forest Service allotments in and around Uinta County as well. The maps can be printed up to 40 wide X 50 long. Stop by our office in Lyman or call Monte Hill at for any questions or to have one started for your property.

3 The Uinta County Conservation District offers classes once a month for children 4-18 yrs old. All lessons are structured to teach kids about agriculture and natural resources and will include information on a certain subject and a hands on activity to reinforce it. If you homeschool or have smaller children at home, this is a great opportunity for them to learn something new! We are not a state or federal agency. We are a local district, led by a board of elected officials who live, work, and play in Uinta County and want to help the next generation understand what it means to be a steward of the land and how important agriculture is in providing the things we need everyday. Here is the schedule for All classes are held at 204 East Sage Street (Old Lyman Library) in Lyman. Please call today to find out more! P A G E Schedule All classes will be held on Monday s 10:00 am- 4-7yr olds 11:00 am- 8 yr old and up Please RSVP the Wednesday before each class so that I can get materials together. Thanks. Briar (307) or bharris@bvea.net January 12 th Hibernation This lesson is still a work in progress but I promise that it will be a good one. I am excited to put this lesson together and will have a fun activity that will go with it. February 23 rd - Animal Tracks You are the detective! When we look closely to our surroundings we can see that although we may not see all the critters around us they leave clues as to who they are and what they are doing out and about. March 16 th - Prey & Predator/Food Web Prey and predators have different characteristics that help them to adapt to their environment. We will talk about food webs and food chains. Hands on is always a great way to learn and students will be able to put their hands on several different animal hides. April 20 th -Ecosystems This is an introductory lesson to ecosystems and will cover the basics including the different kinds of ecosystems. The Fruit Loop Game helps the kids understand the important roll living and non-living things are in an ecosystem. Can you survive? May 18 th - Hairy Caterpillars This lesson is about butterflies but the hands on activity is a popular one called Hairy Caterpillars. June 15 th -Wooly Sheep This lesson is all about sheep. We will talk about the different breeds and their uses. How are sheep raised and what are the challenges to those who raise them are some other things that we will discuss.. There isn t too many animals cuter than a baby lamb in my opinion so we are hoping to take a field trip to see some sheep up close. July 13 th -Plant to Product Although we think of plants as part of what we eat they also play an important role in many other products we use every day. August 10 th - Rockin` Rocks & Marvelous Minerals/Fossils Ever wonder what you would do in a world without rocks and minerals? You will after this lesson. The hands on activities really help to reinforce the concepts learned in the lesson. September 14 th - Watersheds What are watersheds? Why are they important? We will be learning about what a watershed is what factors affect them and why it is important to know more about them. We will be making our own watersheds as families. October 19 th -Enviroscape This is a tool we use to teach students about how what we do in our communities can help and hurt the environment around us. Humans are great stewards of the land and we can make a difference when things like a natural disaster changes our environment. This is always a favorite with the kids! November 16 th - Simple Machines We use simple machines every day. We will learn about the 6 simple machines that have changed the world and why. What is a simple machine? Complex? Then a game of Angry Birds will test their knowledge and skills this one doesn t require a video game.

4 P A G E 4 Tire Water Tanks-Tough Enough for Wyoming! Tire Water Tanks are an important and sturdy tool used to provide water to cattle, sheep, horses and other livestock, as well as wildlife. They are made from recycled, open-pit haul truck and loader tires with durability to outlast most other tanks. Tire tanks are virtually indestructible resisting rust, ice, fighting bulls, bullets and wildlife. Creating the tanks involves slicing off one side of the tire leaving a high wall, creating a tank. The tank is then set at the water source, filled with some Sakrete in the inside center and backfilled for stability. The tanks are 12 feet in diameter and can hold from 13,000-14,000 gallons of water. The tanks are approved to use in NRCS cost share programs and other water development projects available through UCCD. The durability of tire tanks results in significant time and replacement cost savings for you. Tire tanks are a durable, and beneficial tool used to provide water in areas where it isn t readily available to livestock or wildlife. The Uinta County Conservation District is exploring the idea of bringing a truckload of tire tanks to our area for use by producers. The load would consist of a dozen 12 tire tanks for around $650 each, plus tax. However, because we don t have a place to put any extra tires, we wanted to put feelers out to see if there are any producers in Uinta County interested in installing these rubber tire tanks, and make sure we have a home for all 12 before placing the order. So, if you are interested please give us a call and we can put you on the list. We also encourage you to talk to your neighbors, friends and family to see if they might be interested as well. This is a service the Uinta County Conservation District would be happy to provide if the interest is there! Give us a call at Information and pictures provided by the Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District. Website: For the latest precipitation statistics, visit any of the following websites:

5 J A N U A R Y H Gardening Club Uses Grant to Build High Tunnel P A G E 5 The Uinta County 4H Gardening Club received a Conservation Assistance Grant from the Uinta County Conservation District in March of 2014 to construct a high tunnel in Bridger Valley. Youth, leaders and volunteers from the 4H program and the community came together on a beautiful Friday in October to complete the building of the high tunnel. Participating in the construction of the high tunnel alone, helped the youth learn how to organize, plan and work cooperatively with others, while learning important skills about building something from the ground up. The plan for the high tunnel is to help the youth that are enrolled in the 4H gardening program learn how to properly plant, care for, and harvest a garden while also learning about soils, photosynthesis and fertilization. They will also gain an understanding about how to market their produce through cooperatives and local farmers markets. Planting in the high tunnel will begin as early as February/March this year! The high tunnel is located south of the Uinta County Sheriffs sub-station just outside of Mt. View on a plot of land the County has generously allowed the 4H club to use for this purpose. This project was made possible through grant funding from the Uinta County Conservation District. Every year, UCCD offers several grant opportunities through the Conservation Assistance Grants program. We know that there are many amazing ideas out there for conservation and natural resource related projects that could become a reality with a little bit of financial support. Most grant programs favor large projects that require complex technical designs and resources that are out of reach for most of us. Our program is different because we favor small but Great, conservation projects! In order to provide the greatest opportunity for projects to become a reality, UCCD is offering the following grants: One - $5,000 grant Two - $3,000 grants Three - $1,000 grants The grants are open to any Uinta County groups or individuals including residents, landowners, businesses, service organizations, clubs, groups and any other entity or individual dedicated to the conservation of natural resources. For more information and an application, visit our website at give us a call at or send us an ; ksabey@bvea.net. Applications are due March 13 th, Prepare Now.Plant Later Seedling Order Deadline April 16, 2015 As I m putting this newsletter together, the temperature is currently 50 degrees, in Lyman Wyoming, in January! This spring like weather has definitely got me thinking about what I want to plant in my yard and garden when spring really does get here. If this weather has given you spring fever as well, I would encourage you to start planning for that spring planting and get your seedling tree order in as soon as possible. Here s a list of a few things you need to consider as you start your planting plan: What do you want to accomplish with your planting? Where will the planting go? What type of soil is in the planting area? How will you water your planting? Are there any utilities or other buildings, structures or roads in the area? How will you protect your trees from weather, insects, rodents, livestock or wildlife? In addition, it is helpful to know what species of tree you want to plant and how many you will need. These can all be addressed in a planting plan that is done before you order. If you need help with a planting design, give us a call and we can help! Order forms are available at the office or on our website at Keep in mind that the District is also offering perennials for sale this year. Stop by our office to see what we have available!

6 P.O. Box 370, 204East Sage Street Lyman, WY (307) PRSRT STD AUTO U.S. Postage Paid Lyman, WY Permit No. 11 CHANGE OF SERVICE REQUESTED Dennis Cornelison, Chairman Kelly Guild, Vice Chairman Spencer Eyre, Secretary / Treasurer Kevin Condos, Member Shaun Sims, Member Carol Hamilton Associate Member Kerri Sabey District Manager ksabey@bvea.net Briar Harris Education Coordinator bharris@bvea.net LaMonte Hill (Monte) Range Specialist lhill@bvea.net Office phone: Website: The theme for the 2015 Soil and Water Stewardship Poster Contest is Local Heroes -Your Hardworking Pollinators. So put your thinking caps on and start those creative juices flowing. Visit our website for more information and tips on how to make a good poster! Watch for more details about the poster contest in the coming weeks. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Staff Jeff Lewis; District Conservationist Kevin Fackrell: Soil Conservation Technician NRCS phone: (307)