The Superior Express -

An opportunity to have a voice in federal ag program planning

An important meeting for local agriculture producers will be held later this month. The Local Work Group (LWG) Meeting will be hosted by the conservation districts in the Concordia Management Unit. The management unit includes the following counties in north central Kansas: Cloud, Jewell, Mitchell and Republic. This meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 30, at the Cloud County Co-op Distribution Center, 1401 E 6th Street Trafficway, Concordia. The complimentary taco bar meal, provided by the four conservation districts, will start at 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to gather and make recommendations to Karen Woodrich, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) state conservationist, as well as other state and local leaders. These recommendations, from local producers, are needed to address natural resource concerns at the local level. The recommendations, gathered locally, as well as a consolidated report for the entire state of Kansas, will be shared with all interested parties.

“LWGs are important because they provide recommendations on local and state natural resource priorities and criteria for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation activities and programs. It is critical the ‘boots on the ground’ have a voice in the process,” said Dan Meyerhoff, executive director for the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD).

Topics to be covered at the LWG meeting will include:

1. A review of the resource assessment completed by each conservation district in the management unit.

2. Identification of local priority resource concerns.

3. Training needs in the management unit.

4. Outreach opportunities in the management unit

5. Other issues raised by meeting attendees

According to Meyerhoff, the LWG should be diverse and focus on agricultural interest and natural resource issues existing in the community. Attendees should include:

1. Agriculture producers representing the variety of crops, livestock, and poultry raised within the local area

2. Owners of nonindustrial private forest land

3. Representatives of agricultural and environment organization

4. Governmental agencies carrying our agriculture and natural resource conservation and activities.

Local Work Groups (LWGs), take into account concerns of particular historically underserved groups and individuals including but not limited - to women, persons with disabilities, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource groups.

To RSVP for the Monday, Jan. 30th meeting, or to request more information about LWG’s, contact the Jewell County Conservation District or NRCS staff. The office phone number is 785-378-3731, Extension 3. Individuals can also request information