North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee
North Dakota State University - NDSU Extension Service   

NORTH  DAKOTA  STATE  SOIL  CONSERVATION  COMMITTEE 
2718 Gateway Ave., #104 - Bismarck, ND 58503
Phone: (701) 328-9718 - Fax: (701) 328-9721

MINUTES 
of the  
State Soil Conservation Committee meeting  

 Bismarck , North Dakota 

March 12 & 13, 2007   

A meeting of the North Dakota State Soil Conservation Committee was held at the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center, Bismarck, North Dakota. The meeting
was called to order at 10:00 a.m., on March 12, with Chair Thomas Christensen presiding.  The following persons attended all or a portion of the meetings: 

committee members present
Robert Blegen, Supervisor, Area I
Roger Zetocha, Supervisor, Area II
Duane Hawk, Supervisor, Area III
Lynette Wood, Supervisor, Area IV
Lowell Disrud, Appointee
Thomas Christensen, Appointee

committee members ABSENT

Shorty Hoerauf, Supervisor, Area V

others present
Scott Hochhalter, Soil Conservation Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Stuart Nielsen, Chairman, Slope-Hettinger SCD
advisors present
Dwight Comfort, Water Resources Engineer, ND State Water Commission
Duane Hauck, Director, NDSU Extension Service
J.R. Flores, State Conservationist, USDA-NRCS
Tom Hanson, Executive Director, NDASCD

others present
Scott Hochhalter, Soil Conservation Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
Jennifer Heglund, Assistant State Conservationist, USDA-NRCS
Dick Faught, President, NDASCD
James Teigen, Director, NDASCD
Aaron Smestad, Director, NDASCD
Curtiss Klein, Director, NDASCD
Dennis Haugen, Director, NDASCD
Dale Tinjum, Director, NDASCD
Marvin Halverson, Director, NDASCD
Marc Schriefer, Director, NDASCD
Dennis Reich, Director, NDASCD

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
IT WAS MOVED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER BLEGEN, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WOOD, AND CARRIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 14, COMMITTEE MEETING AS DISTRIBUTED.  Committee Members Disrud, Hawk, Blegen, Zetocha, Wood, and Christensen voted “Aye.”  No negative votes were cast.  

SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUPERVISOR APPOINTMENT 
Scott Hochhalter presented the following supervisor appointment to fill the following vacant elective position:  
The Burke Soil Conservation District appointed Raymond Atwood to the vacated elected position held by Marshall Chrest.

 IT WAS MOVED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HAWK, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER DISRUD AND CARRIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF RAYMOND ATWOOD TO THE BURKE SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT.  Committee Members Disrud, Hawk, Blegen, Zetocha, Wood, and Christensen voted “Aye.”  No negative votes were cast.

 

MEMBERSHIP DUES  
The State Soil Conservation Committee discussed the due notices from the National Association of State Conservation Agencies.

 IT WAS MOVED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER ZETOCHA, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER BLEGEN AND CARRIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO PROVIDE NASCA WITH $100.  Committee Members Disrud, Hawk, Blegen, Zetocha, Wood, and Christensen voted “Aye.”  No negative votes were cast. 
 

PETITION FOR INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL TERRITORY WITHIN A SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT 
Scott Hochhalter updated the State Soil Conservation Committee on the process to include additional territory within an existing soil conservation district.  A transaction such as this is provided for under the Soil Conservation District Law, Chapter 4-22, North Dakota Century Code.  Section 4-22-14 states ”…a portion of a district may upon petition of a majority of the qualified electors in such portion, and without an election, be annexed to an adjoining district, and become a part of same upon filing such petition with the state soil conservation committee.”  A petition has been signed and filed to annex the East Sand Creek Township from the Slope-Hettinger Soil Conservation District to the Bowman-Slope Soil Conservation District.     

IT WAS MOVED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER HAWK, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER ZETOCHA AND CARRIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE THE PETITION.  Committee Members Disrud, Hawk, Blegen, Zetocha, Wood, and Christensen voted “Aye.”  No negative votes were cast.     

NRCS  
J.R. Flores provided an update on the Conservation Security Program.     

IT WAS MOVED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER ZETOCHA, SECONDED BY COMMITTEE MEMBER WOOD AND CARRIED ON A ROLL CALL VOTE TO REQUEST FROM NRCS THE SHORT FALL ON CSP CONTRACTS THAT HAVE BEEN MODIFIED.  Committee Members Disrud, Hawk, Blegen, Zetocha, Wood, and Christensen voted “Aye.”  No negative votes were cast.    

ND STATE WATER COMMISSION   
Dwight Comfort reviewed water level in Lake Sakakawea and Devils Lake.  He reviewed the Construction Activities for the 2007-2009 Biennium.    

NDSU EXTENSION SERVICE  
Duane Hauck provided an update on HB 1020.  He mentioned that Congress passed a continuing resolution in February that will fund NDSU Extension Service federal budget through September 30, 2007.  Federal USDA earmarks were eliminated for FY 07, and more funds were added to the Hatch and Smith-Lever accounts.  The Agricultural Experiment Station will receive less total federal funds because of this while the NDSU Extension Service may see a slight increase.     

SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SCDAP)   
Scott Hochhalter presented the applications received for the 2007-2009 Biennium SCDAP.  There were 51 applications requesting a total of $1,141,900.  HB 1020 currently has $630,000 of State funding available for the SCDAP.  HB 1020 needs to pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor before the funding can be allocated to soil conservation districts.  The State funds will be available July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2009.      

The State Soil Conservation Committee ranking follows.    

 

Application

Running

 

 

Soil Conservation Districts

Amount

Total

Score

Rank

North Central (Benson Co.)

$25,000

25,000

218.00

1

Wells Co.

$24,000

49,000

215.90

2

Foster Co.

$25,000

74,000

207.20

3

Towner Co.

$25,000

99,000

206.30

4

Burke

$25,000

124,000

204.60

5

Eddy Co.

$25,000

149,000

204.60

6

Cavalier Co.

$20,000

169,000

203.30

7

Grant Co

$25,000

194,000

202.30

8

Pembina Co.

$8,400

202,400

201.40

9

Mountrail

$25,000

227,400

200.50

10

Divide Co.

$25,000

252,400

199.20

11

South McLean Co.

$25,000

277,400

197.70

12

Ramsey Co.

$25,000

302,400

196.80

13

Mouse River (Bottineau Co.)

$25,000

327,400

195.40

14

Williams Co.

$20,000

347,400

192.90

15

Pierce Co.

$25,000

372,400

192.60

16

Steele Co.

$25,000

397,400

191.90

17

LaMoure Co.

$25,000

422,400

191.80

18

McIntosh Co.

$25,000

447,400

191.40

19

Turtle Mountain (Bottineau Co.)

$25,000

472,400

191.30

20

Renville Co.

$25,000

497,400

191.20

21

McKenzie Co.

$12,500

509,900

189.20

22

Dunn Co.

$25,000

534,900

188.60

23

Kidder Co.

$25,000

559,900

188.30

24

West McLean Co.

$25,000

584,900

188.20

25

Rolette Co.

$25,000

609,900

188.00

26

Western (Stark Co. /Billings Co.)

$17,500

627,400

188.00

27

Golden Valley Co.

$25,000

652,400

187.70

28

Oliver

$25,000

677,400

187.20

29

Griggs Co.

$25,000

702,400

187.00

30

Morton Co.

$25,000

727,400

186.60

31

North McHenry Co.

$25,000

752,400

185.40

32

Walsh Co. Three Rivers

$25,000

777,400

185.30

33

Mercer Co.

$7,500

784,900

181.60

34

Cedar (Sioux Co.)

$25,000

809,900

181.40

35

Nelson Co.

$10,000

819,900

181.10

36

Slope-Hettinger

$25,000

844,900

180.40

37

Adams Co.

$25,000

869,900

179.90

38

Bowman-Slope

$25,000

894,900

179.10

39

Ransom Co.

$25,000

919,900

179.00

40

Wild Rice (Sargent Co.)

$25,000

944,900

178.20

41

Sheridan Co.

$20,000

964,900

177.80

42

Central Stark Co.

$17,500

982,400

177.30

43

Barnes Co.

$25,000

1,007,400

176.60

44

James River (Dickey Co.)

$9,500

1,016,900

175.80

45

Grand Forks Co.

$25,000

1,041,900

175.70

46

Logan Co.

$25,000

1,066,900

174.70

47

Traill Co.

$5,000

1,071,900

171.50

48

Richland

$20,000

1,091,900

170.20

49

Emmons Co.

$25,000

1,116,900

162.00

50

Cass Co.

$25,000

1,141,900

153.90

51

Total

$1,141,900

 

 

 

 4:15 p.m. Monday, March 12.  The North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts joins the State Soil Conservation Committee Meeting.    Wayne Duckwitz, Plant Materials Center Manager, provided an update.    

NRCS BUDGET UPDATE   
J.R. Flores provided an update for the State Soil Conservation Committee and North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts.  He reviewed the financial assistance funds available in the conservation programs.  Funds will be made available for contribution agreements with individual soil conservation districts.     

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE    
Dale Tinjum reviewed the activities of the North Dakota Association of Soil Conservation Districts Legislative Standing Committee.  He reviewed HB 1020.  He mentioned that HB 1168 was lost in trying to increase soil conservation district mill levy authority from one mill to three mills.  He reviewed the Position Statement on the 2007 Farm Bill.      

The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m., on March 13, with Chair Thomas Christensen presiding.      

SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SCDAP)   
The State Soil Conservation Committee reviewed and discussed the soil conservation district rankings.  HB 1020 must pass the Senate and be signed by the Governor before funds can be allocated to soil conservation districts.      

There being no further business to come before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 10:45 a.