October 2012 - Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District

MONROE COUNTY SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
THE CONSERVATION
CONNECTION
News from MCSWCD
Re-leaf Through Leaf Composting
Brilliant colors and beautiful sights are not the
only benefits provided to us during Fall. Even after
those colorful leaves have fallen they can still
provide numerous benefits around your home. The
natural process by which microbes break down
organics can be sped up through the process of
composting, and the leaves that you rake can
provide fantastic fuel for the entire process. The
end result is a rich, dark, organic mulch that can be
Leaf Compost Storage Bin
used to improve soil conditions and organic
content.
Leaves can be composted by simply piling them into a heap for a period of 3-9
months, allowing microorganisms to break them down. In order for microorganisms
to break down the leaf matter, two ingredients are required; air and moisture. To
ensure that air gets to the center of the pile, avoid packing the leaf material too
tightly. Turning the pile periodically will help incorporate oxygen into the mix.
During warmer weather the pile can be turned once a month, while frequent turning
during cooler weather is not recommended as too much heat will escape from the
pile, slowing the composting process. The composting pile should be kept moist (but
not soggy), with water being added at the beginning of the process, and throughout as
necessary. Water may need to be added during dryer weather.
Why not re-use those leaves that you will be raking up anyways?! By composting
leaves this fall and winter, you can have an excellent stock of rich, organic mulch
material for your garden or landscaping next spring!
A Few Tips
Create leaf piles that are roughly 4ft wide by 3ft high (10ft wide by 5ft high MAX)
Containing the leaf pile in a bin or other enclosure is the most efficient use of space
Do not add meat/grease to the pile. It may cause odors and attract pests
Moisture content of the pile can be monitored during the turning process
District Receives Grant for Water Quality
Improvements in the Oatka Creek Watershed
The Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District
(SWCD) recently received a grant award for 1.12 million
dollars for the implementation of water quality improvement
projects in the Oatka Creek watershed. This grant was a joint
collaboration between Monroe County SWCD and Genesee
County SWCD to address known water quality impacts from
agriculture. The grant was awarded through Round 18 of the NYS Agricultural
Nonpoint Source Abatement and Control Grant Program. Using these funds
Monroe and Genesee Counties propose to implement 36 nutrient reduction Best
Management Practices (BMP’s) on 5 farms in the Oatka Creek watershed. The
Oatka Creek watershed has been identified as a priority in the Agricultural
Environmental Management Strategic plans of both Monroe County SWCD and
Genesee County SWCD, and the AEM Advisory Committees in each county.
PAGE 1
V OLUME 36
I SSUE 3
O CTOBER 2012
Providing Today,
Protecting Tomorrow
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Leaf Composting 1
District Grant Award 1
2012 Conservation
Field Days
NRCS Conservation
Program Deadlines
2011 Conservationist of
the Year Award
MCSWCD Board
Member Recognized
for Service
Ag-BMP Spotlight 3
Erosion & Sediment
Control Trainings
2012-2013 District
Deadlines & Dates
Registration Deadline for
NYS-DEC 4hr Erosion &
Sediment Control Training
December 5th, 2012
NYS-DEC Endorsed 4hr
Erosion & Sediment
Control Training in
Henrietta, NY
December 13th, 2012
NYS-DEC Endorsed 4hr
Erosion & Sediment
Control Training in
Perinton, NY
January 24th, 2013
2
2
3
3
4

P AGE 2 V OLUME 36 I SSUE 3
2012 CONSERVATION FIELD DAYS EVENT A SUCCESS
The Monroe County SWCD hosted its 24th Annual Conservation Field Days event at Ellison Park on
September 19th & 20th. Eleven area schools attended the event with approximately 951 students.
We appreciate the continued support we’ve received from both the Monroe County Parks Department
and Wegmans Food and Pharmacy. With their help and sponsorship we are able to continue offering
this valuable event to our area schools.
This event brings together great presenters, interested students, and conservation minded teachers in a
fun, outdoor environment, providing the opportunity to learn and become more aware of many
environmental topics, such as water quality management, watershed awareness, land use planning,
medical waste management, forestry, recycling, and much more.
The District would like to thank all of our guest presenters: Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Monroe
County Dept. of Environmental Services, Broccolo Tree and Lawn Care, Friends of Ganondagan,
Green Village Consulting, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the
University of Rochester Medical Center, the Audubon Society, the Water Education Collaborative with
the Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the NYS Public Service Commission.
Those interested in instructing or having your local sixth grade class participate next year can contact
Karen Ervay for information regarding the 2013 event at: karen.ervay@ny.nacdnet.net
Monroe County Department of Environmental Services
teaches students about the importance of recycling and its
environmental benefits.
The Water Education Collaborative and the Rochester Museum
and Science Center teach students about watersheds using an
interactive display model.
NRCS-NY Announces Application Cutoff Dates
for Conservation Programs
New York farmers and landowners will have until November 16,
2012 to apply for 2013 NRCS conservation program funding. The
programs falling within this deadline include the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Initiative (CBWI), the Agricultural Management Assistance Program
(AMA), and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). Applications are competitive and ranked
based on national, state, and locally identified resource priorities and their overall benefit to the
environment.
General information regarding NRCS New York Conservation Programs can be found at:
http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/. If you are interested in applying for a conservation program
please visit our web site for information on applying at:
http://www.ny.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/general_information/how_to_apply.html. You may apply
by visiting your local NRCS field office, which can be located using the web site:
http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?state=NY.
If you have questions or need assistance filling out the application please contact Anwar Karim (District
Conservationist, NRCS, Monroe County) at: 585-473-2120 x102 (office) or anwar.karim@ny.usda.gov

P AGE 3 V OLUME 36 I SSUE 3
District Names 2011 Conservationist of the Year
The District named Andrew Sansone, Senior Industrial Waste Technician
with the Monroe County Department of Environmental Services, as the
2011 Conservationist of the Year. Andrew has a Bachelors degree in
Water Resources from SUNY Brockport and has worked for the County
in the environmental field since 1997, conducting Household Hazardous
Waste collections, water sampling, and public education and outreach. He
has assisted the District with several programs and educational events
such as Conservation Field Days, code enforcement officer training,
Western New York Stormwater Management Training Series, and the
Districts Tree and Shrub Program. Andy has been instrumental in the
development and implementation of water quality improvement projects
Kelly Emerick, Executive Director
of MCSWCD (right) presenting
Andrew Sansone (left) the award.
and programs, specifically in relation to the stormwater management
program. He has also consistently exhibited an enduring effort to promote
natural resource conservation and improve water quality throughout
Monroe County. Congratulations Andy!
Board Member Recognized for Years of Service
Guest speaker, NYS Assemblyman Stephen
Hawley of the 139th district (left) presents
Rollin Pickering (right), with a service pin
and District jacket in recognition for his
20 years of service.
Monroe County SWCD Board of Director’s member Rollin Pickering
was recognized for his 20 years of devoted service to the Board at the
2012 “Soil to Spoon” Breakfast Banquet.
As the Board of Director’s NYS Grange Representative, and current
Chairman, Rollin has dedicated his time by performing internal
financial audits of the District operations, attending regular monthly
Board meetings, and assisting with the organization of the local
Envirothon competition.
In 1992, he suggested that the District branch out and extend
environmental educational opportunities to include high school
students, and host the first Monroe County Envirothon event. This local
environmental education event has now touched thousands of high
school student’s lives, and has enlightened each of them about the
importance of natural resources conservation. This event continues to
be offered in the spring of each year in Monroe County.
His only regret as a MCSWCD Board Member is that he doesn’t have more “free” time to help out with
the District’s programs and events. We thank you for you years of service Rollin, and to many more!!
Agricultural BMP Spotlight: Prescribed Grazing
Prescribed grazing is the controlled harvest of vegetation
with animals, managed with the intent to achieve a specific
objective. In a prescribed grazing system the pasture is
generally divided up into a multiple paddock systems and
the frequency of the herd’s rotations throughout the
paddocks is based on the rate of growth and condition of the
plants. The duration of the grazing season and intensity of
grazing is based on plant health and expected productivity
of the forage species to meet management objectives.
A well managed prescribed grazing system can increase
farm profitability by decreasing the input cost of feed, labor,
equipment, and fuel. At the same time, a well managed grazing herd helps protect soil, water, air, plant,
and animal resources by maintaining a dense vegetative cover on the soil, increasing soil organic matter,
improving the distribution of nutrients on fields, as well as reducing the potential for runoff from
concentrated animal waste storage areas.
For more information on agricultural BMP’s please contact Tucker Kautz, MCSWCD Planning
Technician, at: 585-473-2120 x108 or tucker.kautz@ny.nacdnet.net

Monroe County Soil & Water
Conservation District
1200A Scottsville Road, Suite 160
Rochester, NY 14624
Phone: 585-473-2120 x3
Fax: 585-473-2124
swcd@monroecountyswcd.org
www.monroecountyswcd.org
Made in Rochester, and proud of it!
1-800-876-0222
Printed on
Recycled Paper!
Board of Directors:
Rollin Pickering
Chairman/ NY Grange Rep.
Mark Greene
Vice-Chairman/ Farm Rep.
Richard Yolevich
Treasurer/ Legislative Rep.
Joshua Bauroth
Asst. Treasurer/ Legislative Rep.
Bill Chase
Farm Bureau Rep.
Chuck Colby
Member at Large
Tom Klafehn
Member at Large
District Staff:
Kelly Emerick
(CPESC, CPSWQ, CMS4s)
Executive Director
Robert Kiley
(CPESC, M.P.S.)
Soil & Water Resources Technician
James A. Balyszak
Soil & Water Resources Technician
Tucker Kautz
(CCA)
Soil & Water Planning Technician
Karen Ervay
Education Coordinator/Sec. to Board
USDA NRCS Staff:
Anwar Karim
District Conservationist
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Rochester, NY
Permit No. 1256
NYS-DEC ENDORSED EROSION AND SEDIMENT
CONTROL TRAININGS
MCSWCD will be offering the NYS-DEC Endorsed 4 Hour Erosion and
Sediment Control Training through June of 2013. MCSWCD staff will be
hosting classes throughout Monroe County as seen in the table below. For
detailed information & registration information, please visit our website at
www.monroecountyswcd.org or call Bob Kiley at (585) 473-2120 x111.
Date & Time Location
December 13th, 2012
8:00AM-12:00PM
January 24th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
February 27th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
March 20th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
April 25th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
May 15th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
June 12th, 2013
8:00AM-12:00PM
Henrietta Town Hall
Main Meeting Room
475 Calkins Road, Henrietta, NY 14623
Town of Perinton,
Public Works Facility, Building A Room 208
100 Cobb’s Lane, Fairport, NY 14450
Riga Town Hall,
Main Court Room
6460 Buffalo Road, Churchville, NY 14428
Penfield Town Hall,
Main Auditorium
3100 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield, NY 14526
Parma Town Hall,
Main Board Room
1300 Hilton-Parma Road, Hilton, NY 14468
Town of Webster
Liberty Lodge at Finn Park
850 Maple Drive, Webster, NY 14580
Chili Town Hall
Main Meeting Room
3333 Chili Avenue, Rochester, NY 14624
This newsletter is published quarterly by the Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District and is available at no
cost to interested landowners, land users, and to the general public. If you would like to receive our newsletter, call us
with your mailing address or view it online at www.monroecountyswcd.org. Programs and services offered through the
Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District are made possible through the financial support of the USDA
NRCS, County of Monroe, State of New York, specialized grant opportunities, and fundraising programs. All NRCS &
SWCD programs and services are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin,
political beliefs, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability. Our Board of Director meetings are
open to the public; please call for information.