Agricultural News
Conservation Representatives Attend Area Meetings of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts
Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:20:56 CST
Conservation leaders discussed issues relevant to Oklahoma at the five Area Meetings of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts held across the state during November 2011. "The 2011 Drought and Beyond Will we keep the dust at bay?," the theme for the meetings for Oklahoma's conservation district directors and employees, reflected the challenges faced by natural resource conservation entities during the hottest and second driest year in state history. The meetings were sponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) and cosponsored by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC) in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Garrett King, field representative for Oklahoma's U.S. Congressman Frank Lucas, spoke at the meetings about the process underway in Congress to craft the next federal Farm Bill and the role of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction ("Super Committee") in that process.
Gary McManus, associate state climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, gave a presentation featuring facts about climate conditions in Oklahoma in 2011 and in state history. He stated that this year's extremes of heat and drought were neither forecast nor expected.
Representatives from the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service spoke on agronomy and livestock subjects related to drought conditions. Representatives of the USDA Risk Management Agency spoke about the role of drought insurance during drought.
Oklahoma County and Logan County Conservation Districts hosted the Area II Meeting for central Oklahoma on Nov. 1 in Oklahoma City. North, South and West Caddo Conservation Districts hosted the Area IV Meeting for southwest Oklahoma on Nov. 2 at Fort Cobb. Muskogee County Conservation District hosted the Area III Meeting for the northeast region of the state on Nov. 10 in Muskogee. Woodward County Conservation District hosted the Area I Meeting for northwest Oklahoma on Nov. 15 in Woodward. Latimer County Conservation District hosted the final meeting of the series in Wilburton on Nov. 17. From 120 adults and students attended each of the five meetings.
Winners of the OACD Conservation Awards were recognized who will be considered along entries from the other areas of the state in the categories of Outstanding Conservation District, sponsored by Chesapeake Energy; Outstanding District Director, sponsored by the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation; and Outstanding Landowner/Cooperator, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma. The state winner will be recognized at the OACD State Meeting Feb. 26-28, 2012, in Midwest City.
The Area I honorees were Woodward County Conservation District, Outstanding Conservation District; Mead Ferguson, Woodward County Conservation District, Outstanding District Director; and G.E. Mitchell, Woodward County Conservation District, Outstanding Landowner/ Cooperator. The Area II honorees were Kay County Conservation District, Outstanding Conservation District; Jan Kunze, Oklahoma County Conservation District, Outstanding District Director; and Sue Ann Priboth, Kay County Conservation District, Outstanding Landowner/ Cooperator. The Area III honorees were Craig County Conservation District, Outstanding Conservation District; Robert Willy, Craig County Conservation District, Outstanding District Director; and Bill Mangels, Nowata County Conservation District, Outstanding Landowner/ Cooperator. The Area IV honorees were Upper Washita Conservation District, Outstanding Conservation District; John Flaming, Deer Creek Conservation District, Outstanding District Director; and David Eyester, Deer Creek Conservation District, Outstanding Landowner/ Cooperator. There were no entries in the competition for Area V.
The OACD Area Meetings include contests cosponsored by the Oklahoma Association of Conservation District Employees (OACDE) for youth in categories of speeches, essays and posters. Oklahoma Farmers Royalty Company sponsors awards for the OACD/OACDE Awards. First place winners in the essay and poster contests, as well as first and second place winners in the speech contest, are eligible to compete at the state level during OACD's Annual State Meeting to be held Feb. 26-28, 2012, in Midwest City.
Click on any of the links below for the presentations from each presenter.
Gary McManus - Review of 2011 Drought
Roger Gribble - Drought Impact on Crops
Bob LeValley - Drought Impact on Livestock
Crop Insurance and Drought Risk Management Agency
Mike Thralls - Joint Legislative Water Committee
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