By Rick
Koelsch, UNL Extension
On behalf of
John Fech, Aaron Nygren, Troy Ingram, Katie Pekarek, Suat Irmak, Chuck Burr,
Gary Hergert, Brian Krienke, Dan Cotton, and Chuck Hibberd
The above UNL group participated in the first North Central (NC) Water Network
Conference (http://northcentralwater.org/), a gathering of faculty with
extension water interests across the 12 North Central states. The intent was to build multi-state teams
that would lead to competitive regional grant proposals as well as share
educational and professional development experiences regionally.
During the
conference, a new “Capacity-Building Seed Funding” opportunity was announced to
support these multi-state initiatives (see announcement below). In addition, UNL Extension faculty
participated in five of the work groups that emerged from the conference (addressing
manure, soil health, cover crop, irrigation, and youth water literacy). A
summary of these work groups’ plans is provided below with a UNL Extension
contact for more information. UNL
Faculty with water interests are strongly encourage in become involve with any
of these five work groups as one step towards developing a regional peer
network and participate in future regional Extension water education initiatives.
Manure Work Group: The focus of our discussion was about EPA’s concern about
tracking manure movement across state lines. In the existing regulations,
when a neighbor to a animal feeding operation takes the manure and especially when it crosses state
lines, there is no ability to track where the manure is going. The idea
was to gather representatives from several NC region states discuss concerns, possible
solutions, and educational programming to address concerns. The group is
working on a grant application to the NC region to provide funding to bring
together a representative from each state next spring. UNL Extension contact: Gary Hergert
Soil Health Work Group:
The soil health group is preparing a proposal to plan a regional initiative
for the purpose of recommending a regional definition of soil health, summarizing
recommended measurements for assessing soil health, and establishing a common
protocol of for measurement. The meeting is intended to bring together the
different groups (farmers, extension, and scientists) to create these recommendations. A second intention of this group is to
develop a regional conservation innovation grant supportive of adoption of soil
health principles. UNL Extension contact:
Brian Krienke
Irrigation Management Work Group: Four UNL faculty met with a regional team on
irrigation issues. The discussion focused on sharing UNL resources for
irrigation management regionally. The discussion
also covered common interest in developing a NIFA grant proposal to improve the
research base of irrigated agriculture and ensure that water and nitrogen
resources are used in an optimal fashion. The group will develop a funding
proposal to the North Central Water Network to cover professional development
and allow the group to meet in Lincoln to further discuss the NIFA grant. UNL Extension contact: Aaron
Nygren, Troy Ingram, Chuck Burr, and Suat Irmak
Climate
Change Work Group: The climate change group led by Faye Sleeper
of the University of Minnesota is assembling a proposal to create a climate
academy that will focus on building the capacity and confidence of Extension
Educators and non- profit principals to a) respond to client questions regarding
climatic changes and b) recommended short term best management practices in
their subject matter area. A set of basic messages and a core curriculum
will be developed to address this need. The group will explore the most
effective methods for empowering professionals in this endeavor. UNL Extension contact: John C. Fech
Youth Water Literacy work group: No information available at this time. UNL Contact: Katie Pekarek
Seed Grant Funding: The North Central Region Water Network announced its 2015 seed funding
request for applications (http://northcentralwater.org/rfa/). A maximum of
$100,000 will be awarded, with each award being up to $30,000. Priority
water-related topics include 1) Nutrient and manure management; 2) Sustainable
water supply; 3) Climate change & adaptation; 4) Soil health; 5) Land use
and development practices; 6) Aquatic invasive species prevention and
management; 7) Youth water literacy and stewardship
Application
teams should engage Extension professionals and partners from at least three
North Central Region states.
Awards will
be made for work in any of the following areas: 1) Planning Projects, 2) Program
Delivery Projects, and 3) Professional
Development for Extension Professionals to Improve Water-Related Extension
Programs. More information can be found here: http://northcentralwater.org/rfa/
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