The Upper Deer Creek Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project will soon be underway in Brookings County, South Dakota, serving the community and improving land quality. This three-year project is one of 12 selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and federally-funded through the NRCS conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The purpose of this project is to help producers located within the Upper Deer Creek Priority Watershed to implement grazing practices to more efficiently manage their grass, become more weather resilient, and better manage drought. The project will be implemented by the Brookings NRCS Field Office and Brookings Conservation District in collaboration with farmers, ranchers and landowners within the project area who are eligible to apply for financial assistance. While applications are accepted year-round, the application date to be considered for FY2023 funding is March 17, 2023.
The NRCS conservation specialists and partners are coordinating these projects throughout the state. Through collectively focusing expertise and resources on the highest priority resource concerns in the highest priority areas, CIS projects can yield impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. The Upper Deer Creek Project partners with farm and ranch owners and operators to directly benefit livestock access to water and improved grazing efficiency. Project sponsors identified inadequate water quantity, quality, distribution, and feed/forage balance as resource concerns and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“This project is an excellent opportunity for those impacted by the recent drought to seek technical assistance and funding for practices that will make their grazing operations more resilient,” said Jeremy Sova, District Conservationist, in the Brookings Field Office.
To apply to be a part of this project, find and contact your local NRCS Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center, or contact Jeremy Sova, District Conservationist at (605) 692-8003, Ext. 3. For more information on the CIS in South Dakota, or if you have ideas for a project, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/south-dakota/south-dakota-conservation, or contact Jeff Vander Wilt, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs at jeffrey.vanderwilt@usda.gov or (605) 352-1226.
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