Local Working Group Meeting On April 7

The Ulysses Management Unit including Grant, Haskell, and Stanton County Conservation Districts will be hosting a Local Working Group (LWG) meeting on Thursday April 7, 2022, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at Pioneer Communications, 120 W. Kansas Avenue, in Ulysses, Kansas.

The purpose of this meeting is to gather and make recommendations to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, as well as other state and local leaders, related to addressing natural resource concerns identified at local level. The recommendations gathered locally, as well as a consolidated report for the entire state of Kansas, will be shared with all interested parties.

“LWGs are important because they provide recommendations on local and state natural resource priorities and criteria for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation activities and programs. It is critical that the boots on the ground’ have a voice in the process,” said Dan Meyerhoff, Executive Director for the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.

Topics to be covered at the LWG meeting will include:

1. A review of a resource assessment completed by each Conservation District in the Management Unit.

2. Identification of local priority resource concerns

3. Training Needs in the Management Unit

4. Outreach Opportunities in the Management Unit

5. Other issues raised by meeting attendees

According to Meyerhoff, the LWG should be diverse and focus on agricultural interests and natural resource issues existing in the community. Attendees should include agricultural producers representing the variety of crops, and livestock raised within the local area; owners of nonindustrial private forest land, representatives of agricultural and environmental organizations; and governmental agencies carrying out agricultural and natural resource conservation and activities. LWGs also take into account concerns of particular historically underserved groups and individuals including but not limited to women, persons with disabilities, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource groups.

To RSVP for the April 7, 2022, meeting or to request more information about LWGs, contact the Grant CCD or NRCS staff by calling (620) 356-1447 Extension 229. Individuals can also request information to participate virtually in the meeting.