Farmers, landowners, organizations, agencies encouraged to attend
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service in Wisconsin has announced the schedule for 2018 local working group meetings.
Eighteen meetings will be held across Wisconsin in August to gather input and help set priorities for U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs under the Farm Bill.
The Southern Lakes Local Working Group Meeting is at 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 6, at Mukwonago Village Hall, 440 River Crest Court.
“Local working groups offer a seat at the table for interested individuals and groups to advise NRCS on how best to set priorities and locally implement conservation programs,” said Angela Biggs, Wisconsin state conservationist. “Members are diverse, with an interest and focus on local agriculture and various natural resource issues.”
Farmers representing a variety of crops and livestock raised within the local area, private woodland owners, representatives of agricultural and environmental organizations, and representatives of other agriculture and natural resource agencies are welcome and should be represented.
Wisconsin has 18 local working groups and the Southern Lakes group represents Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Waukesha and Walworth counties.
One of the main programs discussed at the meetings will be the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, a federal conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals.
EQIP offers technical and financial assistance to help landowners with needed conservation practices for water quality, soil health, wildlife and other natural resources. The program was re-authorized through 2018 in the federal Farm Bill, which was passed in February 2014.
Local working group meetings are open to the public. Anyone interested in becoming a member the Southern Lakes group can contact the local NRCS office in Elkhorn at 262-723-3216, ext. 3, or in Union Grove at 262-878-1243, ext. 3.
For more information on local work groups, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.
Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in these meetings should contact Nga Watts at 352-338-9577, nga.watts@fl.usda.gov or Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 by July 15.
