Logan County 

Conservation News
Text Box: First Year Management Inspect fabric monthly & after hard rains or high winds checking for loose fabric Cover loose edges with soil & compact firmly Add rocks or staples in the middle to reduce billowing (bubbling). Do not add soil to the middle of the fabric Remove grass clippings, other organic matter, or soil that has accumulated on the fabric Management of Fabric After First Year Annually inspect & correct the following as needed. Loose fabric edges Tree or shrub stems are worn away by the fabric Weeds are growing through fabric openings or across the fabric Soil or Organic matter has accumulated on the fabric—Remove soil immediately, results can provide a growth medium for weeds Suckering shrubs are not spreading beyond parent plant—Enlarge the opening parallel to the fabric length. Leave a small piece (4”) of connective fabric between plants to prevent fabric blow out or remove fabric entirely after year 5. Text Box: Management Guidelines to Maintain Weed Barrier Fabric Text Box: Youth Conservation Camp Text Box: The Logan County SCD will sponsor two youth to attend the ND Wildlife Federation Youth Conservation Camp on August 3-9 at the Triangle Y Camp located on Lake Sakakawea near Garrison. Cost of the camp is $290. Activities offered may include: Alpine Tower, Archery, Canoeing, Dog Training, Environmental Studies, Field Trips, Fishing, Forestry, Horseback Riding, Orienteering, Outdoor Survival, Rangeland Studies, Trapshooting, and Wetland Studies. For more information and for a registration form, contact Shelley at 701-754-2234 Ext 3.
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Living Snow Fence                                                                     

As we are amidst one of the worst winters on record, I took a drive around the county to check some roads for “hot spots”.  There are several areas around the county that could really benefit from a Living Snow Fence tree planting.

A Living Snow Fence tree planting is a cost-share program that pays to plant trees along roads that have spots where the snow has been piling up this winter.

There are several avenues within the program to get this done.  The most popular program is a partnership between FSA, NRCS, and the North Dakota Department of Transportation, where the cost share rate is 100% of all costs of planting a shelterbelt along state highways.  Sometimes this can also include other roads if funds are available.

Another way to get a Living Snow Fence funded, would be to enter into a Continuous CRP Contract.  In this program, the shelterbelt can get funded on private lands, public roads and railroads.  But with any Continuous CRP contract, these acres must meet cropping history.  This program would pay 90% of costs.  Producers would also get a CRP payment on these acres for 10-15 years.

I understand that we don’t usually get this much snow every year, but I would think these same spots give you producers and the county crews trouble almost every year.  The Living Snow fence that are already established have done an excellent job this year.

As you can see, there are some very easy and affordable ways to get trees established to take care of these snow problems we have had on our roads this winter.  The county crew might even thank you!