The Division of Forestry in the California conservation camp program.

Mode of access: Internet.

Emerging Biofuels: Outlook of Effects on U.S. Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Markets, 2007

Projections of U.S. ethanol production and its impacts on planted acreage, crop prices, livestock production and prices, trade, and retail food costs are presented under the assumption that current tax credits and trade policies are maintained. The projections were made using a multi-product, multi-country deterministic partial equilibrium model. The impacts of higher oil prices, a drought combined with an ethanol mandate, and removal of land from the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) relative to baseline projections are also presented. The results indicate that expanded U.S. ethanol production will cause long-run crop prices to increase. In response to higher feed costs, livestock farmgate prices will increase enough to cover the feed cost increases. Retail meat, egg, and dairy prices will also increase. If oil prices are permanently $10-per-barrel higher than assumed in the baseline projections, U.S. ethanol will expand significantly. The magnitude of the expansion will depend on the future makeup of the U.S. automobile fleet. If sufficient demand for E-85 from flex-fuel vehicles is available, corn-based ethanol production is projected to increase to over 30 billion gallons per year with the higher oil prices. The direct effect of higher feed costs is that U.S. food prices would increase by a minimum of 1.1% over baseline levels. Results of a model of a 1988-type drought combined with a large mandate for continued ethanol production show sharply higher crop prices, a drop in livestock production, and higher food prices. Corn exports would drop significantly, and feed costs would rise. Wheat feed use would rise sharply. Taking additional land out of the CRP would lower crop prices in the short run. But because long-run corn prices are determined by ethanol prices and not by corn acreage, the long-run impacts on commodity prices and food prices of a smaller CRP are modest. Cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass and biodiesel from soybeans do not become economically viable in the Corn Belt under any of the scenarios. This is so because high energy costs that increase the prices of biodiesel and switchgrass ethanol also increase the price of cornbased ethanol. So long as producers can choose between soybeans for biodiesel, switchgrass for ethanol, and corn for ethanol, they will choose to grow corn. Cellulosic ethanol from corn stover does not enter into any scenario because of the high cost of collecting and transporting corn stover over the large distances required to supply a commercial-sized ethanol facility.

1119-008 Lake Icaria Final Report

Lake Icaria is a 660 acre man-made lake in rural Adams County. Lake Icaria is a popular recreational attraction providing ample fishing, boating, and swimming opportunities. Constructed in 1977 for water supply, Lake lcaria continues to provide reliable drinking water to 1,900 households in Adams and Montgomery counties. No stranger to the water quality world, Lake Icaria was the primary lake in the 3Lakes Water Quality Project(1996-2004), an eight year water quality effort which came to be known as one oflowa's first great water quality successes. At time of construction the Lake Icaria watershed was primarily grass. A shift towards maximizing crop production in the 1980's brought about the end of dairy farms and a concern for sediment loss and how that would affect water quality. This change in land use set the stage for the first water quality project at Lake Icaria. Since the conclusion of the 3Lakes Water Quality Project in 2004land use in the watershed has made yet another monumental shift towards crop production. Nearly 2,000 acres ofland that was once in the conservation reserve program is now being planted to a crop. This change in land use has once again brought about serious concerns for the quality of water being provided by Lake Icaria.

1118-007 Lake Hendricks Watershed Final Report

Lake Hendricks is a 54 acre man-made lake that is encompassed by a 1,209 acre watershed. Lake Hendricks is currently on the 303(d) Impaired Waters List for algae and pH impairments due to an abundance of algae growth caused by nutrients being delivered to the lake via 11 separate tile lines draining adjoining cropland areas. In 2009, a Watershed Management Plan was developed in partnership with IDALS and the IDNR 319 programs and $256,500 was awarded to address the nutrient and sediment loading of the lake. Over the past three years a total of $251,000 were spent to implement one grade stabilization structure, two sediment basins, two bioreactors, 700 feet of streambank stabilization, 30.7 acres oftimber stand improvement, and 39.4 acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). A proposed wetland structure and three sediment basins are scheduled to be constructed in the fall of 2011. Current water monitoring data is showing an average of 54% Nitrate (N) loading reductions as a result of the installed BMPs. The District feels further reductions are possible by addressing nutrient management issues in the cropland areas, stabilizing additional streambanks, and improving the surrounding woodland areas. The goal is to reduce N loading by an additional 20% and sediment loading by 50 tlac/yr. The resulting collaborative effort may lead to the future de-listing of Lake Hendricks from the 303(d) Impaired Waters List.

CC96-396 Productcion Flexibility Contracts: Provisions, Implications and the Participation Decision

The Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-127) was signed into law by President Clinton on April 4, 1996. Most provisions of the new law, including the commodity provisions, will be effective for seven years, 1996-2002. Unlike previous farm bills, provisions relating to commodity supports are grouped together under what is known as the Agricultural Market Transition Act (AMTA) program. Producers of seven commodities: corn, sorghum, barley, oats, wheat, rice and cotton must sign Productive Flexibility Contracts (PFCs) to participate in the AMTA. These seven commodities are referred to as "contract commodities." This publication focuses on the PFCs, beginning with an overview of contract provisions. Potential short- and long-run implications of PFCs are then discussed.

An Economic Comparison of Rotational Grazing Systems to Eight Crop Alternatives and the CRP Option for Highly Erodible Land in Southwest Iowa

Economic comparisons of income on highly erodible land (HEL) in Adams County were made utilizing five years of grazing data collected from a 13- paddock intensive-rotational grazing system and a four-paddock rotational-grazing system and four years of data collected from an 18-paddock intensive-rotational grazing system, all at the Adams County CRP Research and Demonstration Farm near Corning. Net income from the average grazing weight-gain of Angus-sired calves nursing crossbred cows was compared to the net income from grazing yearling steers, to the net income of eight NRCS-recommended crop rotations, and to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) option. Results of these comparisons show the 13-paddock intensive rotational grazing system with cow-calf pairs to be the most profitable alternative, with a net return of $19.86 per acre per year. The second most profitable alternative is the CRP option, with a net return of $13.09 per acre, and the third most profitable option is the fourpaddock rotation with cows and calves with a net return of $12.53 per acre. An 18-paddock system returned a net income of $2.47 per acre per year with cows and calves in 1993, but lost an average of $107.69 per acre each year in 1994 and 1995 with yearling steers. Each year, the steers were purchased high and sold low, contributing to the large loss per acre. The following recommended crop rotations all show net losses on these 9-14 % slope, Adair-Shelby Complex soils (ApD3): continuous corn; corn-soybean rotation; corn-soybean rotation with a farm program deficiency payment; corn-corn-corn-oats-meadow-meadow rotation with grass headlands; continuous corn to “T” with grass headlands and buffer strips; continuous corn to “T” with grass headlands, buffer strips, and a deficiency payment; corn-corn-oats-meadow rotation to “T”; and corn-soybeans-oats-meadow-meadow-meadow-meadow rotation to “T”. Per-acre yield assumptions of 90 bushels for corn, 30 bushels for soybeans, 45 bushels for oats, and four tons for alfalfa were used, with per-bushel prices of $2.40 on corn, $5.50 on soybeans, and $1.50 on oats. Alfalfa hay was priced at $40.00 per ton and grass hay at $33.33 per ton. The calf weight-gain in the cow/ calf systems was valued at $.90 per pound. All crop expenses except land costs were calculated from ISU publication Fm 1712, “Estimated Costs of Crop Production in Iowa - 1995.” Land costs were determined by using an opportunity cost and actual property tax figures for the land at the grazing site. In preparation for the end of the CRP beginning in 1996, further economic comparisons will be made after additional grazing seasons and data collection. This project is an interagency cooperative effort sponsored by the Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee which has special permission from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to use CRP land for research and demonstration.

Intensive Rotational Grazing of Steers on Highly Erodible Land at the Adams County CRP Project

Grazing yearling steers is one way to utilize the forages required for participation in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) after CRP contracts expire. In 1995, a stocker-steer intensive-rotational grazing study was conducted at the CRP Research and Demonstration Project near Corning, Iowa. A similar study was carried out in 1994. Seventy-five yearling crossbred steers grazed a 65- acre pasture that had been divided into 27 paddocks using electric fencing from May 4, 1995 to September 14, 1995. During this period, the 65-acre pasture system produced 9,975 animal-days of grazing and 11,403 pounds of gain. On a per-acre basis, this translates to 153.5 animal-days of grazing and 175.4 pounds of gain. The stocking rate was constant for the entire 133- day grazing season at 1.15 steers per acre. On May 4, 1995, the beginning of the grazing season, the average weight of the steers was 495.7 pounds. By the end of the grazing trial on September 14, 1995, the average weight of the steers had increased to 647.7 pounds. The average gain per steer during the 133-day grazing period was 152 pounds, and the average daily gain per steer was 1.14 pounds. The average bodyweight of the steers during the entire grazing season was 571.7 pounds.

Assessment of created wetland performance in Illinois /

Wetlands are extremely valuable natural features that have decreased significantly in number over time in Illinois and the United States ... Their important functions include flood protection, water conservation in times of drought, groundwater recharge, improvement of water quality through sediment reduction and contaminant removal, and providing habitat for native animals and plants, including many sensitive and state-listed threatened and endangered species ... Due to a federal "no net loss" policy on wetlands adopted through executive order by President George H. Bush in 1990, as well as a prevailing heightened interest in conservation in general, there is currently considerable interest in the restoration and creation of wetlands. Both Section-404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Swampbuster Provision of the Food Securities Act of 1985 require compensation or mitigation for the loss of wetlands. A number of federal and state programs such as Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and the Conservation Reserve Program within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) encourage wetland restoration and creation. In addition, various conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited are very active in wetland restoration. Despite wetland restoration efforts and the national goal of no net loss, wetlands and wetland functions continue to be lost due to degradation of existing wetlands ... Unfortunately, no reliable information exists on the quality of existing wetlands or on trends in wetland quality over time ... The functional quality of existing wetlands is likely decreasing in many areas due to the combined effects of habitat fragmentation, alteration of hydrology, invasive species, and continued input of nutrients and pollutants. Furthermore, it is still debatable whether created or restored wetlands can adequately replace the suite of ecological functions provided by natural wetlands ... and the failure of many wetland compensation projects contributes to a continued national net loss of wetland functions ... The need for post-construction site monitoring and assessment of created and restored wetlands to evaluate functional success is widely recognized. ... At this time, there is little agreement on how to assess the success on quality of wetland restorations or creations.

Iowa CREP News, February 1, 2007, Issue 1

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program for the state of Iowa.

Iowa CREP News, March 18, 2009, Issue 3

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, or CREP, was designed specifically to reduce the nutrients from leaving Iowa and having an impact down stream. Newsletter produced by The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Iowa CREP News, October 29, 2007, Issue. 2

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program for the state of Iowa.

River and watershed conservation directory.

Mode of access: Internet.

08005-002 Silver Lake Watershed Final Report

Silver Lake is located in an 18,053-acre watershed. The watershed is intensively farmed with almost all of the wetlands being previously drained or degraded over the last 50 years. Silver Lake is listed on the State of Iowa’s impaired water bodies list due to sediment and high nutrient level. Silver Lake is also known be in the bottom 25 percentile of Iowa’s lakes due Secchi disk readings and Chlorophyll a level. Farming in the watershed is the principle concern and cause for many of the problems occurring in Silver Lake currently with 78% of the watershed being intensively farmed. There are two major drainage ditches that have been used to drain the major wetlands and sloughs that, at one time, filtered the water and slowed it down before it reached Silver Lake. With these two major drainage ditches, water is able to reach the lake much faster and unfiltered than it once did historically. The loss of 255 restorable wetland basins to row crop production has caused serious problems in Silver Lake. These wetland basins once slowed and filtered water as it moved through the watershed. With their loss over the last 50 years that traditional drainage no longer occurs. We propose to create a Wetland Reserve Program incentive project to make WRP a more attractive option to landowners within the watershed. The incentive will be based on the amount of sediment delivery reduction to the lake, therefore paying a greater payment for a greater benefit to the lake. The expected result of this project is the restoration of over 250 acres of wetland basins with an associated 650 acres of upland buffers. The benefit for these wetlands and buffers would be reduced sediment, reduced nutrients, and slowed waters to the lake.

School forests in Wisconsin : a report on the 1999 statewide survey of Wisconsin's school forest coordinators /

"PUB-FR-159 2001"--Cover.

Illinois 1995 endangered & threatened plant species /

Mode of access: Internet.