april, 2007 producers participate in vol. 10, no. 1 …...control of sericea lespedeza is...

April, 2007 Vol. 10, No. 1

Upcoming EventsWildflower/Nature Tours & WalksMay 12, 2007Barber County 620.886.3721, ext. 3Neosho County620.449.2028

May 19, 2007Commanche CountyJune [email protected]

June 2, 2007Wilson CountyGina Thompson620.378.2866

June 7, 2007Butler/Chase Counties620.273.6491

June 9, 2007Cowley County620.221.1850, ext. 3Neosho County620.449.2028

June 10, 2007Konza Prairie/Manhattan785.587.0441http://www.ksu.edu/konza/keepGrant-Bradbury Prairie JauntTopeka, [email protected]

June 13, 2007Calhoun Bluff/[email protected]

Producers participate in Solar Pump Installation Field Day

A picture may be worth 1000 words, but there’s just no substitute for doing it yourself. Pro-ducers who prefer the hands-on method showed up Wednesday morning, April 4, 2007 at the Ellsworth Demonstration Site for a chance to learn from experience at the Solar Pump Installa-tion Field Day. Brandy Nelson, Panhandle Sales and Service, instructed producers in install-ing a submersible pump powered by solar panels. Starting with a 135 foot cased well, during the morning the pump, plumbing, and panels were set in place. Producers could assist or ask questions as the work proceeded. The majority of the time was spent installing the pump and plumbing. The solar panels and associated wiring went up quickly, in less than an hour. By shortly after noon, a functioning, pressurized watering system was completed. A cement live-stock water tank surrounded by a geotextile and gravel base will be installed later this spring.

Herschel George, watershed specialist, provided a hands-on demonstration of simple solar pumping systems for ponds and other surface water. He demonstrated the ease of placing and moving this type of solar system, which is ideal for those who will move cattle during the summer and don’t want to purchase a separate solar system for each pasture. Herschel also provided a handout listing solar panel system components and dealers in Kansas.

Other presenters at the field day were Pamela Hays and Brad Kratzer of the Ellsworth County Soil Conservation District, who spoke on potential funding sources for livestock waterers. They emphasized that funds for livestock waterers were part of a broader plan for improv-ing water quality and wildlife habitat. The field day was followed by a meal at the Ellsworth County NRCS/ Conservation District office sponsored by the Smoky Hill Watershed Restora-tion and Protection Strategy (WRAPS). Producers filling out a survey commented that they now felt competent to choose and/or install a solar pumping system and to select an alternative watering site for their livestock.

Affixing the solar panels to the support frame was one of the final tasks in completing the pump and solar panel installation. Photos courtesy of Carol Blocksome.

cont. on page 8

Walt Fick

Current Rangeland Issues

Calendar Events, cont.June 16, 2007Konza Prairie/ManhattanPaul [email protected]

Other EventsKansas Wildflower SeminarCraig Freeman, speakerApr. 18, 2007Lawrence, KSJill [email protected]

Missouri Prairie Foundation Spring Plant SaleApr. 21 & 28, 2007Kansas City, MO888.843.6739http://www.moprairie.org

Papermaking with Kansas Native Plants WorkshopApr. 22, 2007Topeka, KSJeff [email protected]

National Conference on Ecosystem RestorationApr. 23-27, 2007Kansas City, MO www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/NCER2007

Wings and Wetlands WeekendApr. 27-29, 2007Great Bend, KSGreat Bend Convention & Visitors [email protected]

Sericea lespedeza, sometimes called Chinese bush clover, is an invasive perennial legume found on rangeland, tame pastures, and CRP in Kansas. Currently, sericea lespedeza has been found in about 70 counties in the state infesting over 650,000 acres. Sericea lespedeza became a statewide noxious weed in Kansas on July 1, 2000. Despite the noxious designation in Kan-sas sericea lespedeza is still planted as a forage crop in the southeastern U.S.

Sericea lespedeza was probably first introduced into Kansas during the 1930s for strip-mined land reclamation in the southeastern part of the state. How the species spreads is not clearly understood, but movement by animals, wa-ter, in contaminated hay or native grass seed harvests seems plausible. A high tannin content in sericea limits grazing by cattle on infested grazing lands. The tannins tie up protein mak-ing the plants indigestible to cattle. Sheep and goats are better able to utilize sericea.

Without grazing pressure or treatment, sericea lespedeza populations expand and will decrease associated forage production and eventually reduce species richness. Loss of more palatable forage may result in overgrazing of some areas, which could increase the potential for erosion.

Control of sericea lespedeza is difficult. A long-term management strategy is necessary to maintain the growth of more desirable vegeta-tion. Prescribed burning, grazing, mechani-cal control, and herbicides can all be used in managing sericea lespedeza stands.

Prescribed burning in the spring once sericea has started growth will slow down growth, but probably increases seed germination resulting in more plants per unit area. Concentration of livestock at high stock densities following burning can result in increased use of sericea. As stated earlier, goats graze sericea better than cattle do, but it takes 4 to 5 goats per acre to achieve a utilization rate high enough to eliminate seed production. Annual mowing of sericea in late July will start to reduce stands and prevents seed production most years. Herbicides containing metsulfuron (Escort XP, Ally, Cimarron, etc.) or triclopyr (Remedy, Pas-tureGard, etc.) have proven the most effective at controlling sericea lespedeza. Metsulfuron is generally more effective applied in the late summer when sericea is actively flowering. Triclopyr works well during the early summer when sericea is in a vegetative stage. Unfor-tunately, retreatment with herbicide is required every 2-4 years.

Early detection and treatment is extremely important in trying to control sericea lespedeza. Individual plants and isolated patches require immediate attention. Left untreated, a few scat-tered plants can form a solid stand with time. An integrated approach using prescribed burn-ing, mowing or grazing, and chemical control will help keep this unwanted invasive species from taking over our grasslands.

Walt Fick

Sericea lespedeza can become a serious rangeland weed when it replaces native vegetation in rangelands. Photo courtesy of Walt Fick.

Calendar Events, cont.

cont. on page 4

The use of temporary feeding sites during winter and early spring months to supply feed and/or water to livestock is a common manage-ment practice with livestock producers. The prolonged winter weather conditions through-out much of Kansas this year have increased the frequency of supplemental feeding at these sites due to the inability of cattle to fully utilize available forage or crop residues. When select-ing a temporary feeding site, producers need to determine the most ideal location that balances ease of use by the producer, ani-mal performance and health, and potential impacts of the environment. While these sites serve important roles in care and management of a herd, awareness of mismanagement and lack of sanita-tion that result in lost profitability must be under-stood.

Providing supplemental feed to cattle at feed-ing sites can be accomplished by a wide variety of practices. Generally it is recommended that cattle be supplied with an amount of feed that will be eaten within one to two days. The efficiency of feed utilization at temporary feed-ing sites varies greatly. Producers who grind forage and deposit it directly into the feedbunk will typically have very little wastage, while producers that use ring feeders or roll excessive hay out at a single feeding may experience in

Beneficial management of winter feeding sites pro-motes healthy animals, efficient feeding, less pollution

Allowing livestock unrestricted access to bales results in large quantities of wasted feed and ideal breeding conditions for stable flies. Photo courtesy of Carol Blocksome.

wastage in excess of 25%. The quality of the forage also plays a major factor in the amount of wastage.

Rolling hay out is commonly practiced and can be a very effective means to feed forage if the amount provided matches the intake needs of that group of cattle. If excess is provided, the amount of wastage increases as well as the amount of manure and mud accumulation in the surrounding area. One of the most popular

means of providing harvested forages by producers is using hay ring feed-ers. While these are typically the most convenient meth-ods for producers, they are also the method that most often generates the greatest amount of wastage, manure, and mud accumula-tion. These sites also can pose the greatest bacteria and nutrient envi-

ronmental challenges. Producers must evaluate ring feeder design when utilizing this type of feeding method, as designs to minimize wast-age may quickly pay for themselves especially in times of high forage prices that we currently have. Producers should rotate areas in which forage (rolled out or ring feeders) is provided to prevent destruction of vegetation and minimize mud, manure and bacteria accumulations in specific areas.

• Bale feeding sites may affect water quality when

runoff or leachate from the site enters bodies of water such as creeks or water supplies such as wells

• Soil phosphorous increased in the area surrounding the bale feeding site (10 ft)

• Increases in soil fecal E coli concentrations were observed up to 100 feet away from the feeding site during the feeding period. E. coli concentrations decreased after cattle removal

• Fecal E Coli was still detected 10 ft away from bale feeders three months after feeding ceased.

H2Info

Grazing Forage Management Information Teleconference CallGary KilgoreMay 1, 2007Jerry [email protected]://www.kansassustain-ableag.org/Documents/Graz-ingConfCalls.pdfTo connect:1.888.387.86864699043#

TLA MeetingMay 2, 2007Bill Sproul RanchSedan, KSTim [email protected]

WRAPS Capacity Building ForumMay 3, 2007McPherson, KSMelissa [email protected]://kcw.kdhe.state.ks.us/kcw/calendar.nsf/webevents/976C22E151F18646862572AD004A825D

KAWS Spring MeetingMay 15-16, 2007Topeka, KSTim [email protected]://www.kaws.org/Calen-dar.htm

Tree Shear DemonstrationMay 16, 2007Cedar, KSSolomon Valley RC&D785.425.6647

Homesteading ReconsideredInterdisciplinary SymposiumMay 17-19, 2007Lincoln, NE402.472.3082http://www.unl.edu/plains/news/calendar.html

FloraKansas: Great Plains Plant BazaarMay 19-20, 2007Hesston, [email protected]

Bale Feeding Guidelines

•Move the bale feeding site weekly

•Every two weeks stack waste hay and manure from feeding site in a stockpile for composting.

•Use other methods for feeding hay such as bale processing, unrolling or grinding.

•Place hay feeding sites at least 100 feet from waterways, streams, or ditches.

•Maintain vegetation between the hay feeding site and bodies of water or waterways.

Reprinted with permission

H2Info Cheney Lake Watershed

Feeding sites used for prolonged periods of time not only accumulate wasted forage, but manure as well. The combination of these two organic matter sources provides an ideal host for bacteria survival, which can pose a num-ber of problems. First, from an animal health standpoint, if these sites double for calving ar-eas, the shedding of disease causing organisms from cows provide a direct means of exposure to calves. Secondly, Lenehan et al. (2005) has shown that soil bacteria and nutrient concentra-tions increase dramatically over time within feeding areas. Not only can this affect animal health, but runoff from these sites can introduce bacteria and nutrients into surface water jeopar-dizing water quality.

Recent research at K-State has identified winter feeding sites, specifically hay ring feeding sites, as a main breeding ground for stable flies af-fecting summer pastures. Ideal stable fly breed-ing habitats include moisture, bacteria (upon which the larvae feed), mild temperatures, and an abundance of larval substrate (wasted hay and manure). Single hay ring feeding sites can result in more than one million stable flies be-ing produced each spring. Five stable flies per leg are considered the economic threshold in which cattle performance is reduced.

Proper sanitation or cleaning of these sites is critical to surrounding environmental quality. Although research data is lacking on the effec-tiveness of different management practices to reduce environmental impacts, practical recom-mendations may include the following:

• Continual physical movement of feeder location to prevent manure accumulation in specific areas.

• Rolling hay out in different locations throughout the pasture.

• Avoid rolling out poor quality or rotted hay that will not be eaten.

• Grinding hay helps prevent sorting by the animal, which decreases waste.

• Avoid overfeeding regardless of feeding method to prevent trampling of hay, which becomes habitat once mixed with manure.

Feeding locations should have adequate drain-age to prevent moisture accumulation surround-ing the feeder. However, runoff from these sites should not enter open surface water as it could jeopardize water quality.

If the feeding site is located in a stationary area and can not be rotated to new areas, proper

cleanup and removal of residue is necessary. Management options for producers to clean sites include:

• Scrape and spread waste over pasture or crop ground.

• Pile and compost the residue. Compost-ing will allow for heating and destruction of pathogens within the waste. However, nutrient levels, such as phosphorus are not diminished and must be dealt with even if the material is composted.

• Pile and burn the residue. Because the major-ity of the residue can be from wasted hay, producers may be able to dispose of the ma-terial by burning. However, moisture content of the residue may limit the effectiveness of this option in certain years.

Utilizing winter feeding sites provide a means for producers to supply additional forage or feed to livestock without the investment of permanent facilities. Producers should select a site that provides proper drainage, weather protection (when needed) and maintain vegeta-tion to filter out bacteria and nutrient between the feeding area and surface water. Producers should rotate feeding areas to minimize de-struction of vegetation and decrease mud, bac-teria, and build-up. Feeding sites with organic matter (wasted feed and manure) accumulation should be cleaned after cattle are removed to reduce environmental degradation from runoff to surface water and stable fly production.

Joel DeRouchey Professor, Animal Science and Industry

Kansas State University

Winter feeding sites can require substantial cleanup to avoid future livestock health prob-lems. Photo courtesy of Jerry Jost.

cont. from page 3

Wildflower Plant and Seed SaleMay 20, 2007Lawrence, KSPrairie Park Nature Center785.832.7980

Ecological Engineering in the Great PlainsMay 21-25, 2007Manhattan, [email protected]://www.dce.ksu.edu/conf/aees/registration.shtml

Loess Hills Prairie SeminarJune 1-3, 2007Onawa, IADianne [email protected]

Prairie DaysJune 2-3, 2007Maxwell Wildlife [email protected]

Ecology of Grazing Lands SystemsJune 4-15, 2007FL, AL, LA,TX, OK tourVivien G. [email protected]://www.oznet.ksu.edu/grazinglandecology/

Low-Stress Animal Handling TeleconferenceDr. Lynn Locatelli, DVMJune 5, 2007Jerry [email protected] connect:1-888-387-86864699043#

Wildflower WeekendJune 9-10, 2007Tallgrass Prairie PreserveChase Co., KS620.273.¬[email protected]/tapr

Field Study of Prairie PlantsJune 15 & July 13, 2007Hays, KSBob [email protected]://www.fhsu.edu/biology/ranpers/fspp/fspp.htm


Kansas State Conservation Commission launches new website

A newly-updated website for the State Con-servation Commission, http://scc.ks.gov/, has vastly improved information, organization, and layout. The well-designed site allows you to quickly access local conservation districts and information on general SCC programs and practices. However, county-specific informa-tion on practices and their priority ranking, as well as a listing of products and services offered is lacking. There are just a few pub-lications available, including the hard-to-find “Kansas River and Stream Corridor Manage-ment Guide.” The map link takes to you an interface identical to Kansas Alliance for Wet-lands and Streams’ except for the header. There are direct links to the 11 districts that have their own website. The list of Conservation Educa-tion links is comprehensive.

Staff Change

Ashley Cooper has joined the KGLWQSP as of Jan. 1, 2007. Ashley is a graduate student in ag-ricultural economics and will work on economic analysis and planning. We welcome Ashley to the project!

brush control, range and pasture seeding, burn-ing, and deferred grazing are typical practices available for cost-share. Contracts are for 1 to 10 year implementation periods.

WHIP is for developing and improving wildlife habitat, primarily on private land. Most land in Kansas is eligible for WHIP, providing oppor-tunities for improving wildlife habitat on land that may not be eligible for other programs. Rangeland practices include burning and brush control. WHIP contracts are for 5 to 10 years.

NRCS also has several conservation easement programs, such as the Wetlands Reserve Pro-gram and the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.

Additional cost-share incentives are available for Small, Limited Resource, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers. There are numerous rules and restrictions for all of these programs. For more information, contact your local NRCS office. Contact information can be found at: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/loca-tor/app?state=KS

Contributors Chris Berens

LIP Coordinator Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

Pamela Hays District Manager Ellsworth County Conservation District

Mary Shaffer Public Affairs Coordinator

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Alex Miller Rangeland Management Specialist

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Carol Blocksome

cont. from page 6

Thinking of moving your winter feeding site? Planning to construct a windbreak near the feed bunks? Improving water quality and cattle gains by moving your livestock out of the mud of the riparian area and on to the upland can have detrimental effects on some wildlife if it isn’t planned carefully. Riparian areas are crucial for many types of wildlife, so protect-ing them from livestock degradation is impor-tant. But planting a windbreak in the middle of the prairie can fragment the land so that it’s no longer good habitat for species that need large unbroken expanses of rangeland, such as prairie chickens. So where should you put that winter feeding site? First, consider moving the feedbunks but not planting a windbreak. Cattle don’t need a windbreak while they’re eating. Feedbunks by themselves have minimal fragmentation effect. Or consider placing the feeding site and windbreak outside the riparian area, but nearby, leaving an adequate buffer between the feeding site and the stream. This will provide livestock with shelter without frag-menting the upland. And if you’re using red-cedar or juniper in your windbreak, be aware of the potential for these species to spread into adjacent riparian areas and pasture and reduce livestock forage quantity and wildlife habitat suitability.

ContributorsMatt Smith

Kansas Department. of Wildlife and Parks

Tony IflandU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Carol Blocksome

More on winter feeding sites...

Resources are available for funding range management improvementsWant to improve rangeland in your area? Have ideas and goals, but need some help imple-menting them? There are several programs that can help with labor and funding of range improvements. They differ in what they offer and who can access them. Below are a few of the resources available.

The Habitat Improvement Team offers reason-able rates for range improvement services such as burning, chemical application, and native grass, tree and shrub plantings for wildlife. Based in northeast Kansas, their services are available state-wide. The Habitat Improve-ment Team is sponsored by Pheasants Forever and other natural resource entities. For more information, call Rocky Fahey (785.313.2571) or Ryan Jones (979.218.3074).

Upland Bird Habitat Initiative will provide money to pay for range improvements such as brush management, legume interseeding into CRP fields, conversion of cool-season grasses to native grasses, and warm season native grass plantings. The initiative is limited to northeastern Kansas, primarily from Dickinson County to Miami County and north to the state line. For more information, contact Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks, Region 2 Office at 785.273.6740.

The Landowner Incentive Program, also administered by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, is intended to “aid in the protection and management of priority habitats including streams and associated riparian areas, playa lakes, and grasslands.” Projects funded by this program are: restoring native vegeta-tion, brush and invasive weed management, and restoring playa hydrology. Participation is limited to privately owned land west of the Flint Hills in Kansas, with special consider-ation for projects in the Red Hills, Cimarron River Sandsage, Arkansas River Sandsage, Smoky Hills, and Playa Lakes areas. Land-owners must contribute at least 25% of the project cost in cash or in-kind services. For more information, contact Chris Berens, LIP Coordinator, at 785.462.3367.

The Kansas Rural Center’s Clean Water Farms project starts with a producer completing the River Friendly Farm Environmental Assess-ment on his/her own land. When the assess-ment has been completed and a work plan for improvement drawn up, the producer is eligible for a $250 incentive payment. To help imple-ment practices for correcting environmental deficiencies discovered in the assessment

phase, the producer can then apply for grant funds of up to $5000. Cash or in-kind services match must be provided by the producer. Only areas within a Watershed Restoration and Pro-tection Strategy plan are eligible, although this includes much of Kansas. Grants can be used for an extremely wide variety of rangeland and livestock practices that impact environmental quality, including one-of-a-kind projects to address a specific problem. For more informa-tion, contact Mary Fund at [email protected] or 785.873.3431.

The State Conservation Commission, in conjunction with local conservation districts, provides funding for rangeland improvement practices such as native grass reseeding, ponds and watering facilities, pasture and hay plant-ing, livestock windbreaks, and riparian fencing. Each county prioritizes practices for funding, and a high priority practice in one county may have a low priority in another county. High priority practices have the best chance of being funded. Sign-up dates and allowable practices also vary by county. For more information, contact your local conservation district of-fice. Information on offices can be obtained at: http://scc.ks.gov/index.php?option=com_contact&catid=55&Itemid=143.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers the Conservation Reserve Program, which funds conversion of cropland to native vegetation. This 20+ year old program offers 50% cost share for establishing native vegetation and annual rental payments for maintaining CRP land. There are restrictions on use of CRP land during the contract period, which can be 10-20 years. In addition to the usual native grass seedings, other CRP practices include riparian and wildlife habitat buffers, wetland restora-tion, and living snow fences. CRP is available state-wide. For more information, contact your local FSA office. Contact information can be found at: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/loca-tor/app?state=KS.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers ranchers, conservation techni-cal assistance and financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

EQIP in Kansas has addressed grazing land health as a priority since the inception of the 1996 Farm Bill. Pond and spring development, watering facilities, cross and exclusion fencing,

cont. on page 5

Symphony in the Flint HillsJune 16, 2007Wade PastureWabunsee County620.273.8955www.symphonyintheflint-hills.org

Buffalo DaysSandsage Bison RangeJune 16, 2007Garden City, KS620.276.9400www.fosbr.com

Stream Assessment WorkshopJune 21-22, 2007Wichita, KSChristine [email protected]

Grassland Prairie Field DayJune 23, 2007Snyder Prairie Mayetta, [email protected]

American Forage & Grasslands Council Annual ConventionJune 23-27, 2007State College, PA800.944.2342http://www.afgc.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=42837

Iowa Prairie ConferenceJuly 13-14, 2007Sioux City, IADianne [email protected]://www.ipc2007.com/

Range Youth CampJuly 16-19, 2007Rock Springs Camp, KSTim [email protected]://www.oznet.ksu.edu/kssrm/rc/RYC_2007_flyer.pdf

Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual MeetingJuly 21-25, 2007Kearney, [email protected]://www.grassland.unl.edu/grazeconf.htm


Diverse mixtures of native prairie plant spe-cies have emerged as a leader in the quest to identify the best source of biomass for pro-ducing sustainable, bio-based fuel to replace petroleum.

A new study led by David Tilman, an ecolo-gist at the University of Minnesota, shows that mixtures of native perennial grasses and other flowering plants provide more usable energy per acre than corn grain ethanol or soybean biodiesel and are far better for the environment. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Uni-versity of Minnesota Initiative for Renew-able Energy and the Environment.

“Biofuels made from high-diversity mix-tures of prairie plants can reduce global warming by remov-ing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Even when grown on infertile soils, they can provide a substantial portion of global energy needs, and leave fertile land for food produc-tion,” Tilman said.

The findings are published in the Dec. 8, 2006, issue of the journal Science. The is study based on 10 years of research at Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Natural History Area, one of 26 NSF long-term ecological research (LTER) sites. It shows that degraded agricultural land planted with diverse mixtures of prairie grasses and other flowering plants produces 238 percent more bioenergy on average than the same land planted with various single prairie plant spe-cies, including switchgrass.

Tilman and his colleagues estimate that fuel made from this prairie biomass would yield 51 percent more energy per acre than ethanol from corn grown on fertile land. Prairie plants require little energy to grow and all parts of the plant above ground are usable.

Fuels made from prairie biomass are “carbon negative,” which means that producing and us-ing them actually reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere. Prairie plants store more carbon in their roots

Mixed prairie grasses are a better source of biofuel than corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel

and soil than is released by the fossil fuels needed to grow and convert them into biofuels. Using prairie biomass to make fuel would lead to the long-term removal and storage of from 1.2 to 1.8 U.S. tons of carbon dioxide per acre per year. This net removal of atmospheric car-bon dioxide could continue for about 100 years, the researchers estimate.

In contrast, corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel are “carbon positive,” meaning they add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, although less than fossil fuels.

Switchgrass, which is being developed as a perennial bioenergy crop, was one of 16 species in the study. When grown by itself in poor soil, it did not perform better than other single species and gave less than a third of the bioenergy of high-diversity plots. “Switchgrass is very productive when it’s grown

like corn in fertile soil with lots of fertilizer, pesticide and energy inputs, but this approach doesn’t yield as much energy gain as mixed species in poor soil nor does it have the same environmental benefits,” said paper co-author Jason Hill, also of the University of Minnesota.

To date, all biofuels, including cutting-edge nonfood energy crops such as switchgrass, el-ephant grass, hybrid poplar and hybrid willow, are produced as monocultures grown primarily in fertile soils. The researchers estimate that growing mixed prairie grasses on all of the world’s degraded land could produce enough bioenergy to replace 13 percent of global pe-troleum consumption and 19 percent of global electricity consumption. The practice of using degraded land to grow mixed prairie grasses for biofuels could provide stable production of energy and have additional benefits, such as re-newed soil fertility, cleaner ground and surface waters, preservation of wildlife habitats, and recreational opportunities.

Excerpted from: National Science Foundation website

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=108206&org=NSF

downloaded March 26, 2007

Prairie ecosystems are speices rich, with a complex biota of grasses, forbs, shrubs, wildlife, and soil mi-croorganisms. Photo courtesy of Carol Blocksome.

Stream Channel Field Course: Mapping and AssessmentJuly 23-27, 2007Cheryl [email protected]://www.steadystreamhy-dro.com/river_field_courses.htm

Stream Assessment WorkshopJuly 26-27, 2007Marysville, KSChristine [email protected]

Nebraska Grazing ConferenceAug. 7-8, 2007Kearney, NECenter for Grassland [email protected]://www.grassland.unl.edu/grazeconf.htm

Principles of Range Management Adult Range SchoolAug. 14-16, 2007Flint OakElk County, KSAug. 21-23Camp MennoscahKingman County, KSTim [email protected]://tallgrasslegacy.org/PDF/07RangeSchoolFlyer.pdf


Grassland Water Quality Stewardship Programhttp://www.oznet.ksu.edu/glwq

Walter Fick Project LeaderRodney Jones Project Co-LeaderScott Satterthwaite Project Officer, KDHECarol Blocksome Ext. Asst. AgronomyAshley Cooper Ext. Asst. Agriculture EconomicsLarry Huber Ext. Asst. Agronomy

The Grassland WatershedCarol Blocksome, [email protected]

Larry Huber, copy editor and circulation [email protected]

Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Coun-cils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, Fred A. Cholick, Director.

Financial assistance for the Kansas Grass-land Water Quality Stewardship Program is provided, in part, through EPA Section 319 Non-point Source Pollution Control Grant K3-016 by a grant agreement with the Kan-sas Department of Health and Environment.

Stacie Minson (Smoky Hill WRAPS) and Chris Berens (KAWS) were on hand to answer questions and provide information about their programs. Partners for the Solar Pump Installation Field Day were: Ellsworth County Conservation District, Smoky Hill WRAPS, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS), Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Grassland Water Quality Stewardship Program, Panhandle Sales and Service, Gary Bruning, and Art and Kathy Kohl.

Carol Blocksome

cont. from page 1