USDA offers help for local conservation
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Congress initially introduced the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in 1935 to fix soil erosion issues, and what’s now the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services has grown to be the leader in natural resource conservation nationwide. The local office in the Mission Valley, in Ronan, has been serving residents since 1945. The office works with the Lake County Conservation District.
The Mission Valley’s ecosystem is vastly different from the rest of Montana, as the fertile grounds can accommodate a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and even orchards, despite a short growing season.
“Our main priority is to implement conservation programs in the United States Farm Bill,” District Conservationist Ben Montgomery said. “A lot goes to food, school nutrition and conservation. We’re a non-regulatory agency. We work with private landowners to implement volunteer conservation on their properties. We’re not an agency that’s overbearing; we’re non-intimidating and confidential.”
What sets the USDA NRCS apart from others like the Environmental Protection Agency is that they only help when landowners come to them.
“We don’t force people to work with us,” Montgomery said. “We help them make land improvements, give them financial assistance and funding for conservation projects.”
Other projects they’ve done in the past include improving local irrigation systems, working to improve grazing in pastures, mapping and planning work, along with stock water systems, to name a few.
The Mission Valley’s unique ecosystem provides the local office to work with organic and non-organic farmers, including cherry and apple orchards along the shore of Flathead Lake.
The local office is also actively involved with wildlife habitat restoration for song birds, upland birds and waterfowl. They will also help landowners with improving any species they may have on their property.
“A lot of people come to us for our technical knowledge and financial assistance,” Montgomery said. “We’ve seen a lot of things done incorrectly, and we’ve been on a lot of properties. One of the main things is assisting them financially.”
According to Montgomery, landowners experience a wealth of benefits from utilizing their services.
“They can get the project done, (and) help natural resources,” he said. “And (make) improvements to finances in day to day operations.”
Montgomery says his office will try to develop a plan for an entire property, and if they can assist financially, they’ll try to fund the project through conservation programs.
Keeping agricultural businesses booming in the country is an important aspect of our national security, Montgomery added.
“To produce our own food; have clean air and water are all critical for our own national security and health of our people,” he said. “Countries that aren’t protecting their soil are reaping what they sow.”
The local USDA NRCS office holds seminars throughout the year and will be offering one regarding grazing on pasture grounds through MOB grazing techniques in February. This technique can increase forage on pastures through rotating a large herd often in small pastures.
“It’s been done a lot in the Midwest, and it’s been very successful,” Montgomery said. “We’re looking to introduce it here.”
Montgomery says the additional four staff members who serve the local office have a lot of experience in unique areas, which is what makes their efforts in the Mission Valley thrive.
Larry Robertson works with orchards and reducing nutrient losses and improving management for crops around Flathead Lake. Andrew Malucelli works mainly to organize small vegetable operations and local producers, and Andrea Burton heads engineering designs for the office.
“Our office is more diverse because our Valley is very diverse,” Montgomery said. “We have everything from conventional farming, pastures and ranges, (to) rare small organic operations and vegetable operations and orchards, which are unique to Flathead Lake.”
