From the Desk of David Hanselmann: June Newspoints

NEWSPOINTS for June, 2010


NOTE: Staff in both the new Division of Soil and Water Resources and the Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention at ODNR continue to make great progress in many areas. We have been providing critical communications for various programs to SWCDs and many other partners as necessary, but we have not been able to provide simple program updates as often as we think would be useful. Until a better capability to do that is determined I want to resurrect our previous Division of Soil and Water Conservation “NEWSPOINTS” format. Happy reading. David Hanselmann

Former division chief Larry Vance to be inducted into Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Our former chief of the Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Larry Vance, will be inducted at a breakfast Friday, August 6 at the Rhodes Center during the State Fair. Those interested in attending the breakfast should contact the Ohio Agricultural Council at 614/794-8970 or info@ohioagcouncil.org. Congratulations, Larry!

Changes to surety bonding for upground reservoir construction approved, reducing costs.
SB 270 was approved at 4 AM on June 4th by the General Assembly, allowing the DSWR to create a pilot program for the City of Columbus which is constructing a very large upground drinking water reservoir. The DSWR Dam Safety Engineering Program recognized that upground reservoirs pose far less risk during construction than on-stream dams. Approved permitting changes allow the DSWR chief to approve lower bonding/surety amounts during construction and greater amounts during first filling (though lower than current requirements.) The pilot project also eliminates the current construction permit filing fee cap. This different approach for upground reservoirs will save Columbus and its water rate-payers many millions of dollars in bonding costs. The division hopes this change can be made applicable statewide by the General Assembly soon so that all future upground reservoir projects in Ohio can see reduced costs, while maintaining the division’s ability to ultimately render a dam safe if the need arises during construction.

Strategic directions survey going to conservation partners and stakeholders from Battelle.
You will be receiving it soon. The survey will query you about programming and assistance to landowners, residents, and communities to help Ohioans meet their broad range of natural resources-related needs, at both personal and community levels. We expect the survey, planned focus groups, and other input will help involved agencies and organizations better chart an effective and compelling course for a bright future. The process is supported by both the Division of Soil and Water Resources and Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention at ODNR, the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. These entities are using services of the Battelle Memorial Institute, and hope to identify the best program/assistance/engagement roles, and any related ideas for how to organize ourselves to meet priority needs and opportunities.

Tom Price becomes chair of Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Commission.
Tom Price was elected chair of the OSWCC at the April meeting. Living in Delaware County, Price is president of Price Farm Organics and raises cattle and hogs. He has served on the OSWCC since 2002. Fred Cash, with CT Consultants and Cuyahoga SWCD board member, was elected vice-chair. As chair, Price succeeds Randy Mott from Miami County who ends his second four year term on the OSWCC June 30th. Thanks, Randy, for your service, and congratulations Tom and Fred! It is expected that Governor Strickland will name a new member to the OSWCC before the end of June.

ERIN to go to her first dance soon.
The DSWR has been leading efforts to create a conservation and natural resources-related Web-based geographic information system. The system’s working name was the Ohio Conservation Geographic Information System, or OCGIS. We have finalized what we think is a name that better reflects the system’s capabilities and is more memorable – Earth Resources Information Network, or ERIN. Not to be confused with our soil scientist, Aaron Lantz, who has been leading efforts to develop the network. At the OFSWCD Summer Supervisors School late July we plan to demonstrate ERIN and begin to make the first series of tools and data available for use by SWCDs and others.

Grants go out for litter clean-up, community recycling, market development, and tires. Over the past three months our Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention has awarded over $4.3 million of grants to local agencies. $155,014 went to 83 communities for litter clean up projects this spring. $1,070,065 went to 26 solid waste districts and other eligible grantees to assist local recycling programs – and help meet the state’s overall recycling/diversion goals.
$1,666,596 went through solid waste districts to local businesses that are creating and marketing products from recyclables. Finally, the division awarded $1,421,390 to 40 grantees to deal with scrap tires – to use scrap tires for industrial and engineering applications and to clean up a number of smaller illicit dumps around the state. We are pleased that SWCDs are assisting with a number of these local projects and in some cases actually serving as the grantee/project leader.

Division of Soil and Water Resources has new home page on the Web – check us out!
Our new division has a consolidated homepage that allows quick access to the many programs we have responsibility for. Go to ohiodnr.com and click on soil and water or water resources, or go to www.ohiodnr.com/soilandwater/. We just added an icon for Grand Lake St. Marys information, where, BTW, lots of good conservation work is going on and toxin levels in the lake are well below levels from a year ago. However, a recent blue-green algae bloom may further complicate the situation there.

DRLP helps create By-Product Synergy network.
The OSU Center for Resilience, with sponsorship of the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, and partner support, is launching a By-Product Synergy Network in central Ohio and beyond. This is just the eighth network in the U.S. The Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention has become a major co-sponsor. Simply, the BPS Network helps businesses convert wastes into profits while creating environmental and economic benefits, and jobs. The network connects businesses that send materials to landfills or wastewater treatment with businesses that could effectively use those materials in their own processes. Typically energy consumption is also lowered. It is easy to get excited about this when envisioning the win-wins the network hopes to facilitate. Visit www.ohiobps.org.