VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Position: Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB) Conservationist
Location: This position is offered by the WOOD Soil and Water Conservation District 1616 East Wooster Street, Box 32, Bowling Green, OH 43402. It is a full time permanent position, subject to a probationary period. The position will be under the administrative supervision of the WOOD SWCD Board of Supervisors and the day to day supervision of the District Program Administrator. Work time will be divided between Wood, Lucas, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties.
The position will include surveying, field work, laying out practices, construction
checks, design, conservation planning, participation in NRCS customer toolkit, and the Technician Development Program with ODNR, direction from the District Conservationist, other duties as assigned.
This position is being funded under a federal grant program for a two year period.
Applicants should have background in natural resource management, conservation
practices, knowledge, experience or training in resource management and conservation practices, environmental science and agriculture with a minimum of an associates degree or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
Computer Requirements:
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, any knowledge in ARC GIS or CAD programs would be helpful)
Administrative Requirements:
Self-motivation, organizational skills, take direction from others, oral and written communication, ability to work with landowners and general public, team leadership and positive attitude and create a favorable image of the District while accomplishing the required tasks.
The position will require extensive field work and the ability to traverse uneven terrain by foot. The job may include in work in inclement weather. A valid Ohio drivers license and the ability to obtain drive other car insurance will be required. Applicants will be contacted by phone for interview appointments. Background checks will be conducted and aptitude test could be administered.
Starting salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Benefits include health insurance, Medicare, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, vacation and sick leave. The intended start date will be September 1, 2010.
All programs, services and activities of the WOOD Soil and Water Conservation District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status or handicap.
Applicants should provide a resume, two non-family references and a cover letter indicating why you are interested in the position, along with a completed job application. The above must be received no later than 4:00 pm, July 23, 2010 at the following location
WOOD SWCD, 1616 East Wooster Street, Box 32, Bowling Green, Ohio 43402. Questions can be directed to Jim Carter at jimcarter@woodswcd.com or call 419-354-5517. Fax is 419-354-7923. Visit www.woodswcd.com for job application and position description.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Photo Contest Entries
Here are a few entries for the Conservation Crusader photo contest. For more information visit http://www.conservationcrusader.org/
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Destination Conservation: 2010 Summer Supervisor School
We hope this puts a smile on your face today!
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. That started from southeast Ohio, aboard this tiny ship.
Lawrence was a mighty sailing man, and Kent was brave and sure. Eighty-Eight counties set sail that day, for a three day long tour. A three day long tour.
The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the ship would be lost, the ship would be lost.
The ship took ground on the shore of Salt Fork Resort, with Gilligan (Kent Stuckey), the Skipper (Lawrence Burdell) too, The Millionaire (Joe Glassmeyer), and his wife (Peachie), The movie star (David Hanselman), The professor (Clark Sheets), and Merryman (Terry Cosby), here at Summer Supervisor School.
So this is the tale of our castaways, they're here for a long, long time. They'll have to make the best of things, it's an uphill climb.
Workshops, tours, and networking. And even Leadership Academy. Like Robinson Crusoe, It's as awesome and worthwhile as can be.
So join us here in July, my friend, you're sure to get a smile, from seven stranded castaways, Here At Summer Supervisor School!
July 25-27, 2010 at Salt Fork Resort and Conference Center
Room Reservation Deadline: June 24, 2010
Early Registration Deadline: July 10, 2010
Chardon High School Team Wins 2010 Ohio Envirothon
A team of Chardon High School students from Geauga County placed first in the 2010 Ohio Envirothon, held at Lake Erie College June 14-15, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Eighteen teams from 16 Ohio high schools participated in this year’s outdoor competition, which tested students’ knowledge of soils and land use, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues.
First prize was a check for $300 and a chance to represent Ohio at the North American Canon Envirothon, set for August 1-6 at the University of California in Fresno.
The Fort Jennings High School team from Putnam County finished second in the competition, taking home a check for $200. A team from Franklin High School in Warren County placed third, winning a check for $100. Each school received a plaque commemorating its winning performance.
In addition to the awards presented to the top three scoring teams, medallions were presented to the following teams for high scores at individual ecostations: United FFA from Columbiana County in Forestry and Wildlife and Mount Vernon FFA in Knox County in Wildlife (tie).
In addition to field testing, Envirothon student teams are required to prepare and present an oral presentation related to an environmental issue. Teams were given the task of designing a low impact housing development, focusing on how to best protect existing water resources. A rookie team representing West Union High School in Adams County took top honors in the oral presentation category.
ODNR’s Division of Soil & Water Resources and the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts sponsor the annual event.
Each participating team earned the opportunity to compete at the state level by placing among the top four teams in five regional Envirothons that were held in April and May, involving over 1,500 high school students.
Each year, the Envirothon focuses on a specific environmental issue. This year’s topic centered on protecting ground water resources through urban, agricultural, and environmental planning. Competition questions were prepared by professionals from ODNR, Cuyahoga SWCD, Grand River Partners, Ohio EPA, Home Horticultural Services, and Lake Metroparks.
The Ohio Envirothon is funded by donations from individuals, soil and water conservation districts, local businesses, agencies and organizations. Major donors for the 2010 Ohio Envirothon included the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Fund, the ODNR Divisions of Wildlife and Forestry, Pheasants Forever, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Lubrizol Corporation, The Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Ohio Environmental Council, CSX Corporation, the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Lake Metroparks, and Canon Envirothon.
2010 Envirothon: Your Journey
Check out the journey of the 2010 Area Envirothon teams as they compete for a spot in the state competition.
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Conservation Crusader!
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It’s a bird, it’s a plane – no – it’s Conservation Crusader! Conservation Crusader has arrived and has a new home in Ohio! This “superhero” can be found on www.conservationcrusader.org. The OFSWCD will be using CC for educational fact sheets, fun tips and promotional contests highlighting the importance of conservation stewardship! We thank NACD for allowing us the opportunity to use CC, and NRCS for assisting us with the fact sheets. Check out the “youTube” video on the site highlighted Conservation Crusader’s participation the development of a rain garden at the Farm Science Review! It was so incredible! And, we will be increasing our offering of information on this site down the road – so send us your ideas, suggestions, etc.
Also – we have a great summer “adventure” planned involving Conservation Crusader. On the website, there is a contest to share! Check out the site and by all means – pass it on to your colleagues, friends, teachers, students and others to share the news. We want to take pictures all summer of places where CC visits. There is no age restriction associated with conservation stewardship activities!
You can also follow Conservation Crusader on facebook and twitter!
www.facebook.com/conservationcrusader
www.twitter.com/swcdcrusader
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