YCCD 2023 Matching Rangeland Improvement Grant Project Completed

The Yuma County Conservation District (YCCD) was awarded a $25,000 grant this past year to fund rangeland improvement projects in partnership with funds from the Colorado Department of Agriculture through the Colorado State Conservation Board.  The YCCD also added an additional $10,000 in funding to increase the overall grant total to $35,000.

This grant project was able to assist six producers with funding in 2023 through the installation of 5 tanks, 8,260 feet of pipeline, 3 solar well pumps, that ultimately impacted 4608 acres of rangeland in the Yuma County Conservation District. 

By participating in the matching grant program, the Yuma County Conservation District was able to help individual producers improve the overall infrastructure of their operations.   “We are excited to be able to help landowners install such practices on their land as we all work to preserve the resources of Yuma County” said Margaret Lenz, President of the YCCD.

 The YCCD is now accepting applications for a similar funding grant project for 2024.  For more information, please contact the YCCD at 970-332-3107 extension 9002 or visit our website at www.ycconservation.com.

Do You Have an Interest in Natural Resources?

Camp Rocky is a week-long educational camp for 14 through 17-year-olds who enjoy the outdoors and are interested in natural resources! Camp is set for July 9th-14th 2023 and is located outside Divide, Colorado.

Camp Rocky’s participants learn about the environment through hands-on experiences by working in teams focusing on specific resource areas: Rangeland Management, Forestry Management, Soil and Water Management and Fish and Wildlife Management. At the end of the week, students will use their group learning plan to complete a natural resource management project.

Here are some additional details of what participants will learn in the specific resource groups:

• Fish & Wildlife Management: The Fish & Wildlife resource group examines how resource availability or scarcity impacts fauna across Colorado, how changes we make impact the relationship between humans and wildlife, learns methods for observing and quantifying fish & wildlife behavior, and will learn about the careers available in this sector from those who live them.

• Rangeland Management: The Rangeland Science resource group examines both ecology and management practices with the goal of sustaining healthy, productive rangelands. Students learn about the various range environments found in Colorado, native and introduced species of rangeland grasses, and how those species impact the landscape.

• Soil & Water Conservation: The Soil & Water resource group studies how water flows across our natural and managed landscapes, how soil type and quality impact the flow and availability of that water, and how all these factors affect agriculture, the built environment, and natural resources throughout Colorado's landscapes.

• Forest Management: The Forestry resource group evaluates data on forest and soil health, assessing the impacts of human use, the potential for and impact of events such as fire, and learn about the impact that various stages of forest health have on watersheds and availability of other natural resources.

The Yuma County Conservation District awards a full camp scholarship to Camp Rocky annually to the winner of the 4-H Natural Resources division at the Yuma County Fair. The winner of the 2022 scholarship was Lydia Mekelburg. In addition, partial Camp Rocky Scholarships are available to all YCCD Camp Rocky applicants. Registration slots are filling quickly, so register soon at www.camprocky.org. For more information, please contact Tanya Fell at 970-332-3107 ext. 9002.

Raymond Peters Memorial Conservation Scholarship 2023 Award Winners Announced

The Yuma County Conservation District is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Raymond Peters Memorial Conservation Scholarship. Help us congratulate Caeden Bauer, Chase Buoy and Jenna Wieser.

Caeden is the son of Douglas and Jessica Bauer of Wray. He plans to attend Western Colorado University in Gunnison to pursue a degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Ecology.

Chase is the son of Martin and Yvonne Buoy of Holyoke. He plans to attend Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS to pursue a degree in Agronomy and Soil Science with a minor in Ag Business.

Jenna is the daughter of Dennis and Rebekah Wieser of Idalia. She plans to attend West Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in Agriculture Education with a minor in Ag Business.

This $4,000 scholarship was established by the Yuma County Conservation District to assist students to attend post-secondary education in areas of study related to conservation and/or natural resources. Congratulations to our 2023 scholarship winners!