Vermilion Soil and Water Conservation District - How Districts Operate
The Vermilion Soil and Water Conservation District is a legal subdivision of the State of Louisiana and includes all of Vermilion Parish. A board of five supervisors and two associate supervisors who are landowners within the district governs it. They are charged with the responsibility of conserving Vermilion's soil and water resources. This authority is based on the State Soil and Water Conservation Act No. 370 of 1938. Conservation Districts must shape programs to accomplish objectives as specified in the Act. Monthly board meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at the district office in Abbeville. The District Supervisors are Ernest Girouard, Chairman, Sherrill Sagrera, Vice Chairman, Pat Hebert, Secretary/Treasurer, Christian Richard, Board Member, Dale Vidrine, Board Member, Don Vallot, Alternate Board Member, Don Menard, Alternate Board Member.
The district obtains its operating funds from state, parish and drainage district appropriations. These funds are used for operating expenses and salaries of employees to assist landowners and operators plan and apply conservation practices on the land. These funds are also used for outreach efforts throughout Vermilion Parish on conservation issues. Working for the District is Mitzi Dohrman, secretary, and Ashlee Pommier, technician/program assistant.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical assistance through the district to plan and apply conservation practices.
ACTIVITIES
A Long-Range Program that provides history, soils information, district priorities, and outlines problems and objectives relating to land use is in effect by the district. These programs are available to the public from the district office at 3221 Veterans Memorial Drive, Suite H, Abbeville, Louisiana.
The district works with FFA Chapter Advisors and Soil Judging Teams to encourage the study of soils. The district is proud to be a sponsor of these efforts and assists each year in the annual soils judging competition held at the ULL Cade Farm.
The district continues to urge the public to pracice wise use of all our natural resources. Soil and Water Stewardship was promoted by the district throughout the parksih during hte year by educating the children of Vemrilion Parish on multiple conservation topics, educating and working with 4-H groups, participating in Earth Day at ULL and advising the public on the 2010 and 2011 themes, "Conservation Habits=Healthy Habitats" and "Forests for People-More Than You Can Imagine!". Going one step further, the district participated in the Vermilion Parish libraries summer programs for kids, Boy Scouts Summer Camp Programs at Camp Steen in Vermilion Parish and at Iberia High School in Iberia Parish, and an Ag Day for all Iberia parish 3rd graders. All were taught about soil, plants, water, air animals, and recycling through hands on activites.
The district once again participated in the 20th Annual Conservation Poster Contest. All Vermilion Parish schools grades K-12th were eligible to participate. Prizes were awarded to all students placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd at each participating school. In addition, all 1st place parish winners received $25.00 Gift Cards to various locations. A free jump rental from Vermilion Jump Rentals was donated to LeBlanc Elementary for 90% school participating. Ann Marie Simon of North Vermilion H.S. received $100 for placing First in the STATE competition.
The district continued to work to achieve our goal of bringing conservation education to the public forefront by purchasing a 40' gooseneck trailer and converting it to a Conservation Classroom! With the help partnering entities, the Conservation Classroom has become a reality. 2,122 people have been educated in our Conservation Classroom since April 2011. If anyone is interested in contributing to this effort either with time or financially, please contact Mitzi Dohrman at 337-893-7772 ext 3. Be on the lookout for our Conservation Classroom coming to your community.
Vermilion SWCD would like to thank: Vermilion Parish School Board, Gulf Coast Bank, LSU Museum of Natural Science, LA Dept of Wildlife & Fisheries, Langlinais Tractor, Vermilion Parish 4-H, LSU AgCenter, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mr. Mike Tullos, NVHS Industrial Arts-Mr. Paul Benoit, Mr. Kirk Soileau, Coca Cola Company, Vermilion Parish Farm Bureau, Louisiana Ag in the Classroom, Quality Equipment of Crowley and Louisiana Land Bank for their partnership and confidence in our District to lead the efforts of our Conservation Classroom.
Thirty-one (31) producers utilized the district No-Till Drill for a total of 784.1 acres no tilled. For more information or rental of the drill call Ashlee Pommier at 337-893-7772 ext. 3 or come by the field office.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
This fiscal year, the NRCS and District personnel assisted 5,909 individuals. Eight units of government were furnished technical assistance 48 times and 15 installations of drainage structures were completed.
Accomplishment Activity Chart
2011 Programs & Dollars MBHI EQIP CSP
Applicants Receiving Assistance 90 21 6
Money for Implementation of Practices $1,314,520 $597,064 $264,427
NRCS and District technicians furnished technical assistance to design, install, and certify practices. Practices that are included but not limited through EQIP that were planned for this year were Grade Stabilization Structures with 28, Pasture and Hay Planting encompassing 127 acres, Irrigation Land Leveling encompassing 900 acres, Fence planned footage of 772 feet, and Irrigation Water Conveyance Pipeline of 12,331 feet, Nutrient Management 528 acres, and Shallow Water Management for 23,370 acres. The district also performs operation and maintenance on 66 Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program contracts encompassing 1,143 acres, 3 Wetland Reserve Program contracts encompassing 1,337 acres, 60 EQIP contracts encompassing 9,648 acres of Cropland and Pastureland, and 4 Conservation Security Program contracts encompassing 1,786 acres, and 10 Conservation Stewardship Program contracts encompassing 9,035 acres. In all there were 31,433 acres of plans developed.
Also in this fiscal year, the district continued to work on a Public Law 566 Small Watershed Proposal. This proposal is in the Erath area called the Bayou Tigre Proposal. Another project which the District is trying to find funding to implement is located near Esther called the Hebert Canal Project. Both of these projects will call for the use of water control structures, levee work, and in the case of the Bayou Tigre Proposal, a pump. The goal of these two projects is to reduce flooding, saltwater intrusion and protect cropland, pastureland, businesses, homes and infrastructure such as roads and highways.
The district is also involved in the Coastal Wetland, Planning and Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) through the Vermilion Coastal Advisory Committee. Management planning with marshland managers continues to increase. Input from agencies such as NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries, DNR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Vermilion Parish Coastal Advisory Committee, is being utilized to carefully plan the use and protection of our coastal marsh resources.
The annual district sponsored vegetative planting project, which consisted of 6,000 plugs of Smoothcord grass, was completed in May 2011. 18,000 linear feet were planted near Lake Fearman. The main objective was to vegetate the sides of an eroding shoreline to increase stability, lesson erosion, create habitat for wildlife, and provide a seed source for natural regeneration. If anyone is interested in volunteering their time and energy to protecting our natural resources they may contact Mitzi Dohrman at the district office in Abbeville at 337-893-7772 ext. 3.
Vermilion SWCD posts activities regularly on our website. Please visit www.vermilionswcd.weebly.com to see current activity and communicate directly with us.
Because of our legislators assistance, the cooperation of all agencies mentioned above, and land owners/operators, conservation work in Vermilion Parish is actively being applied to conserve all of our natural resources – soil, water, air, plants, people and animals.
The district obtains its operating funds from state, parish and drainage district appropriations. These funds are used for operating expenses and salaries of employees to assist landowners and operators plan and apply conservation practices on the land. These funds are also used for outreach efforts throughout Vermilion Parish on conservation issues. Working for the District is Mitzi Dohrman, secretary, and Ashlee Pommier, technician/program assistant.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical assistance through the district to plan and apply conservation practices.
ACTIVITIES
A Long-Range Program that provides history, soils information, district priorities, and outlines problems and objectives relating to land use is in effect by the district. These programs are available to the public from the district office at 3221 Veterans Memorial Drive, Suite H, Abbeville, Louisiana.
The district works with FFA Chapter Advisors and Soil Judging Teams to encourage the study of soils. The district is proud to be a sponsor of these efforts and assists each year in the annual soils judging competition held at the ULL Cade Farm.
The district continues to urge the public to pracice wise use of all our natural resources. Soil and Water Stewardship was promoted by the district throughout the parksih during hte year by educating the children of Vemrilion Parish on multiple conservation topics, educating and working with 4-H groups, participating in Earth Day at ULL and advising the public on the 2010 and 2011 themes, "Conservation Habits=Healthy Habitats" and "Forests for People-More Than You Can Imagine!". Going one step further, the district participated in the Vermilion Parish libraries summer programs for kids, Boy Scouts Summer Camp Programs at Camp Steen in Vermilion Parish and at Iberia High School in Iberia Parish, and an Ag Day for all Iberia parish 3rd graders. All were taught about soil, plants, water, air animals, and recycling through hands on activites.
The district once again participated in the 20th Annual Conservation Poster Contest. All Vermilion Parish schools grades K-12th were eligible to participate. Prizes were awarded to all students placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd at each participating school. In addition, all 1st place parish winners received $25.00 Gift Cards to various locations. A free jump rental from Vermilion Jump Rentals was donated to LeBlanc Elementary for 90% school participating. Ann Marie Simon of North Vermilion H.S. received $100 for placing First in the STATE competition.
The district continued to work to achieve our goal of bringing conservation education to the public forefront by purchasing a 40' gooseneck trailer and converting it to a Conservation Classroom! With the help partnering entities, the Conservation Classroom has become a reality. 2,122 people have been educated in our Conservation Classroom since April 2011. If anyone is interested in contributing to this effort either with time or financially, please contact Mitzi Dohrman at 337-893-7772 ext 3. Be on the lookout for our Conservation Classroom coming to your community.
Vermilion SWCD would like to thank: Vermilion Parish School Board, Gulf Coast Bank, LSU Museum of Natural Science, LA Dept of Wildlife & Fisheries, Langlinais Tractor, Vermilion Parish 4-H, LSU AgCenter, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Mr. Mike Tullos, NVHS Industrial Arts-Mr. Paul Benoit, Mr. Kirk Soileau, Coca Cola Company, Vermilion Parish Farm Bureau, Louisiana Ag in the Classroom, Quality Equipment of Crowley and Louisiana Land Bank for their partnership and confidence in our District to lead the efforts of our Conservation Classroom.
Thirty-one (31) producers utilized the district No-Till Drill for a total of 784.1 acres no tilled. For more information or rental of the drill call Ashlee Pommier at 337-893-7772 ext. 3 or come by the field office.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
This fiscal year, the NRCS and District personnel assisted 5,909 individuals. Eight units of government were furnished technical assistance 48 times and 15 installations of drainage structures were completed.
Accomplishment Activity Chart
2011 Programs & Dollars MBHI EQIP CSP
Applicants Receiving Assistance 90 21 6
Money for Implementation of Practices $1,314,520 $597,064 $264,427
NRCS and District technicians furnished technical assistance to design, install, and certify practices. Practices that are included but not limited through EQIP that were planned for this year were Grade Stabilization Structures with 28, Pasture and Hay Planting encompassing 127 acres, Irrigation Land Leveling encompassing 900 acres, Fence planned footage of 772 feet, and Irrigation Water Conveyance Pipeline of 12,331 feet, Nutrient Management 528 acres, and Shallow Water Management for 23,370 acres. The district also performs operation and maintenance on 66 Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program contracts encompassing 1,143 acres, 3 Wetland Reserve Program contracts encompassing 1,337 acres, 60 EQIP contracts encompassing 9,648 acres of Cropland and Pastureland, and 4 Conservation Security Program contracts encompassing 1,786 acres, and 10 Conservation Stewardship Program contracts encompassing 9,035 acres. In all there were 31,433 acres of plans developed.
Also in this fiscal year, the district continued to work on a Public Law 566 Small Watershed Proposal. This proposal is in the Erath area called the Bayou Tigre Proposal. Another project which the District is trying to find funding to implement is located near Esther called the Hebert Canal Project. Both of these projects will call for the use of water control structures, levee work, and in the case of the Bayou Tigre Proposal, a pump. The goal of these two projects is to reduce flooding, saltwater intrusion and protect cropland, pastureland, businesses, homes and infrastructure such as roads and highways.
The district is also involved in the Coastal Wetland, Planning and Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) through the Vermilion Coastal Advisory Committee. Management planning with marshland managers continues to increase. Input from agencies such as NRCS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries, DNR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Vermilion Parish Coastal Advisory Committee, is being utilized to carefully plan the use and protection of our coastal marsh resources.
The annual district sponsored vegetative planting project, which consisted of 6,000 plugs of Smoothcord grass, was completed in May 2011. 18,000 linear feet were planted near Lake Fearman. The main objective was to vegetate the sides of an eroding shoreline to increase stability, lesson erosion, create habitat for wildlife, and provide a seed source for natural regeneration. If anyone is interested in volunteering their time and energy to protecting our natural resources they may contact Mitzi Dohrman at the district office in Abbeville at 337-893-7772 ext. 3.
Vermilion SWCD posts activities regularly on our website. Please visit www.vermilionswcd.weebly.com to see current activity and communicate directly with us.
Because of our legislators assistance, the cooperation of all agencies mentioned above, and land owners/operators, conservation work in Vermilion Parish is actively being applied to conserve all of our natural resources – soil, water, air, plants, people and animals.
