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Northeast Louisiana landowners hear about conserv

Northeast Louisiana landowners hear about conservation programs Writer: Karol Osborne at 318-574-2465 or kosborne@agcenter.lsu.edu
(02/02/17) WEST MONROE, La. – Northeast Louisiana landowners learned more about enhancements available through a national conservation program at a meeting held Jan. 25 at the West Monroe Convention Center.
Thirty-seven people attended the event, which aimed to help landowners understand the value of land management so they can take advantage of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Stewardship Program
(CSP), said AgCenter agritourism coordinator Dora Ann Hatch, who helped organize the event. The meeting was sponsored by the LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Delta Adventures, U.S. Department of Agriculture and NRCS. Louisiana Delta Adventures president W.E. Hawkins said helping landowners improve the quality of water, wildlife habitats and other natural resources is important to his organization. “Our mission is to educate people about the outdoors and increase awareness of opportunities in northeast Louisiana,” he said. CSP provides landowners financial assistance to improve their management practices. The goal is to simultaneously increase their productivity and sustainability. The meeting targeted small-tract timber landowners, many of whom cannot afford to make improvements to their land, said NRCS district conservationist James Shivers. CSP can offset those costs and help them preserve critical natural resources, he said. Louisiana residents today tend to own property in smaller tracts than in the past. A piece of property that was 300 acres 20 years ago may now be divided into 20- to 30-acre tracts among the heirs who inherited it, said Jason Holmes, AgCenter agent in Union Parish. “It’s difficult for these landowners to realize any income off that property except for during a 12-year commercial thin, or every 25 years whenever they clear cut,” he said. “So if they can profit from conservation enhancements over a five-year period, it will be beneficial.” Ouachita Parish rancher Joe York, who has participated in NRCS conservation programs in the past, said he came to the meeting to learn about programs available to help with his 100-acre cattle ranch and 80 acres of forest land. “I would like to leave my heirs something a little better than I found it — so that’s my program, to try to keep improving,” he said. Felicie Barnes, who owns land in Morehouse Parish, said she learned more about the types of programs she would qualify for through CSP. “I’ve often wanted to do something like a forest management plan but never knew who to call to get it done or how to do it,” she said. Ouachita Parish farmer Nik Morris said he took part in the program to learn about ways to conserve the resources on his farm. “This is my first time to participate in a conservation program,” said Morris, who was recently honored by the North Louisiana Agri-Business Council with the 2017 Young Agricultural Producer award. “I have already started on my conservation resource plan and I’m very excited about it.” Although the first application pool deadline is Feb. 3, anyone can apply at any time. “Applications that don’t make the first deadline will be rolled over into the second application pool, and the earlier application pool you get in, the more apt you are to get funded,” Shivers said.