Saving Farmland From Development

I'll be involved in the NRC meeting and unable to attend this but it is important if you are at all concerned about the preserving Indiana's Farmlands from development. This is from the Lieutinent Governor:


You are invited to participate in the first Indiana Rural Listening Session, where we will be sharing a preliminary draft of our plan to move rural Indiana forward.

The strategy, titled Rural Indiana Strategy for Excellence (RISE 2020), is a comprehensive plan that will meet the most critical needs of rural Indiana, including its many small cities, towns and outlying areas. Developed with the help of many citizens, RISE 2020 will direct the efforts of the Indiana Office of Rural Affairs and also will create opportunities for other governmental agencies, the philanthropic community, the private sector and other institutions and organizations to work together to build a bright future for rural areas statewide.

We have completed a draft version of the RISE 2020 report, and now we need your input.
I encourage you to join me and the RISE 2020 working groups at the listening session on Tuesday, March 21, 2006, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Indianapolis time). Lunch will be provided. We have multiple locations for your convenience, and I will be attending at Tippecanoe County.

To review the draft report of RISE 2020 and view other background information on the process, please visit www.in.gov/lgov/. Information will be available on the Web site by Tuesday, March 14. If you cannot attend this session you can offer comments on the Web site or get more information about future community input sessions to be held in April.

You or your designee can RSVP with your site preference by calling Linda Gray at
317/234-3418 or via e-mail to lgray@ora.IN.gov no later than Friday, March, 17 2006. Space is limited so please register as early as possible.

Thanks in advance for your participation.


Rebecca S. Skillman
Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development


Rural Strategy Listening Session locations for Tuesday, March 21, 2006:


Bartholomew County
Bartholomew County Office
1971 State Street
Columbus, IN 47201

Benton County
Benton County Extension Service
604 E. Second Street, Ste. A
Fowler, IN 47944

Harrison County
Purdue Extension Office
Harrison County Annex Bldg., Ste. 109
124 S. Mulberry Street
Corydon, IN 47112


Howard County
Ivy Tech Community College
1815 E. Morgan Street, Executive Board Rm. M138
Kokomo, IN 46903

LaGrange County
LaGrange County Office Bldg.
114 W. Michigan Street, Ste. 10
LaGrange, IN 46761

LaPorte County
Pinney Purdue Research Farm
11402 S. County Line Road
Wanatah, IN 46390



Jefferson County
Ivy Tech Community College
590 Ivy Tech Drive, Library Room
Madison, IN 47250

Lawrence County
Bedford Regional Medical Center
2900 West 16th Street
Bedford, IN 47421

Marion County
Marion County Extension Office
6640 Intech Blvd., Ste. 120
Indianapolis, IN 46278

St. Joseph County
Ivy Tech Community College
220 Dean Johnson Blvd., Room 2122
South Bend, IN 46619




Tippecanoe County
Purdue Extension Service
Tippecanoe County Office
Sagamore Parkway South
Lafayette, IN 47905

Vigo County
Ivy Tech Community College
501 South Airport Street, Rm. F-256
Terre Haute, IN 47803

Vanderburgh County
University of Southern Indiana
Health Professionals Bldg., Rm. 1027
8600 University Drive
Evansville, IN 47712

Wayne County
Ivy Tech Community College
2357 Chester Blvd.
Richmond, IN 47374



Jack

The farmers in my area hate two things..

Deer ..

and

Trees..

They kill all the deer they can and cut down all the trees they can..

If they want to save the farmland they can quit the expansion of, and building of new interstates and highways. This infrastructure has one of the strongest correllations with urban sprawl.

Steiny, the field would still support plenty of wildlife, just not the kind most people hunt

My point exactly, GAME. Not wildlife. It will support plenty of wildlife, but not those species that are considered game.

Programs like CRP, EQUIP, and the like do a fair job of leaving field margins in wildlife habitat, which helps. No till practices implemented to meet soil conservation initiative goals also can have the benefit of leaving waste grain for most of the season, which is an excellent food source for a lot of game. We don't see too many people down here plowing more than once every 2 or 3 years, because of the no till advantages.

The main problem with these incentive programs is that crop markets can outclass the incentives. Another problem is getting people to sign up. Then the ones that do sign up procrastinate on implementing the conservation plans.

Not sure...you'd have to check with your local FSA office.