Kenton Macy of Charleston was chosen as Coles County SWCD’s 2020 Conservationist of the Year. Since his retirement from NRCS in 2017, Macy has been volunteering for several local, grass-roots conservation organizations including the Embarras Volunteer Stewards, Grand Prairie Friends,…
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2021 – Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program until Feb. 12, 2021. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for…
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To all owners and occupiers of lands lying within the boundaries of Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District: Notice is hereby given that an election will be held on the 4th day of February 2021 from 7:00am to 5:30pm…
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We were initially planning on holding the seminar in-person. Due to the case count in Coles County continuing to rise, the IDNR isn’t allowing the biologists to attend in-person events at this time. It’ll be a live-streamed webinar, so people…
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We received some really great submissions for this year’s local Conservation Photo Contest. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Lauri DeRuiter-Willems, Sandra Cooper, and Annabell Lee! DeRuiter-Willems secured first place in the “Ag/Conservation Across America” category with her submission “Farm &…
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Our office has been getting calls all spring about increased property taxes on timber land in the county and ways to reduce that financial burden. Ensuring that the property has an up-to-date Forestry Management Plan (FMP) is one such method.…
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S.T.A.R. is an exciting program developed by soil and water conservation professionals that offers farm operators and land owners a simple, free, and confidential tool to evaluate their conservation land management practices. The goal of S.T.A.R. is to encourage the…
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Most conservation programs require a burn plan and open burning permit to be on file prior to a controlled burn. Although the district doesn’t write burn plans, our staff can connect landowners with an agency or technical service provider who…
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Nitrate levels have been rising in Illinois’ drinking water. Shallow rural wells are particularly vulnerable to nitrate contamination. Nationally, 20% of these wells have exceeded the level considered safe by the U.S. EPA. Public water utilities are required to test…
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The object of this award is to provide recognition to an outstanding conservationist in the Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District that exemplifies Total Resource Management. It is open to all landowners and/or operators who are soil and water…
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