Serving:

Franklin County- Since 1939Henry County-Since 1939

Roanoke County-Since 1943City of Roanoke-Since 2005Note: Cities of Salem & Martinsville are not included at this time.

Who Are We?

The Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth

of Virginia (formed under the authority of Title 21, Code of

Virginia), passed by the General Assembly in 1938.

� The Mission of the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District is to promote conservation of our natural resources

� ‘The Vision of the Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District, as an autonomous elected body, will strive to coordinate the natural resource interests to achieve our mission by educating and providing technical assistance to the citizens within”

� Funding Sources: Funding for programs outlined in this presentation comes from a variety of sources, namely: The Department of Conservation & Recreation, local county governments, corporate sponsorship and donations. Other funding comes from federal and state grants.

75 Years: 1938-2013

75 Years: 1938-2013

Directors

� Daphne W. Jamison – Chairperson, Franklin County� Michael A. Loveman – Vice Chairman, City of Roanoke� Jack M. Hodges – Henry County� Darrell Jackson – Henry County� Nicholas H. Beasley – Roanoke County� Roger Holnback – Roanoke County� Joel Hubert Bowman – Franklin County� John P. Bradshaw, Jr. – City of Roanoke� G. Dan Pace – Henry County-appointed by VASWCB� Cynthia Martel – VA Cooperative Extension – appointed by VASWCB

Associate Director(s)

� Donald Brooks – Franklin County

� The Blue Ridge SWCD supports the VA Association of SWCD, the VA Soil & Water Conservation Board and the National Association of Conservation Districts. The directors attend area, state, and national meetings.

75 Years: 1938-2013

� Patricia R. Hodges – Administrative Secretary/Treasurer

� P.W. Morgan – Senior Conservation Specialist

� Kathy B. Smith- Program Manager/Education Coordinator

� Michael L. Tabor- Pigg River TMDL Conservation Technician� Delbert Allen Jackson – Part-time Conservation Technical Assistant

75 Years: 1938-2013

75 Years: 1938-2013

I. Agriculture Cost-share Programs:

i. VA State BMP available for Franklin, Henry, Roanoke Counties and the City of Roanokeii. Several agriculture programs provide tax credit and equipment credit as welliii. Examples of agriculture programs:

i. Harvestable Cover Crop: provides cover on cropland which aids in the prevention of nutrient loss by reducing winter rain and wind generated erosion and leaching of nutrients to ground water

ii. Small Grain Cover Crop for Nutrient Management & Residue Management: provides a cover on cropland aiding in the prevention of nutrient loss, by reducing erosion and leaching nutrients to ground water.

iii. Legume Cover Crop: improves water quality by providing an adequate residue cover to prevent erosion and serves as desirable mulch for no-till cultivation. Water quality is enhanced by nitrogen fixation of the legume in order to reduce applied amendments.

iv. Stream Exclusion with Grazing Land Management: provides livestock water systems, fencing and/or a hardened pad for winterfeeding that will improve water quality by establishing rotational grazing to control erosion and eliminate direct access to or a direct runoff input to live streams where there is a defined water quality problem.

75 Years: 1938-2013

II. Pigg River TMDL Agriculture Program

I. Available for landowners within the Pigg River drainage areaII. Funding provided by Water Quality Improvement Funds through

DCR.III. Examples of Agriculture Programs:

I. Livestock Exclusion with Riparian Buffer is a structural and/or management practice that restricts access to surface waters to reduce sediment, nutrients, and bacteria loading to streams, and reduce non-point source pollution associated with grazing livestock on pastures.

II. Loafing Lot Management System is a practice designed to prevent

areas from exposed to heavy livestock traffic from experiencing excessive manure and soil losses due to the destruction of ground cover.

III. These practices include stream exclusion fencing of livestock, cross fencing, watering facilities, water wells, stream crossing, and animal travel lanes. The intention of this funding is to help reduce bacterial pollution from livestock while providing benefit to area farmers.

75 Years: 1938-2013

Additional Cost-share Programs offered through

the Blue Ridge SWCD

I. Pigg River/Old Women’s Creek I. March 1, 2010 through June 30, 2013II. $183,000.00 Cost-shareIII. Septic Repair IV. Septic ReplacementV. Connection to a public waste systemVI. Replace straight pipe systems

II. DCR Southern Rivers Supplemental GrantI. March 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013II. $560,576.00 Cost-shareIII. Livestock Exclusion BMPsIV. Animal Waste Storage Structures BMPs

III. Volunteer Ag BMPI. Quantify on-farm assessments of agricultural BMPs pertaining to voluntary

implementation of conservation actins taken by agricultural producers without acceptance of financial incentives

II. Farm assessments will only be performed with agricultural producers that authorize the district to perform such assessments and reports results.

75 Years: 1938-2013

Watershed DamsI. Franklin County-Blackwater

I. Bowman DamII. Dillon Dam

II. Henry CountyI. Horse Pasture

I. StanleyII. Seale’s

II. LeatherwoodI. WalkerII. FinneyIII. Barrow BrothersIV. LawrenceV. Laurel Park

III. MarrowboneI. Clanton

IV. Routine Maintenance but not limited to:I. Bush-hoggingII. Cleaning of Dam risersIII. Seeding, fertilizing, etc.

75 Years: 1938-2013

On-Going District ProgramsI. Annual Farm Tours

I. Franklin County - 2013II. Roanoke County/City of Roanoke – 2014III. Henry County - 2015

II. Awards & RecognitionsI. Clean Water Farm AwardII. Forestry Award

III. Education OutreachI. Leo Painter Scholarship ($1,000.00)II. Youth Conservation Camp ($550.00 each full scholarship)III. EnvirothonIV. Rain Barrel WorkshopsV. Tumbler-style Compost WorkshopsVI. NACD Poster & Photo ContestsVII. Food for America Day-Franklin Co. High School (530 + 4th graders)VIII. Soil Stewardship (NACD)IX. Soil TunnelX. Annual Reports/NewslettersXI. www.brswcd.orgXII. Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE)XIII. Teacher In-services

I. Project WILDII. Hollin’s Elementary Science Institute for Teachers (grades 4th-6th)

IV. Planning & Agency PartnersI. Annual Plan of WorkII. Strategic Planning-once every four years

75 Years: 1938-2013

The Blue Ridge Soil & Water Conservation District

1297 State Street, Rocky Mount, VA 24151(540) 483-5341 ext. 3 or (276) 632-3164 ext. 3

The Blue Ridge SWCD Board meets on the fourth Monday of each month in Rocky Mount, VA 24151 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Meetings are open to the public. Contact the district office to find out the location of the next meeting.

All programs and services of the Blue Ridge SWCD are offered on a non-discriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or handicap.