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Help us welcome some new faces at the Allegan Conservation District! In January, we were able to hire two Soil Conservation Technicians, Bonne Matheson and Jenna Rasmusson. As Soil Conservation Technicians, they are assisting with planning for, funding, and implementing conservation practices on agricultural land, as well as working on some education and outreach for our district. Bonne Matheson Bonne Matheson grew up in Colorado, but found herself in the Midwest to graduate from Knox College with a B.A. in Biology. Since graduation, she has served as a Agriculture Extension Agent with the Peace Corps in Cameroon, and has worked as an Environmental Restoration Technician in Wisconsin. Bonne’s experience is largely focused in natural resources conservation through implementation of sustainable agriculture techniques. With the Allegan Conservation District, Bonne looks forward to working with farmers and landowners to discover effective ways to conserve soils, protect watersheds, integrate sustainable farming practices, and improve farm efficiency. When Bonne is not digging in the soil, she enjoys hiking, camping, and mountain biking. Jenna Rasmusson Jenna Rasmusson graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Agronomy and a minor in Geology specializing in soil and water sciences. Originally from Minnesota, Jenna interned with her local agricultural cooperative scouting fields and managing soil testing before moving on to two different research internships. Through research she was able to learn more about micronutrient applications in large row crop operations in North and South Dakota, and participate in long term water quality monitoring efforts in Iowa. Jenna is passionate about conserving our natural resources and is eager to engage with local community members through education, outreach, and volunteer opportunities. Jenna is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling. She is very excited that by moving to Michigan she will be able to have visited all 5 Great Lakes!

Helping all land users wisely manage the natural resources of Allegan County Welcoming New Employees Pictured: Jenna Rasmusson (Left) and Bonne Matheson (Right) Help us welcome some new faces at the Allegan Conservation District! In January, we were able to hire two Soil Conservation Technicians. As Soil Conservation Technicians, they are assisting with planning for, funding, and implementing conservation practices agricultural land, as well as working on some education and outreach for our district. You can read more about Jenna and Bonne on our website's staff page. Brian Talsma, Executive Director In March, our previously watershed Technician, Brian Talsma, was promoted to Allegan Conservation District's Executive Director. Brian has been with the District since 2018 and been a grant application wizard - securing us multiple funding opportunities and exciting conservation projects. Brian hopes to continue this effort in his new leadership role as well as making our District the destination for conservation expertise. Thank you, Laura! Also in March, Laura Smith resigned from her position as our District Manager. we are so thankful for everything she has done for our district and her expertise in accounting and organization. Laura was invaluable when we needed to adjust to our new virtual world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her new position, Laura will be able to grow in her passion of cooking as a head chef for a local B&B. We will miss her can-do work ethic, contagiously great attitude, and of course her baking! Over 500 acres of Newly Implemented Conservation Practices in Allegan County As part of our Kalamazoo River Watershed Phosphorus Reduction Auction project with the Delta Institute and Michigan Farm Bureau, we have enrolled over 500 acres of conservation practices on cropland in our county. The project aims to reduce phosphorus runoff in priority areas of the Kalamazoo Watershed through a pay-for-performance program, meaning that farmers will be paid per pound of phosphorus runoff reduced when they implement no-till and/or cover crops. These practices have been shown to reduce soil erosion, and consequently keep rivers, lakes, and streams free from excess nutrients. Using advanced modeling tools, we can estimate the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen runoff on agricultural land and how much that can be reduced through conservation efforts. This is a multi-year project and we will be hosting a second auction this summer for farmers to enroll in the program, so stay tuned on our Facebook page for more details on how to participate. You can also read more about this project here. Keeping Our Lakeshore Clean On April 13th, volunteers bundled up, braving the brisk wind to join the effort in cleaning up the lakeshore at Oval Beach in Saugatuck. Thanks to a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded to the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, the Lakeshore Cleanup Coalition was formed to support beach and river cleanups in Ottawa and Allegan Counties. This partnership includes Ottawa County Parks and Recreation, the Ottawa Conservation District, Hope College, the ODC Network, the Allegan Conservation District and the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. Partners will hold volunteer beach and river cleanups throughout Ottawa and Allegan County over the next couple years. At our most recent cleanup, volunteers picked up over 140 pounds of trash. The majority of the trash collected was made of plastics including beverage containers, straws, and tiny fragments. Often times, the trash we find on the beach did not originate there, but came from upstream. Small habits in our daily lives, even if we live miles from the lakeshore, can reduce the amount of litter we find in the environment. Next time you go for a walk around your farm or neighborhood, bring a bag or bucket with you - you'll be surprised how much you find! Or, next time you go shopping, try to buy products with less packaging or consider buying reusable products. There is a lot to learn about how our waste impacts the environment. More research is being done in the Great Lakes to investigate the impact that litter has on aquatic life, check out this article by Bridge Michigan on microplastics. We'd love to have you join us for future cleanup events or other volunteer events - sign up for our mailing list to be notified of volunteer opportunities. --------------------------------- UPCOMING EVENTS --------------------------------- Board Meetings are the third Tuesday of every month @ 5pm Our meetings will no longer be held virtually. Last year, the DHHS Emergency Order and PA 254 of 2020 permitted public bodies to meet electronically by telephone or videoconferencing through March 31, 2021. Starting April 1st, 2021, and continuing through 2021, public bodies may conduct electronic meetings only if a member of the public body is absent due to military duty, a health condition, or a statewide or local state of emergency/state of disaster. NEXT MEETING - May 18th, 2021, Jaycee Park, 200 Monroe St, Allegan, MI 49010 Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest at Allegan Conservation District! Want to receive our newsletter directly to your inbox? Join our mailing list by filling out this form.

Allegan Conservation District is hosting its annual Tree Sale! Proceeds from the Tree Sale go towards funding conservation efforts and educational events across Allegan County. Not only does the Tree Sale support your local Conservation District, but planting trees has numerous environmental benefits. The native tree species available at the Tree Sale all play important roles in encouraging habitat growth, cleaning air and water, serving as wind breaks, adding property value, and so much more! Take a look at the pdf catalog to see which varieties we are offering this year. Pre-order your trees today using our ONLINE STORE or by contacting our office: allegan.admid@macd.org 269-673-6940 ext. 5 Tree pick up will be in the parking lot of our office. Pick up times are: - Friday, April 23rd from 2-6pm - Saturday, April 24th from 9am-1pm

Laura Smith, District Manager MAEAP Technician of the Year MIKE LUDLAM, Allegan Conservation District’s MAEAP Technician was nominated for the “Technician of the Year 2020” during our annual MACD Fall/Winter Virtual Convention. Mike’s willingness to share his expertise and experiences with up and coming conservationists won him the title this year. He is a leader in his field often topping the charts in farm verifications and recertifications. Not even a pandemic can keep Mike from meeting and exceeding his yearly goals. Way to go Mike, you deserve it. Spring Tree Sale 2021 COMING SOON! Keep your eyes open. Order forms will be mailed to everyone on our mailing list soon. If you're not sure if you are on the list or would like to be added, please email us at allegan.admin@macd.org or subscribe on our website at www.allegancd.org. Newest Projects The Green Lake Watershed Assessment Project is funded through the DNR Fisheries Habitat Grant Program (FHGP). This grant will fund an assessment of Green Lake’s nutrient inputs and create a management plan and nutrient budget to protect and improve the lake’s threatened Cisco Habitat. The Gun River Watershed Management Plan Update is funded by EGLE using Federal Clean Water Act funds. This grant will update the 2009 version of the watershed management plan by assessing the progress made towards watershed goals, finding where recommendations may need to be adjusted, and identifying new concerns. We have partnered with Delta Institute to implement a phosphorus reduction project in priority areas of the Kalamazoo River Watershed. This project will work with local farmers to implement conservation practices that prevent phosphorus runoff into the Kalamazoo River. Funding is provided by EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. West Michigan Beach and River Cleanup Coalition. The Macatawa Area Coordinating Council and a coalition of six West Michigan partners will conduct volunteer cleanups at 21 beaches and in 4 rivers and will remove large debris at multiple locations. The National Association of Conservation Districts has awarded us funding for an employee focused on providing technical assistance to those interested in participating in a variety of state and federal conservation programs. Meet Our New Produce Safety Technician Patrick Gordon is a Produce Safety Technician with the Berrien County Conservation District in Southwest Michigan, working primarily with growers in Allegan, Berrien, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties. Patrick earned his Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech University and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with a specialization in environmental analysis and land management from Western Michigan University. He is excited to work with farmers in South West Michigan to improve safety in the agricultural food chain. For more information regarding produce safety, visit www.miofps.org. Patrick can be reached at patrick.gordon@macd.org or by calling (517) 331-0093. Upcoming Events BOARD MEETINGS Third (3rd) Tuesday of the month @ 5:00 pm Due to COVID-19, meetings will be held via teleconference until further notice. Please email allegan.admin@macd.org with any questions or concerns. SPRING TREE SALE Coming soon (April 2021) Be sure to follow us on Facebook and check out our website for updates! Allegan Conservation District 1668 Lincoln Road, Allegan MI 49010 www.allegancd.org

In partnership with the Delta Institute and the Michigan Farm Bureau, we have kicked off our latest phosphorus reduction project taking place in the Kalamazoo River Watershed. This project aims to reduce excessive phosphorus loading in the Kalamazoo River Watershed associated with agricultural sources through a market and performance-based agricultural incentive program. Performance-based programs can provide a more targeted approach to investing in conservation when program funding is limited. Instead of paying for implementing a particular conservation practice, such as cover crops or riparian buffers, in terms of acres or feet, farmer payments are based on the net environmental improvements that arise from that practice. To drive efficiency and optimize cost effectiveness, the performance payment for pollution reduction can be further tied to a market-based credit trading program where transactions can be structured as bilateral trades, sole-source offsets, an auction, or an exchange market. Through this project, we will implement a reverse auction to incentivize farmers to implement conservation practices on their cropland to reduce nutrient losses. In a reverse auction, farmers will enter bids to provide phosphorus loading reductions at the lowest cost by implementing conservation practices. The program will pay farmers whose bids are accepted for those reductions. The payments will be based on estimates of reduction expected and farmers’ ability to implement the practices at a cost lower than the maximum allowable price set by the program. The project team will utilize advanced modeling tools to estimate reductions. This project will lead to improved ecological conditions in the targeted watersheds as a result of reductions in phosphorus loading with up to 6,600 acres, roughly 24 percent of the sub-watershed’s cropland, enrolled in the program. The project aims to reduce phosphorus loading by approximately 5,000 pounds over the three year project. If you are interested in joining the project, visit bit.ly/kzoo_auction to see if your fields fall within the project area and access more information on how to participate!