FARMINGTON – The Maine Soil & Water Conservation Districts, in cooperation with USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, is conducting a Natural Resources Assessment across the state and needs the help of Maine’s citizens.
Farmers, woodland owners, resource professionals and members of the general public are encouraged to take advantage of an opportunity to make their voice heard by completing the survey posted online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JQ5GPL5. Alternately, interested parties may stop in at the Franklin County Soil & Water Conservation District’s office at 107 Park Street in Farmington to pick up a printed copy of the survey.
The goal is to determine natural resource priorities so that Districts and NRCS can assist landowners, professionals, and municipalities with best management practices that protect and improve land and water resources. To gather this information, districts are distributing a statewide survey and holding local meetings to document natural resource conservation concerns and to build on the data collected in the first assessment, completed in 2011. The priorities articulated in the survey and meetings will inform state and local natural resource programs and funding opportunities in the coming five-year cycle.
According to Rosetta White, Executive Director of Franklin County SWCD and Amanda Burton, NRCS District Conservationist: “The Natural Resources Assessment process is a great opportunity for people who may or may not own land, and may or may not be associated with a conservation organization to express their conservation priorities by completing a survey or participating in a free-wheeling discussion at a locally held meeting. The results of this process stand to have a broad reach. The Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, DEP, and state legislators are already anxious to see the survey results.”
This year’s survey will be distributed by all 16 conservation districts and will address statewide conservation concerns as well as provide organizers the opportunity to drill down to local issues and priorities. All citizens are asked to make their voices heard by participating in the assessment, whether by completing a survey or attending a local meeting on Tuesday, March 22, 6-8 p.m. at the University of Maine at Farmington’s North Dining Hall B. Preliminary survey results will be available at this time.
To encourage participation, everyone who completes a survey or attends the meeting on March 22nd will go into a drawing for a prize. If you have questions e mail info@franklincswcd.org or call 778-4279.
For more information about the Natural Resources Assessment or to access the online survey please visit the Maine Association of Conservation Districts website at maineconservationdistricts.com.
USDA-NRCS and Maine Association of Conservation Districts are equal opportunity providers and employers.
