Tuscola Conservation District
QUESTIONS? CALL TODAY 989-673-8174 ext. 3
Tuscola Conservation District ® 1075 Cleaver Rd Caro, MI 48723 Phone 989.673.8174 ext. 3 Fax 1.855.693.2497
Programs, Services & Partners
The purpose of the Water Stewardship Program is to reduce the risk of water contamination associated with the use of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizers. The Farm "A" Syst is a voluntary tool used by farmers and district staff to assess a farm's risk to groundwater associated with their set-up and practices.
The Conservation District offers many programs to land owners and county residents to help them better manage their natural resources. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and Water Stewardship Program improve the quality of our land and water, and sometimes offer incentives for participating in various programs. The District offers many Educational Programs for schools and adults in the area. These educational programs are meant to inform the public of the need to care for our surroundings and conserve them for future generations. We also offer a No-Till Drill Rental Program that is available to area producers. As a means of fund raising the District holds a spring and fall tree sale annually. In addition to our seasonal fundraisers, the District also sells a variety of other items throught the year.
CREP was started in 2001 with a goal to enroll 80,000 acres in conservation practices. CREP acres will improve the local water quality and an added benefit is that the land is better suited for wildlife. This program is available to landowners in the Lake Macatawa Watershed, River Raisin Watershed, or the Saginaw Bay Watershed. Since 2001, over one thousand Tuscola County landowners enrolled nearly 10,000 areas in the different conservation practices. CREP acres within Tuscola County include:
Filter Strips: 5290 acres
Field Windbreaks: 100 acres
Permanent Grass Cover: 3329 acres
Wetland Restoration: 2173 acres
Practices also available: Riparian Forest Buffer, Sediment Retention Control Structures.
For more information click on logo:
Conservation Education Opportunities
The Tuscola Conservation District believes that education is a key component to improving the environment. Patty McNinch is the District Education Coordinator. Her role is to provide environmental education to children and adults in the community. The Conservation District has had educational programs well established in the schools, but we will be expanding those programs and develop new programs to further promote conservation education in the county.
We offer programs in Land Judging, a Poster Contest and an Envirothon.
The Education Coordinator
The Education Coordinator is available to give in-class presentations to schools, or to speak to civic groups. We have a Groundwater Model and an Enviroscape Model that we use to illustrate the movement of water above and below the ground. We have presentations on 'Conservation Practices and Their Importance', 'The Needs of Wildlife', 'Backyard Conservation' and 'The Roles of Trees in our Life'. We can also design a presentation to whatever conservation or environmental topic that you may want covered. If you are interested in these or any other presentation call Patty McNinch at 989-673-8174 ext. 3 or e-mail at patty.mcninch@macd.org
No-Till Drill Rental Program
NO-TILL DRILLS ARE AVAILABLE TO RENT
15’ JD 1590 DRILL-$17/acre (20 acre min.)
30’ JD N530C DRILL w/ 8245R JD MFWD TRACTOR
-$25/acre plus fuel (20 acre min.)
TRUAX GRASS SEED DRILL - $10/acre ($250 min.)
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has awarded grants to local conservation districts. The grants will allow the districts to staff a full-time forester in order to provide education and technical assistance to forest landowners in their counties. For more information on these new forestry appointments, click here.
Organized in 1930, the Caro Garden Club's members continuously strive to stimulate the knowledge and love of gardening among Tuscola County citizens. The club's objective is to develop an artistic use of flowers to aid in the conservation of soil, native trees, flowers and birds, varied vegetables and herbs while promoting a helpful spirit of community fellowship. We love our area, we love our gardens!
Michigan State University Extension provides education and outreach to residents Michigan through their local offices located in each county. The Tuscola county office is located in Caro, MI.
