DNR News
** Archived Article - please check for current information. **
September 11, 2015DNR, USDA conduct workshop to help landowners in Indian Creek Area
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service and local partners held a recent tour and workshop to help eligible Newberry and Union county farmers in the Indian Creek Project area improve wildlife habitat, protect water quality and reduce wildlife threats on their land.
“USDA is committed to helping farmers and other landowners in the Indian Creek area take full advantage of all the resources available to them on the federal, state and local levels,” said Ann English, State Conservationist for NRCS in South Carolina. “We want to invest in this valuable ecosystem for future generations.”
During the workshop, the attendees heard presentations from the DNR, USDA-NRCS, SC Forestry Commission and USDA’s Forest Service about technical and financial resources available to them to implement forest management plans and practices such as prescribed burning, waterbar construction, tree planting and firebreaks. The financial and technical resources discussed during the tour and workshop will be available to farmers and landowners who own agricultural and forestlands and live within the Indian Creek Project area.
The three-year Indian Creek Project was selected for funding in 2015 through USDA’s Chiefs Joint Landscape Restoration Partnership. NRCS will invest a minimum of $540,000 over three years to provide financial assistance to farmers and other landowners. SCDNR will provide staff support to develop conservation plans, conduct workshops, and provide technical expertise. The U.S. Forest Service and its partners will invest nearly $580,000 over three years on public lands in the two counties.
The project will cover 21,000 acres of public land and 19,000 acres of private agricultural and forestlands. The restoration also will provide crucial habitat for important and declining grassland birds, including Northern Bobwhite, Loggerhead Shrike, Prairie Warbler and Bachman’s Sparrow.
Landowners in Newberry and Union Counties can learn more about the Indian Creek Project and how they can apply for technical and financial assistance by contacting local USDA Service Centers / Conservation District Offices.
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