Ness County Buffer Initiative Program Benefits of Buffers

by Kay Wasinger, District Manager
Ness County Conservation District
Ness City, Kansas

Ness County land users have received many benefits from the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. To date we have over 250 contracts involving approximately 450 acres. The contracts include filter strips; grassed waterways; contour grassed terraces, shelterbelts, field windbreaks, and wellhead protection plans.

The team approach has worked beautifully. The Ness County Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks have made a concerted effort of working together to ensure quality assistance. The district has sponsored two "buffer tours" in the county. The Kansas Department Wildlife and Parks along with the Hays Daily news requested a tour of buffer practices in Ness County for the purpose of making the public aware of the "Beauty of Buffers." The Kansas Highway Patrol furnished the airplane to take aerial photos of our buffer practices.

Ness County has been recognized state wide as well as nationally. The district has received the National Buffer Achievement Award.

Mike Muller, Soil Conservation Technician, NRCS, was invited to attended a national "Buffer Training" meeting in Omaha, Nebraska in June to share with others our huge success in promoting the buffer program.

The Ness County Conservation District has received a "Buffer Partnership for Clean Water" Grant for two consecutive years. We have had support from the Ness County Commissioners, the Wet Walnut Watershed, Pheasants Forever Chapter, and Kansas Farm Bureau. The district has utilized the funding by hiring a part-time buffer coordinator. Funds for the grant have been provided by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant program is administered by the State Conservation Commission.

"The beauty of buffers is that they provide so many and varied benefits -- benefits that accrue not just to the farmer, but to everyone".

For more information about buffers, please contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

This article is also available in Microsoft Word format.

Ness County Buffer Initiative Program Benefits of Buffers (DOC; 24 KB)

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Last Modified: 09/08/2008