Baraga Conservation District Strategic Plan
The Strategic Plan of the Baraga Conservation District is the board of directors blueprint for is future success, and provides the public with information regarding its strategy for achieving its objectives.
The Strategic Planning Process
The following is the comprehensive strategic plan of the Baraga Conservation District resulted from the following planning process. The planning process is designed to answer three basic questions:
- Who are we?
- Where are we going?
- How are we going to get there?
Four meetings were conducted to gather information for the Baraga Conservation District Strategic Plan. The meetings were as follows:
- 3/14/01—The Baraga Conservation District Board and their professional resource persons
- 3/20/01—The general public meeting in the Covington – Watton area
- 3/22/01—The general public meeting in the Baraga – L’Anse area.
- 2/05/03—The Baraga Conservation District Board and their professional resource persons.
Mission of the Baraga Conservation District
For 50-years the Baraga Conservation District has assisted the public and units of government with obtaining information and technical assistance to help conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources.
Our Baraga Conservation District Vision
The Baraga Conservation District acts as a gateway providing information, technical assistance alternatives, and solutions to landowners, land users, and units of government to help make informed natural resource decisions.
Baraga Conservation Districts 3–5 Year Vision.
As the board of directors of the Baraga Conservation District we will strive to improve our ability to serve the public. When the board of directors and public views the Baraga Conservation Districts’ programs, and activities 3-5 years from now they will see an organization that:
- Has sufficient funding and the capacity to obtain financial assistance from a variety of sources for resource management projects, programs, technical information, and activities.
Funding sources:- Local units of government.
- Special project and operational grants
- A conservation plant sale program—trees, shrubs, native plants
- Increased State and Federal funding.
- Other funding . . .
- Is utilized by the public much more than it is now. Serves as a point agency helping to coordinate local resource management projects and activities.
- Has full time staff coverage.
- Has the services of a part-time educational coordinator to offer youth resource management activities and programs.
- Has up to date highway signage, and operating equipment.
- Creates improved public relations and visibility resulting in increased public use to obtain resource management assistance, and information.
- Publishes a district newsletter four times per year.
- Maintains a quality interactive WEB Page. Creates web links to other area web sites.
- Publishes frequent new releases for newspaper, radio, TV
- Provides Homeland Security information as it may apply to our natural resources.
- Works to foster and increase the coordination of natural resource management programs, and activities of the Sturgeon River—Otter River Watershed Council, Keweenaw Bay Tribal Natural Resources Department, area Conservation Districts, resource and technical support staff, state and federal agencies.
- Reserves one special Baraga Conservation District board meeting per year to review and update the Districts strategic plan.
- We will use our 50th year of existence to make the public more aware of our district… it history and accomplishments, its value to the public today.
As the Board of Directors for the Baraga Conservation District we will serve the public through the following 7 areas of emphasis:
Goal 1—Youth
We will increase opportunities for youth to gain an appreciation for our natural resources, and help them to learn the elements of conservation resource management.
Important initiatives- Support scholarships for youth and teachers to participate in environmental/resource management seminars, workshops, and field trips.
- Sponsor, and/or promote field trips and camps for youth to learn about the environment and management of natural resources.
- Promote consistent in-school educational programming within the county’s school systems, working with the same grade level each year. Examples: Envirothon, Enviroscape, Adopt a Watershed, and Conservation Festival.
- Support the development of youth nature clubs, school forest clubs, 4-H environmental clubs, etc.
- The district will explore funding opportunities to support a part-time employee or paid volunteer who will provide educational opportunities and programs for youth. AmeriCorps, etc.
- Work closely with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community College to help fund outreach efforts to assist farmers.
- Survey the schools as to what their needs are for supplemental natural resources training. Also seek opportunities for joint funding of programs and projects.
- Explore the potential of using the Alberta MTU Ford Forestry Center for a Conservation workshop for youth.
Goal 2—Agriculture/Farming
We will provide farmers, part time farmers, and the general public with agricultural technical resource management information, cost-share farm bill assistance, and support the local agricultural industry.
Important initiatives- Promote stream bank protection measures including conservation riparian buffer strips.
- Assist farmers to efficiently manage their pasture-grazing systems including Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans, runoff protection, seeding alternatives, and intensive livestock grazing systems.
- Encourage efforts to help small farmers to survive.
- Exploration of new crops or livestock production.
- Promote area agricultural products and marketing improvements.
- Support livestock testing, and educate the public regarding the tuberculosis threat.
- Provide information on soil management; including soil testing, soil organic matter management, soil erosion control, etc.
- Promote use of the published Baraga County Soil Survey .
- Encourage the usage of the Baraga County Soil Survey report.
- Be watchful for ever-increasing erosion of landowner property rights.
- Provide Homeland Security information as it may apply to our agriculture production and safe food and water supply.
Goal 3—Forestry and Wildlife
We encourage the development of forest and wildlife management stewardship plans by the public. We will provide foresters, local and absentee forest landowners with forestry information, technical assistance and support long-range sustainable forest management.
Important initiatives- Promote the wise long-term management of forestlands using proven principles and techniques. The district will have technical on-site assistance available to landowners for forest and wildlife management planning.
Including but not limited to:
- Long range planning for a sustainable quality forest management.
- The seeding of recently harvested areas, such as logging roads, skid trails, wildlife food plots and logging concentration yards for soil stabilization to encourage wildlife.
- Marketing education for loggers and the public
- Encourage the use of forest management plan as a tool to obtain better forest management.
- Publicize forestry assistance information to increase the public usage of the Districts services.
- Promote the maintenance of wildlife openings by clipping for the benefit of ground nesting birds and for possible cropping in the future.
- Monitor and react to legislation and government polices that result in:
- Significant increases in ad-valorum land values with the result of large forestland tax increases.
- Loss of landowner property rights
- Initiate a tree sale program. Explore the possibility of a fish sale for ponds.
- Encourage the development of additional markets/secondary manufacturing for forest products.
- Support the use of "Best Management Practices" for forest harvests and road building.
- Provides Homeland Security information as it may apply to our forest, water, air, and wildlife natural resources.
Goal 4—Other Local Resource Management Concerns
We provide information and technical assistance to address challenges and opportunities that conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources.
Important initiatives- Assist the Army Corps of Engineers and NRCS with the emergency funding and completion of the stabilization of the Sturgeon River—Arnheim erosion control sites.
- Support all efforts to control illegal dumping, and also encourage the responsible collection of wastes and recycling.
- The district will support the following projects:
- An adequate outlet is needed for the Linden Creek, to alleviate the Village of L’Anse flood problems.
- Employ a watershed manager to pursue a Watershed and Sediment control study for the Falls River Watershed –L’Anse Township.
- A larger public parking lot at Vermilac Lake.
- Improve poor water quantity and quality in Bovine.
- The District supports the Keweenaw Bay Tribal multi-use plan for this area.
Which includes stamp sand remediation on Keweenaw Bay Tribal lands at Sand Point adjacent to Keweenaw Bay. - Encourage Adequate zoning regulations that discourage ownership fragmentation.
- Local input needed for the introduction of fish to area lakes and streams.
- Increased land access, which will allow permanent public access to Lake Superior.
- Support efforts to control deer and wildlife populations.
- Pursue and support a North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant Phase 3 grant.
Goal 5—Increase The Publics Use Of The Districts Services Through Marketing & Public Relations.
We will increase the public’s knowledge of the District’s services, and act as a "gateway" to provide information and technical assistance to landowners and land users.
Important initiatives- Publish a quarterly newsletter and explores the possibility of distribution through the USDA-FSA and/or Michigan State University Extension Service newsletters.
- Maintain an Internet WEB page and link it with other web sites.
- Promote its programs and activities through the use of traditional local news outlets such as the newspaper, radio, and television.
- Send a representative to local units of government each year to discuss its programs, activities, and need for financial support. Send meeting minutes to the Baraga County Board of Commissioners.
- The district maintains exhibits at the county fair, promotes soil stewardship church materials, and at other appropriate events.
- Establishes and promotes informational linkages so that it becomes the publics "gateway" for appropriate agency information and technical resources.
- Seek funding to support efforts and program initiatives.
Goal 6—Baraga Conservation District Office and Staffing
We will increase the Districts accessibility to the public, and improve office efficiencies.
Important initiatives- Funds will be obtained to achieve full time (40-hours per week) staff coverage, at a salary level that attracts and keeps skilled staff.
- Update computer equipment, and other office equipment as needed.
- Utilize accounting software to maintain accounting records, financial reporting.
- Encourage staff and directors to attend workshops, conferences, and seminars.
Goal 7—BCD Celebrates 50 years! 1953 to 2003
We are proud that the BCD has served the public of the Baraga County community for 50-years. With this achievement in mind we are planning the following celebration activities.
Important initiatives- Special events include:
- special workshops and seminars as Dennis Fjalkowski with a presentation on Cougars in the Upper Peninsula May 7
- 2 - Public tours (spring & fall) of the community showing conservation projects still doing their job after many years and also newly completed projects.
- October BCD annual meeting to feature presentations by Carlo Heikkinen, Robert Godell, and Fred Kekko.
- Copy all of the BCD meeting minutes onto a CD. Provide a copy to the museum, library and other organizations.
- Collect pictures of our past activities and display them.
- Develop an 50-year anniversary display for use at the U.P. Fair, Baraga County Fair, and for use in stores, and at the BCD plant sale.
- Jim Sweeting Forest Consultant hired by the District will provide presentations to 5th graders within the community.
- Ask for an appropriation from the county and other units of government.
- Contact L’Anse Sentinel reporter Barry Drue and ask him to feature the BCD for several wqeeks during the year in "The Week That Was" historical feature page.
- Have the Baraga County Soils digitized CD’s on our web site for use, and also available for sale to the public. Contact Hysslop of the MTU School of Forestry regarding this project.
- Purchase trinkets that identify BCD 50-years. Posters, pens NACD, refrigerator magnets.
- Try to have additional signs featuring the BCD at our highway point of entries to the county.