Information
Local Work Group
Every year Conservation Districts are asked to conduct a Local Work Group Meeting to help NRCS decide where funding should be spent. This year the district held the local work group meeting in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. We value everyone's feedback and want you all to have a say in how money gets spent.
We have until July 15th to complete all of the surveys. If you missed the meeting and would still like to participate please click the button below and it will take you to a short survey. If you prefer a paper copy please either email the district at: bentconsdist@gmail.com or stop by the office at 760 Bent Ave, Las Animas. Thank you for your time and we appreciate the feedback!
CONSERVATIONIST OF THE YEAR
2023 Conservationist of the Year:
Derek White Heckman
Click on the box below to see the presentation that was presented at the annual meeting.
Pictured is Derek on the left receiving his plaque from Board President, Robin Karney
Congratulations to Derek White Heckman on being selected as conservationist of the year. Derek is a Bent County native and chose to return to the family farm where he is raising his own family. He had some ideas to try out and improve the ground in which he was working on. He enrolled in the first round of the STAR+ program and was able to test some of those ideas out. He has found practices that are working really well and others that do not work. He has attended and spoken at lots of events as well as created a youtube channel that shows different practices he has tried and the trials and successes of being a farmer in a semi arid environment. A participant in the FARMS project through CCTA (Colorado Conservation Tillage Association), contracts through NRCS's EQIP program and a great AGvocate. Thank you Derek for being an outstanding conservationist and congratulations on a well-deserved award!
Derek Heckman and Family
Derek joins a list of great conservationists throughout our district.
Neil Davidson
Fred Rohlman
George Reyher
Chales Vincent
Loyde Gardner
Jo Carroll Dutton
George Tucker
Robert Schwindt
Ray Oberlander
George Wilson Ranch
Sam Cook
Jeff Smith
Bob & Jerre Ricken
Loyal & Ilene Stephens
Bob & John Davidson
Sam Turner
Edgar Montgomery
Randy & Phyllis Shiba
Rueben & Doris Wollert
Wilbur & Christine Howe
Joe Cline
Jack & Marlene Nicklos
Jack Sniff Ranch
Steven & Barbara Wertz
Pat & Robin Karney
Tom & Judy Wallace
Tom & Virgie Robb
Gale Tempel
Glen & Mary Stagner
Ryan Hemphill Family
Gary & Sue Root
Joe Guder Family
Muddy Valley Ranch
Derek White Heckman
Quarterly Newsletter
The hope with this newsletter is that you as landowners will see what the Conservation District has been up to, plans to do and programs available for you. Please contact us to get on the mailing list and be sure to share with anyone who might want to be included in the mailing list. If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to reach out.
(Click the button below to access the newsletter.)
2024
2023
2022
Annual Report
Each year the district has the option to submit an Annual Report to Colorado State Conservation Board. By submitting this report it gives us $500 in extra direct assistance. It is just an overview of things we do throughout the year. Click the button below to see the district's highlights.
80th Annual Meeting, February 22, 2024
The Bent Conservation District held their 80th Annual Meeting at the John W. Rawlings Heritage Center. The district provided the meal that the McClave FFA and Alumni catered. The meal was Brisket and all the trimmings. They did a great job. The money all goes directly back to the students.
The topic for the meeting was water. We had a great lineup of guest speakers who provided lots of great information from rules on installing new structures to funding that could provide for those structures. Rachel Zancanella, a division engineer with the Colorado Division of Water Resources, provided information on Rule 10 and how to stay compliant. Blake Osborn, a water resource specialist with The Lower Arkansas Water Conservancy District, explained how they can help you fill out the forms to make sure you are in compliance with Rule 10. Next up was Michael Brady, a resource conservationist with NRCS, spoke on the National Water Quality Initiative that provides special funds to special areas. Our conservation district happens to have 2 areas. Last, Kenan Diker, agricultural water specialist with CDPHE, explained about state funds that can be paired up with NRCS funds to get all of the projects paid for.
A great turn-out for the 80th Annual Meeting.
Pictured are McClave FFA Members and their Advisor who helped serve the Annual Meeting Meal.
Back row L to R: Blake Elam, Layton Homm, Garret VanDyke, Advisor: Mr. Lance Jagers. Front row L to R: Riggin VanCampen, Addison Elam and Remi Graves.
Bent Conservation District received a matching grant from the Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB) in the amount of $25,000.00. The money was awarded to use for Drought Mitigation projects to help landowners within Bent Conservation District in 2022. The district received 8 applications and were able to help all 8 landowners complete projects to aid in rangeland health. $25,000.00 helped build 25,735 feet of fence, 2 livestock wells with Solar pumps and 4 livestock tanks. This roughly impacted 6,708.8 acres of rangeland. Thank you, landowners, NRCS, CSCB and Bent Conservation District Board as this would not have been possible with out the work of everyone. A special thank you to CSCB for providing these grants to help continue conservation throughout the state! We look forward to applying for more grants in the future.
2022 Matching Grant Project funded by Colorado State Conservation Board (CSCB)
Rangeland Tour
Bent CD hosted a range tour on September 12, 2018
The tour visited Karney Land and Cattle Ranch and Brown Brothers Ranch. Grady Grissom, partner and manager on the Rancho Largo, from Walsenburg Colorado was the guest speaker. Grissom was the recipient of the 2017
Leopold Conservation Award for Colorado. The main topic of the tour addressed drought management.
For more information on Grady Grissom, follow the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPR1NUrM8_A