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Wetlands, streamsides are focus of upcoming seminar
Kansas
Opportunities abound for farmers, ranchers, landowners, municipalities, developer, homeowner associations, and others to work with and not against natural areas known as wetlands and riparian, or streamside areas according to Steve Swaffar, chairman of the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams.
"Often these areas are seen as impediments to agricultural and urban development and have been drained, filled or otherwise permanently changed," said Swaffar. "Instead, those inherent functions and values of wetlands and riparian areas could benefit a farm, ranch, neighborhood or other developments providing flood control, reducing soil erosion, trapping nutrient and pesticide runoff from fields, filtering out lawn and garden pesticides from surface waters in town, holding and attracting wildlife, and providing greenways and natural spaces. Often, these benefits are derived inexpensively when compared to the required permitting, major earth moving, and other costs usually associated with changing these areas," he said.
These and other topics are the focus of a one-day seminar being held May 13 at the Kismet Community Center, said Linda Henderson, KAWS Chapter coordinator.
The Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, the Coronado Crossing RC&D, and the Santa Fe Trail RC&D hope to increase awareness of the options available to farmers, ranchers, planners, developers, local governments, and others as they deal with wetland and riparian areas.
The morning session will feature speakers offering insights and practical solutions to working with these potentially valuable areas, Henderson explained. Dennis Haag, a consultant for Tetra Tech EMI, Lenexa, Kansas, will discuss the functions and values of wetlands and riparian areas including how to make them work on your ranch, in town, or even your backyard. Phil Balch, The Wetershed Institute of Topeka, will speak about stream bank restoration technology along the Smoky Hill and Saline rivers. Greg Kramos and Dan Mulhern, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Troy Bratton, Kansas Forest Service, Hays; Craig Curtis, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; Rob Reschke, State Conservation Commission, Topeka; Richard Basore, Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Mandy Rasmussen of StreamLink; and Barth Crouch of Pheasants Forever and Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Salina, are the other featured speakers at this event.
"The conference will also include a virtual tour of area playa lakes and the Frazier Park Project in Ulysses," Henderson continued.
To get more information on the May 13 seminar, call Carolyn Quillin at the Seward County Conservation District at 620-624-2421, ext. 3. Attendees must RSVP with payment for lunch by May 7. To learn how others are taking advantage of the natural attributes of wetlands and riparian areas, contact your local conservation district office.
Date: 4/29/04
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