State cost-share sign-ups run Feb. 1 until end of month By KAREN KENNEDY The board of supervisors for the Meade County Conservation District held their monthly meeting on Dec. 19. The bill for the Meade County Conservation District signs located at various county line locations was finally received and paid. It cost $1,500 for the signs with Breckinridge and Hardin counties paying $600 of the bill for their “side” of the signs. The board has tentatively scheduled a March 1 date for the annual awards banquet held every year at Stuart Pepper Middle School. Thirty essays and 385 posters were submitted to the county by Meade County students. The board considered five different individuals as candidates for the annual Master Conservationist award. The accomplishments of all five were considered, a secret ballot was held, and two were selected. These will be announced and awarded at the March awards banquet. B.J. Stith has arranged for the office to take advantage of online banking, which has turned out to be very helpful for tracking monies deposited by the state. Letters were sent out to those who erected feeding structures under the cost-share program. Inspections for compliance will be conducted in the near future. District Conservationist Calvin Bohannon presented Natural Resources conservation Service certificates of appreciation to Charlotte Lawson and Liz Hawkins. Board member Jim Scott received a certificate recognizing his five years of service on the Conservation District. Liz Hawkins reported 10 dead animal pickups during the month of November, with all but three of the bills paid. Two bills each from both September and October are still unpaid. These customers are set to be put on the “no service” list. Calvin Bohannon reported 45 new EQIP applications and three new wildlife program applications. The WHP deadline is Feb. 15 and EQIP is Jan. 31. State cost-share sign-ups will be during the month of February. Bohannon stated he plans to request another employee for Meade County if and when the opportunity arises. Eighty percent of the employee’s salary would be paid by NRCS. For the month of December, soil conservationist B.J. Stith reported two completed pasture and hayland planting projects and four completed pipeline and watering facilities under the EQIP program. Under the state’s cost-share program, Stith reported four completed beef feeding barns, two heavy use area feeding floors, and three beef feeding barns currently under construction.
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