Welcome

Submitted by Tokina McHarry, Education/Outreach Manager for James River SCD

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Have you ever wondered what exactly your local James River Soil Conservation District (SCD) does? Many people think the James River SCD is a federal government entity, which is incorrect. As a subdivision of the state, your SCD receives funding from Mill Levy. We sell trees, plant trees, lay weed barrier, and sell seed. We also get funding from various grants when available. Some of the James River SCD’s services can be cost shared through NRCS, FSA, ND Forest Service, and other grant programs.

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The James River SCD is governed by a board of five Dickey County producers. These five supervisors guide what activities the SCD does. Three supervisors are elected to six year terms; two are appointed for a one-year term.

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Conservation is the number one goal for the James River SCD. Everything we do must promote conservation of our natural resources. Your SCD can plant shelterbelts, furnish hand plant replacements, put down weed barrier, sell grass seed to plant between your tree rows, and order any other kind of seed whether its needed for cover crops, larger grass plantings, or even lawns.

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Thinking about planting some trees or curious how the process works? Here is a brief rundown. First, we suggest contacting our office early – perhaps even a year prior to planting. This gives our staff an opportunity to see if the planting would qualify for any type of cost-share assistance. Sometimes, the deadlines for this assistance are almost a year before the planting would take place, so the sooner a producer contacts us, the better.

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Once we have the location and an idea of what the landowner wants, we check soils and determine which type of tree would grow best in the soils found in your area. Many people don’t realize that different trees grow better or will not grow at all in certain soil types. This ultimately makes for a more successful planting.

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We typically submit our first tree order by October 1. Why so early? Because it is VERY common for nurseries to run out of certain varieties of trees. So the earlier we get our order in, the better chance of getting the species producers want.

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Also keep in mind depending on where trees are planted you may need to get a variance from the county or township. One must also think about underground utilities, overhead power lines, etc.

What exactly is expected of you prior to us planting your trees? Once your order is confirmed, start thinking about your site preparation. The best time to start your site prep is in the fall prior to the spring of your planting. Whether you work up a large area or individual rows, the soil needs to be worked in order to get good root to soil contact necessary for tree survival. If the soil is rough and lumpy, then the roots may not have good contact with the soil which will cause them to dry out and die. The goal is to get the consistency you would want for a vegetable garden.

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Our trees typically arrive from the nurseries late April. Depending on the weather, our crew gets planting as soon as possible. Trees need to be planted by June 1. Trees are planted first. Our tree planter does not plant into sod, so the ground must be prepared before our crew gets on site. As you can see in the pictures, the tree seedlings are small – approximately 12-18 inches. Our machine cuts a small trench, the seedling is placed in by hand, and then two packing wheels close the trench back up. Crew members also follow behind making sure the tree is at a proper depth and then “step” it in so there are no air pockets around the roots.

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If fabric is to be put down, a separate crew comes and lays the fabric. The black fabric (plastic) helps with weed control. Our machine lays the fabric over the seedlings and crew members follow closely behind and cut a hole where each tree is. Tree planting season is definitely busy and fairly labor intensive, but seeing trees being planting around the county leaves us all with a great feeling of satisfaction!

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The James River SCD’s monthly supervisor meetings are open to the public. Meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday of each month; call the office to confirm the time. We are always looking for new ideas. If you are serious about wanting to get involved, come share your ideas and even ask about becoming a supervisor.

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A secondary goal of the James River SCD has to do with educating the youth of Dickey County about natural resources (trees, soil, water, wildlife, etc.) and how best to protect them. An education coordinator is available at the office and is willing to help with youth groups of all ages. During the school year, this individual has been in numerous classrooms in Oakes and Ellendale teaching the children about a variety of topics ranging from soil formation to pollution to North Dakota wildlife. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact the office. All programs are provided free of charge!

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Upcoming Dates:

SCD Surplus Tree Sale - June 6, 9 am to 3 pm, 117 West Main, Ellendale

SCD District Board Meeting – June 11 @ 9am – USDA Service Center, Ellendale

Juneteenth – June 19 – Office Closed   

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For more information contact the James River Soil Conservation District and Ellendale NRCS office at 349-3653, ext. 3. Our field office is in Ellendale at 51 N. 1st Street. Also, remember to visit the James River Soil Conservation District Facebook page and our websites for more information –http://www.jamesriverscd.org/ and http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/nd/home/. The NRCS is an equal opportunity employer, provider and lender.