District Funding for 2016 – Last year, CACD was able to secure an increase to the Conservation Districts’ 2015 Direct Assistance funding in the amount of $92,053.00. This came about from a CACD membership driven request and we continue to work at making sure that this increase remains in place for the 2016 fiscal year.
2016 CO Envirothon – CO Envirothon is our statewide natural resource competition for high school students, and is open to all CO high schools, 4-H Programs, and FFA Groups. The 2016 event is being held on April 26 and 27th, at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock, CO. This year, CACD has partnered with the Rio Grande Watershed Education Initiative to put the contest on next month. As of this writing, we have 17 teams that have sent in a verbal commitment to participate, from all parts of the state! As a District/Watershed, please contact your local high schools, FFA and 4-H Chapters to get them involved in this fun annual event. For the team requirements and the 2016 forms, please check out the COE website at: www.coloenvirothon.com
CACD and NRCS – We continue to work on our partnership with NRCS, which includes quarterly meetings between CACD, CSCB, and NRCS at the area level. I attend NRCS’s Leadership Team meetings and the NRCS State Technical meetings on a quarterly basis.
2016 CO Envirothon – CO Envirothon is our statewide natural resource competition for high school students, and is open to all CO high schools, 4-H Programs, and FFA Groups. The 2016 event is being held on April 26 and 27th, at the Douglas County Events Center in Castle Rock, CO. This year, CACD has partnered with the Rio Grande Watershed Education Initiative to put the contest on next month. As of this writing, we have 17 teams that have sent in a verbal commitment to participate, from all parts of the state! As a District/Watershed, please contact your local high schools, FFA and 4-H Chapters to get them involved in this fun annual event. For the team requirements and the 2016 forms, please check out the COE website at: www.coloenvirothon.com
CACD and NRCS – We continue to work on our partnership with NRCS, which includes quarterly meetings between CACD, CSCB, and NRCS at the area level. I attend NRCS’s Leadership Team meetings and the NRCS State Technical meetings on a quarterly basis.
Local Work Group Meetings – As most of you know, NRCS is asking for CO’s Conservation Districts to hold District/landowner Local Work Group meetings, in order to affirm the local on-the-ground conservation needs and priorities in your area. CACD, along with CSCB staff encourages your District to advertise and market these important input sessions in the couple of months. Meeting facilitation can be assisted by the CSCB Conservation Specialist for your location. Once your District has set a date for this meeting, please add it to the LWG meeting listing on the CSCB L.A.N.D.S. webpage, at: https://sites.google.com/a/state.co.us/lands/local-work-group-meetings/lwgm-district-list
CO Ag Council/Ag Day at the Capitol – CACD, as a member of the Colorado Ag Council, meets this time of the year on an every other week basis, with other Ag related entities at the Capitol in Denver. This is our opportunity to collaborate and discuss relevant issues regarding conservation, natural resources, farming and ranching. As a member of Ag Council, CACD has a larger voice on current legislative issues that affect our Districts and their cooperators around the state. This year’s CO Ag Day at the Capitol is set for March 16th, and is always the most popular event during the course of the legislative session each year, drawing in over 500 participants.
Colorado Ag Water Alliance – CACD is a member of CAWA, along with other Ag related members around the state, which has been meeting on about a monthly basis to provide input and comments to the CO Water Conservation Board on a variety of CO’s water issues and legislation.
2016 Annual District Dues – A big THANK YOU to those Conservation Districts that have paid your 2016 annual dues to CACD already! This dues income is imperative to CACD’s administrative operations on a day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month basis. As always, we want to hear from you about what you and your District need, so that this information can be related back to the CACD 2016 Board of Directors. Please feel free to give me a call or email at any time, with any concern or questions that you may have, at: (719) 686-0020 or spattee4cacd@gmail.com
2016 Camp Rocky – CR is in our 53nd year! Camp will be held this year during the week of July 10 - 16, just outside of Divide, CO. This CACD sponsored co-ed camp is for 14 – 18 year olds, who are interested in learning about natural resource conservation. There are 4 conservation based disciplines—soil and water, forestry, range management, and wildlife. Amy Gossman returns as CR’s Co-Director and is in the process of lining up the instructors and junior leaders for this year’s summer camp event. Camp Rocky is one of the most supported of CACD’s programs by CO’s Conservation Districts. Many Districts help to sponsor our future conservation leaders for the entire week at this educational event. Please check out the latest Camp Rocky news on CACD’s website, along with all of the 2016 forms, at: www.coloradoacd.org , under the “Education and Events” tab.
CACD Donations Through AmazonSmile.com – CACD now has a link at AmazonSmile.com for a 5% donation of your eligible Amazon purchases to be sent to CACD as a charitable contribution. In order to browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select CACD as their organization to receive the 5% donation on your purchases to CACD by electronic funds transfer. Anyone can support CACD by choosing us as your AmazonSmile.com non-profit organization of choice, at: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0470063 This link will also be available on CACD’s website, on the home page, for your continued use.
CACD’s 2016 Annual Meeting – CACD’s 2016 annual meeting will be on the Front Range this year, at a location to be determined, November 14 – 17, 2016. I will be sending out further information as soon as it’s available. We will be having our first 2016 Program Committee teleconference in the coming weeks, to discuss the theme and meeting content. If you’d like to get involved with the input for our conference this year, please let me know and I will include you in my email loop.
Finally, I want to encourage you to be relevant to your District’s landowners, who you serve. If you accomplish this task, the success of your District will come – I guarantee it! Thanks always for your continued support!
Respectfully,
Sharon
Sharon Pattee
CACD Executive Director
CO Ag Council/Ag Day at the Capitol – CACD, as a member of the Colorado Ag Council, meets this time of the year on an every other week basis, with other Ag related entities at the Capitol in Denver. This is our opportunity to collaborate and discuss relevant issues regarding conservation, natural resources, farming and ranching. As a member of Ag Council, CACD has a larger voice on current legislative issues that affect our Districts and their cooperators around the state. This year’s CO Ag Day at the Capitol is set for March 16th, and is always the most popular event during the course of the legislative session each year, drawing in over 500 participants.
Colorado Ag Water Alliance – CACD is a member of CAWA, along with other Ag related members around the state, which has been meeting on about a monthly basis to provide input and comments to the CO Water Conservation Board on a variety of CO’s water issues and legislation.
2016 Annual District Dues – A big THANK YOU to those Conservation Districts that have paid your 2016 annual dues to CACD already! This dues income is imperative to CACD’s administrative operations on a day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month basis. As always, we want to hear from you about what you and your District need, so that this information can be related back to the CACD 2016 Board of Directors. Please feel free to give me a call or email at any time, with any concern or questions that you may have, at: (719) 686-0020 or spattee4cacd@gmail.com
2016 Camp Rocky – CR is in our 53nd year! Camp will be held this year during the week of July 10 - 16, just outside of Divide, CO. This CACD sponsored co-ed camp is for 14 – 18 year olds, who are interested in learning about natural resource conservation. There are 4 conservation based disciplines—soil and water, forestry, range management, and wildlife. Amy Gossman returns as CR’s Co-Director and is in the process of lining up the instructors and junior leaders for this year’s summer camp event. Camp Rocky is one of the most supported of CACD’s programs by CO’s Conservation Districts. Many Districts help to sponsor our future conservation leaders for the entire week at this educational event. Please check out the latest Camp Rocky news on CACD’s website, along with all of the 2016 forms, at: www.coloradoacd.org , under the “Education and Events” tab.
CACD Donations Through AmazonSmile.com – CACD now has a link at AmazonSmile.com for a 5% donation of your eligible Amazon purchases to be sent to CACD as a charitable contribution. In order to browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select CACD as their organization to receive the 5% donation on your purchases to CACD by electronic funds transfer. Anyone can support CACD by choosing us as your AmazonSmile.com non-profit organization of choice, at: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0470063 This link will also be available on CACD’s website, on the home page, for your continued use.
CACD’s 2016 Annual Meeting – CACD’s 2016 annual meeting will be on the Front Range this year, at a location to be determined, November 14 – 17, 2016. I will be sending out further information as soon as it’s available. We will be having our first 2016 Program Committee teleconference in the coming weeks, to discuss the theme and meeting content. If you’d like to get involved with the input for our conference this year, please let me know and I will include you in my email loop.
Finally, I want to encourage you to be relevant to your District’s landowners, who you serve. If you accomplish this task, the success of your District will come – I guarantee it! Thanks always for your continued support!
Respectfully,
Sharon
Sharon Pattee
CACD Executive Director
