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Board Meeting Minutes

 

News

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LMREP Board Meeting

April 28th, 2009

7:00 p.m.

Senior Center in Augusta

 

 

 

 

 

Past Events

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Illinois River Sweep

On September 19th, 2009 we hosted a river clean-up on the La Moine River as part of the 2009 Illinois River Sweep The River Sweep is an annual river clean-up event that is held at over 25 different communities up and down the Illinois River (and tributaries)---all at the same time. It is manned by volunteers that want to make a difference. LMREP volunteered to help clean-up the La Moine River (a major tributary to the Illinois) in the Macomb area.

see photos...

 

 LMREP Annual Meeting

LMREP’s annual meeting was held Wednesday,November 11, 2009 at the Phoenix Opera House in Rushville, IL . Our featured speaker was Dr. Michael Wiant, Director of Dickson Mounds Museum who spoke on

Healthy Watershed, Healthy History: How land conservation preserves earth and human history. Thirty people attended and joined Dr. Michael Wiant, on a journey through time along the La Moine River and its tributaries- highlighting the archeology and geology of the area. Master craftsman, Tim Dillard from Brown County, gave a flint-knapping demonstration  Appetizers featuring locally grown foods were served.

 

The local growers who provided food for our annual meeting are as follows:

 

Local Growers

Bison meatballs from Broken Bar S Farm

Nell & Jurl Sutherland

Rt 1 Box 26, Littleton, IL

309-331-4983

 

Bread & Crackers from Bluebird Gardens

James & Nancy Crosby

Rt 4 Box 79, Rushville, IL

217-322-3625

 

Organic Popcorn from WIU-Allison Organic Farm

Joel Gruver-WIU Ag Dept

Macomb, IL

309-298-1215

 

Apples from Seneczko Acres

Mike & Shannon Seneczko and Brian & Nancy Peak

Rt 1 Box 72, Camden, IL

217-322-3464

 

Locally grown beef salami from Houser Meats

Doug & Terri Houser

Rt 2 Box 180B, Rushville, IL

217-322-4994

www.housermeats.com

 

Cheese from Ropp Jersey Cheese

Ropp Family

2676 Ropp Rd, Normal, IL

309-452-3641

www.roppcheese.com

 

 

  LMREP’s 2009 Accomplishments

  •  Hutchins Ecosystem Restoration Project: This is a large scale restoration project on over 120ac of pasture on Kepple Creek. It includes livestock management and habitat restoration. To date, we have accomplished:1000 ft of stream bank stabilization and four riffles, two acres of wetland restoration and creation, tree planting, Timber Stand Improvement, exotic species removal and treatment, several acres of upland and bottomland prairie restoration, livestock fencing, erosion control measures including several dry dams, and the installation of a well. This project will be fully completed by March 2010 and the remaining work includes: additional wetland restoration/creation, riparian and upland prairie establishment, exotic species control, cattle crossings, additional fencing, installation of a watering system, additional erosion control practices, tree and shrub plantings, and educational signage.

  • La Moine River Livestock Initiative: Modeled after the Hutchins restoration, this project is assisting numerous livestock producers with similar practices through a large IEPA grant.  This project is confined to the upper reaches of the La Moine watershed in sub-watersheds outlined in the 2006 watershed plan as high priority to protect water quality. To date, seven producers are participating and one additional is being sought to close out the grant. The project has fenced several miles of stream, implemented rotational grazing systems, stabilized stream banks, restored wetlands, removed exotic species, established native prairie, and installed erosion control practices.

  • McDonough/Fulton Co. Gully Sully Stabilization Project: A recent grant awarded by the IEPA is being used to stabilize over 30 highly erodible gullies in Fulton and to a lesser extent, McDonough County. This project is targeted to those sub-watersheds outlined in the 2006 watershed plan as high priority for erosion control. Work on this project has just begun, with plans and designs for practices being developed. To date, plans have been drafted for all sites in McDonough Co. It is the intent to begin construction of practices later this fall.

  • Restored 1 acre of hill prairie on the Dan Curtiss farm in McDonough county.

  • Grants received:  $1000 in two LEAP Grants from Illinois EPA for educational programs.

  • Submitted $180,000 spring lake IEPA 319 grant to fund practices to reduce erosion to the lake and implement recommendations in the spring lake watershed plan.

  • Conducted outreach to producers in priority watersheds for the purposes of encouraging conservation practices; funded by Purdue University.

  • Developing  a Watershed and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL*) Plan for Prairie Creek in Hancock Co. Prairie Creek drains over 15,000 acres including the city of Carthage.  *A TMDL is defined as a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet state water quality standards. This is being done through a partnership with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), United States Department of Agriculture and the Hancock Co Soil and Water Conservation District. Conservation practices such as grassed waterways, dry dams and other strategies are being encouraged to achieve the goals of this Plan to address Phosphorous and Sediment entering these streams.

  • Educated  364  school children  and 541 area adults about watershed conservation and protection using our table- top non-point source pollution model.

  • Forty-four people participated in educational canoe trips to area wetland restoration sites (Emiquon and Spunky Bottoms-owned by The Nature Conservancy.

  • Hosted two very successful river clean-ups that enlisted LMREP members and the general public…in Hancock and McDonough counties. Partnered with WIU, Area Disposal and Illinois River Sweep.

  • Partnered with The Nature Quilt Project in providing watershed education programs for area school children. A Rivers and Stream quilt was created by local students.

  • Helped to develop the Prairie Land Conservancy…which is a land trust which operates as a division of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development based in Macomb, Illinois. The service area of the land trust is a 10-county area comprising the following counties in west-central Illinois: Adams, Brown, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler and Warren. 

 

Wheels for Conservation Bus Tour

 

Saturday, August 18th   2007, LMREP hosted a conservation bus tour and educational day featuring several sites along the La Moine River. see photos...

 

 

 

 

 

La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership
c/o Two Rivers RC&D
1256 C West Washington,  P. O. Box 87
Pittsfield, Illinois 62363

 
 
 
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