R2001-172 IN SUPPORT MACON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION

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07/30/2001 02:09 8774667 SWCD PAGE 03 , _ , • , . SU1VIII�IARY OF BENEFTTS: ' • Richland Cornmunity College(RCC)has devetoped an expand�proposal of which MCSWCD is ' the first ph,ase. This move has the potenrial to attract other agz�culturally related businesses to Macon County. ' • Decatur,as the headquarters of Archcr Danicls Midland and Tate&Lylc of North America,is known as Amcrica's AgRibusrneaa Crnter.MCSWCD and USDA could assist RCC to provide traini�a�g and wark ex�eriencc for students and uzaemployed workers in the areas of computer technology(GPS/GIS),e�agiueering design,surveying,crop cesearch plots and horticulturc(plant ' care and sales).This and aa increase presence an canapus of inembers of the farming commwaity and agricutt�u�al agencies will strengthen RCC's Agricult�ual Pro�a�ad its goal to preparc snidcmnts tv enter the Agribusiness workforcc. • ?he Com�'erence Room will be available to RCC to utiIize as a classroom or mectin room. g The District will utilize the la�rgez Conference Room to hold its countywide�oaeetings regarding a widc range of agricultural and conservation issues. The Confere�nce Room will highlight the siguificance o£agriculture and eonservation in Macon County's history. • The Library will stare the man documrnts and ublications the District is uired b the State to Y P T�9 Y malce available to students and to the general public. We will have a comguter with links to key conservation sites and acc�ss to educational matcrials on a vaziety of local,state,and national agrirultural and conservation issues. It will compliuoae�nt RCC's excellcnt educational facility. �, • Evcry year the District adAainisters up to$20U,000 of Federal,State,and City of Decatur cost- share assistance to landown,ers t�uou ut Macon Co�utty. Each vear,we provide technical design assistanee to build conscrvation structures that over their 20.yeaz life span.prevents more than 220,000 tons of soil:6ro�m emtering Lake Decatur. For everv$1 svent for these prevenrive measures bv the Citv,tbe Citv saves ove�r S4.S0.Our cutrent space hampers our ef�orts to protect the natural resources and public water supplies of Decatur aad Macon County. • Our office design meets the�ocal FSA Committee's concern that cxpansion space will be available if nealed in the fuhme. Planning for ex�a space will insure that USDA will contirnie to tease from I the Disbrict and keep fedearaa dollazs here i�n our local co�mxza.utity and economy. - �I • Thc Storage Space aad Extra Work Space will be utiliud year around,but particularly dwriung our I� annusl wizadbreak/wildlife uee and shrub sate and prairie plant sale. Ttris will assist landowners ' throughout Macon County to restore wildtiFe habitai. ' • Our building site will include a place to lrighlight conswvation tillage and nitraie reducrion plots. The District�d USDA-NRCS havc rocziived national attcntion for the imlovative approaches to rcduce nitrate loads while at the same time iumproving farmers'a:onomic bottom line. • The MCSWCD site includes a wiindbreak that demonstrates techniques that can n:duce heating � aad cooling costs for hom�es and businesscs while providing wildlife habitat. A storm water retention pond vrill be installed aad will be used as a demoz�srratiom s�te£or dc,welopers and mtuiic�ipalitiet who must meet the upcoming NPDES standards set by USEPA.