Recovery Act Funds Support Invasive Species Vendor School
In November 2009, ARRA funds enabled the Ohio Woodland Steward Program to host a four-day Invasive Species Vendor School at Hocking College in southeast Ohio. The first training of its kind, the workshop included classroom and field sessions on identification, ecology, and control of Ohio’s woody invasive plants. One session focused on preparation for and testing to receive the Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator License. On-site testing was provided for the 37 participants. Dave Apsley, an Ohio State University Extension office forester, coordinated the vendor school project. Wayne National Forest employees participated in the training by demonstrating both mechanical and chemical methods and equipment used to treat non-native invasive species on the Athens Ranger District. The event increased local timber vendors’ knowledge about invasive plant control while adding to the number of licensed invasive plant control vendors in southern Ohio.
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Posted:
04:25PM Apr 20, 2010
by Gwen Ernstulrich in USDA Web Site |
Autumn Olive Removal Benefits Wildlife Thanks to Recovery Act
In 2009, the Forest Service signed an ARRA-funded Challenge Cost Share agreement with the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) to remove Autumn Olive, an invasive plant, from over 300 acres of grassland habitat on the Athens Ranger District of the Wayne National Forest between July and September. The equipment needed for this project is very expensive to purchase; so the forest worked with RGS to use their equipment to remove the autumn olive, a woody invasive species that had encroached into wildlife foraging and nesting habitat. The Henslow's sparrow, a declining species range-wide, will especially benefit from this activity. Likewise, more open habitat will help other game species such as grouse, bobwhite, and turkey. This is a great partnership for the Wayne and our local RGS chapter to bring in regional equipment for habitat improvement in southeast Ohio,” said Art Martin, local Ruffed Grouse Society member and forestry technician."The win-win situation benefits the Forest Service by mechanically reducing hazardous fuels and returning the landscape to its desired condition. RGS benefits by promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock, and related wildlife to sustain Ohio’s sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.
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Posted:
04:21PM Apr 20, 2010
by Gwen Ernstulrich in USDA Web Site |
Economic Recovery Funds Solar Energy Expansion on Wayne National Forest in Ohio
Economic Recovery funds allow Wayne National Forest to increase solar energy production to 50% of requirements for main office building!
The Wayne National Forest was already setting an example in southeastern Ohio with its solar panels, but now the office's solar energy program will be expanded thanks to funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The Wayne began its Solar Energy Program in 2007, by installing a 20-panel solar system. Last year, the Forest added 30 more panels to bring the total to 50. The current system is generating 7% of the facilities energy needs. According to Forest Engineer Steve Marchi, once the new expansion is completed later this summer, up to fifty-percent of the Wayne National Forest headquarters building will be powered by the sun during the summer months. This is an increase of over 40-percent and further reduces our carbon footprint.
The Wayne awarded a $398,000 contract to the Ohio-based D.J. Group from Beverly, Ohio. The contractor, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business is being hired to purchase and install 250 additional solar panels to the roof top of the Wayne National Forest Headquarters building, bringing the total to 300 solar panels. The federal government estimates four jobs will be created by the Wayne National Forest six-month project that gives business to Ohio's growing solar industry.
Marchi is proud of the Forest's willingness to take the extra steps to increase their energy efficiency. He notes that with the onset of the Wayne's solar energy program, it has become part of the state's solar revolution and was included in the Ohio Solar Tour, where the Forest launched the 2008 event for southeastern Ohio.
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Posted:
10:51AM Sep 03, 2009
by USDAblogger in USDA Web Site |
Feeding the hungry
Thanks to the President and Congress, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 included $20 billion in additional funding to provide food to those most in need. It also provides infrastructure support to the National School Lunch Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations – to make them even stronger.
We know there are people in every community who face hunger and need help. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service oversees 15 nutrition assistance programs that form a national safety net against hunger. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, is our largest nutrition program serving more than 33 million people each month, half of whom are children.
In April 2009, SNAP helped 1,367,343 people in Ohio put more healthy food on the table, reaching 18.7 percent more people than the previous year. The beauty of the program is that it expands and contracts based on economic conditions. ARRA money provides participating SNAP families of four, for instance, an additional $80 each month to purchase nutritious food.
Helping the hungry in our communities not only provides needed assistance, but helps all of us by stimulating local economies. Every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates over $9 in total economic activity – both within local communities and well beyond.
The diets of low-income Americans are improved every day because of nutrition assistance programs. If you know someone in need, please have them call the SNAP toll-free number, 1-800-221-5689 or visit www.fns.usda.gov. Together, we can work toward the President’s mandate to end childhood hunger by 2015 and improve the lives of our youngest Americans.
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Posted:
01:46PM Jul 31, 2009
by Jean Daniel in USDA Web Site |
BARNESVILLE
BARNESVILLE
BELMONT COUNTY
• Grant funds will be used to assist in the purchase of a new Public Works Truck. Truck will be used for road maintenance and snow removal.
The current fleet of street department vehicles is aging and is not adequate to properly maintain the city’s streets. This new truck will be a more efficient and dependable truck to assist in maintaining Barnesville’s streets.
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Posted:
08:07AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
BROWN TOWNSHIP
BROWN TOWNSHIP
CARROLL COUNTY
• New fire truck to replace two aging vehicles
Brown Township will use the funding to purchase a new fire pumper truck. This new truck will replace two fire vehicles that are obsolete and unsafe. This new truck will provide township residents faster and more reliable fire protection service.
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Posted:
08:06AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
EARNHART HILLS
EARNHART HILLS
FAIRFIELD COUNTY
• Purchase sewer collection system from Village of Tarlton
• Purchase sewer collection & treatment systems from the Village Stoutsville
• Newly constructed systems in previously unsewereed areas.
The Villages of Tarlton and Stoutsville have just completed new waste water collection systems for their previously unsewered, nonenvironmentally compliant communities. In addition to the collection system, Stoutsville constructed a wastewater treatment plant to treat wastewater from both villages. Construction delays and cost overruns increased project costs to the point that the finished systems were not financially feasible. Earnhart Hill Regional Water and Sewer District is a local public body that will purchase the Stoutsville and Tarlton wastewater systems. Due to operating efficiencies that Earnhart Hill has over the two separate systems operating independently, the residents of the two villages will have affordable wastewater treatment.
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Posted:
08:04AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
GUARANTEED/DIRECT HOUSING LOANS
GUARANTEED/DIRECT HOUSING LOANS
OHIO STATEWIDE HOME OWNERSHIP TOTALS
• Loans made to 27 families using the Direct Housing Program totaling more than $3.4 million
• Loans made to 1,154 families using the Guaranteed Housing Program totaling more than $108.4 million
Access to affordable, low interest loans, particularly in rural communities, has become more difficult throughout the nation. Rural Development’s Guaranteed and Direct home ownership programs enable families in rural areas to positively contribute to the economic stability of their communities.
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Posted:
08:02AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
HARRISON COUNTY
HARRISON COUNTY
• Replace an older, unreliable ambulance.
This project will fund the purchase of a new ambulance which will replace an aged, unreliable unit currently used by the Scio Volunteer Fire Department. This new unit will provide for better emergency care in Scio Volunteer Fire Department’s service area.
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Posted:
08:01AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
HOLMES FIRE DIST #1
HOLMES FIRE DIST #1
HOLMES COUNTY
• New fire ladder truck
• Replaces 2 outdated and unreliable fire trucks
Holmes Fire District #1 currently has two trucks in need of replacement. They are old and in poor condition. Rural Development financial assistance will be used to purchase a new ladder truck that will replace the two older trucks. This new truck will give the district’s residents more reliable fire protection service.
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Posted:
08:00AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
NORTH BALTIMORE PROJECT 2
NORTH BALTIMORE PROJECT 2
WOOD COUNTY
• This project will separate a combined collection system into storm water and wastewater systems
• Improve public safety from improperly treated waste water after a rain event
The current sewer system is a combination storm/sewer system that causes a large amount of infiltration of storm water. The sewer plant is unable to handle all the flow which leads to the sewer plant discharging untreated sewage into the Rock Ford Creek during storm events. The Ohio EPA has mandated the Village of North Baltimore to comply with the Ohio Water Quality Standards and separate the storm and sewer lines. The Village plans to do this in two phases with this project being the first phase.
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Posted:
07:58AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
PEASE TOWNSHIP
PEASE TOWNSHIP
BELMONT COUNTY
• This project will acquire a new backhoe to be used for road and ditch maintenance.
This backhoe will be used to replace an aged unreliable machine. The backhoe will be used to maintain the township’s roadways and ditches.
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Posted:
07:57AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
POWHATAN POINT
POWHATAN POINT
BELMONT COUNTY
• Replace roof on municipal building
Project funds will be used to replace a leaking roof on Powhatan Point’s municipal building which currently houses their, municipal offices, fire and police departments.
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Posted:
07:55AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
PULTNEY TOWNSHIP
PULTNEY TOWNSHIP
BELMONT COUNTY
• This project will acquire and replace an aged, unreliable dump truck
Rural Development financial assistance will be used by Pultney Township to purchase a new dump truck. This truck will replace a 20 year old truck that has maintenance and reliability issues.
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Posted:
07:53AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
VILLAGE OF DUNKIRK SANITARY SEWER SEPARATION PROJECT
VILLAGE OF DUNKIRK SANITARY SEWER SEPARATION PROJECT
HARDIN COUNTY
• This project will separate a combined collection system into storm water and wastewater systems
• Improve public safety from improperly treated wastewater after a rain event
The current sewer system is a combination storm/sewer system. The sewer plant is unable to handle all the flow during rain events, which leads to the sewer plant discharging untreated sewage into the Shallow Run Ditch during storm events. The untreated discharge places the Village of Dunkirk into a noncompliant status with the Ohio EPA. This separation project will place Dunkirk back into a compliant status.
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Posted:
07:51AM Jul 17, 2009
by Charles Hobbs in USDA Web Site |
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Tuesday Apr 20, 2010
