In the 2007 calendar year, the district completed activities under each category listed below to address the natural resource concern.

Bent Conservation District 760 Bent Avenue Las Animas, CO 81054 Phone: 719-456-0120 Fax: 719-456-2717 Monthly Meetings: Second Tuesday every month   Mission Statement: The Bent Conservation District is a local organization formed by the landowners to promote education and provide services to local landowners/ operators in the furtherance of natural resources conservation.

 

 

Major Economy:
The economy is based upon the Fort Lyon Correctional facility, farming and ranching, as well as natural gas extraction. Agriculture, forestry, hunting, fishing and mining make up 23.1%. Bent County ranks fourth among counties in the state's production of grain sorghum.  The area also produces hay, winter wheat, corn for grain, hogs, and cattle.

 

Points of Interest:
Bent County is on the Colorado Birding Trail. Over 20 and sometimes over 30 species of warblers occur in the county every year, Greater Roadrunners and Black Rails breed within a couple of miles of each other.  Other points of interest include the John Martin Reservoir State Park on the Santa Fe Trail, Boggsville historic site and Bents Old Fort National Historic Site.  Local produce is incentive for a trip to Southeast Colorado in August through November.

 

The Bent Conservation District was established September 8, 1942.

 

The District is located in Bent, Otero, Kiowa, Baca, Las Animas and Prowers Counties.

 

The total acreage is 954,461.

 

The land ownership within Bent Conservation District is as follows:

 

Land uses with the District are as follows:

 

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  Addressing Local Concerns  

Districts generate funding through local, state, and federal sources.  Local citizens elect the District board to identify and address local natural resource issues.  The board involves locals and experts to help develop strategic plans.  The district holds open monthly meetings, publications, events, presentations to communicate with district partners and residents about district services, good conservation practices and financial/technical services.

 

This conservation district serves its landowners as they participate in:

 

• The Bent Conservation District is taking a proactive role in the promotion of on farm wind generation.  Bent County landowners continue to deal with the effects of the drought which the District continues to monitor.  Most of Bent County continues to abnormally dry with a small area in the most southeastern corner continues to be in moderate drought.  The landowners of Bent County continue to recover from the lingering effects of the 2006/2007 Blizzard.  The District continues to provide documented information to landowners under area canal systems that are considering the sale of water rights and assisting them in the protection of the soil from potential environmental hazards.

 

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  Fostering Sound Range Management 

Ensuring sound range management for future generations is important to conserve natural resources and improve production as well as enhance wildlife habitat.

 

This conservation district serves its landowners as they participate in:

 

A Grazing Workshop was provided by the District.  The District supports grazing land conservation applied to protect and improve the resource base of 30,051 acres.  Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) contracts on grazing land include 69,653 acres.  The District has completed its second year of monitoring sites which were established with the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Grant.

 

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  Preventing Soil Erosion     

Preventing erosion preserves soil producitivity long term for agriculture, production, and other uses on rural lands.  It also provides improved stream flows, decreases sedimentation, and improves overall water quality.  Some common practices that help producers prevent soil erosion and build soil quality include no till, minimum tillage and cover cropping.

 

This conservation district serves its landowners as they participate in:

 

A total of 20,012 acres of soil was protected from erosion through conservation being applied to cropland.  Farmers and ranchers are encouraged to install windbreaks to reduce wind erosion.  The installation of three windbreaks are under contract.  Technical assistance is offered through the district for windbreak/shelterbelt and living snow fence planning.  Bent Conservation District offers use of tree augers, weed barrier installation and drip irrigation supplies for sale.  Grass planting is encouraged to convert land from crop to permanent pasture.  The District's producers are encouraged to use best management practices reducing the potential of soil erosion.

 

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  Protecting Water Quality & Quantity 

The District provides assistance to managers, landowners, and residents with conservation practices and management tools to protect near stream areas.  In addition, they work together on reducing the movement of chemicals and nutrients to streams in sedimentation or runoff.  These efforts help stabilize streambanks and protect water bodies from impacts.

 

This conservation district serves its landowners as they participate in:

 

Encouraging landowners to practice irrigation water management that will increase water availability while decreasing salinity and reducing erosion.  Water quality practices were applied to 10,365 acres.  Water quantity practices were applied to 3,801 acres.  Landowners are also encouraged to properly apply pesticides.  The District added 13 new EQIP contracts in 2007 and 21 previous contracts still remain in effect.

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 Preventing the Spread of Noxious Weeds 

Conservation Districts implement measures to reduce the spread of invasive populations and help implement weed control projects.

 

This conservation district serves its landowners as they participate in:

 

The Bent Conservation District has taken a proactive stance on Tamarisk and Russian Olive control.  It offers assistance to landowners in their efforts to control noxious weeds including biological, chemical, mechanical and cultural methods.

Colorado Department of Agriculture · 700 Kipling Street · Suite 4000 · Lakewood, CO 80215-8000 ·(303) 239-4100