DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 15, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $30 million to projects in six states to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. The projects are being funded under the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

"Through locally led partnerships like these, USDA is targeting conservation in the places that make sense, allowing us to address local concerns," Vilsack said. "These projects will improve water quality, prevent flooding, enhance wildlife habitat and meet increasing conservation challenges on over 19,000 acres of wetlands."

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, WREP is a special enrollment option under the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program's Wetland Reserve Easement component. Through WREP, which is administered by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), states, local units of governments, non-governmental organizations and American Indian tribes collaborate with NRCS through cooperative and partnership agreements. These partners work with tribal and private landowners who voluntarily enroll eligible land into easements to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on their properties.

Wetland reserve easements allow landowners to successfully enhance and protect habitat for wildlife on their lands, reduce impacts from flooding, recharge groundwater and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. The voluntary nature of NRCS' easement programs allows effective integration of wetland restoration on working landscapes, providing benefits to farmers and ranchers who enroll in the program, as well as benefits to the local and rural communities where the wetlands exist.

NRCS awarded grants for projects in Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska and Tennessee.

2015-2016 WREP Projects:

• Iowa: Partners will acquire and restore prairie pothole wetlands and associated tallgrass prairie uplands on five sites within Prairie Pothole Joint Venture Priority Areas and Ducks Unlimited Living Lakes Initiative Emphasis Areas. Partner contributions will nearly double the acres of wetlands that will be protected and restored. NRCS plans to invest $3 million in this project.
• Kentucky: Partners will acquire and restore wetlands in high priority small watersheds to reduce sediment and nutrients entering the Mississippi River. Coordination with the Kentucky Indiana Bat Fund, The Nature Conservancy and other partners will provide protection of adjacent forested wetlands, increasing the impacted area and quality of protected habitat provided for wildlife. NRCS plans to invest $9.4 million in this project.
• Mississippi: Partners will expand an existing project to increase the acres acquired and wetlands restored in the Mississippi River Basin. These additional wetland acres will provide habitat for fish and wildlife, improve water quality by filtering sediments and nutrients, reduce flooding, recharge ground water and provide outdoor recreational opportunities. NRCS plans to invest $5.1 million in this project.
• Missouri: Partners will enhance 9,500 acres of existing wetlands and restore 500 acres of critically imperiled wet prairie habitats on existing USDA easements improving a total of 10,000 acres. Strong partner support across 30 counties will build on the success of ongoing conservation easement programs in the state. NRCS plans to invest $2.4 million in this project.
• Nebraska: Additional partners will build on the success of two previous WREP projects to acquire and restore the state's playa wetlands and mixed-grass prairie buffers. By modifying irrigation and grazing practices this project will provide a unique twist on traditional easements with innovative partner input that links production agriculture land with conservation easements. NRCS plans to invest $1.7 million in this project.
• Tennessee: Partners will acquire and restore wetlands in a Hypoxia Task Force priority watershed of the lower Mississippi River, reducing the sediment and nutrients entering the river while improving wildlife habitat. The project area also includes areas along the Mississippi River in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky and Missouri. Twenty-six of the 35 counties in the project area are identified by the USDA as Persistent Poverty StrikeForce Counties, where assistance to combat rural poverty will be targeted. This is the second phase of work that began in 2012 that is on track to enroll 15,000 acres by 2016. NRCS plans to invest 8.4 million in this project.

WREP partners contribute a funding match for financial or technical assistance. These partners work directly with eligible landowners interested in enrolling their agricultural land into conservation wetland easements.

Today's awards build on the more than $330 million USDA announced in fiscal year 2015 to protect and restore agricultural working lands, grasslands and wetlands. Collectively, NRCS easement programs help productive farm, ranch and tribal lands continue in agricultural production and protect the nation's critical wetlands and grasslands that are important to water supplies and home to diverse wildlife and plant species. Under the former Wetlands Reserve Program, private landowners, tribes and entities such as land trusts and conservation organizations have enrolled 2.7 million acres through 14,500 agreements for a total NRCS and partner investment of $4.3 billion in financial and technical assistance.

Visit NRCS's ACEP webpage to learn more about NRCS's wetland conservation opportunities.

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Autumn is a busy time for lawn and garden equipment users - with leaves to mulch, garden beds to clean out, and yards to prepare for winter. The bustle of fall outdoor activities and chores can take a toll on outdoor power equipment, and it's important for homeowners to check their equipment, maintain it well, and store it properly for the winter.

OPEI offers the following tips to help homeowners keep their lawn and garden equipment in top shape, readying for winter storage:

Set up a safe work zone. Identify a safe location with plenty of work space that is out of the way of children and pets. Work only in a well-ventilated area that is away from heat sources, sparks or flames.

Collect your outdoor power equipment. This might include a lawn mower, generator, string trimmer, chain saw, edger, power washer, blower, chipper, splitter, or other tool that uses a small engine to do outdoor work.

Turn equipment off. Before servicing or repairing any outdoor power equipment, disconnect the spark plug and battery cables.

Protect yourself. Wear safety glasses and gloves to protect against harmful chemicals and debris.

Inspect your outdoor power equipment. Make sure safety guards are not disabled or missing. Check for loose belts or missing or damaged guards. Check and tighten all screws and nuts.

Clean your equipment. Grass, leaves and dirt that have accumulated on equipment should be removed. Use a soft rag or cloth to clean away grime and dirt.

Drain the fuel. Stored equipment should not have fuel in its tank. Many fuels today contain ethanol, which absorbs water and may phase separate, causing operating problems. If there is fuel in the tank, remove what remains. Run the engine until the engine stops so the fuel is used up. Get more information on safe fueling at www.LookBeforeYouPump.com

Store leftover fuel properly. Gasoline should be stored no more than 30 days without being treated with a fuel stabilizer. Use a sealed container that is approved for fuel storage. Always keep fuel out of the reach of children and away from heat sources or flames.

Lubricate, sharpen, and charge as needed. Check the oil levels and blade conditions. Change the oil now if needed. Get lawn mower blades sharpened so it will be ready for spring. Inspect the spark plug, replace it, and add clean engine oil. Check the air filter and clean or replace as needed. If equipment has a removable battery, take it out and store it in a warm spot. If you have a battery charger, charge the battery before storing it.

Service equipment. If you are not comfortable performing some of these tasks or think that your equipment needs additional servicing, now is a good time to take it to a dealer or repair shop.

Identify and clear a safe storage space. An indoor storage area will protect equipment from the elements. Your storage area should be cool and dry, and equipment should be out of the reach of children and pets. Store equipment away from pool chemicals, cleaners, or fertilizers?anything that could cause corrosion from spills.

Properly store supplies. Using approved storage containers for lawn care or yard supplies will help avoid spills in storage spaces. Leftover materials should be stored in sealed containers, so pests like rodents are not drawn to them. Keep containers out of the reach of children and pets.

Locate your winter outdoor power equipment. Locate snow shovels, snow blowers or throwers, ice scrapers, ice melt or rock salt. If you are low on winter supplies, now is a good time to stock up. Place winter equipment and supplies in an accessible location so they can be found easily when the first snowflakes and ice arrive.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is an international trade association representing more than 100 power equipment, small engine, and utility vehicle manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. Get more information and safety tips at www.opei.org. For information on proper fueling, go to www.lookbeforeyoupump.com.

AMES, Iowa - Part of living in Iowa is dealing with winter and its effects on landscapes. That means taking precautions to ensure that certain plants can survive winter's harsh blast by overwintering them. Specific steps must be followed to ensure overwintered plants will return to prominence next spring.

Here are some tips from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists on how to best overwinter plants. To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

Will cannas survive the winter outdoors in Iowa?

Cannas are perennials. However, they are not winter hardy in Iowa. Cannas must be dug in fall and overwintered indoors. Other tender perennials include tuberous begonia, dahlia, caladium, and gladiolus.

How do I overwinter cannas?

Cut back the plants to within four to six nches of the ground a few days after a hard, killing frost. Then carefully dig up the canna clumps with a spade or garden fork. Leave a small amount of soil around the cannas. Allow them to dry for several hours. Afterwards, place the cannas in large boxes, wire crates, or mesh bags. Store the cannas in a cool (40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter tuberous begonias?

Carefully dig up the tuberous begonias within a few days of a killing frost. Leave a small amount of soil around each tuber. Cut off the stems about one inch above the tubers.  Place the tubers in a cool, dry area to cure for two to three weeks. After curing, shake off the remaining soil. Place a layer of peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust in a small cardboard box. Lay the tubers on the storage medium, then cover the tubers with additional peat, vermiculite or sawdust. Store the tubers in an area with a temperature of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do I overwinter dahlias?

Cut back the plants to within two to four inches of the ground within three or four days of a killing frost. After cutting back the plants, leave the dahlias in the ground for an additional six or seven days to "cure." Then carefully dig up the dahlias with a spade or shovel. Gently shake off the soil, then cut the stems back to the crown. (The dahlia crown is located at the base of the stem where the tuberous roots are attached.) Carefully wash the dahlia clumps to remove any remaining soil. Allow the dahlias to dry for 24 hours. When dry, place the dahlia clumps upside down in cardboard boxes and cover them with vermiculite, peat moss, or wood shavings. Store the dahlias in a cool (40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter caladiums?

Carefully dig up the caladiums after the first fall frost. After digging, place the plants in a cool, dry location for one to two weeks to cure. After curing, cut off the dry foliage. Place a layer of peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust in a small cardboard box. Lay the tubers on the storage medium, then cover with additional peat, vermiculite or sawdust. Store the caladiums in a cool (60 to 65 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter gladiolus bulbs?

Carefully dig up the plants with a spade in fall. Gently shake off the soil from the bulb-like corms. Then cut off the foliage one to two inches above the corms. Dry the corms for two to three weeks in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. When thoroughly dry, remove and discard the old dried up mother corms located at the base of the new corms. Remove the tiny corms (cormels) found around the base of the new corms. Save the small corms for propagation purposes or discard them. Place the corms in mesh bags or old nylon stockings and hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Storage temperatures should be 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Consultants selected; timeline, process and public input for statewide effort are detailed

(PELLA) -The Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (IPEP) meeting was held at Pella Corporation to kick off the Iowa Energy Plan. The initiative, chaired by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Pat Meyer, CEO of Pella Corp., is a means to set state priorities and provide strategic guidance for a statewide plan that assesses current and future energy supply and demand, examines energy policies and programs and identifies emerging challenges and opportunities.

"Iowa is a leader in biofuels and renewable energy," said Lt. Governor Reynolds. "That leadership was achieved because of thoughtful planning. Creating a statewide energy plan will keep Iowa at the forefront of energy policy and allow our state to develop a path toward the future."

The statewide energy plan will be built on four foundational pillars: Economic Development and Energy Careers, Iowa's Energy Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency and Conservation. Working groups will be formed around these areas to provide input, review data and help shape the goals and strategies of the energy plan. Applications for the working groups are being accepted now at www.iowaenergyplan.org. More information on the timeline, process and how to provide input for the energy plan can also be found at this website. In addition, five energy forums will be conducted across the state to facilitate public input for the Iowa Energy Plan.

"At Pella, we tackle energy conservation every day - in every process and with every product - like so many other Iowa manufacturers and businesses," stated Meyer. "Since 2010, through planning and prioritization, we have been able to reduce our own energy consumption by more than 24 million kilowatt hours. The Iowa Energy Plan will give us the ability to hear from Iowans while developing and using the same proactive look at the state's energy future."

The consultants selected to assist in the development of the plan were also announced today. Inova Energy Group and Battelle Memorial Institute were selected to conduct the study. The selection was made after a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process that yielded 12 responses.

The plan will be developed over the next year with a tentative delivery in November of 2016. The leadership team for the Iowa Energy Plan will consist of co-chairs Reynolds and Meyer, IPEP members, Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives. The cost of the plan, estimated at approximately $500,000, will be paid by IEDA and IDOT.

IEDA houses the Iowa Energy Office, which coordinates a variety of state and federal programs related to energy.

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