Pennsylvania CREP aspires
to render 265,000 acres in 59 counties into environs with improved wildlife
habitat and water quality, and reduced soil erosion, while monetarily
compensating landowners for their participation.
"CREP targets for retirement on 10- to 15-year leases any cropland or
marginal pasture within 180 feet of a stream; highly erodible cropland,
including hayfields; and croplands where contour buffer strips , grassed
waterways and wetlands are established," said Mike Pruss, Game Commission
Private Lands Biologist. "Under the Pennsylvania
CREP, for every Game Commission dollar currently spent on CREP , we receive $21
worth of habitat improvements on private lands from other state, federal and
non -governmental partners. It was a $210 million
partnership between FSA and the state of Pennsylvania . Less than a year later, 16 counties in the Ohio River
drainage were added ($146 million in augmented funding).pgc.----Stevens Water
Monitoring Systems, Inc. The POGO sensor
sends the information to a detachable PDA or to a laptop using
Bluetooth(R) wireless technology, for easy data storage and analysis. The Company's
technology enables measurement of water level, water quality,
groundwater , soil conditions and weather conditions.

hydrologic salinity

PA Game Commission: Pennsylvania's CREP Leads the Nation

While this may seem like a
lot, when viewed in context of the entire Commonwealth, it is easy to see how
the agency's ability to manage wildlife just on State Game Lands is far more
difficult than many understand. Using a local network of Game Commission
biologists and staff from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
(formerly the U.
Although the Pennsylvania CREP still has about 110,000 acres to enroll
yet, its partnership has already received national recognition from
conservation organizations.

Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

PORTLAND, Ore.

rothamsted minimizing

Our wildlife habitat biologists and USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service staff have completed eligibility determinations for an
additional 3,000 applicants. "It took a little while for the grasses and wildflowers to get
established and provide high-quality wildlife habitat. As a result, these acres provide tough-to-acquire
environmental security at a time when Pennsylvania's open spaces continue to
be consumed by the growing needs of its populace. Study areas that had an average of 11
percent CREP habitat were used by cottontails more than any other habitat,
while the interior portions of larger fields were used less than the edges. Interested individuals also
can visit the local U.state .pa. The new product is a
portable device that enables greenskeepers to spot-check any area of
the green for instant data on soil moisture, salinity and temperature,
for better watering and fertilization management.

decomposition weeds

On the national level, Pennsylvania's 265,000 allocated CREP acres, and
156,157 contracted acres (as of January 2006) lead all other states. In the process, this grassroots
approach improves Pennsylvania's ecological character, improves the
environmental quality of the Chesapeake Bay and Ohio River Basin, and
ultimately makes the United States a better place to live for Americans and
wildlife.S."
The state Department of Environmental Protection has continued to provide
substantial funding for CREP through the state's Growing Greener initiatives."
To date, more than 25,000 Pennsylvania acres - 39 square miles - of native
warm-season grasses have been established under CREP. In addition to the
golf industry, the company is targeting other sports turf markets ,
including soccer, lawn tennis, horse racing, and cricket. Pricing starts at $950.com

rothamsted pathogens

, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Executive Director Carl G. Equally significant are
the more than 1,400 miles of forest riparian stream buffers that have been
placed under contract.pgc."

00 (not including user's PDA or laptop).

msw physico

S. In the last year of enrollment, the Soil Bank
had contracted to remove more than 366,000 Pennsylvania farmland acres from
agricultural rotation.
Interestingly , cottontail response depended on field size. The Hydra Probe has
been deployed at two major golf clubs in Georgia. The data can
supplement in-situ Hydra Probe data to give an even more complete
picture of soil conditions.

minimizing msw

Roe today announced that private landowners have
enrolled more agricultural acres in the federal Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP) - a voluntary land retirement program that provides
tremendous benefits to local waterways and major river systems and the
wildlife that inhabit these watersheds - than any other state in the nation. CREP focuses on setting aside marginal agricultural fields and
providing technical experts to help participating landowners establish
conservation plans on their properties. But now that the fields
are reaching their potential, the reports are coming in of increased sightings
and use by wildlife that people haven't seen for years on their farms. "The POGO Soil Sensor lets
managers add more science and accuracy to the mix by taking a quick
reading of known hot spots or random spots on the green.
The company is taking orders by phone at 800-452-5272, and through its
website at www.

lippert compaction

Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency
(FSA), CREP is a highly successful partnership involving states and the
federal government in an ambitious initiative that uses monetary incentives to
help conserve and rehabilitate environmentally -sensitive agricultural lands in
water quality-compromised river drainages by carrying out projects that reduce
erosion, restore degraded habitats and increase protections for ground and
surface water. In the
early years, the focus of the federal effort was crop supply control and rural
growth , but it would ultimately intensify its focus on conservation and
environmental rehabilitation.

NOTE: Photos to accompany the following article are available from the
Game Commission's website (http://www.stevenswater. More
information can be found at www.

weeds rothamsted

The
closest states to Pennsylvania 's tallies are Nebraska with 200,000 allocated
acres, and Illinois, with nearly 109,620 contracted acres. Soil Conservation Service), a project proposal is then
developed with the landowner to meet their conservation goals and remedy the
environmental problems. In 2003, that
initiative was expanded to 23 additional counties ($200 million in additional
project funding).
The POGO's patented soil sensing technology was designed for the US
Department of Agriculture and has been deployed for 10 years in rugged
environmental monitoring conditions.

Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, based in Beaverton, Oregon,
designs and manufactures easy-to-use equipment for reliable
monitoring, collection and analysis of water conditions.

lippert decomposition

Other counties with substantial acreage include: Columbia ,
with more than 9,700 acres; Northumberland, 9,600; Somerset, 7,700; and Tioga,
7,500.
Grassland birds and eastern cottontails appear to be benefiting from the
positive habitat changes that are occurring on properties enrolled in CREP.
Birds nesting in CREP fields had a higher nesting success rate than those
nesting in neighboring hayfields, according to a recent study conducted by
Kevin Wentworth and Margaret Brittingham of Pennsylvania State University.S. Stevens also
provides proven products for certified wireless transmission of
environmental data, from short-range Bluetooth technology to
long-range GEO and LEO satellite communications solutions.

minimizing rothamsted

"We view the habitat work done on State Game Lands as the model for other
public and private lands, and we very much would like to share this
information with interested landowners to benefit wildlife. When fully implemented we anticipate more than
10,000 farmers and rural landowners will be enrolled in the program.us) by clicking on the "CREP" box on the center of
the homepage or by selecting the "Forms + Programs" and select "CREP" under
the "Programs" section.us) by clicking on "Release
#25-06.

arid nutrient

Department of Agriculture . CREP is just such
a program, and it's no secret that wildlife's future improves whenever and
wherever another landowner chooses to do something for wildlife or to improve
environmental quality on his or her property. In addition, CREP generally offers a
sign-up incentive for participants to install specific practices, such as
establishing permanent native grasses, or riparian, forested stream buffers . That rate will increase as more acres are enrolled
in the program. Some of the more recognizable ones include
the Wetland Conservation Compliance (Swampbuster) provisions of the 1985 and
1990 Farm Bills, which required farmers to protect wetlands to remain eligible
for USDA program benefits; the Grasslands Reserve Program; the Conservation
Reserve Program; the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program; Environmental
Quality Incentive Program; and Wetland Reserve Program.
Bradford County currently leads the state in CREP enrollment with more
than 11,000 acres.
"Since cottontails rely on habitats that can provide good food, such as woody
plants, as well as good escape cover, including brush-piles and thickets, a
mixture of grassland and wooded habitat is needed to support cottontails ,
especially those areas with a larger amount of edge habitat," explained PSU
researcher Richard Fritsky, who performed this fieldwork for the Cooperative
Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Pennsylvania State University. In 2004, the U.

tilth weeds

At the conclusion of 2005, Pennsylvania had 153,929 acres enrolled in CREP
in 7,762 contracts, which averaged 20 acres in size.

ncrs weeds

"However, the agency's 1. The average annual rental
rate per acre on these contracted properties was $102.
Last year the company introduced the Hydra Probe II, an in-situ
sensor that can be inserted into undisturbed "native" soil for
simultaneous measurement of the same parameters.

soils pathogens

CREP has become the largest water quality-
wildlife habitat partnership on farmland in Pennsylvania's history. But the idea was a step in the
right direction that set the stage for set-aside programs and other
initiatives that would foster substantial conservation gains.
"Many of the folks who have established native grasslands on their
property through CREP are thrilled with the unbelievable cover they now have
growing," explained Scott Singer, NRCS /Game Commission Wildlife Habitat
Biologist.
Moreover, CREP fields also exhibited a greater diversity of nesting birds,
including many of the state's sensitive species, such as the eastern
meadowlark , grasshopper sparrow and Savannah sparrow.
"One of the greatest challenges for superintendents and
greenskeepers is consistency and efficiency in analyzing soil
conditions," said Scott South, president and chief executive officer
of Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.

decomposition sedimentation

The researchers concluded that CREP must target larger fields if the effort is
to attract rare Pennsylvania grassland nesters , such as the Henslow's sparrow
and upland sandpiper.

compost rothamsted

Only eight
Pennsylvania counties - all in the Delaware River Basin - do not participate
in CREP.

Potential topics include soil genesis and morphology, soil classification and mapping, soil fertility, soil conservation (including erosion), soil management and modifications, and interpretation of soil characteristics.

minimizing hydrologic

The CREP fields - since
they are not mowed during nesting season - provided a more stable environment."
The Hydra Probe products offer a variety of preventive benefits to
the golf and sports turf industries, including optimization of water
and fertilizer use, identification of trouble turf before salinity or
other damaging conditions appear, and savings on physical analysis
time at each sampling location.

rothamsted nutrient

minimizing turnover

"CREP offers an arsenal of specific conservation and environmental
objectives to farmers and other landowners to restore and protect important
natural resources on their properties. Fish and Wildlife Service
presented the National Partners in Flight Stewardship Award to the Game
Commission and its many partners for the contributions the state's CREP is
making to bird conservation.
Landowners who are interested in participating in CREP are encouraged to
call toll-free 1-800-941-CREP (2737 ) to access a menu-driven recording that
will provide a brief overview of the program and direct the caller to a
telephone number for their local CREP coordinator., an innovative developer and manufacturer of
environmental monitoring solutions, today introduced the POGO Soil
Sensor for the golf and sports turf industries.

Information about soils in agriculture and forestry, as well as soil science in general.

collate biosolids

In addition to participating
landowners, hunters, trappers and anglers are direct beneficiaries of CREP, as
are neighbors of program participants, bird-watchers and others who care about
improving the environment.
Roe also noted that CREP is one of the many programs helping the agency in
its efforts to improve wildlife habitat on private lands.4 million acres of State Game
Lands comprise roughly five percent of the Commonwealth's landscape spread out
in more than 600 parcels in 65 of our 67 counties.state.

rothamsted hydrologic

"The Pennsylvania CREP has enrolled more than 150,000 acres since it was
started in 2000," Roe said."
Administered by the U.
"Improving wildlife habitat has long been a major objective of the Game
Commission," Roe said."
A landowner is eligible to participate in CREP if his or her property has
an existing resource concern that can improve wildlife habitat and water
quality, and reduce soil erosion.
Average annual rental rates for contracted acres range from $40 to $150,
depending on the county of enrolled acreage and soil type.
"The important thing to remember about the Pennsylvania effort is we're
not done yet.
The Soil Bank program removed from production about 29 million acres of
farmland nationally, albeit on a limited basis.
CREP started in Pennsylvania in 2000, when it was offered to 20 counties
in the lower Susquehanna and Potomac river basins. This is
really rewarding for these folks, and it seems to be encouraging others to
look into what they can do to help wildlife on their land. The technology is also used by
NASA for testing the accuracy of satellite imagery of soil conditions.

Pricing and Availability

Stevens will begin shipment of POGO Soil Sensors at the end of
March.stevenswater .

soils tilth

Initiated in 2000, the Pennsylvania CREP is administered primarily by the
Game Commission and U.
Many other partners - including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Ducks
Unlimited, Pheasants Forever and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - have
contributed to this program.
Payments for participating in the program vary and are dependent upon the
environmental gains the project provides."
The federal government began providing farmers conservation incentives
with the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, and has been offering rewards for
retiring farmlands and making conservation improvements since then. And, in 2002, The Wildlife Management Institute
presented its highest award , the Touchstone Award, to Klinger for leading the
charge to develop and implement CREP in Pennsylvania . Farm Service Agency office in their county
Agriculture Service Center.pa.

nrcs mineralogy

"It's a tremendous accomplishment and likely will
become as vital to our state's conservation history as the federal Soil Bank
program in the 1950s and '60s.S. "Farmers aren't expected to offer their best
farmland.
"The funding commitment made by USDA and Pennsylvania for this 59-county
CREP program over the next 15 years is $556 million," noted Scott Klinger,
Game Commission Bureau of Land Management director. As expected
from an edge species, they displayed a propensity to inhabit CREP fields that
were in close proximity to woody areas.S.
The introduction of the POGO Soil Sensor supports Stevens'
strategy of providing sports turf technicians with a full range of
reliable, long-term soil monitoring and data communications products.

compaction msw

More than 150,000 acres enrolled in state to improve watershed quality and
wildlife habitat

HARRISBURG, Pa. Interested property owners must agree to sign a 10- to
15-year contract with the USDA Farm Service Agency to keep lands out of
agricultural production. Pennsylvania and
America have benefited and continue to reap environmental gains from USDA
programs and Farm Bill initiatives.
CREP information also is available on the Game Commission 's website
(http://www.

Stevens Launches Portable Soil Probe for Golf and Sports Turf Markets; Wireless POGO Soil Sensor Offers Greenskeepers All-in-One Spot Checking for Optimum Heal

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About Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc.