FCD Bulletin
NOVEMBER 2024
Conservation Spotlight: Steve Stultz, Conservation Technician
This month's Conservation Spotlight shines on Steve Stultz of Canon City. Steve was born in Pueblo, Colorado. Growing up he spent time in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, but mostly California where he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Agriculture Business. After earning his degree, Steve went on to work for San Luis Obispo Farm Supply, ConAgra, United Agri-Products, Tomen-Agro, and Arvesta Life Science North America as a specialist in crop production. In 2013 Steve moved to the Family Ranch outside of Canon City.
In July of 2022, Steve was hired on as Fremont Conservation District’s District Conservation Technician (DCT). Fremont Conservation District’s “bread and butter” programs rely on Steve. As the DCT he is the lead point of contact for landowners who are interested in utilizing the district cost-share program. In partnership with NRCS Steve assists landowners at each step: from initial contact to conservation planning; from presenting applications to the Board of Supervisors to conducting final project checkouts. Steve is also essential to the operation of our no-till-drill service. He schedules its use, provides seeding recommendations, and travels to the property to calibrate the drill to best serve the landowner’s plan. He makes himself available on weekends and during odd hours to provide landowners with a complete and superb service.
Steve assists the NRCS by providing Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) to local landowner’s. He also plays a large role in educating local producers about NRCS programs and how to best utilize them. While based in Canon City, Steve assists NRCS staff in Salida, Woodland Park, and Silver Cliff as needed. Steve has also assisted the Colorado Department of Agriculture staff with their STAR Soil Health Program, traveling throughout Colorado on site-visits.
Steve is committed to conservation and helping landowners meet their goals and sustain their efforts to keep Fremont County an agricultural community.
2024 Matching Grant Project Completed
In 2023 Fremont Conservation District partnered with the NRCS to assist Lincoln Park Crooked Ditch with a series of planned ditch improvements. A CSCB Matching Grant was awarded to the district in 2024 to further these efforts. This year the ditch company successfully removed failed concrete pipe and replaced it with 500’of 30” HDPE pipe. This improvement has helped lessen water loss and made the ditch more efficient for 100 shareholders spread over 160 acres. Between the Fremont Conservation District and NRCS EQIP funds 75% of the total project costs were covered, which further eased the burden to the landowners. Fremont Conservation District was proud to help bring this about.
Our 2024 Local Work Group was attended by board members and shareholders from local ditch companies. Fremont Conservation District also update the modeling media in our River Trailer. The River Trailer was used 12 times this year—in Fremont County and beyond—from Pueblo to Salida; from Trinidad to Castle Rock. These upgrades were made possible thanks to the CSCB Matching Grant.
FCD Awarded District Conservation Technician Grant
The District Conservation Technician (DCT) Program is a joint agreement between the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Colorado Department of Agriculture (DCT), and the Fremont Conservation District. The purpose of the program is to provide local landowners with on-site conservation technical assistance. This grant makes funds available to conservation districts who otherwise would be unable to support the position. As you may have read in this month's Conservation Spotlight our DCT is an important part of why we are able to do what we do! Thanks to the award of this grant the Fremont Conservation District will continue our DCT services in 2025.
Fremont Conservation District Awards
Fremont Conservation District is proud to announce our new Conservation Awards Program! There are two Award Categories:
The STEWARDSHIP AWARD is open to any group or individual landowner within the Fremont Conservation District boundaries. The purpose of the award is to recognize and celebrate excellence in private-land natural resource conservation.
The CULTIVATION AWARD is open to any group or individual working or residing in Fremont County. The purpose of the award is to recognize and celebrate excellence in conservation education, advocation, and collaboration.
Nominations for the current year are due by December 31st. Awards will be presented the following spring at the Fremont Conservation District Annual Banquet.
Nomination forms can be filled out and submitted on our website. 2024 Awards - Fremont Conservation District (fremontcd.org).
Ditch Company Surveys
Fremont Conservation District has compiled a voluntary survey for ditch companies in Fremont County. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete. Submitted answers will help us better understand the challenges and needs of irrigation ditches in Fremont County, identify areas for improvement, and come up with potential solutions. To take the survey, follow this link: Fremont County Irrigation Ditch Survey - Fremont Conservation District (fremontcd.org)
SAVE THE DATE! UACWMA Annual Meeting 2/11/2025
The Upper Arkansas Cooperative Weed Management Area has worked for the past two decades to implement coordinated noxious weed management in Chaffee, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Lake, Las Animas, Park, Pueblo, and Teller counties. This collaborative effort includes weed inventory mapping, targeted weed management, and education.
As part of our ongoing collaborative effort, the Upper Arkansas Cooperative Weed Management Area will be hosting our annual conference on Thursday February 11th, 2025, at the Pueblo Convention Center from 8am to 4pm. Registered attendees will enjoy refreshments, lunch, materials, and continuing education credits for pesticide applicators. Anyone with weed management responsibilities should consider attending, including weed board members, advisors and managers; county commissioners, representatives of town or city governments; state and federal land managers; road department managers; conservation district board members, and interested private landowners.
Registration and itinerary will be available in the coming months. Please contact the Fremont Conservation District office with any questions.
Upcoming Events
- Veteran's Day. Monday November 11th. District office will be closed.
- Fremont Conservation District Monthly Meeting. Wednesday November 13th, 6:00 p.m. USDA Service Center. 248 Dozier Ave. Canon City, CO.
- Thanksgiving Day. Thursday November 28th. District office will be closed.
- Colorado Association of Conservation Districts Annual Conference. December 2-4. Colorado Springs.
- Fremont Conservation District Monthly Meeting. Thursday December 5th, 6:00 p.m. USDA Service Center. 248 Dozier Ave. Canon City, CO.
- UACWMA Annual Meeting. Tuesday February 11th. Pueblo Convention Center.
Do you have an upcoming event or other news that you'd like the Fremont County community to know about? Contact our District office to inquire about getting your article published in our monthly newsletter!
Contact Us:
719-315-3417
USDA Service Center
248 Dozier Ave
Canon City, CO 81212
Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8-4