Nature Center covers birds, fish, moon
Durango Nature Center will offer these events:
The Nature Center is open to the public on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9 to Oct. 31. The center is free for members and children 12 and younger and $5 for nonmembers. For more information, visit www.durangonaturestudies.org/center.
“Let’s Get Buggy – Fly-Tying Workshop” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Durango Nature Center. The Animas Valley Anglers will lead the workshop. The cost is $80 for members and $110 nonmembers. Participants should bring lunch and weather-appropriate clothes. The workshop will cover fly-tying, entomology and fly-casting.
The “New Moon Astro Tour” will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Nature Center. The cost is $10 for nonmembers, free for members.
“Birds of the Durango Nature Center Workshop” will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. May 30 at the Nature Center. The cost is $10 for nonmembers and free for members. Birder Aimee Way will teach about the songbirds and raptors that breed or use the Nature Center. Participants should bring binoculars and a bird book.
To register for any of the workshops, email sally@durangonaturestudies.org, call 769-1800 or visit www.durangonaturestudies.org.
BLM awards honor sustainable practices
The Bureau of Land Management has extended to June 5 the deadline for nominations for the 2015 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards.
These non-monetary awards highlight examples of responsible mineral-resource development that protects and restores the environment while meeting modern needs for raw materials. The awards program also helps to promote successful ideas and practices that may be implemented at various locations throughout the nation.
The awards fall under five categories: the Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award, the Hardrock Mineral Community Outreach and Economic Security Award, the Hardrock Mineral Small Operator Award, the Hardrock Mineral Directors Award, and the “Fix A Shaft Today!” Award.
Nominations should be submitted to BLM State Office (Attention: Solid Minerals). The presentation of the awards will take place in Washington, D.C., in November.
For more information, visit http://on.doi.gov/1GVrheA.
BLM seeks bids for wild horse care
The Bureau of Land Management has extended to June 2 the deadline for proposals for new off-range pasture facilities that can provide a free-roaming environment for wild horses removed from Western public lands.
One or more off-range pasture contracts will be awarded, and each must accommodate a minimum of 100 wild horses. The contractor must provide humane care for a one-year period, with a renewal option under BLM contract for a four-year or nine-year period.
Applicants who have never conducted business with the government must first obtain a Dun & Bradstreet number at www.dnb.com before registering at www.sam.gov. There is no fee.
To obtain the solicitation, visit www.fedconnect.net; click on “Search Public Opportunities”; under “Search Criteria” select “Reference Number”; put in the solicitation number L15PS00182 and click “Search” and the solicitation information will appear.
The solicitation form describes what to submit and where to send it.
Local farmers must acquire certification
Farmers are reminded that the 2014 Farm Bill requires producers to file a Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Certification form (AD-1026) with their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center by June 1 to remain or become eligible for crop insurance premium support.
To find the local USDA Service Centers, visit http://offices.usda.gov. Many farmers already may have an AD-1026 certification form on file because it’s required for participation USDA programs.
Producers should talk with their crop insurance agent and visit their local USDA Service Center before the June 1 deadline to ask questions, get additional information or learn more about conservation compliance procedures. Producers who file their form by the deadline will be eligible for federal crop insurance premium support during the 2016 reinsurance year, which begins July, 1.
The AD-1026 form is available at www.fsa.usda.gov/AD1026form.
Herald Staff
