AUBURN, N.Y. — On May 1-2, conservation professionals have the opportunity to attend a free two-day Conservation Reserve Program training workshop at the Holiday Inn, 75 North Street, Auburn, N.Y.
The workshop is presented by the Conservation Professional Training Program and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Natural Resources Conservation Service employees and conservation partners usually provide the technical services associated with CRP planning, but a wave of expiring contracts has prompted a new effort to recruit and train a broader range of professionals to help meet planning demands for expected re-enrollments.
Independent conservation professionals, registered technical service providers, members of conservation associations, and employees of organizations with formal connections to NRCS are encouraged to participate.
Following the initial two-day training, participants in the CRP Readiness Initiative will have the opportunity to work directly with a project mentor, participate in online forums and webinars, and sign up for supplemental training courses as needed.
During the summer of 2012, the training curriculum will be transitioned to an online format, which will be available for a course fee.
Some of the topics to be covered during the free core workshops include: understanding the landowner’s objectives, developing a CRP plan according to national and state guidelines, and CRP best practices for conservation.
Continuing education units are available across multiple certification disciplines. For more information, contact Kristen Saacke-Blunk at 814-863-8756 or ksaackeblunk@psu.edu.
To register for the New York workshop, visit http://conservation-training.uwex.edu/crpworkshops.
