Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

CRP extensions

bjkpharmd

bjkpharmd

New Member
My compliance check for CRP extension has been completed and approved. Got letter last Friday, just gettting mail open.
I had no mention of any corrections needed- my back field has an area of around 10 acres that probably has 300 cedar trees. Tallest may be 4' but pretty scraggly. The rest of the back is in natives or has kept cedars in check with mowing and tilling for plots.
Anyone else heard about extensions?
 
I haven't recieved anything yet but that's good news in your case!
waytogo.gif


Is that a 10 year extension?
 
5 year extension with same rate. I think that was the max unless it was a renewal. Renewals were 10 years with an update in rates.
I was a little suprised that the extensions didn't require some mid-contract management though. I'll do it with approaval anyway but I thought it might get mandated.
I'm happy with it, I think we have a good office in area.
 
[ QUOTE ]
5 year extension with same rate. I think that was the max unless it was a renewal. Renewals were 10 years with an update in rates.
I was a little suprised that the extensions didn't require some mid-contract management though. I'll do it with approaval anyway but I thought it might get mandated.
I'm happy with it, I think we have a good office in area.

[/ QUOTE ]
I put in for a 10 year renewal and they said in Davis Co. it could be until Sept. before they get thru all of them, so I could be in for a wait yet
smirk.gif

Sounds like V.B. is right on the stick though!
 
WHAT?? I hope I didn't chop trees off of 50 acres Saturday for nothing!! My back is till hurting today!!

Seriously, I am still operating with the knowledge that I have to remove all of the volunteer trees prior to approval for a 10 year renewal. (I am also in Davis County.) I have submitted an extension until 6/15 and I should be able to comply with that from where I sit now.

I had a guy mowing them down, what a ruckus, while I was working "ahead" of him in the thicker areas with the chainsaw taking out the tallest trees so he could get through with the mower. 50 acres down, about 30 to go.

I will say the place looks quite a bit different and this will open up my options on food plot placement.
grin.gif
I have some flat areas that I didn't know I had!
 
Pharmer - I am not an Ag lingo expert by any means, but I would call it a deck mower. It was pulled behind his tractor and was powered by the tractor proper, a direct drive? The mower deck was only about 5' or 6' wide. I didn't look to see, but he said it was not a fixed blade. The blades were mounted on the "spinning thing in the middle"
grin.gif
in a way that they "gave" when they hit the trunks. I wouldn't say it looks quite like a golf course or anything, but I was surprised how smooth it did look when he was done. There were only "parts" left of the larger trees, most were disintegrated quite well. The stumps left behind could be tough on tires though. I was flush cutting the worst of those with my chainsaw, although plenty still remain.

I was quite surprised how well he could cut through some of the areas, anything 10' tall or under was fair game for him, even in some areas where the trees were relatively densely clustered.

I could get more specifics from him if you are interested in more information.
 
I had a meeting on Thursday for my contract expiring in 2008. I am already locked in for another 10 years with a small increase in my monthly rate. Luckily I won't need to till and re-plant, just some inter-seeding and some mid contract mowing and I should be set. I have a few trees to mow, but not bad. Im in Keokuk County BTW.
 
[ QUOTE ]
WHAT?? I hope I didn't chop trees off of 50 acres Saturday for nothing!! My back is till hurting today!!

Seriously, I am still operating with the knowledge that I have to remove all of the volunteer trees prior to approval for a 10 year re-enrollment. (I am also in Davis County.) I have submitted an extension until 6/15 and I should be able to comply with that from where I sit now.

I had a guy mowing them down, what a ruckus, while I was working "ahead" of him in the thicker areas with the chainsaw taking out the tallest trees so he could get through with the mower. 50 acres down, about 30 to go.

I will say the place looks quite a bit different and this will open up my options on food plot placement.
grin.gif
I have some flat areas that I didn't know I had!

[/ QUOTE ]

Gee Daver...I was kinda worried that all that commotion might scare all the biguns out and head em on down my way
evil.gif
Sure enough I got over to Doubletree Food Plot Ranch...and their they were...whole herd of em, grazing contentedly...not to worry though, I commenced to making a ruckus my self and the last time I saw them they were heading north...at a high rate of speed
bigshock.gif
grin.gif


Seriously...(that part is difficult for me
wink.gif
) only the ten year re-enrollments have to have the trees removed.
Their is a fellow in the area with a Bobcat and shear. That thing is a slick deal! $55 and hour and he can pop off trees with and 8-10" stump in seconds and it's clean...no mess what so ever! It took him maybe 40 minutes to shear of about 50 trees and then he switched attachments and piled all the trees. Something to think about if you get tired of the chainsaw...
smirk.gif


I did what few I had with a brush cutter...notice the deer? Dang things hardly looked twice even with all the ruckus!
Mowingbrush.jpg


Had a couple little clumps of these nasty locust trees I cut with the chainsaw...now that's a dangerous job! Thorns everywhere!
cussing.gif

LocustBrush.jpg


Eventually they looked like this...hope I don't have to mess with them for another 10 years!
smirk.gif

Afterwords.jpg
 
We are approved for the 10 year extention pending inspection. No volunteer trees can be present. Used lots of chainsaws, weedeater with chainsaw attachment, scissor on the front of a 4 wheeler, and a hydrolyc scissor on a large bobcat. Lots of work but worth it. A few more thistles and we are ready for the inspection.
 
Deep - tell me more about the chainsaw attachment to the weedeater. Although I have now removed all of my volunteer trees too in advance of the inspection I still do have a few stumps out there.

My thought is that I would gradually flush cut them off with my chainsaw or just whack them with the hatchet, but that makes for a lot of bending over.

I did rent a brushcutter, an oversized weed whacker with a blade on it, and it easily whacked the 1" thick stuff. It took awhile to burn through a 3"-5" diameter trunk though, but it would do it.
 
There is a guy advertising in the local trader paper- skidloader and tree shear in SE Iowa for $45/hour. That sounds pretty reasonable.
 
Tree shear... now that's what I need. Anyone have one or know of anyone who rents or does sidework with one around the Cedar Rapids area. I have a crp area that has some volunteers that need thinned.
Thanks
 
Buster- check your PM.

I don't have any financial interest or connection, can't vouch for them, but will pass on the numbers if anyone is interested.
 
[ QUOTE ]
My compliance check for CRP extension has been completed and approved.

[/ QUOTE ]

Got my letter finally for my 10 year re-enrollment. Said I needed to make an appointment so I called and they said...don't really need one, just stop by. Told them what time I would be there, drove all the way over to Bloomfield (no biggie since fuel is only $3 a gallon
mad.gif
) only to have them decide they hadn't redone the soils and new rental rates...so I would have to come back.
Just thought I would warn any of you that have recieved your letter...to ask a lot of questions before you go!
The letter also said I needed to make an appointment with the NRCS to have a new conservation plan developed...what??
confused.gif

Called them...all they are doing is taking ph numbers and calling people back (huh??) I said I don't really have anything to change "oh well that will be easy then...we'll call you back"
According to my letter, all this is supposed to be done by Aug. 15th but it sounds to me like everything is mass confusion!
crazy.gif

I'm happy that I'm in compliance and all that but what a bunch of rigamamrole to get the papers signed!
smirk.gif
 
Double - thanks for the advice, as you know I work through the Bloomfield office too. I almost fell for the trick you just mentioned...

Thankfully one other time I was talking to them the one lady mentioned the refiguring of the soils, etc, so I asked this time... "Oh yeah, you better make an appointment after all...". They are great people there, but I don't think they realize how difficult it is to take time out of the work week to visit them and have it be a dry run.

I got my letter the other day where they said I had been approved, so that is a relief.
 
We are in the same situation with ours, removing all the 'unwanted trees' from the CRP before final inspection for the 10 year extension. What I want to know is why they would call it conservation reserve program... and then tell you to cut down trees. I dont know maybe I'm just pissed from all the bending over I did hacking them out of there
smile.gif
, but I thought we were trying to revert land back to it's natural state.
 
I just got notice that my CRP passed inspection for the 5 year extention. I'm sure it was "boiler plate" text but it did mention that trees would have to be removed for any future enrollments.
 
My brother and I probably pulled out close to 300 small trees the last couple of years preparing for our inspection and we just recieved our letter. Didn't pass due to a small wash out and some multiflora rose. I knew the wash out was there but he didn't mark on the map the rose bushes. Need to break out some herbicide and the brush hawg. Locust and rose are on the top of my least favorite list. He said to take care of those and he will re-inspect.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom