Crook CountySpecial Projects
The Crook County Natural Resource District has numerous projects that benefit the communities of Crook County. See more information about these projects below.
Water Quality Monitoring:
For the last eight years, the District has been monitoring water quality on the Belle Fourche River and Donkey Creek. The District is happy to announce that we finally have qualified personnel to conduct our 2009 Water Quality Monitoring Regime! TJ and Dave Schrall will be great assets to the District, and we are glad to have them on board.....read more.
BMP and Septic System Cost Share Program:
The locally developed Belle Fourche River Watershed Plan calls on Crook County residents to help clean up listed water bodies voluntarily. To help offset the cost of projects, the District offers a program that cost-shares at up to a 50% rate, including in-kind time spent on the project. CCNRD accepts applications anytime. These applications will be reviewed anonymously by an Advisory Committee comprised of Crook County landowners and ranked according to priority (high, medium, or low).....read more.
District Involvement in the Process of Setting TMDL:
In keeping with the Clean Water Act, the process of setting a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Belle Fourche River and Donkey Creek is underway. The Crook County Natural Resource District has been and remains committed to informing local landowners about the TMDL process as it unfolds. We believe that local input and participation is critical to the success of the TMDL as a means of improving water quality....read more.
Illegal Dumpsite Gets an Extreme Make-Over!
If you visit Sundance Pond, you will find shady picnic areas, a pleasant nature trail, and birds and wildlife to enjoy. If you continue along the edge of the pond and past the drain, you will find willows and cattails alive with the sound of birds and running water. Until recently, you could also find someone’s discarded junk, bags of yard waste, and other human refuse. However, through the cooperative efforts of the District, the City of Sundance, Crook County Road & Bridge, and the Crook County Fairgrounds, this is no longer the case....read more.
Wildlife Escape Ramps Available!
Approximately 200 ramps (100 of each type) are being provided free of charge to Crook County cooperators for installation in their existing watering facilities on private or state owned land. Installation costs (hardware and labor) are the cooperators contributions to the project. CCNRD and NRCS plan to provide a maximum of 3 ramps per type per cooperator....read more.
Olin Sims Living Legacy- Honoring a Wyoming Rancher and Conservationist
The Olin Sims Living Legacy project encourages conservation districts around the country to plant trees in Olin’s memory. As a part of the project, a Curly Golden Willow has been planted in Water’s Park Pine Haven, and the District hopes to plant more trees around the county. If you think your community would like to be a part of this project, please contact the District....read more.
CCNRD E-Cycling Event
Most people in Crook County probably own several electronic devices, some of them old, broken or obsolete. Disposing of electronics can cause serious water and air quality pollution, unless the electronics are properly handled. Some materials used to make electronics are highly toxic, such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, barium, chromium and beryllium....read more.
Conservation Grade Seedling Tree Program
It's time to think about trees! CCNRD is now taking orders for the 2010 Tree Sale. Trees will be available for pick-up in the first week of May. Remember, fall is the time to plan for spring plantings and the best time to prepare your planting site....read more.
Forestry Workshops
Thank you to everyone who attended! This workshop was designed to provide information about Fire Mitigation and Conservation Forestry. Over 20 people were in attendance and guest speakers from Wyoming State Forestry and NRCS gave very interesting presentations....read more.
Educational Booths at John Deere Days and Crook County Fair
During the annual John Deere Days Event and Crook County Fair, CCRND put together a poster board and spent time talking with landowners and disseminating information about what we do. We had a table full of pamphlets, handouts and information for people to take and read....read more.
Soil & Water Stewardship Week Poster Contest
In 2006 CCNRD hosted a poster contest open to grades 2nd-3rd and 4th-6th throughout the County. The goal was to design a creative poster using the topic of WATERWISE, since water is important part of everyone’s lives....read more.
Educational Outreach to public schools
Yarrow prepared and presented a watershed and water sampling curriculum to students around the County. One lesson included the Enviroscape Model, which is a hands-on way for students to learn about non-point source pollution, best management practices and watersheds....read more.
Public Meetings
In January 2006, four public meetings were held around the County in Pine Haven, Sundance, Moorcroft and Hulett to inform residents about our cost share program and provide an opportunity for folks to meet with the board an staff in person....read more.
New Conservation District Signs
Individuals traveling in or out of Crook County will be able to see a few of the newly placed signs along the highways throughout the county....read more.
Sundance Pond Pathway Project
During the spring of 2001, 2002, and 2003 the CCNRD was a recipient of a Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner’s License, donated each time by District 6 G&F Commissioner Kerry Powers. The resulting funds from the sale of these licenses can be used to promote wildlife related projects in Crook County....read more.
Base Road Living Snow Fence
The District was awarded a Living Snow Fence grant by the Wyoming State Forestry Division on April 30, 2004 to install a living snow fence on the Base Road (County Road 100), approximately 5 miles west of Sundance....read more.
Sundance Storm Drain Project
The Crook County Natural Resource District, in cooperation with the Sundance Ag Science class instructed by Kenneth Crowson, placed stormdrain buttons (curb markers) on the Sundance stormdrain inlets on May 18th, 2005....read more.