|
The Illinois Conservation Expo 2004
will be Aug. 24-26 on the farm of Richard and Robert Lasser in
Anchor, located in McLean County. The statewide event is a showcase
for the construction and exhibition of conservation and land
improvement practices and equipment.
"This is a mammoth project," said Bob
Frazee, a natural resources educator with University of Illinois
Extension. "There will be more than a million dollars worth of
construction equipment being demonstrated and used on site. People
attending will be able to watch the construction of a number of
conservation practices, such as a water and sediment control basin,
subsurface tile drainage installation, constructed wetland, a farm
pond, and grassed waterways."
There are 11 conservation sites in all,
and tours will be given each day from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4
p.m., as well as 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Tour guides at
each site will give an eight- to 10-minute overview of the
environmental benefits and recommend construction procedures for
each practice.
Frazee said there is also a soil pit
display and demonstrations on pipeline safety, private water
well-head assessment, septic suitability analysis and septic tank
installation.
The Illinois Conservation Expo 2004 is
sponsored by the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association
in cooperation with the National Resources Conservation Service, the
McLean County Soil and Water Conservation District, Farm Service
Agency, Trees Forever, and U of I Extension.
[to top of second column in
this article]
|
Specialists and engineers from the
National Resources Conservation Service and the McLean County Soil
and Water Conservation District have worked with the Lassers for
more than six months to plan and design the conservation practices
best suited to their 160-acre farm.
"This has been an amazing cooperative
venture involving a variety of conservation agencies," said Frazee.
"The expo will provide an opportunity for individual landowners to
learn more about conservation practices and how to implement those
practices in order to protect their natural resources."
Hours for the expo are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
on Aug. 24 and 26, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 25. Admission is
free and everyone is welcome to attend. Food and drink concessions
will be available at the show.
For more information, contact Joetta
Carroll, executive director of the Illinois Land Improvement
Contractors Association, at (815) 684-1517 or Frazee at (309)
694-7501, ext. 226.
Directions to Illinois Conservation Expo 2004
From Interstate 74: Take Exit 172 at
Mahomet and go north on Illinois Route 47 to Gibson City. Proceed
north of Gibson City 2½ miles to County Road 700N; then go 5½ miles
west to 4100E, following the signs.
From
Bloomington: From Veterans Parkway take Illinois Route 9 east 29
miles to County Road 4100E. Turn left and go two miles north,
following the signs.
[University
of Illinois news release]
|
