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INTRODUCTION:
This plan is “open ended,” and will be revised and updated on a regular basis, 5 year minimum to reflect changes in emphasis and needs of the New River-Highlands Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area. The plan provides the framework for the activities of the New River-Highlands RC&D Council. It includes the policies, goals, objectives and direction the council will follow in implementing its program.
Each year the New River-Highlands RC&D Council develops an Annual Plan of Work based on the objectives, goals, problems, and opportunities identified in this Area Plan. The Annual Plan of Work is a dynamic, flexible document that describes activities, projects, partners, funding mechanisms, responsible parties, and timeframes for projects that enables the RC&D Council to address their long-term goals.
The New River-Highlands RC&D Area which lies in southwest Virginia includes 11 counties, 1 independent city, and 6 Soil and Water Conservation Districts. The RC&D Area is served by 3 Planning District Commissions.
The counties include Bland, Carroll, Giles, Grayson, Floyd, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, and Wythe. The independent city is Galax. The Planning District Commissions include Cumberland Plateau, Mount Rogers and New River Valley. The six Soil and Water Conservation Districts carry out active programs in the RC&D Area. They include Big Walker, Evergreen, Holston River, New River, Skyline, and Tazewell.
The RC&D Area is located in southwest Virginia in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains and Encompasses 3,058,000 acres. It includes part of the Blue Ridge Plateau. The majority of the RC&D Area is in the New River drainage basin. The Tennessee River provides drainage for the southwestern part of the RC&D Area while small portions of the RC&D Area drain to the Atlantic Ocean. Elevations range from 1,000 feet to 5,729 feet atop Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia. Woodland (43%) is the largest land use, followed by pastureland (26%), cropland (9.5%) and other land (9.5%). The remaining area is split between federal land, urban land and water.
The 2000 Census data estimates that 399,764 people reside in the RC&D Area (see tables 1 & 2). The RC&D Area is generally rural in nature with the largest populations found in Montgomery, Tazewell, and Washington Counties. These 3 counties have a total population of 179,330 or 44.8% of the total population.
The economy of the RC&D Area is based on agriculture and manufacturing (see tables 3, 4 & 5). The primary agricultural enterprises include beef cattle, dairy, Christmas trees, and tobacco. Tourism, services, arts and crafts round out the economy.
Normal annual precipitation in the New River-Highlands RC&D Area varies from 40 to 56 inches. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year. The majority of the precipitation is in the form of rainfall; however, in the cold months, snow falls frequently throughout the area. Snowfall varies widely with the higher elevations receiving a greater percent of precipitation. Temperatures in the project area also vary widely depending upon elevation. Average January high temperatures vary from about 36° to 40° F. Average July temperatures vary from 68° to 74° F. A minimum temperature of -20° and a maximum of 97° F have been recorded. The growing seasons range from 150 to 190 days, depending upon elevations.
AGRICULTURE:
The New River-Highlands RC&D Area contains approximately 1,265,544 acres of farmland, which represents 42 percent of the land area. There are 7,812 farms in the RC&D Area and the average size is 161 acres. These farms market $215,000,000 of products each year.
Livestock products account for approximately 75 percent of the total value of products sold in the RC&D Area. The primary enterprise in the area is beef cattle. Two types of beef cattle operations dominate this enterprise. They are cow-calf operations and grazing feeder stocker cattle. Dairy farms are fewer in number but account for approximately 10 percent of the total farm income.
Approximately 40 percent of the farms in the RC&D Area are operated as full-time farms. The remaining 60 percent are operated as part-time farms. Thirty-five percent of the farms are owned by people 64 years old or older.
The demand for increased production and cash flow to maintain a viable economic structure results in extensive acreage of land within the RC&D Area being used for more intensive use than it is suited. This is a major cause of the most severe erosion problems facing agriculture today. Erosion in excess of 4 tons per acre is occurring on about 70 percent of the cropland in the RC&D Area. The conservation practices used to control erosion in this area include no-till planting, crop rotation, cover crops, strip cropping, grassed waterways, and diversions. The cost of installing conservation practices, the loss of productivity due to longer rotations and loss of production during installation often prevent implementation of conservation practices.
Erosion in excess of 4 tons per acre is occurring on about 60 percent of pastureland in the RC&D Area. Sheet erosion is often in excess of 14 tons per acre on steep slopes (30 percent slopes) used for pasture. Improper management and stocking rates are the major factors contributing to these excessive erosion rates. This problem is compounded by low rates of fertilization and limited use of forage management practices. Conservation practices needed for pastureland include nutrient management, proper stocking rates, rotational (controlled) grazing, livestock watering facilities and critical area stabilization. Some of the steeper slopes should be converted from pastureland to woodland.
These high erosion rates are a threat to water quality, the production potential of the land and the economic future of agriculture. Water quality is threatened by the sediment itself as well as the chemicals and nutrients it carries. Fecal coliform from animal waste contributes to water quality concerns. |
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New River-Highlands Resource Conservation and Development Council 2004-2009 Area PlanPage 1 |