Davis Powell
Sneedville,TN
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Soil Conservationist
Natural Resource Conservation Service
05.2022 - Current
- Assist the District Conservationist with developing tailored conservation plans related to different Farm Bill programs while meeting USDA and NRCS requirements
- Conduct on-site visits to evaluate resource concerns and provide technical assistance to farmers and other landowners
- Recommend different conservation practices to address these resource concerns
- Lead the survey and design of conservation activities such as livestock watering systems, winter feeding facilities, grade stabilization structures and other engineering practices
- Develop grazing plans and nutrient management plans to meet NRCS requirements
- Maintain relationships and communicate frequently with farmers, landowners, USDA employees, and other partners
- Responsible for contract management, payments, modifications, and the implementation of engineering and agronomic practices to NRCS specifications
- Currently manages fifty-nine active contracts, assisting in the payment of 405 practices for over $1.5 million in 2023 and 124 practices for over $670,00 in 2022
- Helped lead the planning, assessment, ranking and obligation of of twenty-five EQIP 2024 and two CSP 2024 contracts totaling $2.68 million, ten EQIP 2023 and one CSP-GCI 2023 contracts totaling $1.16 million, and eighteen EQIP 2022 and five RCPP 2022 contracts totaling $2.05 million
- Increased interest and participation in CSP with two new contracts in FY24 and with three current CSP-Renewal applications
- Lead the planning, assessment, ranking, and obligation of these CSP applications and contracts
- Serve as the NRCS representative at several Soil and water Conservation District (SWCD) board meetings upon the District Conservationist's absence
- Serve as the NRCS county representative at the 2023 Annual SWCD Area Meeting
- Give a presentation on current NRCS programs and updates to over one hundred SWCD employees and state leaders
- Currently serving one day per pay period as the acting Soil Conservationist in Gate City, VA from March 2024-Present.
Pathways Soil Conservationist Student Trainee
Natural Resource Conservation Service
05.2020 - 05.2022
- Worked 40 hours per week during the summer with the District Conservationist in Jonesville, VA helping provide technical assistance related to the Farm Bill
- Worked 20 hours per week during the fall, winter, and spring with the District Conservationist in Christiansburg, VA while in college
- Helped in the evaluation of resource concerns on private lands to develop conservation plans tailored to the customer needs
- Aided in the design, survey, and construction of conservation practices such as livestock watering systems, winter feeding facilities, access roads, and other engineering practices
- Helped to ensure agronomic and engineering conservation practices were installed to NRCS specifications and standards
- Develop grazing plans and nutrient management plans to NRCS requirements
- Helped lead the planning, assessment, ranking and obligation of thirteen EQIP 2021 contracts totaling $1.33 million, three EQIP 2020 contracts and four CSP 2020 contracts totaling $153,000
- Assisted in the payment of 161 practices for over $508,000 in 2021 and for over $523,000 in 2020.
Farm Assistant
Baines Estate and Farm
05.2017 - 05.2020
- Managed approximately 20,000 acres of cropland and forest located primarily in Southampton County, VA
- Primary crops that were grown include corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, and wheat
- Operated tractors and other equipment on a daily basis to maintain the land through brush management and herbaceous weed control
- Helped implement nutrient and pest management plans
- Helped implement prescribed burns on longleaf pine and other timber stands.
Education
Environmental Science
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA05.2022
Skills
Experience and the ability to use the Trimble R8s, Trimble S5 Total Station, and Auto Level to conduct preliminary surveys and As-Built Surveys., Use Conservation Desktop (CD), ProTracts, and Conservation Assistance Ranking Tool (CART) to develop and write conservation plans., Use RUSLE2 to help predict, assess, and improve erosion on cropland., Use ArcGIS Pro, ArcMaps, and Google Earth to aid in the conservation planning process., Proficient in Excel, Microsoft Word, and Adobe.
Awards
- Completed all necessary requirements for Virginia NRCS Ecological Science Job Approval Authority.
- Complete all necessary requirements for Virginia NRCS Engineering Job Approval Authority
- Completed all requirements for the Level I Conservation Planner Certification.
- Completed all requirements for the Level III Conservation Planner Certification.
- Virginia Field Office Outreach Award (2023)
- Participated in all Joint Educational Development (JED) In-Service Trainings for NRCS Virginia Area II.
- Attended the Virginia Forage and Grasslands Council Winter Forage Conference
- NRI Grazing Land On-Site Data Collection Train-the-Trainer Training (March 2024)
- In-field Erosion Risk Assessment and RUSLE2 Data Collection Training (October 2023)
- Concrete Fundamentals Training in West Virginia (July 2023)
- NRCS Prescribed Burn Initial Awareness-level Training (July 2022)
Timeline
Soil Conservationist
Natural Resource Conservation Service
05.2022 - Current
Pathways Soil Conservationist Student Trainee
Natural Resource Conservation Service
05.2020 - 05.2022
Farm Assistant
Baines Estate and Farm
05.2017 - 05.2020
Environmental Science
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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