American Forest Foundation
2007 NRCS State Conservationist Awards
 

The American Forest Foundation honors three NRCS State Conservationists. From left to right, Richard Sims, State Conservationist of Idaho, Terry Cosby, State Conservationist of Ohio, AFF Senior Vice President Kathy McGlauflin, and Illinois State Conservationist Bill Gradle. NRCS image.

Richard Sims, NRCS State Conservationist, Idaho
Nominated by the Idaho Department of Lands

Since arriving in Idaho in the late 1990s, Rich has guided Idaho NRCS to unprecedented levels of support for forestry, committing NRCS’ resources to help improve forest resources across the State. To do so, he put a high value on partnership, reaching out to the Agency’s partners to serve the owners of Idaho’s forest lands.

He authorized the first Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) priority area land treatment project specifically designed to treat forestlands.

Through Rich’s leadership, Idaho is among the top States in obligating forest restoration and improvement cost shares. To date, $2.7 million in EQIP dollars has been obligated to implement 150 forest conservation contracts; these contracts cover many acres of tribal-managed forest lands.

Rich and Idaho Department of Land put together a technical service provider agreement that enables NRCS to apply conservation on more acres of forestland than it could do unassisted.

Rich committed staff for forestry, filling the vacant Area Forester position in Northern Idaho. He later elevated the position to NRCS State Forester, which had been vacant for almost 10 years. The value and responsibilities of this position has grown, giving NRCS: representation on the Idaho Forest Stewardship Advisory Committee; involvement in the Forest Legacy Program; a role in developing a GIS-based forest stewardship inventory and assessment system; and more opportunities to coordinate technical and cost-share assistance to Idaho’s forest owners.

NRCS, under Rich’s leadership and encouragement, provides opportunities for Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&D) to assist local landowners and communities with projects that provide wood biomass to heat public schools, as well as wood fuel reduction projects that benefit communities throughout Idaho. In 2004, Idaho RC&Ds were jointly recognized with a national award for their collective accomplishments in implementing the USDA Forest Service’s and Department of Interior’s National Fire Plan.
 

> Terry Cosby, NRCS State Conservationist, Ohio
Nominated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Division of Forestry

Though Terry's only been in Ohio for 2-and-a-half years, during that time he has sought new ways to partner for the benefit of Ohio’s forest landowners and has continued the initiatives supporting forestry.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Ohio has allocated a separate financial assistance account for the improvement of private forest resources. By doing so, EQIP applicants with forestry resource concerns only compete among themselves for funding, increasing the chances of obtaining financial assistance. Since the inception of this unique approach, more than 750 landowners have benefited from the EQIP Forestry Special Project and have received over $2.5 million in funding. This EQIP special fund will continue into the next EQIP ranking cycle.

Ohio has struggled with ways to meet the technical needs of private forest landowners given limited staff and the need to prioritize technical assistance in the face of Farm Bill program demands. Terry looked to the conservation partnership in Ohio to help provide much-needed technical assistance without having to hire full-time NRCS staff. Through an agreement with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Forestry Division, ODNR Service Foresters are able to provide technical assistance to NRCS customers. In turn for their service, Ohio NRCS reimburses the ODNR. This agreement has been working for the past few years and will expand during the next fiscal year.

Representation on the Ohio Technical Committee has historically included forestry interests. Terry encourages participation by forestry groups on the Ohio Technical Committee, which currently includes attendance by the U.S. Forest Service, the ODNR Division of Forestry, and the Ohio Forestry Association, Inc.

In 2007, Terry met with the Wayne National Forest Supervisor Mary Redden to begin a dialogue and explore partnership opportunities with in the Wayne National Forest. Two meetings have been held between technical staff from each agency and action items have been developed for implementation in the next fiscal year. Addressing the resource concerns on adjacent forest land parcels that may have dissimilar ownership (private vs. public) has been a challenge in this forest with intermingled land ownership patterns. Soil scientists, conservation planners, foresters, program specialists and others from each agency are beginning to work together in this special part of southern Ohio.


Bill Gradle, NRCS State Conservationist, Illinois
Nominated by officials of the Illinois Forestry Development Council, the Illinois Tree Farm Committee, and University of Illinois professors of forestry and natural resource economics.

Bill maintains forestry as a top priority for Illinois NRCS programs. This is evident through USDA farm bill forestry-related accomplishments. In 2007, he provided a new and unprecedented Forest Management Plan incentive program under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. This initiative committed in excess of $400,000 to more than 1,000 forest landowners that will be used to develop forest stewardship management plans. This will encourage and promote sustainable forest management across Illinois’ landscape.

Under Bill’s direction, NRCS supports forestry in Illinois through continued financial contributions towards workshops, conferences, and seminars. As an example, Illinois NRCS is a sponsoring agency of the Midwest’s largest forest landowner conference, the Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference, which has an average attendance of over 500 from multiple States.

Bill is dedicated to NRCS' partnership with the University of Illinois. Illinois NRCS provides annual financial support to the university’s State extension forester position and extension forestry outreach program. Prior to Bill’s leadership and financial intervention, the university’s extension forester position had been vacant for five years. As a direct result of Bill’s involvement, conviction, and leadership, the University of Illinois hired a new extension forestry specialist in January 2006.

Bill is a member of the Society of American Foresters, serves on the Governor’s Forestry Development Council (IFDC), provides representation on the State Tree Farm Committee and maintains strong working relationships with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. In March, 2005, the IFDC held a Forestry Summit to assess and determine the future direction of forestry in Illinois. Bill not only participated, but provided financial support and staff from his Agency to facilitate this event. One of the outcomes of this summit was a vision for a grass-roots forestry organization that would build and strengthen forestry professionals, organizations, and citizens across Illinois.

During subsequent formulation meetings, Bill again committed resources that were used to develop, promote and establish a burgeoning new organization – the Illinois Forestry Association. The Association is now a 400-plus member grassroots, non-profit organization that has become the voice for Illinois forestry. This fulfilled dream would not have been possible without the commitment of Bill and his staff.

Bill  has a degree in forestry and demonstrates that commitment and passion for forestry, often, during the course of his State Conservationist duties and through volunteer activities that promote forestry interests.

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