USDA to Provide $166 Million for Emergency Watershed Work, Floodplain

Easements - On June 30, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing $166 million through its Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program to repair damages in 26 states from floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. "We're working with local communities to protect lives, property, and natural resources," Glickman said.

Funding for this round of EWP projects was made available through the disaster supplemental appropriations bill, signed into law by President Clinton on June 12.

In addition, the EWP program will include a floodplain easement option where the purchase of an easement would be cost-effective in comparison with standard EWP repair work, and where landowners voluntarily agree to the easement. This new option is the result of amendments in the 1996 Farm Bill.

The easements will provide for the permanent restoration and enhancement of a natural floodplain as an alternative to traditional attempts to restore damaged levees, lands, and structures.

Vice President Announces $112 Million for 84 Rural Water Projects in 43 States and Puerto Rico - On June 27, Vice President Al Gore announced $112.4 million for safe drinking water projects for rural Americans, representing the largest action to date under the Administration's Water 2000 initiative.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will invest the $112.4 million in loans and grants to 84 safe-drinking water projects in 43 states and Puerto Rico. That investment will leverage another $35.2 million from non-USDA Federal, State, and local sources. Since launching Water 2000 in August 1994, USDA has invested over $1 billion in loans and grants to over 900 communities in all 50 States.

USDA estimates that 2.5 million rural Americans face serious problems arising from poor water quality and availability, including almost one million with no running water at home. Another estimated 5.6 million Americans have significant needs under Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, including undersized or poorly protected water sources, a lack of adequate storage facilities, and antiquated distribution systems.

Water 2000 is administered by USDA's Rural Development mission area, which delivers programs designed to strengthen local economies, build affordable housing, and expand infrastructure in rural areas.

Eighth Annual National Awards for Environmental Sustainability - Renew America, a national environmental nonprofit organization, is now accepting applications for its Eighth Annual National Awards for Environmental Sustainability. The deadline for applications is September 15, 1997.

Each year, Renew America identifies programs that provide innovative solutions to today's tough environmental challenges and publishes them in the Environmental Success Index. One winner is selected from each of the Index's 26 categories to receive a National Award for Environmental Sustainability. Past honorees include watershed projects, Resource Conservation & Development area projects, and conservation district educational programs.

To qualify for inclusion in the Index, programs must successfully demonstrate results in the following four categories: program effectiveness, natural resource conservation, economic progress, and human development. For an application or more information, call 202-232-2252 or visit this Web site: http://www.crest.org/renew_america.

Earth Team Age Limit Lowered to 14 - The minimum age for student volunteers eligible for volunteer service with USDA agencies, including NRCS Earth Team volunteers, has been lowered to 14. On June 5, 1997, the Office of Human Resources Management issued a revised version of Departmental Regulation 4230-I (first released 07/15/83), lowering the age limit. The change opens up opportunities for more members of 4-H groups, scout groups, school groups, and other youth groups and individual students to participate in Earth Team activities.

IN THE FIELD

Florida Elementary School Creates Campus Arboretum and Outdoor Classroom - In May, the Florosa Elementary School in Fort Worth Beach, FL, declared their outdoor classroom project complete and ready for students to use this coming fall. In the spring of 1996, Hurricane Opal had wiped out all of the native trees on the school's campus. After the clean-up, school administrators wanted to restore the natural ecosystem and create a unique learning experience for students. Because the school had worked with NRCS on previous beach dune projects, administrators asked NRCS District Conservationist Darryl Williams for assistance in establishing and maintaining an arboretum, nature trail, and a simulation of a beach sand dune at the campus.

The Three Rivers Resource Conservation & Development Area Council and the Yellow River Soil and Water Conservation District provided funding. The Panhandle Growers of Milton donated trees. With help from the cooperating groups, students planted 63 native trees, both hard and soft woods. NRCS Plant Materials Specialist Sam Sanders assisted with creating the sand dune, which simulates Fort Worth Beach County's coastal dune restoration efforts. The NRCS Brooksville Plant Materials Center donated plants.

National Soil Survey Center Requests Slides/Photos of People Involved in Urban and Community Conservation - The National Soil Survey Center (NSSC) is collecting slides and photos of people working on urban and community conservation for use by field offices, urban offices, and NRCS cooperators . They are looking for illustrations of urban conservation activities involving people of all ages, members of minority groups, individuals with disabilities, and public/private partners. Suggested topics are urban soil sampling, stream corridor plantings, water quality sampling, focus group meetings, field tours, educational workshops, community gardens, plant materials trials, playgrounds and parks, and erosion and sediment control measures. Contributions will be accepted at any time. Those received by August 1 will be available for inclusion in 1997 annual reports.

For all slides and photos, provide date of event, location, names of featured people, and a short caption. This information can be on a separate sheet. Be sure all slides and photos are marked with your name and phone number and cross referenced to your information sheet. Media release forms will be the responsibility of the user. Indicate if you want original slides or negatives returned. Send them to: Joyce M. Scheyer, soil scientist, USDA-NRCS-NSSC MS33, 100 Centennial Mall N., Room 152, Lincoln, NE 68508-3866. Phone: 402-437-5698. FAX: 402-437-5336. E-mail: jscheye@nssc.nrcs.usda.gov.

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 16-19 - Best Management Practices for Irrigated Agriculture and the Environment, Holiday Inn, Fargo, ND. For information call the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage at 303-628-5430 or send e-mail to stephens@uscid.org.

July 17-19 - Land Improvement Contractors of America Summer Meeting, Providence, RI. Contact Wayne F. Maresch at 301-248-9313 or e-mail to: Wayne F86@aol.com.

July 22-25 - The 52nd Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference, "Interactions, Managing Ecosystems on a Watershed Basis," Toronto, Canada. Contact: Jennifer Pemble, 800-843-7645. Conference information can also be found at: http://www.swcs.org/AnnCon.htm.

July 26-30 - Annual Meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association (AAEA), Toronto, Canada, immediately following the Soil & Water Conservation Society meeting (listed above). For more information visit the AAEA on the Internet at the following address: http://www.aaea.org/M97Sess.html.

July 29 - 31 - Wetlands Reserve Program Easement Management Conference, Des Moines, IA. For conference information, contact Bob Misso, WRP Program Manager, at 202-690-0848 or Jim Ayen, Wetland Restoration Specialist, Des Moines, IA, at 515-284-4370, or send e-mail to jayen@ia.nrcs.usda.gov.

August 3-6 - Fifth Conference on Agroforestry in North America, "Exploring the Opportunities for Agroforestry in Changing Rural Landscapes," Ithaca, NY. Contact Cornell University Conference Services at 607-255-6290 or visit the Association for Temperate Agroforestry Web site at: www.missouri.edu/~afta/afta_home.html.

August 10-14 - American Society of Agricultural Engineers National Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.

August 21-25 - National Association of Conservation Districts National Leadership Conference, Royal Waikaloan Hotel, Kona, HI. For more information, contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810.

September 1-6 - The 9th World Water Congress, International Water Resources Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Contact Aly M. Shady at 819-994-4098 or e-mail aly_shady@ACDI-CIDS.gc.ca.

September 22-26 - National Watershed Water Quality Project Symposium, Washington, DC.

November 2-4 - International Irrigation Exposition & Technical Conference, Nashville, TN. For conference information visit the Irrigation Association's Web site at <http://www.irrigation.org/ia/main.html>.

QUOTE

"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed."

--Booker T. Washington

NRCS This Week is issued weekly by the Conservation Communications Staff, NRCS headquarters, Washington, D.C., and posted on the NRCS Home Page at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov. Please send correspondence and material via e-mail to: nancy.garlitz@usda.gov or mail to Editor, "NRCS This Week," NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013 or FAX to Editor, "NRCS This Week," 202-690-1221.

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