Administrative Convergence Update - On July 14, Deputy Chief Tom Weber held two teleconferences with States, Regions, Centers/Institutes, and National Headquarters to cover highlights of the Secretary's July 10 memorandum on administrative convergence for county-based agencies (NRCS, Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development). All of those affected should have received a copy of the Secretary's memo.

"We're embarking on a new venture," said Weber. "It's important to be proactive, supportive, and positive. There will be one administrative structure for the three service center agencies." The staffs involved are administrative support, information technology, and civil rights.

The timeline for the convergence is:

--by mid-July, the Assistant Secretary of Administration and the Chief Information Officer will appoint a planning team;

--by September 3, the planning team will have an implementation report to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary;

--by the end of March 1998, headquarters units will be consolidated;

--by the end of December 1998, state level units will be consolidated; and

--by the end of fiscal year 2002, a move to regional centers will take place.

The convergence seeks to reduce administrative staffing to 50 percent of fiscal year 1993 staffing levels by the year 2002.

Weber said the convergence effort stems from Congressional concern about efficiency and the use of multiple systems. That concern resulted in the movement toward USDA service centers. Continued concern about the three agencies using information technology that won't allow them to communicate with each other, as well as inefficiencies from three separate administrative structures and financial systems, has accelerated efforts toward administrative convergence.

Weber encouraged staffs to be proactive in carrying out needed work and also to consider participating on work teams, if asked, to support the effort. He anticipated these teams would be primarily from State and regional staffs.

In response to questions, Weber offered opinions on the following issues:

--consolidation would affect few staff at the NRCS field office level;

--the information technology moratorium can be expected to continue until the consolidation is solidified;

--administrative employees may become part of a separate "USDA Administrative Management" structure outside of the service center agencies;

--NRCS's regional structure would likely not be used for regional administrative offices;

--USDA will likely use combined 1993 personnel numbers from the three agencies to reach the goal for 2002;

--information technology would include all functions--the Information Technology Institute, the Information Technology staff at Fort Collins, and the Information Technology Division;

--managers may fill critical vacancies at this time;

--the Secretary has stated that he does not support merging the three agencies;

--public affairs and legislative affairs are not included in the July 10 memo.

Weber said that he plans to have periodic teleconferences as more information becomes available.

Secretary Glickman Announces National Commission on Small Farms - On July 16, as part of his continuing efforts to support small and limited resource farmers, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced the formation of a national commission to study the problems of these farmers and recommend ways to help them.

"We cannot let America's small farm heritage, the foundation of our rural communities, just slip through our fingers," Glickman said. "We must carefully look at the barriers facing small farms and seek solutions to these problems. This is the charge I have given to the men and women who will serve on this commission."

The Civil Rights Action Team report issued in February recommended establishing a commission to examine the problems facing small and limited resource farmers. According to published reports and testimony during last winter's civil rights listening sessions, African American farmers are losing their land at a rate three times higher than farmers overall.

Glickman directed the commission to look at a wide range of programs and issues, including credit, risk management, education, and outreach, and to recommend improvements to better serve small and beginning farmers. The commission will also look at ways in which USDA can ensure that small farms are treated fairly and have an equal opportunity to compete in vertically-integrated agricultural systems, and at ways to encourage small farms to adopt farm operations and production practices, such value-added cooperatives or direct marketing, that can help to improve their profitability.

In addition to establishing the commission, Glickman is leading the effort to address the trend toward concentration in agriculture. Glickman is also an active supporter of farmers' markets to provide additional revenue to small and medium sized producers.

Harold L. Volkmer, former congressman from Hannibal, MO, was appointed by Glickman to chair the commission. Desmond A. Jolly, Davis, CA, and Kathleen Sullivan Kelley, Meeker, CO, were named vice chairs. Two members of the 26-member National Commission on Small Farms are active in their local conservation districts: Dario Vidal Guerra, Jr., of Edinburg, TX, who serves as Director of the Hidalgo Soil and Water Conservation District, and Jaclyn Kae Reid of Olympia, WA, who serves as Chairperson of the Thurston County Conservation District.

The commission's first hearing will be July 28 in Memphis, TN. Additional hearings will be scheduled in August. The public is encouraged to participate. The commission's report will be released this fall.

IN THE FIELD

"Hands-On" Range Camp Provides More than Good Time - Ag lenders, appraisers and real estate agents from across South Dakota recently "camped out" on the Knippling Ranch near Gann Valley, SD, to broaden their understanding of natural resources on private lands. "The camp was a unique opportunity for hands-on training about range management strategies that maximize production while maintaining productivity," said Dave Steffen, NRCS Rangeland Management Specialist in Burke, SD.

"One goal of the camp was to help ag lenders and appraisers recognize the potential production of a pasture and gain more knowledge to explore management options with their ranching customers," said Boyd Waara, Philip, SD, who is an ag lender and helped coordinate the event.

Among other topics, the ag lenders and appraisers were exposed to different range improvement practices and the economics of improving range resources. They also saw how wildlife management could be incorporated into a more diverse operation.

Camp participants earned 10 hours of continuing education credits for appraiser re-certification or 12 elective hours which could be applied toward their Realtor license. In addition, campers received free resource materials, including information on managing native grasses, grass and weed identification guides, material to help evaluate pasture condition and stocking rates as well as livestock management tips.

The camp was sponsored by NRCS, South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service, South Dakota Section of the Society for Range Management, South Dakota Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils, and the South Dakota Grassland Coalition under the direction of a group of South Dakota bankers.

Fly-by Status Reviews Save Time in Nebraska - NRCS conservationists in Nebraska's Upper Niobrara-White Natural Resources District completed status reviews of cropland fields in less than a third of the time it usually takes by taking to the air. By doing field checks from an airplane, staff completed their reviews of four counties in less than four days compared to the usual 3 weeks, freeing up more time for conservation planning with landowners. Rushville Soil Conservationist Stephanie King, who received training in conducting fly-by status reviews in Montana last year, led the effort, which is part of a pilot project in Nebraska.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers - Last year, the Coastal America Federal partnership, which is made up of 15 Federal partners, including USDA, and more than 100 non-federal partners, established a national network of Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers. The network of centers is educating thousands of youth and adults on the value of coastal resources. Three more aquariums are ready to join the network: Mystic Marinelife Aquarium, Mystic, CT, in August; National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD, in September; and Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, Brooklyn, NY, in late September or early October. Next year, Coastal America hopes to expand the network to include the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christie, Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, and Hatfield Marine Aquarium in Oregon. NRCS works with the other Coastal America partners to offer technical expertise and educational materials to the learning centers.

Community in Schools Network - Founded in 1977, Communities in Schools (CIS) is the Nation's largest stay-in-school program. Through local, State, regional, and national initiatives, thousands of dedicated individuals champion the connection of community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. CIS forms partnerships with public/private enterprises, non-profit organizations, and government agencies for help with local programs. CIS is currently exploring partnership possibilities with Coastal America partners. The CIS network offers NRCS and conservation districts an excellent opportunity to establish a positive presence in schools by offering students knowledge on conservation issues, first hand experiences with nature, and career information.

For more information on CIS, visit this Internet site: http://www.cisnet.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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 email 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 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 7-10 - Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) Annual Conference & Exhibit Show, Pittsburgh Hilton & Towers, Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, call 606-257-5146 or visit this Internet site: http://member.aol.com/damsafety/homepage.htm.

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

"We need to do more to encourage the younger generation to farm, and we must continue to find ways to help small and disadvantaged producers find ways to make a decent living, keep their land, and make their small farms economically viable."

--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman

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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