USDA Administrative Convergence - Rural Development's State Directors, Farm Service Agency's State Executive Directors, and Natural Resources Conservation Service's State Conservationists met with Secretary Dan Glickman and the Administrative Convergence Action Team's (ACAT's) co-leaders Pearlie Reed and Anne Reed on September 9 to discuss convergence of their agencies' administrative and technology staffs. The Secretary stated that convergence is in line with the taxpayers' desire for the government to spend tax dollars wisely, prudently, and responsibly. The Secretary re-emphasized that convergence is about being smarter in how the agencies provide administrative and technological support.

In a question-and-answer session, the agencies' State leaders said that convergence should be a fair and open process and bring to their offices opportunities to have more input into decisions that affect their activities.

The Communications Team is establishing an Internet homepage on convergence. It will include both an information section and a question-and-answer section. Information on how to access the homepage will be made available as soon as it is up and running.

The Action Team's Communication Team will make available a weekly message on convergence on a toll-free telephone line. The number is 1-800-384-8090. For hearing-impaired employees, this message will soon be available through TDD on 202-720-7882. Hard copies of these weekly messages will be forwarded to NRCS State public affairs specialists for distribution. Questions, comments, and ideas about convergence may be faxed to 202-690-1221. Questions will be answered by an Action Team steward.

The ACAT's Information Technology Business Planning Sub-team developed common definitions of information technology functions and considered how those functions might best be grouped in the new organization. The team will also develop organization options that are compatible with the Common Computing Environment decision package.

Requests for National Conservation Buffer Initiative Technical Job Sheets Due September 30 - NRCS State offices have received copies of 10 technical job sheets and one technical brief produced in support of the National Conservation Buffer Initiative. State Conservationists were requested to return a form attached to a transmittal letter indicating how many additional copies of the buffer materials their States need. Request forms should be faxed to Jim Robinson at 817-334-5454 by September 30.

National Conservation Buffer Initiative Materials - A new logo for the Conservation Buffer Initiative has been created and will first appear on a new buffer brochure and countertop display soon to be distributed to all NRCS, Farm Service Agency, and Cooperative Extension offices as well as 3,400 local farm and ranch stores and input dealers. The logo was developed by Meycocks & Priebe Advertising, Inc., in Des Moines, IA, and is available on the Internet at: ftp://nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/pub/outgoing/LogosOPA/.

President Clinton Signs Executive Order Creating American Heritage Rivers Initiative (AHRI) - On September 11, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., President Clinton followed up on his pledge in the State of the Union Address to "designate 10 American Heritage Rivers, to help communities alongside them revitalize their waterfronts and clean up pollution," by signing an Executive Order creating the American Heritage Rivers Initiative. Communities designated an American Heritage River will receive the assistance of a "river navigator" to help them tap existing Federal resources and expertise in protecting and restoring the waterway. Any river community working to improve or protect a river will be eligible to nominate a river or river stretch for Presidential designation. Applications will be due in December 1997. Nominations will be reviewed by a blue ribbon panel of government officials and independent experts. The panel will make recommendations to the President, who will announce the first river designations in early 1998. For more information about the American Heritage Rivers Initiative call 1-888-40RIVER or visit this Internet site: http://.epa.gov/rivers.

Farmland Protection Program - On September 4, NRCS Chief Paul Johnson announced the funding distribution of the Farmland Protection Program for fiscal year 1997. State or local government entities in 10 States, including California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin, received a total of $1.92 million in Commodity Credit Corporation funds to leverage their farmland protection efforts. Twenty-nine farms with approximately 5,000 acres and an estimated easement value of $18 million will be permanently protected from urban development. All pending farmland protection easement offers include complementary conservation efforts.

Forest Service's Joan Comanor Detailed to NRCS - Effective September 14, 1997, Joan M. Comanor, previously Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry with the Forest Service, begins a detail to the NRCS Strategic Natural Resources Issues Staff. In her new position, Comanor will focus on coordinating and expanding suport for the Resource Conservation and Development program and on increasing NRCS and Forest Service collaboration in natural resource management on forests, on agricultural lands, and in communities.

National Commission on Small Farms Holds Public Hearing in Washington, D.C. - The National Commission on Small Farms, chaired by Harold Volkmer, held a public hearing in Washington, D.C., on September 10. The commission, appointed by Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, is charged with finding new ways to support small and limited resource farmers and to study the problems facing these farmers and recommend ways to help them.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Appropriations Bills Dominate Congressional Docket - With less than 3 weeks remaining in FY 1997, the House and Senate focused attention on the 13 appropriations bills, which must be passed before September 30. Among these, H.R. 2160, the Agriculture Appropriations bill, was the subject of committee staff negotiations. Conference action by Members may begin as early as the week of September 22.

Legislation of Note - The following bills of significance to NRCS and conservation were recently introduced:

Bill: H.R. 2374

Member: Lowey (NY)

Purpose: Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide funding to States for estuary conservation and management.

Bill: H.R. 2377

Member: Smith (OR)

Purpose: Would amend Federal policy on migrant agricultural workers.

Bill: S 1150

Member: Lugar (IN)

Purpose: Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1997.

INTERNET SITES OF NOTE

http://www.nasda-hq.org/nasda/nasda/Foundation/foundation_main.htm - Home page for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). Under a cooperative agreement with NRCS, and with the cooperation of the Assessment Watershed Protection Division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA's Agricultural Compliance Assistance Center; the NASDA Research Foundation is developing resource guides explaining the environmental regulations that impact agriculture. They will be producing a guide for each State explaining Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations affecting agricultural production. Currently guides are posted for Georgia, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Utah. From the main screen click on the "Conservation and Environmental Programs" button, then select "State-by-State Environmental Laws Affecting Agriculture Guides."

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 22-26 - National Watershed Water Quality Project Symposium, Hyatt Regency Washington Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Contact the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) at 765-494-9555 or visit CTIC's Internet site at http://www.ctic.purdue.edu.

October 6-10 - National Conference on Urban Soils, New York City, NY. Contact Tyrone M. Goddard at 315-477-6526 or send e-mail to tgoddard@ny.nrcs.usda.gov for more information.

October 15-17 - Fourth Annual Conference, Workshop, and Exposition of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association, Eisenhower Inn and Conference Center, Gettysburg, PA. Contact Ed Stein by phone at 410-545-0362 or FAX at 410-209-5010 or contact David Snyder by phone at 704-398-0954 or FAX at 704-394-7946.

October 26-31 - American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings (concurrent), Anaheim, CA, Anaheim Convention Center. Contact ASA Headquarters Office at 677 South Segoe Road, Madison, WI 53711.

October 31 - November 2 - The 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Orlando, FL. Contact the ASFMRA at 303-758-3513, E-mail asfmra@agri-associations.org or check out the WEB site at http://www.agri-associations.org/asfmra/news/conference.html.

November - Native American Heritage Month

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>.

November 2-5 - The National Urban and Community Conservation Conference "Natural Resources Issues in Rural America," Columbus, OH. For conference information contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810 or visit NACD's Web site <http://www.nacdnet.org>.

November 2-5 - Third North American Conference of the Farming Systems Research & Extension Association, "Food & Natural Resource Systems: Integrating Diversity, Inquiry, Action, & People," Welches (Mt. Hood), OR. For information contact seiters@bcc.orst.edu of Oregon State University.

December 6-10 - The 59th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, Milwaukee, WI. For information visit this Internet site: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us (see "Fish" or "Wildlife"), or call Alan Crossley at 608-275-3242.

QUOTE

"What we do rises or falls with what happens in the field, not in Washington."

--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on convergence at the State Directors Meeting, Washington, D.C., September 9, 1997

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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