USDA Announces Voluntary Program to Develop Wildlife Habitat - On September 18, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced a new program that can help farmers, ranchers, and other landowners protect critically important wildlife habitat. USDA's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides both technical assistance and cost-share payments to landowners to help establish and improve fish and wildlife habitat. In addition, if the landowner agrees, cooperating state wildlife agencies and nonprofit or private organizations may provide expertise or additional funding to help landowners complete a project.

Under the 1996 Farm Bill, WHIP provides cost-share assistance up to 75 percent of the cost of installing wildlife habitat practices. Cost-share payments may be used to establish new practices or replace practices that fail for reasons beyond the landowner's control. The total cost-share amount cannot exceed $10,000 per agreement.

"Under the program," Glickman said, "landowners may restore aquatic habitat as well as adjacent streambanks, wetlands, and uplands. The goal is to provide the best habitat possible for the species of fish and wildlife the landowner is trying to help. Beyond that," Glickman added, "WHIP is just one component of the conservation improvements a farmer might want to make, and we encourage them to work with us to see how all of USDA's conservation programs can help on their operations."

USDA Administrative Convergence - Employees can fax questions and comments about USDA's administrative convergence to 202-690-1221. A weekly message is available, toll free, on 800-384-8090. For hearing impaired employees, this weekly message is available on TDD on 202-720-7882.

Vice President Gore and Agriculture Secretary Glickman Kick off First-Ever National Food Recovery and Gleaning Summit - On September 15, Vice President Al Gore and Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman kicked off the first National Food Recovery and Gleaning Summit, announcing an ambitious new goal for getting previously wasted food to the hungry.

The Vice President also announced the results of a major report on hunger in America, the most comprehensive effort ever undertaken to measure food security. The USDA report shows that 12 million American households experienced some food insecurity -- defined as the limited or uncertain access to enough food. Of those, 4 million reported moderate or severe hunger. Based on data gathered as part of the April 1995 Census Bureau survey, it is the first of a series of annual reports, and will be a critical benchmark in the future for evaluating hunger and nutrition assistance programs.

"This report shows that there are millions of Americans who are simply not getting enough to eat," the Vice President said. "I am pleased to be able to announce the start of a national plan to increase by 33 percent the amount of food recovered each year. When we reach our goal, we will be able to use that recovered food to feed 450,000 people each day for a year." A recent USDA food waste study found that the nation wastes more than 96 billion pounds of food each year.

Glickman also announced the donation to food banks in communities across the country of more than 128,000 pounds of food collected by USDA employees in a 10-day Department-wide food drive. In addition, USDA employees and volunteers gleaned for donation over 380,000 pounds of fresh produce during the first two weeks of September. NRCS offices across the country contributed more than 25,000 pounds of food items to the Secretary's Challenge Against Hunger food drive.

Agriculture Secretary Glickman Announces First Hispanic-Serving Institution Education Grants - On September 15, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced that more than $1.4 million in grants has been awarded to 13 Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out programs needed to attract, retain, and graduate students capable of enhancing the nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional workforce.

We are very pleased to be able to make this announcement today as we observe the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month here at USDA," said Glickman. "These grants will help our Hispanic-Serving Institutions provide trained scientific and technical personnel for the 21st Century."

These awards are the first to be made under the new competitive grants program designed to promote and strengthen Hispanic-Serving Institutions established under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (FAIR) of 1996 and administered by USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.

"The awards will be used to support projects in various targeted areas including faculty preparation, curricula design, library resources, student programs for on the job and/or field experience, and the use of technologies like videoconferencing to enhance learning," said I. Miley Gonzalez, USDA's Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. "The USDA funds go even further because most of the colleges are also providing funds and resources while generating financial support from State and local governments and private industry."

USDA-Sponsored Pollution Prevention Programs Honored - On September 19, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable honored the USDA-sponsored "FarmASyst" and "HomeASyst" programs as among "the most innovative and successful pollution prevention programs" in the country.

FarmASyst and HomeASyst are nationwide cooperative self-assessment programs for pollution prevention in the home and on the farm. USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and NRCS are Federal co-sponsors of the national program along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More information is available through the programs' Internet sites at http://www.wisc.edu/farmasyst and http://www.wisc.edu/homeasyst/.

The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable is the largest national membership organization solely devoted to pollution prevention. The organization was founded in 1985 to support efforts by State and local governments to develop and implement pollution prevention programs.

Agriculture Secretary Glickman Recognizes USDA's Presidential Rank Award Winners - On September 17, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman recognized the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Presidential Rank Award winners for Fiscal Year 1996 at a special ceremony in the patio of the Department's Jamie L. Whitten Building.

"These individuals exemplify the best of top management in the Department of Agriculture," Glickman said. "It is through efforts of employees such as these that USDA can look forward to a bright future. I am proud to have had the honor of working with such extraordinary leaders."

The purpose of the Presidential Rank Award Program is to recognize and reward career Senior Executive Service members who have demonstrated exceptional performance over an extended period of time. There are two categories of awards. The Distinguished Executive Award is given to no more than one percent of the career SES government-wide population for sustained extraordinary accomplishment in carrying out Federal goals and policies. The Meritorious Executive Award is limited to no more than five percent of the career SES government-wide population and is given for sustained accomplishment.

Among those receiving a 1996 Distinguished Executive Award was Pearlie Reed for his outstanding leadership in management of the Nation's natural resources, his commitment to excellence in government, and accomplishments in affirmative action. Reed, who is currently USDA's Acting Assistant Secretary for Administration, received the recognition for his work in his previous position as Associate Chief of NRCS.

Surf NRCS's New "State of the Land" Web Site - Surf NRCS's new "State of the Land" web site at http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/land/home.html. Highlights include online access to NRCS maps and other analysis products (based on the Natural Resources Inventory, Census of Agriculture, and other data bases) and information on how NRCS, its partners, and American agriculture are tackling environmental issues. Currently, online are analyses developed from a national perspective, including those published in "America's Private Land: A Geography of Hope," but the site is intended to be a forum for analyses done at all levels of the agency.

If you want to contribute to the State of the Land site or have ideas for improving the site, use the e-mail prompt at the bottom of each web page or e-mail dave.moffitt@usda.gov. If you have questions about adapting the web page format that gives a common look and feel to the State of the Land site and the agency's new home page, send e-mail to chris.lozos@usda.gov.

New Internet Site to Provide One-Stop Shopping for Non-profit Groups on Help Available from Federal Agencies - On September 16, Vice President Gore unveiled the U.S. NonProfit Gateway, an Internet site established to help non-profit groups tap into information on opportunities to partner with Federal agencies. "The NonProfit Gateway opens the door for non-profit groups to more than 300,000 government web pages," said Vice President Gore. "This is a remarkable partnership between the Federal Government and hundreds of non-profit groups. I know that this site will help empower people with the tools they need to help others."

The NonProfit Gateway home page, www.nonprofit.gov, has links to information on grants, budgets, volunteer opportunities, and agency partnerships. Each of the 15 different departments and agencies has created a local non-profit home page, tailored to its own unique resources. The NonProfit Gateway links them together using a central directory.

The U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Agriculture teamed up to provide information on the Administration's Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community initiative.

IN THE FIELD

Weyerhaeuser Company Donates 535-acre Site to Oklahoma RC&D Council - The Weyerhaeuser Company donated a 535-acre facility, valued at more than $2 million to the Ouachita Mountains Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D), which serves eight southeastern Oklahoma counties. The property includes a three-bedroom brick home, modern office building, equipment sheds, a packing room, and three coolers that were used to keep tree seedlings healthy before shipment. The site includes 200 acres of irrigated cropland which Weyerhaeuser used to raise pine seedlings, and for pasture and forestland. Weyerhaeuser developed the site in 1974 to support the company's forest station program. The company announced the closing of the facility a year ago because of the distance from most of their current seedling markets which are concentrated in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The RC&D Council was among several organizations and agencies that submitted proposals for the donation of the property. The Ouachita Mountains RC&D has hired a full-time manager of the facility which will be used as an environmental education and transfer information facility. Immediate plans call for an outdoor classroom and resource activity area for grades K-12, areas for college and private organizations to conduct land management research, and a conference center and applied research demonstration area to provide continuing education for landowners and industry. The deed for the land was officially transferred at a dedication ceremony on August 6.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Agencies Address Pfiesteria Outbreak Questions - The USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, the NRCS Deputy Chief for Technology, Agricultural Research Service scientists, and University of Maryland cooperative Extension Service specialists participated on September 17 in a briefing for Senate Agriculture Committee Staff on the outbreaks of the Pfiesteria microbe in Maryland rivers near the State's Eastern Shore. The microbe hasbeen associated with recent fish kills. Issues covered included a discussion of current understanding of the Pfiesteria organism's behavior, particularly the suspected relationship of the organism to nutrient content in water, research being conducted or planned to address the effect of the organism on fish and shellfish, and opportunities to reduce nutrient loading in waterways with conservation practices. A briefing is scheduled for staff of the House Agricultural Committee next week.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

NACD Regional Meeting Makes TV - The Northeastern Region Meeting of the National Association of Conservation Districts, held in Atlantic City, NJ, drew media attention to the need for caring for the quality of the Region's water, soil, and air. TV 40, which broadcasts from Atlantic County, NJ, interviewed two NACD representatives and a representative of the State Soil Conservation Committee of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 21-27 - Historical Black Colleges and Universities Week

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.

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 19-23 - American Water Resource Association's (AWRA's) Annual Conference on Water Resources and Symposium on Conjunctive Use of Water Resources, Aquifer Storage and Recovery, Sheraton Long Beach Hotel, Long Beach, CA. For information contact AWRA, Long Beach '97 Registrar, 950 Herndon Parkway, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171-5531, or call 703-904-1225.

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.

November 22-24 - The Groundwater Foundation's Annual "Priming the Pump" Groundwater Education Workshop and Groundwater Guardian Designation Conference, McDonald's Coporation Campus, Oak Brook, IL. Contact The Groundwater Foundation, P.O. Box 22558, Lincoln, NE, 68542-2558 or call 1-800-858-4844.

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

"We cannot stand by and let people in this Nation starve. This is an area where government has a critical role to play. Yet it is also a problem that government cannot solve alone. We each have a responsibility to look out for our neighbor who is suffering -- and that's a lesson as old as the Bible itself. It says in the Scripture: 'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not . . . gather the gleanings after your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger.'"

--Vice President Al Gore at the National Food Recovery and Gleaning Summit on September 15,1997.

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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