Chief Paul Johnson to Resign from NRCS and Return to Family Farm - Chief Paul Johnson announced this week that he will be leaving NRCS effective November 8, 1997, to return to his family farm in Decorah, IA.

"Since his appointment almost four years ago, Paul has overseen the operation of the Nation's preeminent agency concerned with conservation on private land," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. "He guided NRCS through a major reorganization and focused the agency on activities that met traditional conservation and stewardship goals built on partnerships, local and regional priorities, and environmental needs. History will judge Paul as a great innovator and an outstanding conservationist. His legacy will remain at USDA for many, many years."

"Through Paul's initiative, NRCS has strengthened its efforts to protect wildlife habitat, improved agriculture's performance in protecting clean water and environmental quality, and encouraged locally-led conservation efforts in rural and urban America," said James Lyons, USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. "In addition, Paul has helped to develop a diverse and effective NRCS workforce. His leadership and vision were instrumental in the development of the conservation title of the 1996 Farm Bill, which is widely recognized as the most progressive and far-reaching conservation title ever enacted.

"Geography of Hope, which showcases the Nation's successes in promoting private land conservation, was the product of Paul's vision. Geography of Hope will serve as a blueprint for NRCS to follow well into the next century."

Secretary Glickman Sends Thank You Letter to Conservation District Officials - On October 10, USDA Secretary Glickman sent a letter to the Nation's conservation district officials thanking them for their past help with the Conservation Reserve Program and the National Conservation Buffer Initiative and asking them to continue their excellent support.

USDA's Administrative Convergence Action Team (ACAT) - Acting USDA Secretary for Administration Pearlie Reed visited last week with State Food and Agriculture Committees (FAC) in Iowa, South Dakota, Mississippi, and California, and Chief Information Officer Anne Reed met with State Directors in Virginia and Florida, to discuss their concerns about administrative convergence. Several more sessions are planned for the week of October 6 in Washington State and Montana. The initial phase of the ACAT website is operational. It may be accessed at http://www.acat.usda.gov. The three organizational models that describe possible information technology (IT) functions under administrative convergence will be distributed by the IT Team to its entire team and the IT Focus Group. A listening forum is being planned for all Washington, DC, employees affected by convergence. A date for the forum will be announced soon.

Please fax your questions and comments about administrative convergence to 202-690-1221. Also, a weekly message on USDA administrative convergence is available, toll free, on 800-384-8090. For hearing impaired employees, the weekly message is available on TDD on 202-720-7882.

Meeting of the American Indian and Alaska Native Natural Resources Conservation Service Employee Association - The initial meeting of the American Indian and Alaska Native Natural Resources Conservation Service Employee Association (AIANNRCSEA) will be held October 27-30, 1997, at the Sheraton San Marcos, in Chandler, AZ. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the Intertribal Agricultural Council's (IAC) Annual Meeting. The IAC sessions will provide NRCS employees with background on American Indian and Alaska native agriculture issues.

Personnel Changes - Anne M. Dubey has been selected as Director, Budget Planning and Analysis Division, Washington, DC, effective October 19, 1997. Dubey is presently Deputy Director, Budget Division, of the Farm Service Agency.

Craig Cox has been selected as Director, Resource Assessment and Strategic Planning Division, Washington, DC, effective December 7, 1997. Cox is presently assigned to the Chief's Strategic Natural Resource Issues Staff.

White House Conference on Climate Change - "The White House Conference on Climate Change, The Impact of Global Warming" was held in Washington, DC, on October 6. Over 30 regional conferences were connected by satellite downlinks to the main conference. NRCS Chief Paul Johnson attended the regional conference in Des Moines, IA.

Fund for Rural America Grant Boosts Iowa Value-Added Cooperatives - On October 3, in Centerville, IA, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced that USDA will provide a $44,700 grant to Iowa's Chariton Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council to study the feasibility of a value-added cooperative structure for switchgrass products.

The grant award is part of $1.1 million being provided by the Clinton Administration's Fund for Rural America to help 18 cooperatives in 16 States develop plans to produce value-added products from the agricultural commodities their members produce.

USDA, with other agencies and organizations, is working to develop locally sustainable sources of biomass fuel and to show the environmental and rural economic benefits of biomass power. The project involves growing switchgrass as an energy crop, to be co-fired with coal to generate electricity. An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 acres in southern Iowa are expected to be established by the year 2000 to produce switchgrass and generate an income up to $200 an acre.

"For many of our Nation's farmers, future success will hinge on their ability to move up the food ladder from being producers of raw commodities to processors of finished or further-refined products," Glickman said. "In this way, more of the money derived from farm goods winds up in the producers' pockets and is spent in rural communities."

Actual recipients of the Cooperative Value-Added Program (CVAP) funds are service providers -- such as State departments of agriculture or universities -- which are working directly with cooperatives. The USDA funds will primarily be used to finance feasibility studies, business development plans, market analysis studies, and product development plans for new cooperatives seeking to produce value-added goods.

Recipients of the value-added development project funds had to contribute matching funds worth at least 25 percent of the USDA funding they will receive. The Fund for Rural America, established under Section 793 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, provides $100 million annually for three years for research, education, and extension or rural development.

IN THE FIELD

Certified Conservation Planners in Michigan - The Michigan Conservation Partnership is aggressively implementing the conservation planning certification process. Conservation Planning Mentors in each of the seven watershed teams have provided the National Conservation Planning Course to all NRCS conservation planners. Eleven Resource Conservationists have already been certified. All NRCS field employees with conservation planning in their job descriptions will be certified by March 31, 1998. Training sessions are planned during the upcoming year to provide the course to Soil and Water Conservation District Foresters, Groundwater Stewardship Technicians, 319 Watershed Coordinators and other partners.

The reception by conservation planners has been very favorable. Long-term planners enjoy getting back to working with clients on a wide variety of resources and land uses. Newer employees are able to expand their focus beyond the single resource emphasis of previous programs. The Michigan Conservation Partnership benefits from the consistent quality of program delivery. Clients benefit from planning assistance coordinated by a single, skilled planner. The public benefits from informed decisions by landowners.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

NRCS Partners with Arbor Day Foundation - NRCS has selected Arbor Day Farm as a training, conference, and conservation information center. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on September 30 in Nebraska City, NE, NRCS and the National Arbor Day Foundation will coordinate efforts to promote the conservation and stewardship of natural resources on private lands. NRCS Chief Paul Johnson participated in the MOU signing ceremony.

Arbor Day Farm's Lied Conference Center in Nebraska City will become a key facility for NRCS training. Field training locations near the Lied Conference Center will be created for training in the planning, design, and layout of conservation practices and systems. NRCS and the Foundation will work with farmers, towns, and other landowners in the area to create a model conservation community.

Planning for the Next Drought: A National Drought Mitigation Center Workshop - The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is sponsoring Planning for the Next Drought: A National Drought Mitigation Center Workshop November 17-19, 1997, at the Olympus Hotel Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. Workshop objectives are to: help people understand drought and the need for drought planning; teach natural resource managers, water utility managers, emergency managers, planners, and others how to develop drought contingency plans; and help different levels and agencies of government coordinate drought-related programs. Registration is through the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, NE. You can register by E-mail to ndmc@enso.unl.edu. Phone is 402-472-6707. Fax is 402-472-6614.

Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) Chapter - The South Carolina Chapter of the SWCS received this year's Outstanding Chapter Award for the Southeast Region during the international meeting in Canada this summer. The award recognizes accomplishments of the Chapter in advancing the wise use of our natural resources. The Chapter also received the Sustaining Award for chapters who continue to maintain a high level of performance.

First Annual National Membership Week for Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) - SWCS is sponsoring its first ever annual National Membership Week November 10-16, 1997. The goal is to increase membership by at least 10 percent, which would be 1,000 new members.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

House Passes Agriculture Appropriations - The House passed the conference report to accompany H.R. 2160 on October 6. After first approving it by voice vote, a roll call vote was requested resulting in passage by a margin of 399-18. The Senate has yet to schedule consideration of the conference report.

Grazing Bill Clears House Agriculture Committee - On October 8, the House Agriculture Committee (Chairman Bob Smith, OR) marked up and passed H.R. 2493, a bill that addresses grazing policies on Federal lands. Chairman Smith's bill would set a grazing formula under law which would raise the fee from $1.35 per adult head of cattle per month to $1.84. Permit holders would also be guaranteed renewal of their permits after 10 years of following the terms of their lease. Opponents say the grazing fees are still below the amount charged on private lands. The committee defeated amendments that would have removed Resource Advisory Councils and matched grazing fees on public lands with those on State lands.

Pfiesteria Impact on Fishing - The Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee (Chairman Saxton, N.J.) of the House Resources Committee held a hearing on pfiesteria and its impact on fishery resources on October 9. Witnesses included Terry D. Garcia of the Department of Commerce and a diverse panel of scientists. Garcia said the recent pfiesteria outbreaks should be viewed in the broader national context of other periodic algal blooms, which have resulted in so-called red tides off Florida and California. Others suggested that pfiesteria is merely the latest symptom of an old problem: too many nutrients in the water. All agreed that a larger and more concerted effort should be made at the federal level to gather information about the microbe. Members of the Subcommittee stated that more should be done and promised to explore further funding for pfiesteria research.

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

Bill - H.R. 2609

Member - Miller (FL)

Purpose - To make regulatory correction concerning methyl bromide to meet the obligations of the Montreal Protocol without placing U.S. farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

 

Bill - H.R. 2670

Member - Saxton (NJ)

Purpose - A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to permit for the national estuary program to be used for the development and implementation of a comprehensive conservation and management plan.

Agriculture Appropriations Await Final Passage - The last step in passage of the Fiscal Year 1998 Agricultural Appropriations is Senate approval of the conference report. The Senate will likely pass the measure as soon as they return from the Columbus Day Recess on October 20th and before the continuing resolution expires on October 23. Congress has 6 of the 13 appropriations bills to complete by October 23.

USDA Accountability & Civil Rights - The House Agriculture Committee (Chairman Bob Smith, OR) will hold a hearing on October 23 on accountability and civil rights at USDA. The hearing will include discussion on H.R. 2185, a bill to establish equitable service for customers and equal opportunity for employees of the Department of Agriculture.

Flood Control At Devils Lake - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (Chairman Chafee, R.I.) will hold a hearing on October 23 on the Army Corps of Engineers' flood control project at Devils Lake, ND.

INTERNET SITES OF NOTE

http://www.cityfarmer.org/urbagnotes1.html#notes - This Web site is devoted to urban agriculture. It is a good source of related links and information.

UPCOMING

September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

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 27-31 - National Indian Agricultural Symposium. Indian Agriculture: Roots of Our Destiny and Sovereignty. Chandler, AZ. Contact the Intertribal Agricultural Council, 100 North 27th Street, Suite 500, Billings, MT 59101 Phone: 406-259-3525.

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 Corporation Campus, Oak Brook, IL. Contact The Groundwater Foundation, P.O. Box 22558, Lincoln, NE, 68542-2558 or call 1-800-858-4844.

November 2-4 - Partners for Smart Growth Conference, Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Urban Land Institute. Smart growth seeks to achieve a balance among economic growth, community livability, and environmental protection. Contact Michael Pawlukiewicz, at 202-624-7028, or e-mail: michaelp@ULI.org.

November 10-12 - The U.S. National Workshop on Climate Change Impacts, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. For information, contact the coordination office by fax at 202-385-4103; by e-mail at regional.workshops@usgcrp.gov, and on the Internet at http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/ipccrev7.html.

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.

January 26-28, 1997 - National Conservation Buffers Technology Conference and Conservation Buffer Initiative Partners Workshop, San Antonio, TX. Contact the Conservation Technology Information Center at 765-494-9555, or visit the CTIC Web site at http://www.ctic.purdue.edu. The Web address for conference information is http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/Releases/BufferConf.html.

February 10-12, 1998 - Soil and Water Conservation West North Central Manure Management Conference Ames, IA. Contact: Bob Ball at 573-876-0900.

QUOTE

"The goal of life is living in agreement with Nature."

--Zeno (335-263 B.C.), Greek Stoic philosopher

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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