NRCS Fiscal Year 1998 Buyout Plan Approved - The NRCS Fiscal Year 1998 Buyout Plan with Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) has been approved. The VSIP will be equal to the lesser amount between what an employee would be entitled to receive for severance pay and a lump sum payment not to exceed $20,000. Eligible employees may depart through optional (regular) retirement, early retirement, or through resignation. The buyout window will be November 3, 1997, through December 30, 1997, and all employees taking the buyout must be off the rolls by December 30. Early out authority expires on December 30, not December 31.

Subject to any restrictions in the legislation, offers will be made to all employees, except field office employees GS-12 and below, as follows:

All employees assigned to National Headquarters

All employees assigned to Centers and Institutes

All employees assigned to a State Office (coded office type 10)

All employees assigned to a Regional Office

All employees GS-13 and above at all levels below the State Office.

Eligible employees interested in taking the buyout should contact their servicing human resources offices to obtain an application package. Questions from employees at the regional offices, National Headquarters Administrative Support Division, and the National Business Management Center, should be directed to the Workforce Planning and Information Analysis Team at 202-720-2227.

Nominations for the National Civil Rights Committee and Chief's Work Force Diversity Awards - The NRCS National Civil Rights Committee (NCRC) is accepting nominations for the NCRC and the Chief's Work Force Diversity Awards for Fiscal Year 1997. The NCRC Award recognizes an individual and a team/group who have made significant contributions to the NRCS in the area of Civil Rights Program Delivery during the fiscal year. The Chief's Work Force Diversity Award is given to a non-manager and a manager who have made significant contributions in achieving NRCS' goal of building and retaining a diverse work force in an efficient, effective, and fair manner.

Winners of both awards will be recognized during the NRCS Honor Awards Ceremony. In addition, these winners will be nominated for the Secretary's Award for Civil Rights and the Secretary's Award for Work Force Diversity, respectively. All employees, including supervisors and managers, are encouraged to submit nominations for both individuals and groups under both awards to Mable Blake, Budget Analyst, NRCS Southeast Region, 1720 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 446N, Atlanta, GA 30309.

USDA Announces First Tribal Colleges Awards - On October 28, in Chandler, AZ, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced nearly $2 million in grant awards to 29 tribal colleges under USDA's new Tribal Colleges Extension Program.

"USDA is very pleased to make these awards and to welcome the 29 tribal colleges into the Department's extension program," said Glickman. "This initiative helps to break down one of the last frontiers of underserved rural people."

The Tribal Colleges Extension Program will support training and education in a wide variety of areas including production agriculture, business management, community and family development, 4-H and youth leadership, natural resources and conservation, nutrition, diet, and health.

USDA Establishes Hispanic Advisory Council - On October 30, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced the establishment of a Hispanic Advisory Council at USDA and appointed its first 13 members.

"I anticipate the HAC will provide USDA management with a focal point to assess, measure, and ensure progress in addressing issues and objectives of USDA employees and USDA customers who are Hispanic," Glickman said. "I also expect HAC to provide the necessary leadership, support, and resources to assure that the recommendations of our Hispanic Issues Task Force are carried out."

The establishment of HAC is one of the recommendations listed in an action plan drafted by USDA's Hispanic Issues Task Force, which studied the opportunities for Hispanic employees and customers at USDA. The Hispanic Issues Task Force action plan complements the USDA Civil Rights Action Team Report issued last February.

The council is co-chaired by Christine Pytel, acting deputy assistant secretary for administration, and George Aldaya, deputy administrator for management with the Farm Service Agency. The HAC consists of representatives from USDA's mission areas and a representative of the USDA Hispanic employee organizations, Rebecca De La Torre, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist for New Mexico and member of the National Organization of Professional Hispanic Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees.

Clinton Administration Awards Nearly $2 Million In Grants For Rural America - On October 28, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced $1.9 million in grants to address some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture and rural communities in the 21st Century including food safety research and improving water quality.

"These grants under the Fund for Rural America will inject critical funding into rural communities to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. agriculture and food industry, strengthen our natural resource management, and boost rural economies to improve the quality of life in these regions," said Glickman.

Funded projects include planning a national center on manure and animal waste management, planning a center to coordinate research and extension efforts in nutrient management for upper Mississippi basin and coastal communities to reduce oxygen depletion in the Gulf of Mexico, and identifying and encouraging the use of biologically based pest management practices and reducing environmental pressure on the resource base through site-specific management.

The Fund for Rural America provides $100 million annually for the next three years for research, education, and extension or rural development. Information on the Fund for Rural America is available from the Fund's Website at http://www.reeusda.gov/fra.

National Wetlands Award - It is time to submit nominations for the 1998 National Wetlands Awards Program co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NRCS. The awards program recognizes individuals who exemplify excellence and innovation in wetlands restoration and conservation. Winners will be honored at a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in April 1998. Nominations are due to ELI by December 15.

Conservation districts are encouraged to nominate worthy individuals. As in the past, the National Wetlands Conservation Alliance will issue a special certificate of recognition to all nominees who have restored wetlands or significantly contributed to a successful restoration program. NRCS State offices will receive a nomination form to reproduce and distribute. The form is also available on-line under "wetlands program" at www.eli.org.

Congress Passes Fiscal Year 1998 Agriculture Appropriations - Congress completed work on Agriculture Appropriations on October 29. Conference Report 105-252 was quickly passed by unanimous consent and now goes before the President for his signature.

Concentrated Livestock Bill Introduced - Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa) introduced the Animal Agriculture Reform Act on Tuesday, October 28. This bill, S. 1323, is aimed at regulating concentrated animal feeding operations for the protection of the environment and public health. Specifically, the legislation calls upon USDA to craft mandatory animal waste management plans to assist producers in minimizing runoff and better managing nutrients. S. 1323 also authorizes an additional $600 million for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program annually to assist confined livestock operations. The bill also calls for penalties against producers for non-compliance.

November - Native American Heritage Month

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.

December 3-6 - 17th International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society, Houston, TX. Contact Dr. Robert Doyle at 972-436-2215, or send e-mail to loyler@EX1.wes.army.mil, or contact Dr. Alan Groeger at 512-245-2284, or send e-mail to AG11@swt.edu.

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.

December 8-12 - Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Workshop, Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, MO. For more information contact Larry Babich at 202-720-8770, or Judy Foland at 202-720-9482.

December 10-13 - National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees Sixth Annual Training Conference, "Bridging the Gap to the New Millennium: A Field of Dreams." Renaissance Atlanta Hotel-Concourse, One Hartsfield Centre Parkway, Atlanta, GA. Hotel reservations are due by November 25. Call 404-209-9999.

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 - Managing Manure in Harmony with the Environment and Society, Soil and Water Conservation Society West North Central Manure Management Conference, Ames, IA. Contact: Bob Ball, NRCS, Parkade Center, Suite 250, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Columbia, MO 65203. Phone: 573-876-0900.

"I dwell in possibility."

--Emily Dickinson

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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