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| Friday, April 28, 2000 Washington, DC. |
-- Marshall McLuhan, Canadian communications theorist and educator
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NRCS!
Sixty-five years ago, a new era in conservation was born. On April 27, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt put ink to paper to create the Soil Conservation Service, the progenitor of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Because of what happened on that day, Americans and people the world over now enjoy the benefits that can only come from healthy and productive natural resources. Every day, the selfless and visionary actions of NRCS personnel and the agency's partners build upon an inspiring legacy of commitment and service. This agency, the gift that the Nation received 65 years ago, has become, and has remained, a giver. During that time, on thousands of outstretched hands, the people of SCS and NRCS have presented to millions unique and precious gifts that make life possible and truly worth living. Happy birthday, NRCS!
Celebrations Set for Public Service Recognition Week - Next week is your week! May 1-7 is Public Service Recognition Week, a time for festivals, open houses, parades, community clean-up days, charity events, and other activities that make people outside of government aware of the important services provided by folks in the public sector. Government employees in nearly 1,500 cities in the U.S. and abroad are expected to join local celebrations. May 4-6, government personnel will take over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to present more than 100 exhibits that feature the work of civilian and military agencies. NRCS' exhibit will highlight the National Resources Inventory and publications on soil quality and wetlands, including the recently released "Colors of Soil" poster. Your contact is Paul F. Reich, Geographer, World Soil Resources, NRCS, on (202) 690-0037, or at paul.reich@usda.gov
Community Comes Out for Dam Rehab Project Celebration - On April 14, NRCS Oklahoma and its conservation partners celebrated the completion of the Nation's first rehabilitation project of an upstream flood control dam, the Sergeant Major Creek Watershed, Site 2, near Cheyenne.
Chief Pearlie Reed, Congressman Frank Lucas, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Associate Director for Mitigation, Mike Armstrong, were keynote speakers. USDA and FEMA signed a national Memorandum of Understanding that brings NRCS and FEMA together to help communities protect themselves from natural disasters.
Chief Reed authorized this pilot project in July 1998. The Upper Washita Conservation District provided leadership for a locally led process coordinated by a 15-member work group consisting of landowners, city representatives, and other interested citizens. One of the five objectives of this workgroup included the rehabilitation of two flood control dams.
The celebration educated the crowd of more than 800 about the devastation caused by flooding 50 years ago and helped children and adults better appreciate the protection this project provides to their community. Students from every school in the county participated in a poster and essay contest. A 9-minute video featuring the PL-534 Washita Watershed Project and its impacts on local communities in Oklahoma was shown. Copies of this video will be distributed to all States within the next couple of weeks.
For more information on Reinvesting in America's Watersheds, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov and click on the "Aging Watershed Infrastructure" link. Your contact is Terri Daniel, NRCS Oklahoma Public Affairs, at (405) 742-1244.
Echinacea Seeds Set for Winter Release, Says Bismarck PMC -
Echinacea has been in the news because of its growing popularity as a medicinal supplement. Several different species are native to the U.S. Narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea augustifolia) is indigenous to the Plains States and overlaps into some of the Midwestern states. NRCS' Bismarck Plant Materials Center anticipates a pre-varietal release this winter and a limited supply of seed for commercial growers. The primary conservation interest in Echinacea is to add native plant diversity to conservation plantings. Many States, including North Dakota, have recently passed legislation concerning unauthorized digging of Echinacea roots on private and public lands. The release of the Bismarck germplasm may alleviate some of those problems and provide a high-value alternative crop opportunity to commercial growers. Your contact is Dwight Tober on (701) 530-2075, and at dwight.tober@nd.usda.gov
SC RC&D, Districts, Partners Hooked on Protecting Trout Streams - The Foothills RC&D Council, Inc., and the Oconee, Pickens and Greenville Soil and Water Conservation Districts have partnered to protect the 250 to 300 miles of trout streams. Under the leadership of Foothills' Chairman Wes Cooler, a partnership of government and private agencies and individuals developed a resource management plan that when implemented will conserve, enhance, and restore cold-water habitat and fish stocks. Grants from NRCS and from several organizations including Trout Unlimited, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Forest Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife were received for the plan. Trout fishing generates nearly $17 million for the State's economy. Your contact is Perdita Belk, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (803) 765-5402, and at pbelk@sc.nrcs.usda.gov
Ranch Econ Workshops in OK Reveal Ways to Save, Profit -
Four workshops funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program showed ranchers in western Oklahoma how to save money and increase their incomes. Called "Ranch Dollars and Sense," the workshops emphasized the use of partial budgets and accounting data in economic analysis of production and management alternatives on a typical western Oklahoma ranch. The workshops used a previous educational series that highlighted teaching ranchers about plant, animal, and wildlife resources. A team of local ranchers, conservation district employees, NRCS personnel, Oklahoma State University economists, and economists from the Noble Foundation designed the workshops. A workbook of the lesson plans has been assembled. Your contact is Mark Moseley, NRCS Range Conservationist/Grazingland Specialist, on (405) 742-1235, and at mark.moseley@ok.usda.gov
Kids Have Field Day Celebrating the Earth -
Nearly 1,000 fourth and fifth graders joined the festivities at the 6th Annual Celebrate the Earth Environmental Field Day and Conservation Camp held in Waverly, Tennessee. The Humphreys County Coil Conservation District, NRCS, and a host of organizations, agencies, and businesses brought them the event, which included hands-on learning stations that featured recycling, forestry, endangered species, litter control, and water quality. The students also participated in a petting zoo, trail hikes, and games. More than 80 volunteers contributed more than 1,000 hours of service. The activities took place at the Humphreys County Agriculture Center and the Blue Creek Nature Center. For additional information, contact Paul Fulks, Assistant State Conservationist for Field Office Operations at (615) 893-9295, ext. 3
NRCS EMPLOYEE SURVEY RESULTS
One Thousand Share Perceptions on Agency's Culture - Last fall, NRCS conducted a culture survey of 1,000 employees. This statistically valid survey measured, on 13 different dimensions, NRCS employees' perceptions of the impact of Agency changes on the work place environment, customer service, bureaucratic burden, and employee empowerment.
The survey was sponsored by the Operations Management and Oversight Division, Strategic Planning and Accountability, and conducted through an agreement between the NRCS Social Sciences Institute and the Applied Survey Research Laboratory of North Carolina A&T State University. Seventy-five percent of the surveys were returned, an extremely high response rate for a mail survey. North Carolina A&T independently compiled and analyzed the returns.
Drawing on earlier NRCS and other Federal and private-sector surveys for approximately half of its questions, survey data revealed that employees rated most favorably the dimensions of leadership, quality of the workplace, teamwork, customer orientation and strategic planning, diversity and balance between work/personal life responsibilities. Survey results also showed that NRCS employees are highly satisfied with their job. Though employees indicated that they have the necessary training to do their jobs and to provide good customer service, they identified the need for more training when new technologies or tools are introduced.
Employees highlighted the importance of having a more effective customer feedback system. They gave mixed marks to the awards and recognition process, a neutral rating to creativity and innovation, and want more and continuing dialogue with agency leadership. Employees noted improvements are needed in the employee appraisal system, agency use of resources, communication, employee involvement in agency change, program administrative demand on field staff, and electronic access for the field. They viewed their workload as a barrier to working with low-income and minority customers.
Survey results showed that NRCS employees believe in what they do and its importance to the long-term health and well being of their communities and the nation. They are optimistic about the future and enjoy serving districts and individual customers on a daily basis. Results will serve as a baseline for NRCS to make needed improvements and to measure future success.
Survey findings are now available in more detail on the Social Sciences Institute Web site at http://people.nrcs.wisc.edu/socsciinstitute/ Then, click on the statement: "Check out the results of the NRCS Employee Survey" This will take the user to four files: executive summary, breakdown of each question by percentile response, table that shows significance differences, and a PowerPoint presentation.
Field Office Water Quality Assessment Tools - From the NRCS National Water and Climate Center, Portland, Oregon
NRCS has issued several national guidance documents for field offices on assessing water resources for water quality impairment during the inventory and analysis steps of the planning process. The purpose of this article is to review how these guidance documents should be used.
In 1988, NRCS issued Water Quality Indicators Guide: Surface Waters (WQIG). This document provides a method to consider a watershed and evaluate specific waterbodies and adjacent upland areas to identify water resource concerns. It focuses on five potential agricultural nonpoint source contaminants – nutrients, sediment, animal waste, pesticides, and salts. Where indicators show that resources are threatened, the guidance provides a list of appropriate practices that could address the resource problem.
In 1996, a workgroup was established to strengthen agency capabilities in the area of water quality resource assessment. Among other actions, the workgroup developed the Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP). Issued in 1998, the SVAP focuses on stream indicators of both chemical pollution and physical habitat degradation. It is designed to provide an introduction to stream assessment and a method that landowners can use independently. As a conservationist gains more experience, the WQIG methods should be integrated into assessments. Higher level methods such as biological and chemical monitoring are used in special circumstances. Guidance for chemical monitoring was issued in 1997 (the National Handbook of Water Quality Monitoring) and guidance for biological monitoring is planned for the National Biology Handbook.
The SVAP and WQIG provide methods to assess the current condition of a waterbody. However, sometimes there is a need to evaluate the sensitivity of a waterbody to potential future changes. The newest NRCS guidance document addresses this need. A Procedure to Estimate the Response of Aquatic Systems to Changes in Phosphorus and Nitrogen Inputs was issued this year. It provides a simple method to classify waterbodies according to their sensitivity to increases or decreases in nutrients. It should be used in planning where eutrophication is a concern. States may also incorporate waterbody sensitivity as a factor in their Phosphorus Index (PI) risk assessment method. The PI is used to evaluate the suitability of a field to receive additional phosphorus.
These guidance documents and other information are available at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/quality/frame/wqam/ Materials for the modular training course Introduction to Stream Ecological Assessment were provided to each state in 1999. Many states have used the materials in State-level training efforts–often as part of a stream restoration course. In addition, the popular NEDC course Water Quality Resource Assessment has been updated to include all current NRCS guidance.
Your contacts are Jon Werner, Director, National Water and Climate Center at (503) 414-3107 and Mike Sullivan, Director, National Water Management Center at (501) 210-8940.
CIVIL RIGHTS
NCRC Holds First Meeting, Addresses Civil Rights Issues - The National Civil Rights Committee (NCRC) recently conducted its first meeting of the year. The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., addressed a variety of issues and concerns presented by States. Included were the needs to fill national SEPM positions, criteria for acceptance into the Graduate Studies program, an NCRC Web page, and evaluation of candidates for the Chief's Civil Rights Award and the National Civil Rights awards.
The NCRC is composed of a diverse group of NRCS employees, who represent the wide variety of grade levels, classifications, races, and ethnic groups that make up the agency. NCRC serves as the sounding board for employees and customers to raise issues and make recommendations to the Chief regarding civil rights in employment, as well as access to programs.
The Committee encourages all employees to bring issues of concern to their State civil rights committee for forwarding to the NCRC. Any civil rights concerns, suggestions, and questions that may have national implications should be sent to Ken Kaneshiro, NCRC chair, at kkaneshiro@hi.nrcs.usda.gov or to any current member of the Committee. There will be a vacancy announcement in the near future to fill a current post on the committee.
Committee members are Terry Cagle, National Headquarters; Barbara Carey, Utah; Clifford Denshire, Wyoming; Ivan Dozier, Illinois; Kenneth Kaneshiro, Hawaii; Virginia C. Lewis, New Mexico; Fernando Garza, Texas; Sharon Gipson, Southeast Regional Office; Irwin J. Russell, North Dakota; Roy Toney, Kentucky; Christina Turner, New Jersey; and Shiraz Vira, Washington.
IN PRINT & ON THE WEB
CWAP Second Year Report Showcases Stream Corridor Restoration - NRCS recently distributed the President's Clean Water Action Plan (CWAP) Second Year Report, "Progress Through Partnerships." Nine Federal agencies cooperate under CWAP, working together to improve water quality in local communities by focusing on the total watershed. The report format presents the accomplishments and status of key action items that reflect the four components of a watershed: 1) uplands, 2) wetlands and riparian areas, 3) rivers, lakes and streams, and 4) beaches, coasts, and oceans. The report also highlights the 12 showcase watersheds selected for their ongoing use of stream corridor restoration techniques. The report will be posted onto the Web. For more information, contact Jeff Loser at 301-504-2208 or jeff.loser@usda.gov
Advance Copy of Tech Guide Now on Web - NRCS' National Technical Guide Committee announces that an advance copy of "401-Technical Guides Policy, Subpart A" is available at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/ECS/tgnews.html This revised policy has been approved by the Deputy Chief for Science and Technology and will be distributed to NRCS offices through the NRCS Directives System. Your contact is Bill Boyer, Soil Conservationist, NRCS National Headquarters, on (202) 720-0307 and (202) 720-1814 (fax), and at bill.boyer@usda.gov
Nebraska Shows the "Good Life" in New PL-566 Pub - A new 65-page publication documents the success of the PL-566 program in Nebraska. Entitled "Protecting the 'Good Life' through PL-566," the publication contains a brief history of the program and its uses. Each year, nearly 900 watershed structures built since the mid-1950's return $27 million in benefits to Nebraskans through reduced erosion, flood damage reduction, and recreation. Fifty-five watershed projects are featured in 1-page summaries that include a photo of at least one structure in each watershed. "This publication records the tremendous success NRCS and natural resource districts have had with this program," said State Conservationist Steve Chick. "Districts here required 75 percent land treatment before structures were built. The Federal program only required 50 percent. This will also be a useful document as we educate people about the needs of some of the older structures." Your contact is Pat McGrane, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (402) 437-5328.
CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION
April 28, 2000
As a service to NRCS personnel and the agency's partners, "NRCS This Week" offers the following by-subject list of conferences and training sessions. To add an event, please send an e-mail message to brad.fisher@usda.gov
