NRCS This Week - 10/27/00

News

Friday, October 27, 2000 Washington, DC.

"It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth and if we can teach our children to honor nature's gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever."

-- Jimmy Carter, thirty-ninth President of the United States

Focus on the Field

California: Video on Water Quality

Minnesota: NRCS Well-Received at Minnesota State Fair

Puerto Rico: NRCS Partners for Major Watershed Planning

Rhode Island: Partners Join in Celebrating Farmland Protection

Tennessee: Outstanding RC&D Council of the Year Named

Utah: Soil Savvy Students Hit "Pay Dirt"

Virginia: Virginia Hosts Meeting on Heritage River

Southeast Region: New Publication on Managing Grasslands

What's Up In Washington

NRCS Staff Helps With Books on Soil Science

Decker Named to Secretary's Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities (SACED)

October 2000 is USDA's National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

2001 National Wetlands Awards

Tech Tips

Bacteria Watershed Model Under Development

USDA/NRCS 'NetNewsLinks:

NEW! The Clean Water Action Plan Reinvention Team has posted its final report, Clean Water Action Plan Watershed Reinvention Opportunities at www.cleanwater.gov/reinvent.

NRCS National Water and Climate Center Snow-Precipitation Update for the West

NRCS Legislative Summaries

Also on the 'Net:

Crop Residue Survey application - CropRes - allows users to upload survey transect data, enter county profile data (county crop acres), and adjust tillage percentages. CropRes is now available at http://calais.itc.nrcs.usda.gov/ctic/ (A PMRS user ID and logon are required to enter this site).

Computer Tools Now Available to Field Offices! Field office personnel now have access to better tools to reduce paperwork, improve efficiency, and allow more time to work in the field with customers. Computer tools are available at http://www.info.usda.gov/NRCS/FOWR/

AGRICOLA: USDA's AGRICultural Online Access

e-Notes from NACD: Weekly news briefs from the National Association of Conservation Districts

Ag Day - Nationally syndicated daily program at http://www.agday.com/.

Conference & Training Connection!

See the alphabetical-by-subject list of upcoming events. See NEW! additions under water quality!

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

Video on Water Quality - NRCS in the Livermore, California, Local Partnership Office teamed with the Alameda County Resource Conservation District, Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program staff, and the East Bay Regional Parks District to produce a video and workbook about the importance of watersheds and good water quality. The video shows ways that children can help reduce pollution in their watershed, such as participating in cleaning up a creek, picking up after a pet, or stenciling a storm drain. The program also features footage of people and wildlife using creeks, reservoirs, and marshes that show children the importance of keeping water clean. This project is reaching more than 7,000 students, teachers, and parents. Your contact is Sammy Moore Jr., NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 530-792-5608.

NRCS Well-Received at Minnesota State Fair - NRCS conducted a highly successful outreach effort at the Minnesota State Fair, the State's largest agricultural event. This year, the fair attracted more than 1.4 million fairgoers. NRCS staff members distributed more than 10,000 posters and publications, including the highly popular Operation Backyard comic book and the Backyard Conservation booklet. NRCS used a model farm, complete with labeled conservation practices, and the national Backyard Conservation exhibit to show fairgoers how conservation practices can be used effectively on the farm and in their backyards. Your contact is Sylvia Rainford, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 651-602-7859 or str@mn.nrcs.usda.gov.

NRCS Partners for Major Watershed Planning - Relatively high levels of contamination and sedimentation in Dos Bocas Lake has NRCS and other Federal and local agencies teaming up to clean up and protect the lake and its watershed. Dos Bocas Lake, from which the Superaqueduct of the North will draw water for 1.5 million people, lies within the Rio Grande de Arecibo watershed. The Superaqueduct of the North project required the government of Puerto Rico to develop a watershed management plan for the Rio Grande de Arecibo watershed. NRCS is an active partner in the planning effort along with the CSA Group, which was contracted by Puerto Rico to develop the watershed management plan. CSA recently submitted a draft plan for review. Your contact is Becky Fraticelli, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 787-766-5206, ext. 236.

Partners Join in Celebrating Farmland Protection - In the largest effort of its kind in Rhode Island history, the NRCS State Conservationist joined the Governor, Congressional representatives, and State and local leaders at a North Kingstown turf farm to celebrate the acquisition of development rights to a portion of the farm. The 338-acre parcel is part of the SODCO turf farm, one of the largest farms in Rhode Island. This effort is funded by the Farmland Protection Program, the State of Rhode Island, and a North Kingstown open space bond issue. Open space is a high priority for the 26,000 residents in the town and is becoming more important everyday as areas are developed. "This agreement will prevent the construction of at least 220 single-family houses on the property," said Richard Kerbel, town manager. Your contact is Jeanne Comerford, NRCS Program Support Specialist, at 401-828-1300.

Outstanding RC&D Council of the Year Named - At the annual Tennessee Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) meeting held recently at Cumberland Gap, the Southeast Tennessee RC&D Council, was named Outstanding RC&D Council of the Year. The Council was established in 1974 and serves Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Loudon, Marion, Meigs, McMinn, Monroe, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties. The council has completed 550 projects to date, improving the quality of life in the area and providing educational information to area citizens. Your contact is Lavonne Winters, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 615-736-5490.

Soil Savvy Students Hit "Pay Dirt" - In the spring of 1998, Utah's fourth-grade students averaged 62 percent on the soils section of the Utah State Standardized Science Test. These first test results were "a wake up call" to those concerned about science education and prompted an assistant professor with Utah State University Extension, to look for ways to "cultivate" higher yielding test results in Utah's classrooms. With grants from the Eisenhower Math and Science Funds, the Grantsville Soil Conservation District, the Utah Soil Conservation Commission, the Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, and Utah State University, a plan was devised to reverse the trend of soils illiteracy in Utah.

Teaming up with KUTV-TV and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the assistant professor created "Dirt: Secrets in the Soil." The program includes a six-segment, 60-minute video and an 88-page educator's guide that brings the fundamental lessons of soil science from the countryside to the classroom. Since the introduction of that program less than 2 years ago, Utah student scores have improved an average of more than 20 percent. Your contact is Ron Nichols, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 801-524-4556.

Virginia Hosts Meeting on Heritage River - The second annual New River Conference was held in Dublin, Virginia, on October 19. More than 100 people participated in the meeting to review activities being undertaken to preserve the New River. The New River - one of 14 Heritage Rivers nationwide - flows through 21 counties in West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. All of the New River Basin is involved in covered by Resource Conservation & Development areas. RC&D councils are carrying out a variety of projects ranging from solar pump alternative watering systems to methane gas recovery from landfills to community facility development. Your contact is Gary Boring, New River-Highlands RC&D Coordinator, at 540-228-2879

New Publication on Managing Grasslands - A new partnership publication called "Managing Grasslands for Profit–A guide to grazing management in the Southeast" is hot off the press. It should be a useful resource for livestock operators who want to improve their management of grasslands through conservation systems that include rotational grazing, forage selection and management, fencing, water development, and conservation buffers. A team of NRCS grassland specialists and public affairs specialists in the Southeast developed the publication. The Southeast Conservation Buffer Campaign, a public-private partnership whose mission is to promote the use of conservation buffers in the eight southeastern states, initiated this project. Other sponsors of the publication are the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Farmland Trust, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Conservation Agencies, and National Cattleman's Beef Association. Your contact is Pat Paul, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 804-287-1681.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON

NRCS Staff Helps With Books on Soil Science - Two new books on soil science, the Potential of U.S. Grazing Lands to Sequester Carbon and Mitigate the Greenhouse Effect and Wetland Soils, include contributions from NRCS technical staff. Thanks to NRCS soil scientists at various locations, NHQ Resource Assessment Division, and the Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment, accurate, science-based information is an integral part of these publications. Your contact is Maurice Mausbach, NRCS Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment, at 202-690-4616.

Decker Named to Secretary's Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities (SACED) - Denise Decker, NRCS Operations Management and Oversight Division, has been named to represent the Natural Resources and Environment Mission Area on USDA's SACED, which will address the needs and concerns of Department employees with disabilities.

Through this appointment, Denise will have the opportunity to bring questions and comments from employees with disabilities, their advocates, and co-workers to SACED's attention. Denise also will serve as a conduit of information for agency employees on SACED initiatives. Your contact is Denise Decker at 202-690-0648 or denise.decker@usda.gov

October 2000 is USDA's National Disability Employment Awareness Month! - The theme for October's USDA 2000 National Disability Employment Awareness Month is "Ability You Can Bank On." The theme of the 2000 education program kit (available at http://www50.pcepd.gov/pcepd/pubs/ek00/index.html) conveys a vital message that "People with disabilities are ready, willing, and able to be an essential part of our Nation's human resource capital."

2001 National Wetlands Awards - The Environmental Law Institute is now accepting nominations for the 2001 National Wetlands Awards. The National Wetlands Awards program honors exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary effort, innovation, and excellence in wetland conservation through programs or projects at the regional, State, or local level. Outstanding wetlands educators, activists, scientists, and conservationists will be selected as recipients for their exemplary contributions to the conservation and restoration of the Nation's wetlands. Award winners will be honored at a Capitol Hill ceremony in the Spring of 2001. Completed nomination forms are due by December 15, 2000. Forms can be downloaded from the ELI website at http://www.eli.org/nwa/nomination01.htm. Please note that organizations and Federal employees are not eligible for nomination. If you have questions or need additional information, contact Dorigen Fried at 202-939-3250 or wetlandsawards@eli.org.

TECH TIPS

Bacteria Watershed Model Under Development - The NRCS Watershed Science Institute is developing a new model to simulate bacterial loading from watersheds to streams, lakes, or estuaries. The overall modeling objectives are to enhance our understanding of how bacteria are processed (production, storage, application, die-off, and transport) through complex watersheds that include urban, agriculture, natural, and forest areas. This understanding is used to assess the consequences of management strategies for reducing bacterial loadings from these large, complex watersheds. The model is being created in the object-oriented STELLA dynamic simulation programming environment. This allows modular components to be added or removed from the model based on what land uses are present in a watershed. Your contact is Barry Rosen, NRCS Water Quality Specialist, at 802-656-1036 or brosen@nature.snr.uvm.edu.

CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION

October 27, 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 fred.jacobs@usda.gov

AFO/CAFO

Agricultural Economics

Agroforestry/Forestry

Agronomy

Air Quality

Animal Residuals Management

Coastal Zone Management

Environmental Education

Farmland Preservation

Grazing Land & Grassland

Irrigation

Locally Led Conservation

Mining & the Environment

Partnerships

Soil Science/Erosion Control

NEW! Water Quality

Watersheds

Wetlands

AFO/CAFO

The Innovative Technology for Planning Animal Feeding Operations

December 4-6

Denver, Colorado, Renaissance Denver Hotel

Attendees will be producers, government agencies, businesses, and consultants writing comprehensive nutrient management plans. Topics include land application technologies, alternative manure uses, air quality control strategies, mitigation of impacted sites, filter strips, etc. Exhibitors: $400.00 with two free registrations. Posters: Individuals presenting posters should be registered for the conference. Contact Ron Schierer, at 970-330-0380 or ron.schierer@co.usda.gov or Mike Collins at 307-682-8843, ext. 113, or mike.collins@wy.usda.gov