Buyout - The FY 1998 Buyout which began on November 3, 1997, and ran through December 30, 1997, has ended. A total of 127 employees nationwide, took the buyout The totals are as follows:

National Headquarters - 13 Centers & Institutes - 11

Regions:

East - 3 Midwest - 21

Northern Plains - 22 South Central - 18

Southeast - 14 West - 25

Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) to Recommend 25 New Areas - The RC&D Policy Advisory Board will send a memo with its recommendations, based on selections made by the USDA RC&D Working Group, for 25 new RC&D areas. The memo is scheduled to be sent to the Secretary at the end of January. The RC&D Working Group considered 57 applications, selecting the final 25 through a ranking system using 13 criteria under the three major categories of Natural Resources Conservation/Environmental Needs, Community Planning and Organization (readiness for development), and Community Representation (Diversity).

"VegSpec" On The Internet - A new web-based program that will be helpful to natural resource conservationists, gardeners, landscape architects, and others is now available to users at http://plants.usda.gov. VegSpec was cooperatively developed by NRCS, the U.S. Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, and the U.S. Geological Survey. This expert system enables users to make sound decisions on what plants to grow on specific sites by providing plant materials selection and revegetation planning information.

VegSpec integrates the NRCS soils, plants, and climate databases to select plants for solving conservation problems. It will help users select plants for the buffer strip initiative; for wetland, rangeland, and other land restoration; for reforestation, windbreaks, landscaping, and other tree and shrub plantings; for creating wildlife habitats and for pasture and hayland plantings. It also helps provide native plant alternatives to traditional introduced plant materials.

Once user comments and suggestions have been received by the program developers, an updated version will be developed for release late this spring. The updated version will help the user with details such as when to plant, how to plant, and required site preparation. It will also produce a job sheet or planting plan that will provide all the instructions necessary for making an effective planting, including site preparation, seed or planting rate, planting dates, and maintenance. In addition, it will be linked to the plant photo gallery and plant guides of the plants data base.

Farm Bill - Conservation Farm Option: The proposed rule was delivered to OMB for review on November 5, 1997. OMB's deadline for comments is February 5, 1998. Farmland Protection Program: The Farmland Protection Program Request for Proposals was published on August 21,1996, and May 28, 1997. A third notice of request for proposals will be published in February.

IN THE FIELD

Institute Insights Distribution - Distribution of the winter 1998 issue of Institute Insights was scheduled to begin during the week of January 5th. It is posted on the NRCS National Science and Technology Consortium's Website at http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/consortium/consort.html. Institute Insights is designed to deliver pertinent information to Consortium customers about the Institutes' new products and services. Those needing additional copies of Institute Insights should contact Barbara Wallace at 616-942-1503; fax: 616-942-0586; or e-mail bwallace@telspec.itc.nrcs.usda.gov.

NRCS Assistance to Indian Tribes Increases in Montana - Two of Montana's tribes have established their own conservation districts and two more are very close to completing the process. Tribes have received considerable assistance from NRCS in planning for their tribal lands. This assistance requires cooperation and coordination between USDA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. Outreach to American Indians has been a priority for the Montana State Office, which is committed to dedicating staff and resources to accommodate requests as they come in from the tribes.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Linking Girls To The Land - Partners for Resource Education (NRCS, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Forest Service, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) has united with the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. to develop a program which encourages Scouts to become involved in natural resource conservation issues and careers. The program, Linking Girls To The Land, is designed to complement each agency's existing conservation partnership with the Girl Scouts to provide a better means for implementation of those partnerships at the local level. Girl Scout leaders will have an opportunity to learn more from local partner Federal agency representatives in order to enhance Girl Scout conservation-oriented programs such as badge work, service projects, Silver and Gold Award projects, and volunteering. Through these activities, Girl Scouts can not only learn about natural resource conservation but also the many career opportunities in this field, both on public and private lands.

In 1997 Council Leaders training was held with local representatives from the partner agencies in Florida, California, Arizona, and Maryland. Two workshops are being planned for 1998.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

The Animal Agriculture Reform Act - Senator Tom Harkin has introduced a bill that sets minimum national environmental standards for the handling of animal waste by large livestock feeding operations. The bill would require such operations to submit an animal waste management plan for USDA approval in order to receive a permit to operate. The bill affects feeding operations with an animal capacity above 1,330 hogs; 57,000 chickens; 270 dairy cattle; 530 slaughter cattle; or 640 feeder cattle. The bill specifies certain practices, such as minimizing animal waste run-off and leaching, that must be followed and gives USDA authority to develop comprehensive plan requirements.

The bill also would provide additional Environmental Quality Incentives Program funds for voluntary compliance by small operators who will not fall under the bill's mandatory planning provisions. EQIP would fund USDA technical and cost-share assistance to small operators to prepare plans similar to those required for large livestock feeding operations under the bill.

INTERNET SITES OF NOTE

http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/pfiest.html - Pfiesteria piscicida web site of the Water Quality Information Center of the National Agricultural Library.

UPCOMING

January 26-28 - National Conservation Buffer Initiative Science and Technology Conference and Workshops, 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 1-5 - National Association of Conservation Districts' 52nd Annual Meeting, "Setting the Stage for Conservation," Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN. For information contact Robert Raschke or Linda Neel at 303-988-1810.

February 10-12 - Soil and Water Conservation Society West North Central Manure Management Conference, "Managing Manure in Harmony with the Environment and Society," Iowa State Center, Scheman Building, Ames, IA. Contact Bob Ball at 573-876-0900 or write to NRCS, Parkade Center, Suite 250, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Columbia, MO 65203.

February 16-20 - International Erosion Control Association 29th Annual Conference and Trade Exposition, Reno, NV. For information e-mail: ecinfo@ieca.org and enter "Reno" in the subject field or call 1-800-455-4322 or 970-879-3010. Register online at http://www.ieca.org.

February 18-19 - NRCS State Conservationists meeting, Arlington, VA.

February 18-21 - Land Improvement Contractors of America annual convention, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN. Call Wayne Maresch at 301-248-5749 or e-mail: WayneF86@aol.com).

February 21-24 - Winter Meeting of the National Governors' Association, Washington, D.C.

February 23-24 - Agricultural Outlook Forum 98, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. For registration details call 202-720-3050; e-mail: agforum@oce.usda.gov, or write to Outlook Forum 98, 5143 South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-3812.

March 16-17 - Idaho Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Association Annual Meeting, Boise, Idaho. For more information contact Harry Lee at 208-885-6900.

March 22-24 - Clearwater RC&D Area workshop for the private forest landowner, "Forest Stewardship Management: New and Unique Opportunities." Best Western University Inn, 1516 Pullman Rd., Moscow, Idaho. Contact Dan Pierce at 208-882-2411.

March 22-24 - North Central RC&D Association Meeting, Traverse City, MI.

April 6-7, 1998 - First National Mitigation Banking Conference, J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. Conference registration is being handled by the Terrene Institute, 4 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA 22305; or call 703-548-5473; fax: 703-548-6299. For more information contact Gary Wooten, Watersheds and Wetlands Division, National Headquarters, at 202-690-1588; e-mail: gary.wooten@usda.gov.

May 23-28, 1999 - 10th International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO) Conference "Sustaining the Global Farm," Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. For information call 765-494-8683; fax: 765-494-5948 c/o ISCO99; e-mail: isco99@ecn.purdue.edu. Write to ISCO99, Purdue University, 1196 SOIL Building, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1196.

QUOTE

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."

--Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) 32nd President of the United States

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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