Farmland Protection Program Funding Announced - On September 2, Vice President Al Gore announced that the Department of Agriculture will provide $17.2 million to 19 States, which coupled with their own funds will be used to purchase development rights and keep productive farmland in use. These new Federal, State, and local partnerships will ensure the preservation of thousands of acres of our Nation's most vulnerable farmland for generations to come.

The $17.2 million from USDA's Farmland Protection Program will be leveraged with State and local funds so that approximately $105 million will be available to protect the Nation's best farmland. Total funding for the Farmland Protection Program, established in the 1996 Farm Bill, is $35 million over six years. All available funds through this program have now been obligated. NRCS has been designated as the lead agency in implementing this program.

Proposals from the following States were selected: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Work Continues on NRCS Accountability System - Work continued this week on the new NRCS accountability system, scheduled for implementation on October 1. Workload analysis is an integral part of this system. A hotline has been established to respond to State questions on assembly of workload analysis data. This hotline has been averaging a 1-hour response time. The procedure being used to analyze the workload data is the following:

- The field is being asked to develop the times needed for certain disciplines and to forward these to the State office.

- The data will then be submitted to the National Workload Analysis Team on September 11 and aggregated by the Team during the week of September 14.

The data will then be included in a report to Chief Pearlie Reed on October 1.

Work also continues on performance measurement. The Accountability System Team Leaders will brief environmental and commodity groups on both performance measurement and workload analysis on September 14 and 15.

PLANTS Website Update: FY98 Accomplishments - July 1998 Statistics:

PLANTS Web site had 1.3 million hits from over 36,000 users in July 1998. The peak usage day was July 7, with 63,795 hits.

Approximately 85% of the users are from the United States.

Usage continues to steadily grow. Total number of hits has increased over 55% in the last 9 months with total number of users increasing nearly 80%.

PLANTS Web site was included in the BioMedLink database. This is an evaluated database of Internet resources for the bio/medical community jointly created by the BioMedNet and the University of Indiana. Over 225 new users were referred by BioMedLink.

The PLANTS team was awarded the Government Computer News Information Technology award for excellence in the application of information technology to improve services delivery.

PLANTS Web site was named "Incredibly Useful Site of the Day" by Microsoft/NBC.COM on July 7. Over 950 new users entered Plants web site directly from MSNBC and Zif-Davis as a result of this honor.

PLANTS Project received the USDA 52nd Annual Secretary's 1998 Group Achievement Award. The team were commended for outstanding contributions -

- to the PLANTS project,

- the Department of Agriculture's commitment to "one-stop shopping" and reinvention,

- the Nation's environmental concerns,

- and providing quality natural resources information worldwide.

Conservation Farm Option (CFO) Final Rule Update - The CFO final rule has been cleared through the Department and forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for the agency's review and approval.

Leader In You Fall 1998 Series To Begin This Month - The Leader in You Fall 1998 series kicks off its first of three satellite seminars on September 16, 1998, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EDT. "The One to One Future: Building Relationships One Customer at a Time" reveals the real benefit of technology - serving your customers the old fashioned way. That means determining who your most valued customers are, getting to truly know them, collaborating with them and, through mass customization, interesting them in supporting conservation initiatives. Sponsors of The Leader in You series are the NRCS Social Sciences Institute, National Association of Conservation Districts, National Association of State Conservation Agencies, and the Federal Training Network.

Satellite information is listed as follows:

The program will be available in C band via satellite: C-band satellite: GE-2	1:30 p.m. ET: test pattern, color bars and tone 2:00 p.m. ET: program begins 5:00 p.m. ET: program ends
Location: 85° west Transponder: 3 Frequency: 3760 Mhz Polarity: Vertical Audio: 6.2 and 6.8 Mhz	For technical assistance during the broadcast, please call 1-800-272-8266. The on-air call-in number and fax number will be announced during the program.

The seminar is pertinent to the challenges faced by the Conservation Partnership. We encourage you to take part in this training opportunity. There is no cost to you for this training. For participant handouts and questions, call Tracie Vander Haar at the Social Sciences Institute at 616-942-1503; email: bwallace@po.nrcs.usda.gov.

LAN/WAN/Voice Project to Integrate Two Departmental Services - The LAN/WAN/Voice Project is integrating the two departmental services: 1) the USDA Electronic Mail Gateway and 2) Directory Services, into the Service Center Agencies' Electronic Mail Plan - Phase 1 implementation. Originally, the USDA Electronic Mail Gateway and Directory Services were designed to provide electronic mail interoperability and an enterprise directory service to electronic mail communities directly linked to the Services. To help meet the need of the LAN/WAN/Voice Project's Electronic Mail Plan - Phase 1, the Gateway and Directory Services have been expanded.

IN THE FIELD

Del Rio Texas Hit by Flooding Rains - Eighteen inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period in Del Rio, Texas, and the surrounding area. That is twice the 100-year storm level of 9 inches in 24 hours. Damage surveys will be conducted as soon as it is possible to do so and additional information should be available by early next week.

Fortunately, two PL 83-566 projects, within 100 miles of Del Rio, performed as designed and prevented further damage to the towns of Brackenville and Uvalde, TX. Two flood control structures above the town Brackenville filled to the emergency spillway level, but were still able to provide 100-year storm protection for the town. The town of Uvalde was protected by three PL 83-566 floodwater retarding structures and a channel.

Secretary Glickman Announces New York City (NYC) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - More than 100 people recently attended a signing ceremony at the Kensico Reservoir in Valhalla, New York to announce a $10.4 million Federal-State initiative to protect New York City's drinking water.

Secretary Glickman made the announcement to NYC council members and State legislators, as well as NRCS, Farm Service Agency, and Soil & Water Conservation District employees who attended the signing ceremony.

The NYC Watershed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) goal is to retire 3,000 acres of highly erodible cropland and establish 2,000 acres of forest buffers protecting 165 miles of streams in the Catskill/Delaware watershed, located north of the city to the west of the Hudson River. Retiring the highly erodible cropland and planting it with protective vegetation will reduce erosion by an estimated 36,000 tons of soil per year.

The NY CREP provides for voluntary agreements with farmers to convert cropland to native grasses, trees, and other vegetation, in return for rental payments and other incentives. The Catskill/Delaware watershed project marks the fourth CREP agreement. Minnesota Illinois, and Maryland have similar projects.

New Irrigation Video Released In Arizona - An irrigation video, targeted toward untrained irrigators, has been developed and released in Arizona. The goal of the animated video is to get irrigators to use less water. NRCS employees worked with representatives of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the University of Arizona, the Cooperative Extension Service, local farmers, and others to produce this video, which was produced in both English and Spanish. A companion brochure accompanies the video to reinforce its conservation message.

Rhode Island American Heritage River Designation Celebration Held On Woonasquatucket River - An American Heritage River designation celebration was recently held at Waterplace Park on the Woonasquatucket River in Providence, Rhode Island. The celebration was held to thank all involved for their hundreds of letters, e-mails, and phone calls of support for the designation of the Woonasquatucket and Blackstone rivers as an American Heritage River. This event was the culmination of a massive effort, led by U.S. Senator John H. Chafee, to have the rivers designated as American Heritage Rivers. Senator Chafee, in his remarks at the celebration, described the effort as "The Little Engine That Could".

NRCS, Tribe Establish Map Compilation Center - NRCS and the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota, recently announced the establishment of a Center of Excellence for Map Compilation. Students will learn about aerial photo interpretation, soil science, how to conduct soil surveys, remote sensing fundamentals, and Geographic Information Systems. Students will compile soils maps for eight counties. Serving on the center's staff is an NRCS soil scientist.

NRCS, Others Update Minorities on Grazing Land Management and EQIP: Nearly 30 minority and limited-resource farmers in Webster Parish, Louisiana received the latest information about grazing land management planning at a recent field day sponsored by NRCS, Extension Service, and Heifer Project International. NRCS sponsorship came through the agency's Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative. The goal of the field day was to provide training about farm and ranch management that could improve the standards of living in rural communities.

Nearly 50 small-scale, limited-resource, and minority farmers in the town of Ferriday recently met to learn and ask questions about EQIP. Breakout sessions featured information about contracts, conservation practices, cost-sharing, and other pertinent features of the program. The meeting was a joint effort of NRCS, Southern University, Farm Service Agency, Extension Service, and others.

Clean Water Action Plan Update: Most participating NRCS State offices have submitted their draft Unified Watershed Assessment reports. A team is reviewing the submissions to provide information for status reports to the Council on Environmental Quality, as well as to assist in other actions under the Clean Water Action Plan. The review is limited and does not impede the State priority setting process.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

American Farmland Trust Accepting Nominations For Steward of the Land - American Farmland Trust, a national farmland conservation group, is currently welcoming nominations for its third annual Steward of the Land Award. The $10,000 award recognizes an individual farmer or farm family for their outstanding efforts in land stewardship, agricultural conservation policy, and the use of environmentally and economically sustainable farming practices. The deadline for nominations is November 2, 1998.

For more information and a nomination form, contact American Farmland Trust, 1920 N Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036; 202-659-5170, ext. 3044. Or access the American Farmland Trust website at: http://www.farmland.org/Farmland/files/steward/stew.htm.

Indianapolis Youth Project Flourishes - The Hoosier Heartland RC&D, NRCS, and the Marion County SWCD have collaborated with Sustainable Earth, Inc., - an inner-city neighborhood association; the Marion County Extension Service; and a local church to purchase 5 downtown city lots and develop them into vegetable gardens. An NRCS Challenge Grant provided the resources for the RC&D council to hire a full-time manager for the summer growing season. The goals of the project were: to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to inner-city residents who have less opportunity to purchase affordable, high-quality produce; establish a neighborhood gardening academy to promote urban gardening; establish neighborhood gardens as a sustainable food system; and train inner-city youth to run a farm stand business.

Not only did the project receive Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) certification for its organically grown produce, but the gardens were also featured as part of the Governor's "Gardening Buddy Tour," and were recognized by the Mapleton-Fall Creek Neighborhood Association at a recent function in downtown Indianapolis.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Congressional Schedule - The House of Representatives is in recess and will return September 9; the Senate returned August 31 for the final session of the 105th Congress. Congressional leadership has agreed to push for adjournment by October 9.

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UPCOMING

September 9-11 - NACD Southwestern Regional Meeting, Prescott Resort and Conference Center (1-800-967-4637), Prescott, AZ. For more information, contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810; fax: 303-988-1896.

September 10-12 - The National Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the Partners to the Statement of Mutual Intent will combine their Fourth Annual Acid Mine Drainage Conference and the Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation Annual Meeting, to host "A Joint Conference on Reclamation" at the Radisson Hotel, Knoxville, TN. For more information, contact Byron Thompson at 803-253-3930; or e-mail: bthompson@sc.nrcs.usda.gov.

September 13-15 - NACD Pacific Regional Meeting, Sonoma County Hilton (1-800-445-8667), Santa Rosa, CA. For more information, contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810; fax: 303-988-1896.

September 15-17 - NACD Business Alliance Council Meeting, Washington, DC. For more information contact Donna Smith at 202-547-6223; fax: 202-547-6450.

September 16-18 - NACD Great Lakes Committee Meeting (September 16) and Great Lakes Sediment & Erosion Control Conference to be held at the Radisson Hotel in Toledo, OH. For more information, contact Bill Horvath at 715-341-1022; fax: 715-341-1023.

September 19-23 - Society of American Foresters 1998 National Convention, Traverse City, MI. NRCS foresters will meet September 24, following the convention, to participate in strategic planning, technology exchange, and discuss and resolve various issues. For more information, contact Keith Martell at 517-731-4612.

September 22-25 - National Civil Rights Committee Meeting, Washington, D.C. For more information, contact Darrel Dominick at 207-866-7241; or e-mail: ddominick@me.nrcs.usda.gov.

September 27-29 - NACD Agricultural Lands Resources Committee Meeting to be held at the Holiday Inn in Topeka, KS. For more information, contact Bill Horvath at 715-341-1022; fax:: 715-341-1023.

September 27-30 - Thorne Ecological Institute hosts "Peaks to Prairies: A Conference On Watershed Stewardship, Sustaining Communities and the Environment" at the Rushmore Plaza, Holiday Inn, Rapid City, SD. For more information, call 303-499-3647; fax: 303-499-8340; or e-mail: dir@thorneecoinst.org.

October 3 - The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital is planning to hold an environmental ECO-EXPO at Greenbelt Park in Greenbelt, MD. NRCS will be present with a soil display and 'hands on' soils exhibit for the participants. Volunteers are needed! For more information, contact Leslie Burks at 202-645-3087; or Cheryl Simmons at 410-465-3180.

October 4-7 - North American Conference on Enterprise Development Through Agroforestry: Farming the Agroforest for Specialty Products, will be held at the DoubleTree Park Place Hotel, in Minneapolis, MN. For more information, contact Scott Josiah at 612-624-7418; fax: 612-625-5212; or e-mail: CINRAM@forestry.umn.edu.

October 5-9 - Joint meeting of the State Resource Conservationists and State Conservation Engineers, Reno, NV. For more information, contact David Thackeray at 202-720-0134; or email: david.thackeray@usda.gov.

October 11-14 - The Association of Dam Safety Officials will host "Dam Safety '98," Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. For more information, call 606-257-5140; fax: 606-323-1958; or e-mail: damsafety@aol.com.

October 21-23 - The Texas Section of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers will hold its annual meeting in San Marcos, Texas, at South West Texas State University. For more information, contact Anna Rodriguez at 512-239-1307; or fax: 512-239-1300.

October 24-28 - NACD Fall Executive Board Members Meeting to be held at the Radisson Inn in Bloomington, MN. For more information, contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810; fax: 303-988-1896.

November 8-10 - California Association of Resource Conservation Districts will host its annual business meeting and conference, "Bridging the Gap" at the Double Tree Hotel in Palm Springs, CA. For more information, contact Aleta Zak at 916-447-7237; e-mail: carcd@ns.net.

November 10-13 - ETC/Environmental Technology China will present "The 4th International Exhibition on Environmental Protection, Pollution Control, and Green Production Technology," China International Exhibition Centre, Beijing, P.R., China. For more information, contact Rebecca Fung at 852-25163346; fax: 852-25165024; or e-mail: aes@adsaleexh.com.

November 16-19 - The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) is sponsoring its Annual Conference at the Marriott Grande Hotel in Point Clear, AL. For more information call the AWRA at 703-904-1225.

November 17-20 - The National Organization of Professional Asian Pacific American NRCS Employees is sponsoring its first annual training conference in Sparks, NV. Poster and technical papers are being solicited. Deadline to submit topic and general outline is October 30. Poster papers cannot exceed an area of a 4' x 8' board or table top display. For more information on poster papers, contact Kent Matsutani at 308-254-4507; or email: wmatsuta@ne.nrcs.usda.gov. For general information on the conference, contact Mon Yee at 503-414-3264; e-mail: myee@or.nrcs.usda.gov; or Virginia C. Lewis, at 505-761-4408; e-mail: vlewis@nm.nrcs.usda.gov.

January 19-21, 1999 - Soil and Water Conservation Society will host their national conference, "The State of North America's Private Land" at the Holiday Inn O'Hare in Chicago, IL. For more information, contact Charlie Persinger at 515-289-2331; fax: 515-289-1227; e-mail: swcs@swcs.org.

January 24-27, 1999 - Colorado State University will host "Tailings and Mine Waste '99" in Ft. Collins, CO. The conference will provide a forum for presenting information on mill tailings, mine waste, and current and future issues facing the mining and environmental communities. Contact Linda L. Hinshaw at 970-491-6081; fax: 970-491-3584; or e-mail: lhinshaw@engr.colostate.edu.

January 31-February 4, 1999 - 53rd NACD Annual Meeting to held at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center (1-800-772-8528) in San Diego, CA. For more information, contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810; fax: 303-988-1896.

February 17-20, 1999 - Land Improvement Contractors of America Winter Convention, Adams Mark Hotel, San Antonio, TX. Contact Wayne F. Maresch at 301-248-5749; FAX-301/248-0847; or email: WayneF86@aol.com.

May 23-28, 1999 - The International Soil Conservation Organization will host the 10th International Soil Conservation Conference, "Sustaining the Global Farm," at Purdue University in West LaFayette, IN. For more information, call 765-494-8683; fax: 765-494-5948 c/o ISCO99; e-mail: isco99@ecn.purdue.edu; or visit the conference website at: http://spc3.ecn.purdue.edu/isco99/isco99.htm.

QUOTE

"This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls."

John Muir (1838-1914) Scottish-born American naturalist

NRCS This Week is issued weekly by the Conservation Communications Staff, NRCS headquarters, Washington, D.C., and posted in the SCS:SCS shared folder on FTS2000Mail. Please send correspondence and material via FTS2000Mail to !A16SCSOPA and type "This Week" on the subject line or e-mail: fred.jacobs2@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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