More Than $1.3 Billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Payments Issued - Secretary Glickman announced this week that cash payments of more than $1.3 billion will be made to eligible producers on more than 398,000 contracts under the CRP.

Secretary Glickman directed the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to issue the payments as soon as possible to the Nation's farmers and ranchers, many of whom are suffering from the worst agricultural crisis in a decade. The CRP has been beneficial for producers and the general public by reducing soil erosion and expanding wildlife habitat while improving air and water quality, restoring wetlands, and encouraging tree planting.

Under the CRP, producers retire environmentally sensitive land for 10 to 15 years. In return, USDA makes annual rental payments to producers and shares the cost of establishing approved cover. Enrolled land must be highly erodible, contribute to a serious water quality problem, or provide substantial environmental benefits if devoted to certain specific conservation uses. There are nearly 31,000,000 acres enrolled, representing $1.3 billion in payments through 398,852 contracts that reach 278,233 farms.

"Eight Ways (NRCS) Technical People Can Influence Landowners" - As part of NRCS environmental sociologist Tom Makowski's presentation on "Rancher and Farmer Acceptance of Conservation Buffer Systems" at a recent buffer conference, Tom distributed a list of helpful tips. The list titled, "Eight Ways Technical People Can Influence Landowners," advises NRCS field people on how to get landowners to adopt buffer strip practices. The list is as follows:

1. People will use conservation buffers because of what buffers do for them - not what buffers do for you, USDA, NRCS, the Conservation District, or anyone else.

2. The needs of the landowner must be established through intelligent and comprehensive questioning prior to making a pitch for conservation buffers.

3. Focus on the landowner and his or her needs, concerns, problems, and values. Once you have identified these, the landowner will listen to you if you can relate conservation buffers to something that is important to him or her. Show how buffers solve problems, save time and protect investments and his or her operation.

4. Regard the adoption of conservation buffers as enabling the landowner to win by getting the benefits he or she is looking for.

5. Pitch conservation buffers on two levels: the emotional and the technical.

6. Usually, people try new things for emotional reasons and then justify them rationally.

7. Keep program participation easy and convenient. It is always easier to complicate things than it is to simplify them.

8. Each rancher or farmer visit should not be an opportunity to fill a bucket, but rather to light a fire.

NRCS Personnel Change - Effective September 20, 1998, Roger (Lee) Bensey returned to NRCS as the Director of Operations Management and Oversight Division.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in Washington and Oregon - On October 17, in Portland, Oregon, and on October 19, in Spokane, Washington, Secretary Glickman will announce that the two States, together with the Administration, will embark on a new initiative to restore freshwater streams that are habitat for endangered salmon and trout. The CREP will restore up to nearly 200,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land along 8,000 miles of salmon and trout streams in Washington and Oregon.

This new partnership will protect the habitats of nine different salmon species and two trout species, all listed under the Endangered Species Act. USDA and the States expect to contribute a total of about $500 million for the initiative. The program will provide 10- to 15-year contracts, cost-share assistance, and technical assistance.

Restored land will be planted with trees to serve as riparian buffers. These buffers will filter sediment, nutrients, and other contaminants from surface runoff water and provide shade to reduce stream temperature. The measures are considered to be an important part of restoring and enhancing habitat. The total cost is expected to be $500 million with the Federal government providing 80 percent of the total cost.

Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program Update - Since the beginning of the fiscal year, EWP funds totaling nearly $14.5 million were approved for Alabama, Connecticut, California, Iowa, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Louisiana, all of which sustained damage from recent hurricanes and flooding. Funds will be used to pay project sponsors for work such as clearing debris from clogged waterways, restoring vegetation, and stabilizing flood-damaged river banks.

NRCS, PBS Collaborate To Call Attention to Life on Family Farms - NRCS in West Virginia worked with the State's Public Broadcasting System (PBS) to promote "The Farmer's Wife," a television documentary series on farm family life. PBS ran an NRCS tagline at the end of each broadcast that encouraged viewers to contact the agency. Through this exposure, NRCS was contacted by media from throughout the State with requests for assistance in developing feature stories on farmland preservation and conservation issues. The documentary aired on the September 21-23 broadcasts of Frontline.

Iowa Visit Inspires World Bank Representative To Call for Buffers In Eastern Europe - A leader of Poland's Rural Environmental Protection Project recently stated that he wants to see conservation buffers and manure management practices applied to farms throughout eastern Europe. He expressed this desire after visiting Bear Creek, IA, the location of one of the State's top buffer research and demonstration areas. The representative was one of 20 World Bank agriculturists who visited Iowa to see how the State's farmers balance productivity and environmental concerns.

Virginia State University Receives SWCS Outreach Award - Virginia State University was recently recognized at the International Soil and Water Conservation Society meeting for its outstanding leadership in research, education, and outreach to farmers. As one of 13 national merit award winners, the university was recognized for expanding and creating programs that serve the needs of individuals who are interested in sustainable agriculture. The university was credited for its work with NRCS to establish centers for plant and water quality.

NRCS, Cooperators Put WRP To Work - NRCS reports that in the Mississippi Delta, more than 70,000 acres of wetlands have been restored under the agency's Wetland Reserve Program. Restoration was done in cooperation with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Wildlife Foundation, and concerned landowners.

Legendary Conservationist's Daughter Speaks to NRCS Employees - The closing speaker for a recent Wisconsin NRCS all-employee meeting was Nina Leopold Bradley, daughter of Aldo Leopold. Tim Meyer, NRCS soil scientist, presented her with a description of a new soil series, Aldo Sand, found in many Wisconsin counties, including the site of the nearby Leopold shack. The Aldo Sand soil series was proposed as a tribute to Aldo Leopold, who is best known for his work, A Sand County Almanac. It is anticipated that as older soil surveys are updated in Wisconsin, the Aldo soil series will be mapped throughout the State where these same soil conditions exist, including the original Aldo Leopold property near the Wisconsin River.

NRCS to Participate at Coral Reef Task Force Meeting - On October 19 and 20, the NRCS Director of Ecological Sciences will represent Secretary Glickman at the Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Homestead, Florida. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force was created by President Clinton last June to preserve and protect the biodiversity, health, heritage, and social and economic value of U.S. coral reef ecosystems and the marine environment. The task force is chaired by the Secretary of Interior and the Secretary of Commerce through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Participants will discuss current and proposed activities to meet the objectives.

Record-Breaking Coral Bleaching Occurred in Tropical Waters This Year - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced this week that unprecedented coral bleaching and extremely warm waters occurred throughout the Tropics during the first half of 1998.

"Coral bleaching is a sign that reefs are under severe stress and may be seriously damaged," said NOAA Administrator D. James Baker. "With 1998 named the Year of the Ocean, it is appropriate that we focus our attention on these extremely important and fragile coral reef ecosystems."

Corals thrive as long as temperatures remain at or below certain temperatures for a given site. An increase of one or two degrees above the usual maximum temperatures can be deadly to these animals. The temperature range for corals to thrive varies from site to site by only a few degrees. While many corals normally recover from short bleaching events, long-term or frequent bleaching may severely weaken the corals leaving them more vulnerable to disease, damage, or death.

Using satellites to measure sea surface temperatures and identify hot spots, NOAA has been able to predict coral reef bleaching events in real time over large ocean areas since 1997, reports NOAA oceanographer Al Strong. Hot spots are identified when satellite-derived sea surface temperatures exceed by 1.0 degree Celsius the monthly average temperature expected during the warm season.

Coral bleaching can be a sign that the coral is being stressed by a number of factors, including pollution, sedimentation, or changes in salinity. Increases in water temperature of one degree or more for one month often result in extensive coral bleaching, making these hot spots prime candidates for bleaching events.

Coral reefs - the "rainforests of the sea" - are some of the oldest and most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. Important assets to local and national economies, they produce fisheries for food, materials for new medicines, and income from tourism and recreation, as well as protect coastal communities from storms.

Bleaching and other problems facing coral reefs will be a topic of the Coral Reef Task Force meeting in Key Biscayne, Fla., on Oct. 19 and 20.

American Heritage Rivers (AHR) Symposium - The AHR Symposium will be held at Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta, October 23-25. The 40-plus member-symposium planning team has, since January of 1998, developed an informative 3-day program with local tours, four plenary sessions, and 27 workshops with moderators and panelists. The team is composed of representatives of the Federal government and universities based in Atlanta, GA and Washington, D.C. The AHR is a White House initiative, orchestrated through the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Speakers from USDA include Under Secretary James R. Lyons and Lawrence E. Clark, NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs. Karen Hobbs, NRCS (currently detailed to the CEQ), serves as Leader of the AHR Working Group and Jack Frost, with the Watershed & Wetlands Division, serves as NRCS representative to the working group.

Bill Boyer, with the Ecological Sciences Division, is serving as symposium coordinator.

Rhode Island's Pawcatuck Watershed Festival Attracts Diverse Organizations - The Pawcatuck Watershed Festival took place on Saturday, September 12, 1998, in Ashaway, Rhode Island. The festival was sponsored by the Pawcatuck Watershed Partnership, which is guided by two local, community-based organizations: the Southern RI Conservation District and the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association. The partnership is an evolving group of diverse interests working cooperatively to protect and enhance the resources in the watershed.

The festival featured bluegrass and country music, hands-on activities for kids, and educational displays and games. There were also guided farm tours and a nature hike, canoe trip, and bike ride through the watershed.

The purpose of the festival was to raise awareness about the watershed and the features that make it so special and to promote stewardship of the resources, and to celebrate the partnership's successes. The festival was a great success and it helped to strengthen the already strong partnership. There were also guided farm tours which added to the success of the festival. The partnership among Federal, State, and local agencies and numerous other partners was enhanced. NRCS staff participated in the planning and coordination of the overall event as well as help conduct the farm tour and the bicycle ride.

Budget Agreement Reached - On Thursday, October 15, White House and Congressional negotiators announced that agreement had been reached on the FY'99 Federal Budget. Although the Congress did not pass the Omnibus Appropriations, another continuing resolution will keep the government in operation until the House and Senate can pass the budget sometime during the week of October 18. The Omnibus Appropriations bill will contain amended language of H.R. 4101, the Agriculture Appropriations Bill for FY'99, which was previously vetoed by the President. A summary of the expected funding levels for NRCS are as follows:

Conservation Operations	$641,243 (in thousands)
Watershed Surveys and Planning	$10,368
Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations	$ 99,443
Forestry Incentives Program	$6,325
Emergency FIP funding	+$ 10,000
Total	$ 16,325
Resource Conservation and Development	$35,000
Wetlands Reserve Program	(sets enrollment target at 120,000 acres)
Environmental Quality Incentives Program	$174,000
Conservation Farm Option	no funding
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program	$20,000
Farmland Protection Program	no funding

USDA Information Technology Bill Passes Senate - On Monday, October 12, the Senate passed S. 2116, legislation which would clarify and enhance the authorities of the chief information officer for the Department. The legislation was introduced by Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) on May 22, 1998. Action on the legislation has not taken place in House, and is unlikely given the short time-frame remaining in the legislative session.

Legislation of Note - The following bills of significance to NRCS and conservation were recently introduced:

Bill	Member	Purpose
S.2493	Harkin (IA)	Would allow tax credit for the nutrient management costs of animal feeding operations.
S. 2595	Daschle (SD)	Would amend the Housing and Community Development Act to provide affordable housing and community development for rural areas.
S. 2596 S. 2597	Toricelli (NJ)	To extend and improve the Farmland Protection Program (FPP).
H.R. 4535	Watkins (OK)	Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1998.
H.R. 4690	Minge (MN)	To respond to the crisis in Agriculture.

Receive "NRCS This Week" by E-mail - You can receive "NRCS This Week" by e-mail the minute it's cleared. To get on the NRCS THIS WEEK mailing list, send an e-mail to: listproc@nrcs.usda.gov. Do not use a subject line and put the following in the body of the message: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Firstname Lastname (example: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Fred Jacobs). To get help with other commands that are available at the "listproc@nrcs.usda.gov" address, send a message with no subject and the word HELP on a line by itself in the body of the message. "NRCS This Week" will continue to be posted on the NRCS Homepage.

October 1-31 - National Disability Employment Awareness month.

October 18-20 - (Mississippi) The National Association of Conservation Districts will hold its Environmental and Resource Policy Committee Meeting in Jackson, MS. For more information, contact Bill Horvath at 715-341-1022; or fax: 715-341-1023.

October 18-21 - (Arkansas) The Alabama Poultry & Egg Association will host the 1998 National Poultry Waste Management Symposium to be held at the Holiday Inn Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale, AR. For further information call: 334-265-2732; or fax: 334-265-0008.

October 19-20 - (Missouri) NRCS will hold its annual Leadership Meeting and State Conservationists Meeting at the Ramada Inn KCI in Kansas City, MO.

October 19 - (Maryland) 1998 Annual Meeting of the Soil Science Society of America will feature a Symposium on Carbon Sequestration in Soils to be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. For more information, contact Julie Jastrow; e-mail: jdjastrow@anl.gov, or Dale Johnson; e-mail: dwj@dri.edu.

October 19-20 (Florida) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Interior Department will hold the first-ever meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force at Biscayne National Park in Florida. For more information, contact Robert C. Hansen at 202-482-4594; e-mail: Robert.C.Hansen@noaa.gov; or visit the NOAA web site: http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov.

October 20-21 (Washington) - The Agriculture and Water Quality in the Pacific Northwest Conference, "Understanding Each Other and Working Together for a Better Future" will be held at the Yakima Convention Center in Yakima, Washington. For more information contact the Agriculture & Water Quality Committee at 509-838-6653; fax: 509-838-6685; or e-mail: farwest@ior.com.

October 21-23 - (Texas) 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 - (Minnesota) 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.

October 27-28 - (New Mexico) The New Mexico Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts is hosting their 52nd annual conference, "Local Vision - Locally-Led - Global Hope," at the Sheraton Uptown in Albuquerque, NM. For more information, please contact Debbie Hughes at 505-981-2400.

November 4-5 - (Missouri) The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) will host its 1998 Conference, "Animal Feeding Operations and Ground Water: Issues, Impacts, and Solutions - A Conference for the Future" at the Holiday Inn Westport in St. Louis, MO. For more information, contact a NGWA representative at 800 551-7379, or visit the NGWA Web site at: www.ngwa.org.

November 6-8 - (South Carolina) The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) will host the 13th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, "New Directions for Sustaining Agriculture," at the Clemson University Madren Center, Clemson, SC. For more information call: 919-542-2404; fax: 919-542-7401; e-mail: cfsa@intrex.net; or visit CFSA's website at: http://sunsite.unc.edu/cfsa/index.htm.

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

November 10-13 - (China) 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 15-20 - (Nevada) The NRCS American Indian/Alaska Native Employees Association's 2nd Annual Training Conference will be held at the Reno Hilton, Reno, NV. Poster and technical papers are being solicited. Deadline to submit topic and general outline is October 30. For more information on poster papers, contact Jane Wilmes at 402-373-4914; e-mail: jane.wilmes@ne.usda.gov. For general information, contact Stevanie Running Hawk at 505-761-4434; e-mail: srunning@nm.nrcs.usda.gov; or Thedis Crowe at 406-587-6970; e-mail: tcrowe@mt.nrcs.usda.gov.

November 15-19 - (Alabama) 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 - (Nevada) 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 e-mail: 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.

December 7-9 - (Florida) The Methyl Bromide Alternatives Outreach, in cooperation with The Crop Protection Coalition, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture will host the 1998 Annual International Research Conference on Methyl Bromide Alternatives and Emissions Reductions at the Omni Rosen Hotel in Orlando, Florida . For more information, contact Gary Obenauf at 209-447-2127; fax: 209-436-0692; or e-mail: gobenauf@concentric.net.

December 8-12 - (Arkansas) 7th Annual Training Conference of the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conservation Service Employees, "Bridging the Gap to the New Millennium," will be held at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock, AR. For more information, contact Jackie Roscoe at 202-720-5235; fax: 202-720-5548.

January 19-21, 1999 - (Illinois) Soil and Water Conservation Society will host a 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; or e-mail: swcs@swcs.org.

January 24-27, 1999 - (Colorado) 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 - (California) 53rd NACD Annual Meeting to be 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 - (Texas) 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 e-mail: WayneF86@aol.com.

May 16-19, 1999 - (Texas) The National Watershed Coalition is presenting its Sixth National Watershed Conference, "Getting the Job Done at Ground Level," at the Doubletree Hotel in North Austin, TX. For more information, contact John W. Peterson at 703-455-6886 or 4387; fax: 703455-6888; or e-mail: jwpeterson@erols.com.

May 23-28, 1999 - (Indiana) 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.

"The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself."

- 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 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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