$4 Million More in NRCS Disaster Assistance to Texas - NRCS, through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP), has approved an additional $4 million in financial and technical assistance for flood disaster assistance to the State of Texas, bringing the total for the State to more than $7 million. Since the beginning of October, EWP funds totaling nearly $24 million have been approved for Florida, Connecticut, Alabama, California, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Iowa, Kentucky, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas, which sustained damage from recent flooding. Through the EWP, NRCS provides assistance to pay project sponsors for work such as clearing debris from clogged waterways, restoring vegetation, and stabilizing flood-damaged river banks.

NRCS Signs Buffer Agreement With Trout Unlimited - NRCS recently signed a cooperative agreement with Trout Unlimited (TU) to do outreach work in five States. TU employees will work with volunteers to promote riparian buffers and supporting practices along streams that could support a coldwater fishery. TU will develop outreach materials and use those materials in targeted mailings, and one-on-one contacts, in an attempt to convince landowners of the value of buffers and instream habitat improvements. NRCS will support the TU effort by providing program information that can be used to develop the outreach materials, and will train TU personnel on appropriate use of riparian buffers and supporting practices. NRCS support will also be teamed with TU's grant program for instream improvement work. The five States are CO, MT, OR, WY, and WI.

NRCS To Participate in Working Lands Conference - On November 17, the Keep America Growing: Balancing Working Lands and Development conference planning committee will hold a progress update meeting at the American Farmland Trust in Washington, D.C. to update more than 50 organizations and agencies who are sponsoring the conference. The call for presentations will close on November 15.

AFO National "Listening Sessions" Update - The NRCS and the Environmental Protection Agency will hold joint "listening sessions" in 11 cities from November 16 through December 15. The purpose of the sessions is to hear comments on the draft Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations. The dates and locations of the sessions are:

November 16, Tulsa, OK	December 4, Des Moines, IA
November 17, Harrisburg, PA	December 9, Chattanooga, TN
November 23, Ontario, CA November 30, Madison, WI December 3, Seattle, WA	December 10, Indianapolis, IN December 10, Fort Worth, TX December 14, Denver, CO December 15, Annapolis, MD

Major Land Resource Area Soil Survey Concept to be Discussed - On November 16 through 18, the NRCS Director for Soil Surveys will be in Illinois to meet with the State conservationist and soil survey cooperators to review and discuss progress made in implementing the Major Land Resource Areas (MLRA) concept for producing soil surveys. He will visit MLRA Soil Survey project offices and meet with soil scientists involved in project activities. Illinois is a leading State in implementing the MLRA concept for producing soil surveys.

NRCS To Discuss Farmland Protection at Rural Development Council Meeting - On November 18 through 19, the South Carolina Rural Development Council will hold its annual meeting in Moncks Corner, SC, with a theme of Economic Development Ideas that Work. Primary topics include a rural policy development presentation by the Rural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri and regional solid waste systems by Municipal Waste Management of Cordele, GA. An NRCS representative will make a presentation, Farmland Protection and Its Economic Influence, that links farmland protection to community sustainability.

NRCS and University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Continue To Conduct Courses in Water Quality Planning for Ranchers - The series continued with a meeting on November 12 in the Bear River Watershed in Humboldt County. The Rangeland Watershed Program conducts water quality planning short courses so ranchers can voluntarily complete water quality plans. The program is the culmination of nearly 10 years of effort among NRCS, UCCE, industry groups, and government agencies. During the 6-week course, ranchers complete a ranch water quality plan and a letter of intent. Since September 1997, plans have been completed for nearly 500,000 acres along the coast and in the San Joaquin Valley and foothills. Seventeen short courses were scheduled for 1998-99. Courses thus far have been extremely well attended; many have been standing room only.

NRCS To Target Non-Farmers in Proposed Education Campaign in Iowa - Farm and non-farm groups will be asked to participate in an NRCS-led campaign to educate non-farmers about the progress made, and the challenges ahead, in resource conservation in Iowa. Farmers will meet with the non-farmers to educate them about how agriculturists work to improve water and air quality, and provide plentiful food, healthy wildlife, and a pleasing countryside. The campaign will continue through 1999.

Water Quality Improvements in Pennsylvania - NRCS in PA reports that communities and sponsors are enthusiastic about participating in water quality improvement efforts that are part of the new Tulpehocken PL-566 Land Treatment Project in Berks and Lebanon counties. NRCS anticipates that 20 new contracts will be developed in fiscal year 1999. Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, and Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry are assisting with the project. Sponsors are optimistic that the project will improve water quality in Blue Marsh Lake, which suffers from excessive algae blooms.

NRCS Assists Alabama Regarding Small Watershed Program - During the week of November 22, NRCS staff from National Headquarters will deliver a presentation to the Alabama Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts/Water Resources Committee on the status of reinvesting in the Small Watershed Program and discuss the aging infrastructure of dams throughout the State. AL and DE do not have enabling dam safety legislation. NRCS represents the Department of Agriculture on the National Dam Safety Review Board established with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Board recently recommended the action and FEMA's administrator sent letters to the governors of AL and DE encouraging them to establish a dam safety program and to apply for Federal dam safety grants.

American Indians in WI Benefit from EQIP Educational Assistance - Through funding provided from the WI Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Education Assistance, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission will provide educational activities on purple loosestrife control. Purple loosestrife is an invasive, exotic species that severely impact wetlands. This species, once established, crowds out native plants that are crucial to the health of wetland ecosystems. The activities and information will include workshops, a brochure, and locator cards. Workshops for agencies, tribal conservation staff, local conservation districts, 4-H Clubs, Ducks Unlimited, and rod and gun clubs will provide education on identification of purple loosestrife, problems caused by the species, and control techniques. Funding is nearly $30,000 for the 3-year project.

NRCS, Partners Building Buffer Network - NRCS in Wisconsin and the State Department of Natural Resources and State Department of Agriculture have kicked off the Wisconsin State Buffer Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to build a Statewide network of stakeholders that will help promote the use of conservation buffers to improve and maintain water quality.

Arbor Day foundation to Hold Privacy Workshop - On November 18 through 19, the National Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with NRCS, will sponsor a national workshop, Information Privacy, Confidentiality, and the Right to Know: A Growing Challenge for Workers in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management. The workshop will be held at the Lied Conference Center on Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, NE. Participation is by invitation. The purpose of the workshop is to identify and clarify the issues that must be dealt with surrounding privacy, confidentiality, and right to know and suggest ways that decision-makers might begin to address those issues. Participants will discuss the relative merits of sharing versus privacy, and identify the point when privacy becomes most important and when privacy negates the value of sharing data and information.

EQIP Success Stories: West Virginia - The Northern Panhandle Soil Conservation District, with assistance from NRCS personnel, convened the local work group to discuss EQIP priority areas. The group decided to put an emphasis on a small watershed with resources concerns related to livestock operations.

Working together with a locally led watershed association, Division of Environmental Protection (DEP), West Virginia State Soil Conservation Agency, and State Park authorities, a watershed was selected. It was Tomlinson Run Lake, in Hancock County, which was recently placed on the State DEP list of lakes that fail to meet water quality standards.

The district helped establish the Tomlinson Lake Run Watershed Association. The news about the formation of the association was well received by the farmers in the community. With the EQIP funds being available, the proposal area was able to leverage low-interest State revolving funds for all EQIP contracts. The low-interest loans will enable small-scale and limited resource farmers to finance their share of the costs and address the majority of their conservation concerns.

Congress will be in recess until January 6, 1999.

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.

November 1-30 - National American Indian Heritage Month, 1998.

November 15-20 - (Nevada) The NRCS American Indian/Alaskan Native Employees Association's 2nd Annual Training Conference will be held at the Reno Hilton, Reno, NV. For more 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. For more 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 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.

December 13-16 - (Nevada) The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) will hold its Annual Convention and Exposition at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. For more information, call 1-800-551-7379; or visit the NGWA convention and exposition website at: http://www.ngwa.org/whatsnew/gold.html.

December 17 - (Washington D.C.) USDA Policy Advisory Board Meeting, Washington, DC.

January 10 - 13 - (South Dakota) The Western Resource Conservation & Development Association Meeting will be held in Spearfish, SD. For more information, call the NRCS Resource Conservation & Community Development Division at 202-720-2241.

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 mine 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 National 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. Meeting agenda highlights and registration information are on NACD's home page at http://nacdnet.org/meetings/.

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.

February 21-26, 1999 - (Nebraska) The Society for Range Management and the American Forage and Grasslands Council will hold their annual meeting, "Building on Our Heritage," at the at the Holiday Convention Center, 3321 South 72nd Street in Omaha, NE. For more information, visit the Society for Range Management web site at: http://srm.org/meetings.html.

April 21, 1999 - (Connecticut) The Southern New England Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society is holding its Spring conference, "Urban Riparian Buffers," in Enfield, CT, at the Harley Hotel. The deadline for papers is December 1. Submit papers to the Southern New England Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, PO BOX 262, Storrs, CT 06268; or e-mail: JPASHNIK@PRODIGY.NET.

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: 703-455-6888; 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.

June 6-9, 1999 - (Pennsylvania) The American Farmland Trust and 13 other agricultural organizations, in cooperation with NRCS and several other Federal agencies will host the "Keep America Growing: Balancing Working Lands and Development" conference at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, contact Karl Otte at 703-440-8611; or visit the conference website at: www.farmland.org/KAG.html.

"The earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land and the measure of our bodies are the same. Do not misunderstand me, but understand me fully with reference to my affection to the land. I never said the land was mine to do with it as I chose. The one who has the right to dispose of it is the one who created it. I claim a right to live on the land, and accord you the privilege to live on yours."

- Chief Joseph, Nez Perce, c. 1875.

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.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD).

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