March 7, 2003

"Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life…Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." 

from The Sense of Wonder, by Rachel Carson (1907-1964) American environmentalist and author.

In This Issue

Status of Farm Bill Rules

 

Focus on the Field

California: Minority Farm Bill Forum
Minnesota: 2003 American Wetlands Conference
Ohio: Another Dam Update

 

Word from Washington
NRCS Unveils Web-Based Registry for Technical Experts
NRCS Participates at U.S. Coral Reefs Task Force
Thunderbook Provides In-Field Access to Technical Information
Celebrate Women's History Month!

 

Tech Tip

Joint Efforts with Technical Specialists Improve Transfer Capacity

 

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Status of Farm Bill Rules

Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Proposed Rule
30-day comment period closes March 12, 2003
Contact: Melvin Womack, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845

 Conservation Security Program
Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
30-day comment period closes March 20, 2003
Contact: David McKay, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845

Technical Services Providers
Interim Final Rule became effective March 1, 2003
Rule amendment currently in review at OMB
Contact: Melissa Hammond, TSP Group Leader, at 202-720-6731

Focus on the Field

Minority Farm Bill Forum
USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Mack Gray and NRCS State Conservationist Chuck Bell joined more than 250 minority, limited resource, and beginning farmers at a recent Farm Bill Forum on the California State University Campus in Fresno.  Representatives from other USDA agencies, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, and the NRCS Earth Team made presentations, staffed booths, and distributed materials.  The entire event was simultaneously translated into the Spanish, Hmong, and Laotian languages.  The information was well received and participants joined in celebrating farmer success stories presented by African-American and Hmong farmer organizations.
Your contact is Brian Ziegler, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 559-252-2191, or brian.ziegler@ca.usda.gov.

2003 American Wetlands Conference
The Isaac Walton League will host this year’s American Wetlands Conference, May 1-4, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The biennial American Wetlands Conference is for those interested in wetland conservation.  This year's conference will include presentations, hands-on sessions, and training workshops on many topics, including the conservation of ephemeral and isolated wetlands; wetland ecology and values; status of wetland resources, volunteer monitoring, education, and outreach; wetlands restoration, mitigation, construction, and invasive species; and regulatory and non-regulatory conservation.  Events will include field trips, a vernal pool construction workshop, the Rocking Wetlands Extravaganza festival at the Minnesota Zoo, and a reception and silent auction at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Those interested in attending can register on-line at http://www.iwla.org/sos/awm/conference/2003_store.html.  To have a hard copy of the registration form mailed to you, call 800- 284-4952, or awm@iwla.org.
Your contact is Leah Miller, Izaac Walton League of America, Inc., American Wetlands Program Coordinator, at 301-548-0150 ext. 219, or leah@iwla.org.

Another Dam Update
NRCS is currently working with local sponsors on seven Ohio watershed rehabilitation projects, including two completed high hazard dams in Fairfield and Medina Counties and another under construction in Athens County.  To avoid the high cost of dam construction, a sponsor is in the process of purchasing easements to prevent downstream development and relocating two homes.  Designs are now being completed for three more projects, which will be completed in 2003.  Although local sponsors have done an excellent job of operating and maintaining these structures, their age and the onset of new State laws and higher standards, now calls for the rehabilitation of many of these dams.
Your contact is Jeff Raifsnider, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 614-255-2471, or jeff.raifsnider@oh.usda.gov.  

Word from Washington

NRCS Unveils Web-Based Registry for Technical Experts
NRCS unveiled a web-based registry of technical experts that will make it easier for landowners to meet conservation goals by finding service providers online.  "NRCS is committed to improving the environment by helping landowners meet their conservation goals," said Chief Knight.  "This online registry will build a new industry of certified conservation professionals from the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies to provide direct technical assistance and deliver conservation services to landowners and others."

TechReg -- the technical service provider registry -- will allow interested individuals and organizations to apply and request certification on the Internet.  Users of TechReg will be able to list their services, credentials, accomplishments and progress.  In addition, farmers and ranchers will be able to locate and choose technical service providers authorized to provide services to their area.  The 2002 Farm Bill expanded the availability of technical assistance to landowners by encouraging the use of technical services providers to assist USDA in delivering conservation services.  Information on services available from USDA Service Centers is online at http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov.  Additional information on TechReg is available at http://techreg.usda.gov.  

NRCS Participates at U.S. Coral Reefs Task Force
NRCS represented USDA recently at the ninth public meeting of the U.S. Coral Reef Task in Washington D.C.  Issues taken up at the meeting included progress activities related to the National Action Plan for Coral Reef Conservation, improvements in Task Force operations, and public comments. 

Coral reefs and their associated systems of mangroves and sea grasses are the world’s most biologically diverse marine ecosystems.  Important assets to local and national economies, they provide fisheries for food, materials for new medicines, and income from tourism and recreation, as well as protect coastal communities from potentially devastating storms.

Recent evidence indicates that coral reefs are deteriorating worldwide, and many are in crisis.  Scientists and managers still lack critical information about the causes, but evidence suggests that there are a variety of human induced stressors causing the decline of coral reef health.  Among these stressors are shoreline development, trampling by tourists and divers, ship groundings, fishing with poisons and explosives, and nutrient and sediment pollution from non-point sources, including agriculture.  Information presented at this meeting, including decisions on resolutions and science updates will soon be made available and can be accessed at http://coralreef.gov.
Your contact is Howard Hankin, NRCS aquatic ecologist, at 202-690-0082, or howard.hankin@usda.gov.

Thunderbook Provides In-Field Access to Technical Information
NRCS users of the electronic technical guide eFOTG can now select content for a digital technology briefcase called Thunderbook.  It is an electronic version of the paper Thunderbook containing seeding specifications, soils information, practice standards, job sheets, and other frequently used technical information and aids traditionally used by field conservationists while working in the field.  When users disconnect from the network, the content in the Thunderbook is available on the laptop while in the field.  When the laptop is re-docked to the network, the content is refreshed if it has changed.  The Thunderbook works with Windows XP, meaning initially it can be used for training and preparation on Windows NT before the laptop is migrated to XP. 
Your contact is Phil Smith, NRCS general engineer, at 970-295-5478, or psmith@itc.nrcs.usda.gov.

Celebrate Women's History Month!
The official theme for this year’s celebration is “Women Pioneering the Future."  Schools and communities will celebrate the month with special curriculum and events; many States and cities have extended the observance year-round by creating women's halls of fame. 

The first International Women's Day was March 8, 1911.  In 1981, U.S. Representative Barbara Mikulski and U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch cosponsored a Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming the week of March 8 as National Women's History Week.  In 1986, the National Women's History Project helped expand the celebration to the entire month of March.  In 1987 and subsequent years, National Women's History Month resolutions have been approved by Congress.  Check out the many interesting events highlighting Women's History Month by visiting the http://www.nwhp.org/whm/themes/theme03.html.
Your contact is Barbara Compton, NRCS National Federal Women's Program Manger, at 301-504-2183, or barbara.compton@usda.gov.

Tech Tip

Can Crop Residue be Used for Biofuel Production?
The more than 400 million tons of crop residue generated annually in the U.S. leads many to ask whether that residue can be used to produce biofuel to meet some of our energy needs. As conservationists, NRCS researchers must take a careful look at the tradeoffs between using residue for energy production and leaving it on the land where it contributes to soil quality, water quality, and productivity.

Crop residues perform many positive functions including preventing soil erosion, contributing to soil organic matter and nutrients, supporting important soil organisms including fungi and earthworms, improving infiltration, reducing evaporation, and moderating soil temperatures. These functions help keep nutrients and water in fields and contribute to a better rooting environment for crops. Negative effects of residue can include promotion of some disease causing organisms and poor germination in colder climates due to cooler soil temperatures.

Based on a recent review of the literature, the Soil Quality Institute suggests the following considerations to protect soil function.

* In some situations, it may be acceptable to remove some crop residue for biofuel production if other resource concerns and conservation practice standard criteria are met. For example, up to 30% of surface residue may be removed from some no-till systems without increased erosion or runoff. (Note that removal rates are not the same as percent soil cover.) The Soil Conditioning Index can be a useful tool for beginning to estimate appropriate removal rates.

* Apply additional conservation practices. When residue is removed, contour cropping, conservation tillage, cover cropping or other conservation practices must be used to compensate for the loss of soil organic matter and loss of erosion protection.

* Consider growing crops dedicated to biofuel production. Compared to harvesting crop residue, it may be economically, energetically, and environmentally more viable to grow dedicated biofuel feedstocks such as switchgrass or hybrid poplar.

* Monitor and assess soil quality. Regardless of the residue removal practice chosen, monitor fields for visual signs of erosion or crusting and periodically test soil carbon levels. Adjust removal rates in response to any adverse changes in soil quality.
For more information, see the literature review: “Crop Residue Removal for Biofuel Production” on the Soil Quality Institute Web site at http://soils.usda.gov/sqi.
Your contact is Susan Andrews, Soil Quality Institute, at 515-294-9762, or andrews@nstl.gov.

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