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“Good conservation policies should enable producers to
make better and more-informed decisions and provide flexible program tools to
address environmental concerns. As the President and I often say, farmers and
ranchers are the best stewards of the land. They are the true environmentalists,
and we need to give them the tools to help cultivate and manage working lands.”
from remarks by Secretary of Agriculture Ann M.
Veneman at the 78th Agricultural Outlook Forum.
In This Issue
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Status of Farm Bill Rules
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Focus on the Field
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National: New e-Newsletter
Features Plants’ Role in Conservation
Alabama: NRCS - U.S. Coast
Guard Partner for Wetlands
New Mexico Water Outlook
Improves from “Dismal” to Merely “Bad”
Ohio: “Professor” NRCS
South Carolina Rains Test
NRCS Watershed Project
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Word from Washington
NRCS Receives Prestigious Award
New Deputy Chief for
Programs Named
Reminder: Request for
Proposals Now on the Web
Celebrate Women's History
Month!
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Tech Tip
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Wetlands Actually REDUCE Mosquitoes
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Status of Farm Bill Rules
Environmental Quality Incentives Program Proposed Rule
30-day comment period closed March 12, 2003
Contact: Melvin Womack, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845.
Conservation Security Program Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Extended comment period closes April 3, 2003
Contact: David McKay, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845.
Technical Services Providers
Interim Final Rule became effective March 1, 2003
Rule amendment cleared by OMB and will be published in the Federal Register on
March 24, 2003. The policy, handbook, and amendment to the rule are available on
the NRCS website at
http://techreg.usda.gov/WhatsNew.aspx.
Contact: Melissa Hammond, TSP Group Leader, at 202-720-6731.
Focus on the Field
New e-Newsletter Features Plants’
Role in Conservation
A new, full-color, electronic newsletter Plant Solutions, the NRCS Plant
Materials Program newsletter, is now available through a list-serve
subscription. Plant Solutions is a fun, brief read – two pages with color photos
and interactive links for receiving additional information. The newsletter will
be e-mailed six times a year. Each issue will focus on a particular conservation
challenge and include a main feature story and sections called “Ask the Expert”
and “Did You Know…”
The introductory issue of Plant Solutions focuses on using conservation plants
to create wildlife habitat as part of Farm Bill programs like WHIP and CRP. It
also offers information on inter-seeding existing CRP lands for ecological
diversity and an update on the invasive species listing of Russian olive in some
states. Subsequent issues will cover coastal restoration efforts, plants
battling invasive species, re-vegetating after wildfire, landscaping with native
plants, reclaiming Superfund sites, new accomplishments in carbon sequestration,
grasses for biofuels, and a look at culturally significant and medicinal plants.
To view the current issue or to subscribe to Plant Solutions today, visit
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/eNews/.
Your contact is Jody Holzworth, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 208-378-5740,
or jody.holzworth@usda.gov.
NRCS - U.S. Coast Guard Partner for Wetlands
To construct a wetland at its Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama,
the U.S. Coast Guard recently sought design assistance from NRCS engineers, who
provided expertise and options for the project. The Center possessed the
capability to evaluate those options and complete the project, in addition to
providing a highly detailed topographic map of the site for use in sizing the
wetland pond. NRCS – as one of several cooperating Federal agencies on the
project – surveyed cross sections at the water control structure site for use in
setting the exact elevations for the structure. After reviewing the site data,
NRCS engineers provided options for constructing the wetland and water-control
structure. The Coast Guard selected the option that met their objectives and
best fit their budget, aesthetic requirements, and maintenance operations
program and then completed the structure. The Coast Guard Aviation Training
Center has won several awards for their aggressive approach to environmental
excellence.
Your contact is Ben Malone, NRCS soil conservationist, at 251-441-6505, or
ben.malone@al.usda.gov.
New Mexico Water Outlook Improves from “Dismal” to Merely
“Bad”
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the NRCS snow melt runoff forecast for
New Mexico has improved from “dismal” to just plain “bad” in February. Last
month’s storms added to the mountain snowpack and increased estimates of how
much runoff will flow in streams and rivers this spring and summer. But along
the Rio Grande, runoff forecasts are still below 60 percent of normal. Since the
February forecasts, warm weather has dominated the State, depleting precious
snowpack accumulations. New Mexico NRCS snow melt runoff forecasts are being
closely monitored and heavily reported by the State's major newspaper and
television outlets, alerting farmers to continuing drought. The extensive media
coverage of the snowmelt runoff forecasts is prompting irrigation districts and
farmers to intensify their conservation planning this spring.
Your contact is Barbara Garrett, NRCS public affairs specialist, at
505-761-4406, or
barbara.garrett@nm.usda.gov.
“Professor” NRCS
NRCS is helping Wilmington College develop intensive grazing as a
profitable, agricultural niche for southwestern Ohio. Through the Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), NRCS provides the college with technical
assistance and an educational grant that aids the college's research and
teaching facility. The goal of the program is to encourage grazing and other
alternative uses for highly erodible marginal cropland in order to diversify
farm income in southwest Ohio. With NRCS technical assistance and EQIP funding,
Wilmington College has established a demonstration site for students to see how
new and innovative agricultural alternatives can make marginal land productive.
Farm Coordinator Adam Rousch, who coordinates student activities, said, "With
this program, we're trying to create an intensive grazing niche. We see this as
a way to help our community. We want to show people that by putting some money
into the resources that you have now, you can make a profit.”
The program has proven successful. The college is now able to provide matching
funds to EQIP dollars for the program and friends of the college are helping
enhance the farm."
Your contact is Jeff Raifsnider, NRCS public affairs specialist, at
614-255-2471, or jeff.raifsnider@oh.usda.gov.
South Carolina Rains Test NRCS Watershed Project
Heavy February rains in South Carolina failed to breech the NRCS-designed
Little River Watershed project near the city of Laurens. After millions of
dollars of flood damage to Laurens's homes and businesses in 1973 and 1976, 14
small NRCS-designed floodwater retarding dams and channel improvement through
the town and along the channel system were completed in 1990. Town officials who
had helped to plan and install the project were always confident that the system
would prevent flooding and this past month’s record rainfall proved to be no
exception. The good NRCS engineering work didn’t go unnoticed, when several
articles in local newspapers featured the project’s success.
Your contact is contact Amy O. Maxwell, NRCS public affairs specialist, at
803-765-5402, or
amy.maxwell@nc.usda.gov.
Word from Washington
NRCS Receives Prestigious Award
Chief Knight recently accepted the American Society for Public
Administration’s (ASPA) Center for Accountability and Performance (CAP)
Organizational Leadership Award. This award recognized the agency’s Integrated
Accountability System for its outstanding applications of a systems approach to
performance measurement that has resulted in a culture change, sustained
improvements, and demonstrated positive effects on government performance and
accountability. This was the first time the award was presented to a Federal
agency. “Our Strategic Planning and Accountability staff, our Information
Technology staff, and our Financial Management staff worked very hard to put our
Integrated Accountability System together. This system will allow us to meet
each initiative within the President’s Management Reform Agenda,” Chief Knight
said at the award presentation, during the ASPA’s 64th National Conference in
Washington D.C. “I honor this commitment. And, I will work to help NRCS operate
in the spirit of this award every day in the future,” he added.
ASPA’s CAP is dedicated to inspiring academicians in their scholarship, and
practitioners in their results-oriented practices to improve the performance of
organizations vested with public purposes. To this end, CAP has developed two
key awards to recognize outstanding performance. Organizations selected for the
award come from all levels of public service – local, State, and the Federal
government, as well as from international and public service nonprofit
organizations.
Your contact is, Denise Wells, ASPA's CAP Director, at 202-585-4310, or
dwells@aspanet.org.
New Deputy Chief for Programs Named
Jose Acevedo was named NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs this week, where he
will manage the agency’s natural resource conservation programs that provide
environmental, societal, financial, and technical benefits that not only include
on-site benefits such as sustaining and improving agricultural productivity, but
also other benefits such as cleaner, safer, and more dependable water supplies,
reduced damages caused by floods and other natural disasters, and enhancing the
natural resource base to support continuing economic development, recreation,
and other purposes.
Jose began his NRCS career in 1972 as a GS-5, soil technician in Puerto Rico,
and has also worked in the U.S. Virgin Islands, South Carolina, Georgia, New
York, and Washington D.C. In July 2000, he was appointed Associate Deputy Chief
for Programs, and most recently was selected by Chief Bruce Knight to serve as
Acting Deputy Chief for Programs. Jose also serves as the Natural Resources and
Environment Mission Area Representative to the Secretary’s Hispanic Advisory
Council and is a member of the USDA Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities Leadership Board. In his 31 years of Federal service, he has been
recognized with 11 outstanding and 13 superior performance awards. Jose holds a
BS degree from the University of Puerto Rico in Agronomy, with a major in
Agricultural Engineering.
Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-6794, or
fred.jacobs@usda.gov.
Reminder: Request for Proposals Now on the Web
The joint USDA-Department of Energy (DOE) biomass solicitation package has
been posted on the Internet. Under this solicitation, NRCS, on behalf of USDA
and the DOE, is requesting proposals for research, development, and
demonstration projects that fulfill the requirements of the Biomass Research and
Development Act of 2000 (and Sec. 9008 of the Farm Bill energy title). USDA
Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Mark Rey is the designated
point of contact for the department on behalf of the Secretary and Co-Chair of
the Biomass Research and Development Board. The solicitation is posted on
http://www.Fedgrants.gov and is also
being posted on both a DOE and NRCS website.
Your contact is John Stierna, NRCS agricultural economist, at 202-720-6924, or
john.stierna@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
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/themes/theme03.html.
Your contact is Barbara Compton, NRCS National Federal Women's Program Manger,
at 301-504-2183.
Tech Tip
Wetlands Actually REDUCE Mosquitoes
A healthy wetland provides habitat for many unique animals – including the
natural enemies of mosquitoes. According to an Indiana Department of Natural
Resources fact sheet, mosquito populations are held in check in healthy wetlands
by certain birds, frogs, fish, and insects that feed on mosquito adults and
larvae. Wetland restoration projects can decrease mosquito populations by
providing proper habitat for such predators. For example, when Essex County,
Massachusetts, restored a 1,500 acre wetland, the mosquito population dropped by
90 percent (Audubon Magazine, November-December 1996). Other states, such as New
Jersey, have also been controlling mosquitoes the "natural way" by eliminating
small stagnant breeding depressions and using water management practices to
increase mosquito predators. These "natural methods" reduced the cost of
mosquito control, over the traditional method of insecticide application, by
more than 97 percent.
When designing wetland restoration projects, considerations should be made
up-front for mosquito control. This does not mean that projects should contain
only deep or open water. On the contrary, projects with both deep and shallow
waters that are somehow connected are generally preferable. Keep in mind to
design projects with a variety of water regimes to foster the development of a
variety of plants and animals that will naturally include mosquito predators,
such as dragonflies, damselflies, water striders, backswimmers, predaceous
diving beetles, topminnows, and mosquitofish. Mosquitoes can be further reduced
with the erection of birdhouses that will attract insectivorous birds such as
purple martins, tree swallows, and prothonotary warblers. The addition of bat
boxes is also a good idea. For example, a single little brown bat can consume
1,200 mosquito-sized insects in just one hour.
Your contact is Billy Teels, Director, NRCS Wetlands Science Institute, at
301-497-5938.
Correction
The March 14, NRCS This Week item titled, “NRCS Initiates Competitive
Sourcing (CS) Process” stated that NRCS was studying “soil conservation,
technical service, civil engineer, and technical service functions” for possible
competitive sourcing. This should have read “soil conservation technical
services and civil engineering technical services.” The item also directed
readers to the “NRCS outsourcing website,” which should have read “NRCS
competitive sourcing website.”
Please send correspondence and material for "NRCS This Week" to the editor by: e-mail to: fred.jacobs@usda.gov or by fax to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," 202-720-1564; or by mail to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20013.
You can receive NRCSTW via e-mail by sending 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 Rachel Carson). 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" is posted on the NRCS Homepage.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or 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).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The NRCS Mission: The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.
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