NRCS This Week - 01/10/03

News

March 28, 2003

"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done."

Marie Curie (1867-1891), Polish-French nuclear researcher.

In This Issue

Status of Farm Bill Rules; Focus on the Field; Indiana: NRCS Flower Power
Michigan: Standing Room Only
Nebraska: Protecting Natural Area from Urban Sprawl
Ohio: Restoring Prairie's Rare Plants and Butterflies; Word from Washington
NRCS and The Wildlife Society Sign MOU
New NRCS Radio Public Service Announcements Coming Soon
American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Conference
CF Industries Accepting Applications for 8th Annual Watershed Award
Celebrate Women's History Month!
USDA-Department of Energy Joint Solicitation for Biomass Research; and Development Project Proposal; Tech Tip
Updated Wetlands Climate Datasets Available

Status of Farm Bill Rules

Conservation Security Program
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
Extended comment period closes April 3, 2003
Contact: David McKay, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845, or david.mckay@usda.gov.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program
Proposed Rule
30-day comment period closed March 12, 2003
Contact: Melvin Womack, Team Leader, at 202-720-1845, or melvin.womack@usda.gov.

Technical Service Providers
A correction to the Technical Service Provider Assistance – Interim Final Rule will be published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2003. The comment period for the TSP Interim Final Rule has been extended until April 30, 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, or melissa.hammond@usda.gov.

Focus on the Field

NRCS Flower Power
The Hoosier Heartland RC&D Council, NRCS, and several central Indiana Soil and Water Conservation Districts were on hand at the 45th Annual Indiana Flower and Patio Show to distribute information on how to purchase trees from local soil and water conservation districts, advertise their successful Backyard Tree Farm Program, and talk about NRCS’s Backyard Conservation program. More 120,000 attended the show – whose theme this year was Indiana in Bloom – looking for ideas for their gardens, backyards, patios, and porches. The show featured more than 400 displays, 30 beautifully landscaped gardens, and NRCS experts to answer show-goers’ gardening questions. Becky Fletcher, RC&D coordinator, said the show was a good opportunity for NRCS staff to reach out to non-traditional customers with information on planting and care for trees and plants, while also letting people know about NRCS and conservation district programs.
Your contact is Becky Fletcher, NRCS RC&D coordinator, at, 317-290-3250, or rebecca.fletcher@in.usda.gov.

Standing Room Only
It was standing room only as more than 600 Michigan farmers got answers to their conservation program questions and concerns this week at the Michigan Agriculture’s Conference on the Environment held in Lansing. Michigan. NRCS staff told farmers how Farm Bill conservation programs could help both livestock and non-livestock farmers in the area of nutrient management. Additional NRCS staff provided information to attendees at the agency’s exhibit. The number of questions, which covered a wide variety of topics from conservation programs to technical service providers, underscored the ever-present need for NRCS to provide timely program information.
Your contact is Chris Coulon, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 517-324-5244, or chris.coulon@mi.usda.gov.

Protecting Natural Area from Urban Sprawl
NRCS was recognized recently by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) during its nation-wide celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System for the agency’s role in protecting the Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge from development. NRCS staff worked with landowners to protect and restore their wetlands near the refuge eight miles north of Omaha, Nebraska, by signing up 800 acres – or more than 30 percent of the refuge site – into the Wetlands Reserve Program. Additionally, more than $1.2 million went toward wetlands restoration work. When landowners later sold their land to the Refuge System, Brian Schultz, USFWS project leader, said the NRCS technical assistance and financial support to landowners through WRP significantly aided the development of the refuge.
Your contact is Pat McGrane, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 402-437-5328, or pat.mcgrane@ne.usda.gov.

Restoring Prairie's Rare Plants and Butterflies
When woody vegetation was discovered to be shading out rare indigenous plants, NRCS aided with funds from its Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). The Columbus, Recreation and Parks Department and Americorps volunteers stepped in to restore an Ohio remnant prairie that is home to several endangered plant and butterfly species. The 18-acre Hoover Prairie is home to several rare plant species and their dependent species of butterflies. The only known population of Gattinger's Foxglove grows there, along with the False Prairie Indigo Flower, which is on Ohio's threatened plant list and which supports the Wild Indigo Dusky Wing. The Leonard's Skipper butterfly relies upon another rare resident of this prairie, the Blazing Star flower. Workers cut, dragged, and chipped brush, until they had released the native prairie species from the shady, invasive brush. The prairie ecosystem of rare native plants and interdependent butterfly species was restored for future generations to enjoy and protect.

On the other side of town, NRCS, again with the help of WHIP, helped plant about 50 acres of warm season native grasses, constructed two small wetlands, and built a bike path in Three Creeks Park – a Columbus and Franklin County metro park that contained leased farmland along Blacklick Creek. When the farm lease expired, the park worked with NRCS and through WHIP to establish prairie and wetland areas that will provide habitat for native grassland birds, including bobolinks, dickcissels, and meadowlarks. Frogs are already using the wetlands for breeding sites and will be serenading bikers there in the spring.
Your contact is Jeff Raifsnider, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 614-255-2471, or jeff.raifsnider@oh.usda.gov.

Word from Washington

NRCS and The Wildlife Society Sign MOU
Chief Bruce Knight and The Wildlife Society (TWS) President, Dr. Robert Warren, signed a Technical Service Provider Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this week at a ceremony in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The MOU with TWS establishes a working, 5-year partnership between NRCS and TWS by recognizing TWS as an approved certifying organization able to recommend members for certification as technical service providers by NRCS. The 2002 Farm Bill provides for NRCS to offer conservation technical assistance to agricultural producers from either Federal employees or qualified outside sources.
Your contact is Melissa Hammond, NRCS Technical Service Provider Group Leader, at 202-720-6731, or melissa.hammond@usda.gov.

New NRCS Radio Public Service Announcements Coming Soon
NRCS State public affairs specialists will soon be receiving quantities of a CD containing five new 30-second radio spots – Old MacDonald (general public audience: awareness); Priceless Resources (general public audience: awareness); Conservation Sounds (general public audience: awareness); Taking Care (farm audience: action); and New Day (farm audience: action). The spots are part of a National NRCS radio and television PSA campaign. There are three 30-second TV PSAs, Old MacDonald, Priceless Resources and Conservation Sounds, which will be streamed on the NRCS web site, but are currently unavailable to States in digital format.
Your contact is Mary Cressel, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-690-0547, or mary.cressel@usda.gov.

American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Conference
Water resources professionals concerned with agricultural hydrology and water quality may want to attend the AWRA Spring specialty conference, Agricultural Hydrology and Water Quality, May 12-14, 2003, in Kansas City, Missouri. This conference will bring together leaders in the agricultural hydrology community – researchers, engineers, policy makers, modelers, State and Federal agency program managers, and producers to discuss/debate issues related to agricultural hydrology and the impact on water quality by nutrients, pesticides, bacteria, and sediment discharged from agricultural systems. The preliminary program is posted and available for viewing at http://www.awra.org/meetings/Kansas2003. For general information about AWRA go to http://www.awra.org.

CF Industries Accepting Applications for 8th Annual Watershed Award Applications are now being accepted for the 2003 CF Industries National Watershed Award that honors corporate and community excellence in watershed protection. The application deadline is June 2, 2003. Each year, one corporation and three watershed groups nationwide are recognized for their outstanding leadership in protecting America’s water resources. The award, administered by The Conservation Fund, focuses on innovative, non-regulatory approaches to improving water quality. Particular emphasis is placed on local partnerships that demonstrate the success of economic incentives, voluntary initiatives, and education. Only working programs, not products or individuals, are eligible. Application materials and additional information may be obtained by contacting Jesús Peralta, CF Industries, at 202-371-9279, jperalta@cfindustries.com; or Beth Koonse, The Conservation Fund, at 304-876-2815, b.koonse@freshwaterinstitute.org. The application and additional information on the award, including past winners, are available at: http://cfindustries.com/commrelations/watershed/watershed.htm.
Your contact is Jesús Peralta, CF Industries, at 202-371-9279, or jperalta@cfindustries.com.

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, or barbara.compton@usda.gov.

USDA-Department of Energy Joint Solicitation for Biomass Research and Development Project Proposal
Federal Funding Opportunity Number USDA-GRANTS-031803-001 is a joint initiative of USDA and DOE to provide grants to eligible entities to carry out research, development and demonstrations on biobased products, bioenergy, biofuels, biopower and related processes. Project proposals are due May 16, 2003. For more information, go to the USDA biomass website at http://www.ars.usda.gov/bbcc/ or the Biomass Research and Development Initiative 2003 Request for Proposals at http://199.129.37.219/nrcs/news/BiomassRFP20031.doc.

Tech Tip

Updated Wetlands Climate Datasets Available
Updated wetlands climate datasets are available on the National Water and Climate web site at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/climate/. The datasets contain normal monthly ranges of precipitation and growing season dates for 1971-2000. Critical components of a standard conservation plan for determining where qualified wetland areas are, the monthly precipitation, and growing season dates are also listed. State climate files are organized by State and county on a ZIP or UNIX format compressed file containing the entire wetlands climate tables; they are available at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/wetstate.html. Information on wetlands delineation and the use of the climate data in those delineations is available at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/WLI/wetdel.htm.
For more information on the Wetlands Climate tables and analysis or climate data averaged for the period 1961-1990, contact James K. Marron, NRCS resource conservationist, at 503-414-3047, or jim.marron@usda.gov.

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