May 13, 2003

“American farm and ranch families embody some of the best values of our Nation: hard work and risk-taking, love of the land and love of our country. Farming is the first industry of America – the industry that feeds us, the industry that clothes us, and the industry that increasingly provides more of our energy. The success of America's farmers and ranchers is essential to the success of the American economy.”

George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, from his remarks upon signing the 2002 Farm Bill.

2002 Farm Bill Anniversary Issue

Chief’s Farm Bill Anniversary Message
Today marks the first anniversary of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the farm bill).

The Administration has demonstrated its commitment to conservation both by supporting the conservation title of the farm bill and by providing funds for farm bill conservation programs in the budget proposals for 2003 and 2004. Secretary Veneman and the rest of her team want to ensure that that the farm bill provides producers the assistance, both financial and technical, that they need to implement these important conservation programs. 

I am taking this opportunity to send you an electronic copy of “NRCS This Week.” We began “NRCS This Week” as an employee newsletter, but it has come to be an important tool for keeping various stakeholder groups up to date on what’s happing within NRCS. If you would like to subscribe, please see the item immediately following this message.

With this anniversary edition, we are expanding the electronic circulation of “NRCS This Week” to improve communications with a wider range of national and local of partners. I hope this and future editions will help all of us communicate a little bit better.

During the year since President Bush Signed the farm bill, NRCS has

* Worked hard to make local producers aware of farm bill programs,
* Written rules for most farm bill programs,
* Processed thousands of applications from producers and awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and
* Developed a certification process that allows non-Federal technical service providers to assist farmers and ranchers.

“NRCS This Week” has kept employees and partners informed of our progress in all these areas.

The second year of the Farm Bill looks to be as important as the first. We recently released nearly $1.9 billion in farm bill program funds to NRCS State offices. In addition, we have final and proposed rules pending on a couple of key programs – more tools for our toolbox.

All of us here at NRCS look forward to working with all of you to make sure that the conservation needs on private lands across this country are met. 

I hope you will find “NRCS This Week” as useful as I do.

BRUCE I. KNIGHT
Chief

Subscribe to NRCS This Week!
You can receive NRCS This Week 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 Robin Jones). Similarly, you may unsubscribe the same way 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: unsubscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Firstname Lastname (example: unsubscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Robin Jones). 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. If you have questions or require any additional information, please contact Fred Jacobs at 202-720-6794, or fred.jacobs@usda gov. 

In This Issue

2002 Farm Bill Anniversary Success Stories

 

Status of Farm Bill Rules

Word from Washington
USDA Provides $53 million to Farmers and Ranchers in 17 States to Help with Drought Recovery
Preservation Groups Join Forces To Protect Civil War Battlefield
Celebrate American Wetlands Month
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
 

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2002 Farm Bill Anniversary Success Stories

Farm Bill Helps Ranchers to Meet Their Own Conservation Goals
On May 13, the 2002 Farm Bill marks its first birthday and a historic national investment in conservation on America’s private lands.

“Our natural resources are national treasures that span both public and private lands,” says Bruce Knight, NRCS Chief. “Watersheds, wildlife habitat, and other natural systems are cared for by thousands of farmers, ranchers, and private citizens across our Nation. The 2002 Farm Bill provides resources for them to do the important environmental work they do every day.”

The stories of the families that follow are this year’s winners of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Stewardship awards. All of them use technical and financial assistance from NRCS to transform conservation farm programs into a healthy earth – while helping feed a hungry world.

Pennsylvania
Think the Family Farm in America is a Remnant of Childhood Nostalgia?
Think again. In Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, the 1,000-acre Armstrong Farm has been in the same family for six generations – since 1816. Some of your other childhood visions of a family farm would match, too. They have 400 mother cows and calves feeding on rotated pastures of verdant healthy grass.

The farm retains woodlots between the cattle paddocks and last year added 350 tree seedlings. Kathy Allen says that this has had unexpected and satisfying results. Wildlife on the farm is abundant, including deer, wild turkeys, grouse, pheasants, and songbirds. Recently the farm served to help reintroduce the native barn owl. A wetland area (you might have thought of it as marsh in your younger days) is fenced off to support waterfowl nesting and migration.

If you want to compare your impressions to the actual farm, that’s very possible. Owners John and Kathy Allen host wildflower walks, conservation walks, fishing and archery activities, and run a successful bed and breakfast on the farm. You can view all these operations from horseback or on foot on their seven miles of trails.

NRCS Quote: “The Allens have really recognized the value of the resources on their farm and have worked hard to improve and protect them. They also recognize that conservation does pay. We are pleased to be able to help them carry on the tradition of agriculture on their land.” – Robin Heard, NRCS State Conservationist.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Prescribed grazing (rotational); 2) forage management; 3) fencing; 4) watering facility (solar-powered); 5) grass buffer (manure filter); 6) field demonstrations; 7) wetland wildlife habitat management; 8) tree planting; 9) pond and spring developments; and 10) barn owl releases.

USDA Program Participation: Project Grass, Emergency Conservation Program, Agricultural Management Assistance, NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance.

Montana
Q: Where can I find the Sieben Livestock Ranch? A: On the north slope of the Big Belt Mountains in north central Montana.
The Sieben Ranch may not be easy to find, but it’s worth the hunt. Chase Hibbard is the fourth generation stewarding this ranch begun in 1906. He manages 1,900 head of cattle and 1,000 sheep, using a rotational grazing system so that plants, including native perennials, can thrive and bare eroded areas are prevented.

In this terrain, managing forests – for forest health and wildfire prevention – is also a key part of the ranch operations.

The natural diversity and healthy ranch landscape creates a home for many species in addition to the cattle and sheep. Elk, mule deer, white tailed deer, antelope, coyotes, bears, foxes, badgers, mountain lions, and numerous small mammals share the ranch with the livestock.

The Hibbards permit limited, guided big game hunts on the ranch and also allow significant public hunting.

NRCS Quote: “Henry Sieben, the original ranch owner in 1868, who had great respect and love of this land, would be extremely pleased and proud of the stewardship and land ethic that continues to this day…due to the efforts of Chase Hibbard.” – Jon Siddoway, Rangeland Conservationist.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Prescribed grazing (rest-rotation); 2) timber management and fuel reduction; 3) spring development and watering systems; 4) environmental demonstration projects; 5) fencing; 6) pest management (weeds); and 7) critical area treatment (seeding).

NRCS Program Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance, Great Plains Conservation Program.

Arizona
The Care of the Commons
The ecological condition of the Y Bar D Ranch in the Prescott National Forest, when acquired in 1991 by George and Sharon Yard, could most politely be described as “challenged.”

Lacking even a house, the retiring medical-doctor-and-nurse-team couple initially camped on the edge of the Upper Verde River that runs through the ranch.

The Yards were determined they could not only turn the land around, but would achieve this through a unique environmental change agent: the cow. Historically, the ranch had held as many as 10,000 cattle; the Forest Service placed the proper limit at 225 head. Unfortunately, the would-be pastures were covered with invasive knapweed; tamarisk was overpowering native riparian vegetation; streambeds had been trampled; and the irrigation system was in disrepair. Not everyone would have seen a cattle ranch as the solution.

But today the Y Bar D not only supports 225 cattle (temporarily reduced in number due to drought). It also supports healthy herds of deer and antelope, which enjoy the only water in a 10-mile radius, courtesy of the Yard Ranch. The Yards removed livestock from riparian pastures, rested pastures using rotational grazing, cross fenced the ranch, removed the tamarisk, planted willows, and added new wells and pipelines for both livestock and wildlife.

In this case, the care of the public land is coming from a couple and their cattle.

NRCS Quote: “In their EQIP contract...the Yards listed their goals…to reduce the potential of Russian knapweed spreading …to improve the rangeland of these pastures…to improve wildlife habitat of the area…to improve the watershed by reducing erosion off of their pastures…” – Tim Garcia, District Conservationist.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Fencing; 2) water facilities (lines and troughs); 3) prescribed grazing (rotational); 4) third-party monitoring; 5) pest management (weeds); and 6) buffers (riparian plantings)

NRCS Program Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance, Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Georgia
No More Row to Hoe on this Farm
Maybe you could say that some people are born conservationists and some have conservation thrust upon them because it makes the best business sense. Ask Asa Phillips and he’ll tell you it was the economic benefits that first got his attention.

“I didn’t start out a conservationist; it was just the right thing to do to make the business successful,” Phillips says from his farm in Hartwell, Georgia.

Phillips and his wife, Julie, pieced together their 1,400-acre farm by buying several small, heavily-cropped farms. Collectively, the abused farmland was losing a whopping 22 tons of soil per acre per year! Today the farm averages just one ton per acre lost annually.

The Phillips gradually converted the hard used row crop farms to a cow-calf operation with heifers, steers, bulls, recipient embryo transplant cows, and harvested timber. Cattle were fenced out of streams and ponds beginning in 1993. Nine wells, 30 watering troughs, and cattle crossings now handle the watering and traffic needs. Active forage, soil, and water studies give needed environmental and economic feedback.

“Nature and man must be in balance...It has been our goal to bring things back in balance and that required fine tuning in soil erosion, water quality, wildlife habitat, watersheds, and other areas,” Phillips said.

NRCS Quote: “They stopped erosion in the fields through management…permanent cover, pasture rotation grazing…and using non-highly erodible land for crops.” – Forrest Ferguson, District Conservationist.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Conservation tillage (no-till); 2) ongoing soil and water monitoring; 3) field demonstration site; 4) prescribed grazing (rotational); 5) conservation buffers (cattle crossings, streambank stabilization, fencing); 6) watering facilities (wells and troughs); 7) pasture and hayland plantings; 9) wildlife management (food plots, vegetated fencerows and buffers); 10) integrated pest management; and 11) crop rotation.

NRCS Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance; conservation plan for converting eroded cropland to cattle production; engineering and erosion control assistance for cattle crossings across streams and stabilization of supporting streambanks.

Oklahoma
Nineteenth Century Blends Seamlessly with 2003
The tall native grasses – big and little bluestem, Indiangrass, and switchgrass – still wave across this Oklahoma ranch much as they did a century ago. Grazing here, too, simulates the actions of native buffalo herds of the past century. Cattle graze in short intense bursts, then the land rests. Even the owners are the same as in 1893 – well, the same family, just four generations later.

Owners Larry and Tom Goodson Cannon have been quietly making some major shifts in management that are both recapturing some of the best landscape elements of the past and boasting modern levels of productivity.

Larry and Tom use rotational grazing and have added 28 surface ponds to water both cattle and wildlife. All their riparian areas are in the Conservation Reserve Program and 7,000 native trees have been planted for stabilization and habitat. Fifteen food plots are maintained year-round with quality grain for turkey, quail, deer, and non-game species.

All crops are rotated (wheat-soybeans-sorghum-corn) and use no-till. The results: After 107 years of continuous cropping, the soil contains a high two percent organic matter and wheat yields between 1996 and 2001 increased from 32 bushels per acre to 54.

Tom says, “It’s all part of our active environmentalism. That’s not to be confused with environmental activism,” he adds with a chuckle.

NACD Quote: “I hear many producers preach a good sermon but fail to carry out their conservation plans…the Cannons practice what they preach (managing) wildlife habitat, vegetation and soil…” – Rick Jeans, President of Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Prescribed grazing (rotational); 2) conservation tillage (no-till) 3) crop rotation; 4) riparian forest buffer (7,000 native trees); 5) range plantings (perennial native grasses); 6) wildlife management (15 year-round food plots); 7) conservation education outreach; 8) prescribed burning; 9) water conservation; 10) pest management (weeds); and 11) 28 ponds added.

USDA Conservation Program Participation: NRCS Technical Assistance, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program.

Nebraska
Equal Opportunity Partnering Renews the Face of the Prairie
If you work with prairie restoration in Nebraska – in either the public or private sector – chances are you have worked with Michael Kelly to add a conservation practice or system somewhere on his 20,000 plus acres of owned and leased land in the southern Nebraska Sandhills.

The list of practices Kelly has tackled reads like a conservation catalogue for prairie ranching: Seven miles of cross fencing, 11 livestock water wells, 7500+ feet of livestock water pipeline, 12 new windmills, 19 livestock water tanks, 11,000 trees for livestock and wildlife windbreaks, rotational grazing.

Kelly and his wife, Cynthia, third generation owners of the ranch, have worked with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nature Conservancy, Sandhills Task Force, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Central Nebraska Public Power, among others.

Why so many organizations? Is this their unique way of meeting people, given the vast expanses of their ranch? Only partly, Kelly says. “Partnerships help me financially do things I couldn’t afford to do myself. Improving…forage production, restoring riparian areas along the North Platte and Birdwood Creek, enhancing wildlife habitat and protecting the water quality…are things I wanted to do…they are the right things to do,” he explains.

Their many partners agreed. In January the Kellys were chosen from among the many exemplary regional winners, as the national winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award.

Rancher’s Quote: “Because the native grasslands on our ranches have improved under our rotational grazing systems, we believe we provide ample proof, along with other sustainable producers, that properly managed livestock can benefit our native grasslands.” – Michael Kelly.

NRCS Quote: “Mr. Kelly has taken the time and put forth the effort to understand the natural resources on his ranch. …He is a committed life long learner willing to change with the times. He passes this ethic on to his children…frequently including them in opportunities to learn from resource professionals visiting the ranch.” – Jeffrey Nichols, Rangeland Management Specialist.

Conservation At-A-Glance: 1) Model of partnership and conservation outreach; 2) prescribed grazing (rotational); 3) windbreak plantings; 4) restoration of cottonwood savanna; 5) fencing; 6) watering facilities (wells, waterlines, and tanks); 7) 12 windmills; and 8) conservation easement.

NRCS Program Participation: NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.

Background Information
Partners: A partial list of the Partnerships that have made the work on these private farms and ranches possible includes: The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nature Conservancy, Conservation Districts, Society for Range Management, State of Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Ducks Unlimited, USDA Project Grass, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Sandhills Task Force, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, Georgia Forestry Commission, American Tree Farm System, University of Georgia, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Arizona Water Protection, and Arizona State University Cooperative Extension.

The Award: The Environmental Stewardship Award Program is held by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to recognize cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost-effective and contribute to environmental conservation. Applications are chosen by a committee of university faculty, Federal and State government agencies, conservation and environmental organizations. The program is sponsored by Dow AgroSciences.

Status of Farm Bill Rules

The One Year Anniversary of the 2002 Farm Bill –
May 13, 2003

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program
The AMA final rule was published in the Federal Register on April 9, 2003.
Contact: Dave Mason, Program Manager, at 202-720-1873, or david.mason@usda.gov.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Sign-up
The CRP general sign-up will be held from May 5 through May 30, 2003. The 2002 Farm Bill authorizes USDA to maintain CRP enrollment up to 39.2 million acres.
Contact: Malcolm Henning, Program Manager, at 202-720-1872, or malcom.henning@usda.gov

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

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

Farm and Ranchland Protection Program
Request for Proposals was published in the Federal Register on
April 3, 2003. Deadline for proposals is May 19, 2003. The Final Rule cleared and will be published in the Federal Register the week of May 12.
Contact: Denise Coleman, Program Manager, at 202-720-9476, or denise.coleman@usda.gov.

Technical Service Provider Assistance
An amendment to the TSP Interim Final Rule was published on
March 24, 2003. Comments on that amendment must be received by
June 30, 2003.

The TSP 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 meliss.hammond@usda.gov.

Wetlands Reserve Program
Draft program guidance was sent to States May 5, for use in this year’s sign-up.
Contact: Leslie Deavers, Natural Resource Manger, at 202-720-1067, or leslie.deavers@usda.gov.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
Draft program guidance was sent to States May 5, for use in this year’s sign-up.
Contact: Martha Joseph, Natural Resource Manager, at 202-720-7157, or martha.joseph@usda.gov.

Word from Washington

USDA Provides $53 million to Farmers and Ranchers in 17 States to Help with Drought Recovery
Secretary Ann M. Veneman recently announced that 17 states will receive $53 million to help farmers and ranchers implement technologies and practices to conserve water and mitigate the long-term impacts of drought.

“These funds will help farmers and ranchers improve areas impacted by drought by employing sound conservation practices,” said Veneman. “The USDA Drought Coordinating Council continues to monitor drought conditions to determine how resources can best be provided to those affected.”

This money is available from NRCS through the Ground and Surface Water Conservation (GSWC) provision of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill. States that receive these funds will provide cost-share and incentive payments to producers who undertake eligible water conservation activities, including irrigation improvements, conversion to less water intensive crops, and dryland farming

Funding is based on irrigated acres, surface water withdrawal measured in million gallons per day and groundwater withdrawal in million gallons per day.  Conservation measures implemented must result in a net savings in groundwater or surface water resources in the agricultural operation of the producer.  Net savings means a producer implements water conservation activities such as enhanced irrigation efficiencies, improved water storage measures, or dryland farming. A state-by-state list of 2003 GSWC funding follows.

EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that promotes environmental quality and assists producers to meet local, state and Federal regulations.  EQIP funds help farmers and ranchers reduce soil erosion, improve water use efficiencies and protect grazing land by installing conservation practices that protect natural resources.  EQIP funds nationwide can be used for water conservation purposes and to provide flexibility in addressing an array of environmental concerns.

For useful information on resources to address drought, visit http://disaster.usda.gov/. The new NRCS drought web site, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/highlights/drought.html, provides links to the U.S. Drought Monitor, National Drought Mitigation Center, and NRCS National Water and Climate Center.  The page also contains ideas on water, land and crop management to consider while creating a drought plan and tips for stretching lean water supplies.  Additional information on the 2002 Farm Bill can be found at http://www.usda.gov/farmbill.

By-State List of EQIP Ground and Surface Water Conservation 2003 Funding

Your contact is Mary Cressel, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-690-0547, or mary.cressel@usda.gov.

Preservation Groups Join Forces To Protect Civil War Battlefield
NRCS in Virginia is using Farmland Protection Program (FPP) funds to help preserve a farm that was site of an 1863 Civil War battle. The historic Payne’s Farm Battlefield in Orange County, Virginia, is still a working farm with cattle, hay and nursery operations.

NRCS is providing up to half the cost of a conservation easement on about 350 acres of the farm. The Piedmont Environmental Council will provide the other half of the funds and co-hold the easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The Meadows family – current owners of the farm – the National Park Service, and the Civil War Preservation Trust are also partners in protecting this historic site from development.

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration Lou Gallegos spoke about FPP and the 2002 Farm Bill Anniversary at a news conference at the battlefield last week. Three FPP grants were awarded last year for farmland that witnessed Civil War combat – at Fairfield, Pennsylvania; Kernstown, Virginia; and Payne’s Farm.
Your contacts are Denise Coleman, NRCS resource conservationist, at 202-72-9476, or denise.colman@usda.gov, and Sarah Bridges, NRCS cultural resources specialist, at 202-720-4912, or sarah.bridges@usda.gov.

Celebrate American Wetlands Month
Each May, thousands of individuals celebrate the uniqueness, beauty, and importance of wetlands. The theme of American Wetlands Month 2003 is Bogs, Playas, Pools: Protect America's Unique Wetlands. Wetlands can be as tiny as a small wet spot or puddle, or as large as the Everglades, and can be found in every State in the U.S. This celebration is an ideal time to emphasize programs and activities that support voluntary wetland restoration and protection.

During May, conservation districts, grassroots organizations, and government agencies join individuals and educators across the country to acknowledge the importance of this valuable natural resource and the role wetlands play in the health of our Nation. Discover more about wetlands activities on the NRCS wetlands website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/index.html#wetlands, or for more detailed information on NRCS wetlands research and programs, visit the Wetlands Sciences Institute website at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/WLI/, or the Wetlands Reserve Program website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.
Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-6794, or fred.jacobs@usda.gov.

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Twenty-four years ago, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution declaring the first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week as May 4-10, 1979. Eleven years later, in 1990, President George Bush extended the week into a month-long celebration. Two years after that, Public Law 102-450 designated May of each year Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific American month is Salute to Liberty. Secretary Ann M. Veneman provided remarks at a USDA National Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month opening ceremony that was held this week. Dr. Natwar M. Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia, was the keynote speaker at the event.
Your contact is Virginia C. Lewis, NRCS Acting Asian American/Pacific Islanders National Program Manager, at 301-504-2194.

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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