October 10, 2003

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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Message to State Conservationists

NRCS employees across the country can be proud of all the great things you did last year to help America’s farmers and ranchers.

Working out the details of implementing a new farm bill is never easy. It wasn’t easy in 1985 or 1990, when I was working at the Soil Conservation Service. And it hasn’t been easy this time around, either.

The year-end figures show that NRCS reached nearly all of its goals. Meeting number goals is good. But I’m more impressed that you met these goals at the same time you were adjusting to all the changes contained in the farm bill. And you also put a record amount of conservation funds to work during the year.

NRCS activities this year were marked by excellent fiscal management, providing more financial assistance at less overhead cost than expected. I plan to let Secretary Veneman know how proud I am to be working with NRCS during this historic time and how pleased I am with the progress NRCS is making in implementing the farm bill.

Mack Gray, Deputy Under Secretary
for Natural Resources and Environment
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Focus on the Field

NRCS Biomass Grant to Fund Development of Renewable Plastics
Low-cost, renewable-based plastics and biomass energy are closer to realization thanks to a $2 million award received by Metabolix, Incorporated, from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Department of Energy.  FULL STORY


Eleven Ohio Farms Selected for 2003 Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program
NRCS announced that 11 farms have been selected for the 2003 Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.  More than $2.3 million will be distributed to four Ohio farmland protection programs that submitted 10 applications to the program.  FULL STORY

Audubon and NRCS to Bring Conservation Home
The National Audubon Society and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will work together, engaging the public to improve the health and habitat value of backyards and neighborhoods across America.  FULL STORY


More Conservation Assistance Technical for South Carolina’s Landowners
NRCS recently signed a technical service provider memorandum of agreement with agencies and organizations that will provide NRCS with implementation and monitoring assistance related to Farm Bill conservation program activities.  FULL STORY

Conservation Buffer Job Sheets Updated, Now in Word Format
The series of conservation buffer job sheets that the National Conservation Buffer Initiative Technical Team developed and distributed to States several years ago has been updated and placed in an Microsoft Word format.  FULL STORY

Service Centers Go Gateway
The Agriculture Department has awarded a $24 million contract to Gateway, Inc., for PCs for the Common Computing Environment (CCE). Gateway will provide more than 26,000 computers to the service center agencies supported by the CCE.  FULL STORY

NRCS Web Farm Implements "Auto-Publish" Feature for Web Sites
As part of the Web Modernization process, the Web Farm is implementing a new auto-publish feature for NRCS News and Information Web sites that have received final approval to publish their Web sites updated in the "new look and feel."  FULL STORY

Second National Conference on Grazing Lands Scheduled
The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) will sponsor the Second National Conference on Grazing Lands, December 7-10, 2003, in Nashville, Tennessee.  GLCI's goal is to increase awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of private grazing lands among producers, land owners, and the public.  FULL STORY

Word from Washington

Draft National Animal Agriculture Conservation Framework Review Deadline Approaching

The 45-day public review period for the Draft National Animal Agriculture Conservation Framework will end on October 27, 2003.

On September 10, 2003, the Natural Resources Conservation Service released a notice in the Federal Register announcing the beginning of a 45-day public review and comment period on the draft National Animal Agriculture Conservation Framework (NAACF). The 45-day public review and comment period will end on October 27, 2003. This draft National Framework was developed using input from State Frameworks that were developed by NRCS Sate Conservationists, with input from their State Technical Committees and their Conservation Districts. Comments are being accepted from all sources that are interested in making this a blueprint for meeting the conservation needs of animal agriculture in the next ten to fifteen years.

The draft National Framework may be found on the NRCS Homepage. Written comments should be emailed to: angel.figueroa@usda.gov or mailed to Angel Figueroa at: Natural Resources Conservation Service, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Room 2-2284, Mail Stop 5473, Beltsville, MD 20705-5000.

Contact: Angel L. Figueroa, Natural Resources Specialist, e-mail: angel.figueroa@usda.gov, (301) 504-2225.

NRCS Exceeds Fiscal Year 2003 Competitive Sourcing Goal
NRCS has successfully competed approximately 25 percent of its commercial functions, exceeding the 15 percent goal established by the Office of Budget and Management for Fiscal Year 2003.  FULL STORY

Streamlining and Cost Saving Initiative
Chief Knight approved 25 recommendations that will result in significant improvements in NRCS operations. These improvements are the result of the recommendations developed from 1,363 suggestions submitted last June by employees in field, area, and State offices through the online suggestion system.  FULL STORY

NRCS Proposed Reorganization Web Page
NEW Q&AS! Get the latest official information about the proposed reorganization of NRCS.  PROPOSED REORG WEB PAGE

NRCS Legislative Summaries, Testimony, and Reports
Timely and accurate information from NRCS Legislative Affairs.

Tech Tip

RUSLE2: A Flexible Planning Tool
NRCS is implementing RUSLE2 across the country as the climate data, soils data, and management scenarios for crops, forages, and some grazing systems become available. The close working relationship between the RUSLE2 development team and NRCS users has resulted in a user interface that is well suited to NRCS conservation planning activities.  FULL STORY

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.