November 14, 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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Focus on the Field

$1 Million Approved for West Virginia Watershed
Federal funding will allow NRCS to begin the final phase of a watershed project that began in the 1960s when residents and municipalities began brainstorming options to alleviate flooded areas, according to NRCS’s Dave Darnell. FULL STORY

EQIP Means Higher Yields and Improved Conservation on New Mexico Farm
With the help of NRCS technical assistance and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Clovis, New Mexico, farmers Joe and Geraldine Burford were recently in a Farmer-Stockman feature highlighting their success with grain sorghum, thanks to changes in irrigation practices system. FULL STORY

EQIP, TSP Protect Water Quality on Minnesota Animal Operation
Protecting water quality is a priority for Kent Dornink. The Preston, Minnesota, pork and beef producer is utilizing Environmental Quality Incentives Program dollars to install a grass waterway, close and replace two unpermitted manure storage basins and develop a manure management plan. FULL STORY

Progress Toward Two Million-Mile Buffer Goal
As of October 31, 2003, Iowa continued to lead all States in numbers of acres and contracts with 413,602 and 53,141, respectively. Illinois and Minnesota were second and third. FULL STORY

Three-State Committee Partners for Lake Michigan
State lines pose no obstacles to the Little Calumet/Galien Rivers Watershed Tri-State Committee for solving watershed issues affecting the southern end of Lake Michigan. The Tri-State Committee - when formed in 2001 - consisted of five soil and water conservation districts in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Today, the partnership list includes NRCS, RC&D councils, and State conservation agencies and continues to grow. FULL STORY

Ohio Soil Quality Training Fits "Perfectly with our Goal of Whole Farm Planning"
The Soil Quality Institute provided 39 Ohio Conservation Partnership employees with three days of soils training on November 4, 5, and 6.  Training included classroom presentations, field and lab instruction using newly acquired Soil Quality Kits and group exercises in conservation planning using soil quality principles. FULL STORY

First Tour des Farms A Big Success
On a crisp, overcast Saturday morning in October, over 70 enthusiastic individuals brought their curiosity and bicycles to South Glastonbury to participate in the First Annual Connecticut Tour des Farms. The purpose of the tour was to highlight the value and contributions that agriculture brings to Connecticut and its communities. FULL STORY

Word from Washington

NRCS Places Two Semifinalists for Innovations in American Government Awards
The NRCS PLANTS website and the Snow Survey and Water Supply forecasting program award applications have reached the semi-finalist competition level for the 17th annual Innovations in American Government Awards.  FULL STORY

NRCS Proposed Reorganization Web Page
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

Sedimentation Records That Document Conservation Accomplishments
The first Soil Erosion Service and Soil Conservation Service employees designed experiments to test the value of the early conservation practices.  The records are still valuable 60 years later to assess the continuing value of conservation practices to reduce erosion and sedimentation.  FULL STORY

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