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| Friday, March 1, 2002 Washington, DC. |
"There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
FOCUS ON THE FIELD
S.K. "Worms" His Way into Compost -
More than 300 California third-graders got to see and touch live earthworms at work in healthy compost at Monterey County Agricultural Education's annual Farm Day. NRCS teamed with Melanie Bojanowski of the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County and Santa Cruz to present the benefits of reducing kitchen waste by using earthworms to speed its composting. The presentation included a discussion of fertilizer's impact on water quality and a before-and-after visual display on composting. By considering banana peels, coffee grinds, egg shells, and other products from the kitchen as natural fertilizers, students see how to do something beneficial for the environment by composting this type of waste. Other demonstrations included lettuce growing, irrigation, plant health, nutrition, organic farming, and live farm animals – including S.K. Worm.
Your contact is Jolene Lau, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 831-754-1595.
Trout Return to Norwalk River -
An NRCS-led partnership has paid off for both Connecticut's fish and watershed communities. Thanks largely to the partnership's fisheries habitat restoration work in the Norwalk River watershed – part of the Norwalk River Watershed Action Plan – the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT-DEP) has classified a section of the river as a wild trout management area (WTMA). NRCS, the CT-DEP Fisheries Division, and the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited enhanced the trout habitat by improving stream channel stability, creating refuge, and improving spawning substrate within the Norwalk River. Ed Vallerie of Trout Unlimited is excited about the WTMA classification. "Having this section of the River classified as a WTMA gives recognition to all of the work that went into the restoration projects and the Action Plan," Vallerie said. The partnership will next focus its efforts to provide passage for both resident and anadromous fish species of the Norwalk River through dam removal or fishway construction at the Flock Process Dam, the Merwin Meadows Dam, and the Cannondale Dam.
Your contact is Todd Bobowick, NRCS resource conservationist, at 860-626-8258.
Workshop Draws Landowners from States and U.S. Virgin Islands -
NRCS Chief Pearlie Reed recently participated at a 3-day agricultural education, outreach, and technology workshop held in Perry, Georgia. Nearly 200 farmers and Federal, State, and local agriculture and conservation specialists attended. Hosted by USDA, Alcorn State University, Fort Valley State University, Southern University and A&M College, and Tuskegee University, the conference theme was "Community-Based Approaches and New Technologies To Enhance Farming and Ranching Systems for Small and Limited Resource Farmers, Producer, Growers, Landowners and Ranchers." Workshops covered several topics including farm loans and grant programs, marketing, animal production, natural resources, farm safety, alternative enterprises, maximizing profits - through risk management, and producing perishable agricultural commodities. The Honorable Tommy Irvin, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, also participated.
Your contact is Mac Hayes, NRCS Assistant State Conservationist, at 706-546-2272.
Restoring Life to a Watershed -
The legacy of NRCS's first watershed demonstration project lives on in Coon Valley, Wisconsin, where trout streams are returning to a condition not seen for more than 150 years. In an article, "Restoring Life to a Watershed" appearing in February's Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine (see NewsLinks above), Jim Radke, NRCS district conservationist, noted that "It (Coon Valley) was a watershed destined to die. It was in terrible shape. From 1849 to the 1930s there were no conservation practices used and the soils were pretty well depleted." Now, with over a half century of conservation practices in place, there is no better place in the State to observe trout stream improvement than Coon Valley. Streams there have evolved into self-sustaining fisheries that not only draw anglers but also supply brood stock for the State's wild brown trout stocking program.
In addition to the improvement in water quality conditions, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fisheries crews have developed ways to add overhanging cover plants along streams to cool the water and further improve habitat for trout. A DNR fisheries, report documents a significant boost to the total number of stream miles clean enough to feed and support trout, with the biggest gain coming in Class I trout streams, those streams that can sustain native trout populations without any supplemental stocking.
Your contact is Barbara Jansen, NRCS Visual Information Specialist, at 608-276-8732 ext. 273.
WORD FROM WASHINGTON
Chief Reed's Remarks to the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture -
Mr. Chairman:
Thank you and members of the Committee for the opportunity to appear here before you today. With your permission, I would like to submit my written testimony for the record.
Mr. Chairman for the last 32 years – each day I come to work – I think about what is important and how the NRCS can get more conservation on the ground. Today, I would like to take advantage of this opportunity – briefly – to tell you what I believe is the most important investment you can make for private lands conservation.
That investment is in our conservation operations account. The conservation operations account underpins our entire national private lands conservation infrastructure! It leverages more than a billion dollars annually in State and local conservation investments. These investments are primarily with the local soil and water conservation districts. The partnership USDA has with conservation districts is a locally-led, integrated approach for voluntary private lands conservation. Also, this partnership provides safe passage for USDA employees into local communities, on farms and ranches, so they, in concert, with landowners, can practice the science and art of putting conservation practices on the ground.
Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to be here today. And again, thank you for the opportunity.
PEARLIE S. REED
February 27, 2002
Celebrate Women's History Month! -
The official theme for this year’s celebration is "Women Sustaining the American Spirit." Schools and communities will celebrate the month with special curriculum and events, and 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 the Feminist Majority website calendar at
http://www.feminist.org/calendar/Calendar.asp.
Your contact is Barbara Compton, NRCS National Federal Women's Program Manger, at 301-504-2183.
It's National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week! -
National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week 2002 (NIWAW III) was held in Washington, D.C., this week to focus national attention on the severe problems created by invasive weeds. The week's activities included a policy breakfast to brief NIWAW III participants on key national invasive weed issues, meetings with Federal agencies active in invasive weed management and control, a poster session for Federal policy makers showcasing invasive weed problems and innovative management strategies from the country's top practitioners and researchers, a Congressional briefing on top invasive weed issues and a reception announcing grant recipients from the "Pulling Together Initiative." NIWAW III is sponsored by the Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based coalition dedicated to increasing both Federal and public awareness of the problems and needs associated with invasive weeds. Visit the NIWAW website for more information at http://www.nawma.org/niwaw.htm.
Profiles in the History of the U.S. Soil Survey Published -
The Iowa State Press and NRCS have announced the publication of Profiles in the History of the U.S. Soil Survey. Douglas Helms, NRCS Senior Historian, led the effort as one of several activities to commemorate the Centennial of the Soil Survey, 1899-1999. Helms, Anne B. W. Effland of the Economic Research Service, and NRCS natural resource manager Patricia J. Durana, worked together to produce the final product of an effort that got underway during the 1999 Soil Survey Centennial Celebration. Helms and Durana edited the volume and authored several of the articles. Other authors are current and retired NRCS employees, as well as university professors. The book covers a broad range of historical subjects, such as the establishment of the soil survey, early leaders, work of the field soil scientist, contributions of the laboratories, interpretations, soil surveys in the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, and the opening of career opportunities in the soil science field to women and African-Americans. A limited number of copies were distributed to State offices and soil scientists. Additional copies can be purchased through the Iowa State Press website at http://store.yahoo.com/isupress/0813827590.html.
Your contact is Doug Helms, NRCS National Historian, at 202-720-3766, or <douglas.helms@usda.gov>.
Agriculture Outlook Forum 2002 Speeches Available Soon -
Speeches from USDA’s 2002 Outlook Forum, held last week, will be available after March 1. Industry leaders, analysts, and government officials discussed prospects and trends shaping agriculture’s future. Topics included the next Farm Bill, world trade talks, the impact of industry changes, and emerging environmental issues. Have speeches e-mailed to you or download them from the USDA Chief Economist website at http://www.usda.gov/oce/ by clicking on the Agricultural Outlook Forum 2002 link.
Your contact is Ted Kupelian, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-5776.
Lighthouse Resource Data Gateway -
The Lighthouse Resource Data Gateway is a web-based, single access point, digital data ordering and delivering system for geospatial resource data. Goals of the Gateway are to provide efficient and timely program delivery, better use and management of data resources, and improved products and services for the customer. Users can easily locate data that exist for selected geographic areas and receive the data via file transfer protocol (FTP) or CD formats compatible with commercial and USDA Service Center application software. The data sets served by the Gateway are outlined in the USDA Service Center Geographic Information System (GIS) Strategy. The public can also access the Gateway to find and retrieve data.
Primary geospatial themes available or planned for the Gateway and warehouse implementation include: soils, orthophoto mosaics and digital orthophoto quadrangles, digital raster graphs, demographics, governmental units, elevation, hydrography, cadastral, transportation, land cover/use, flood hazards, wetlands, and watershed boundaries. Important data sets already available through the Gateway include over 1,000 county orthophoto mosaics and almost 300 county digital raster graph (DRG) mosaics. DRG quadrangles are available for the Continental United States. Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) is available through the Gateway. SSURGO II data, which include the National Soil Information System (NASIS) download, are being added to the Gateway as the information becomes available from the Digitizing Centers.
A Java-enabled browser must be used to navigate through the geospatial data of the Gateway. Recommended browsers are Netscape 4.7 (or higher) and Internet Explorer 5.5 (or higher). Visit the Lighthouse Resource Data Gateway website at http://lighthouse.nrcs.usda.gov/gateway/gatewayhome.html.
Your contact is Steve Nechero, Geospatial Data Branch Leader, NRCS National Cartography and Geospatial Center, at 817-509-3366, or snechero@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov.
My Community, Our Earth -
Through "My Community, Our Earth – Geographic Learning for Sustainable Development" (MyCOE), selected secondary school and university students from around the world will use geographic tools and methods to learn how their communities can become healthier and more livable, how they can exist in greater harmony with the natural world, and how to plan for the future. MyCOE provides an opportunity for students to present their work to decision makers and professionals involved with sustainable development at international venues, including the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Resource materials will be made available to participating students and schools, both online at http://www.geography.org or through resource kits shipped to participants who request them. A network of mentors made up of professionals in related fields is also being developed to provide assistance to students or schools that would like to request special assistance. MyCOE is sponsored and coordinated by the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers, the United Nations Environment Program, and Environmental Systems Research Institute, in conjunction with the Inter-American Development Bank, the United States Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of State, ERDAS Corporation, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. To learn how to participate in the MyCOE project, visit http://www.geography.org/sustainable.
Your contact is Jeri Berc, NRCS natural resource manager, at 202-720-2534.
TECH TIP
The Critical First Step for Risk Management on Grazing Lands - Vegetation sampling is an important activity conducted by NRCS conservationists. These data are used in the conservation planning process to develop inventories, to monitor ecological change, and to provide data to make management decisions critical to the livestock producer’s operation and critical to the future of the natural resources. Vegetation data are also used for the development of ecological site descriptions, for assessing the condition of the resource, for obtaining data for hydrologic models, for studies of treatment effects, and for many other purposes.
Vegetation sampling is a critical part of the inventory step in the conservation planning process on grazing lands. The plant resources must be inventoried in order to determine if forage supply and animal demand are in balance. This is key to all grazing operations and is the first step that can be taken to manage risk. Without an accurate inventory of vegetation, there is risk to the economic well being of the farmer or rancher and risk of degradation of the natural resources. Conservation practices applied to the landscape will be ineffective without balance between the plant and animal resources.
All vegetation production and composition data collected by NRCS are to be based on weight measurements. Weight is the most meaningful expression of the productivity of a plant community or an individual species. It has a direct relationship to feed units for grazing animals that other measurements do not. To learn more about this concept, refer to Chapter 4 of the National Range and Pasture Handbook for the correct methodology for vegetation sampling.
Your contact is Larry D. Butler, Director, NRCS Grazing Lands Technology Institute, at 817-509-3220 or lbutler@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov.
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 (NHQ personnel should send their e-mail to: GW:"listproc@nrcs.usda.gov@i"). 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.
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