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| April 5, 2002 |
"From a national perspective, then, our land will be healthy not because of broad public policies and programs but because each landowner will make his or her own individual place healthy." -- America's Private Land: A Geography of Hope
NRCS people, projects, and programs appeared this week in the
following newspapers:
Colorado:
Snowpack Remains Well Below Average
(Glenwood Springs Post Independent)
Washington State:
Snowpack 25 Percent Above Average
(The Spokesman-Review, Spokane)
Louisiana:
Plan to Bag 400,000 Nutria Yearly Advances
(The Advocate, Baton Rouge)
North Dakota:
Windy Week Taxes North Dakota Farmers as
Topsoil Blows Away (The Grand Forks Herald)
Oregon:
Irrigators Can Save Money and Water
(The Baker City Herald)
Hawaii:
Irrigation Meeting to Discuss Waipio
(The Honolulu Advertiser)
Wyoming:
Storms boost snowpack above Shoshone River
(trib.com Information Services)
(NOTE: Links are tested at the time NRCS This Week is cleared. However,
by the time readers try the link, the story
may be off the server. In most cases readers can go to the paper's homepage
where they will be able to access the story through the paper's archives).
EQIP Ed Helps Horse Workshop -- Horse owners from San Mateo, California, participated in a recent horse keeping workshop by the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. NRCS district conservationist Rich Casale joined Michael Murphy from the Sonoma Horse Council in speaking at the workshop, and soil conservationist Kelli Camara helped with organizing the event. Participants learned pasture management, paddock drainage, erosion control, and manure management. As part of the workshop, participants received a copy of the recent publication, "Horse Keeping: A Guide to Land Management for Clean Water." Copies can be purchased from the Council of Bay Area Resource Conservation Districts by contacting Lisa Shanks, NRCS resource conservationist, at lisa.shanks@ca.usda.gov. Your contact is Jolene Lau, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 831-754-1595.Sonoma Horse Council
"Linking Across the Atlantic" Workshop -- Margie Faber, Assistant State Soil Scientist for NRCS in Connecticut, was the lead soils trainer at a recent Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program "Train the Trainer" workshop hosted by Howard University and Southern University in Washington, D.C. Part of an international environmental science and education program, GLOBE in the U.S. is an interagency effort led by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration. Faber, who is the only GLOBE trainer with NRCS, was a part of an international team of training participants from 18 historically black U.S. universities and colleges and 8 French-speaking African countries. The workshop goals were to teach the participants GLOBE science protocols and to develop links between African-American and African educators. The workshop participants will train local teachers, who will in turn train students in grades K-12. Soil data, including temperature, soil moisture, soil characterization, bulk density, and pH, are collected by students at nearly 10,000 schools in 97 countries and reported via the Internet. Other GLOBE students also measure hydrology, atmosphere, land cover, and phenology. For more information, visit the GLOBE website. Your contact is Margie Faber, NRCS, at 860-688-7725, ext. 115.
Wetlands Sites Help Struggling Species -- The NRCS Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is helping to increase Indiana's "species of special concern” like the northern leopard frog, western harvest mouse, or the plain pocket gopher, in the Kankakee Sands wetlands sites restored through the program. The site was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 1996, with the goal of restoring Kankakee Sands to a single grassland ecosystem, where until recently there existed only isolated fragments of native prairie. Of the 7,200 acres that make up the Kankakee Sands, 2,800 acres are in the WRP. This site is important for a number of reasons, but most significant is the increasing number of species from the State of Indiana Threatened, Endangered, Restricted, and Species of Special Concern categories observed on the property. The program is also helping to increase the numbers of Federal threatened and endangered species seen in WRP sites around the State. Your contact is Mike McGovern, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 317-290-3222 ext. 324.
Partnership Results in "Wild" Plan -- Marlys Christensen's love for wildlife led her to find a way to improve her land for wildlife in addition to improving her pastureland. To help meet those goals NRCS and other Federal and State conservation agencies partnered together to develop a conservation plan that best suited Christensen's needs. Marla Shelbourn, an NRCS range management specialist, developed a conservation plan that included a five pasture rotational grazing system and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission developed a wildlife habitat management plan. A combination of Federal and State funds provided through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), and the Nebraska WILD Program paid for cross fences, a tank and pipeline for the grazing system, and protection of the natural springs on the property. Cost share through WHIP enabled the Christensens to convert five acres of cropland into alfalfa and pubescent wheatgrass to attract wildlife and provide cool season grasses to lengthen the grazing season. An additional 100 acres will be seeded to warm season native grass next year. Your contact is Pat McGrane, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 402-437-5328 or pat.mcgrane@ne.usda.gov.
Nation’s First Pilot Dam Rehabilitation Project Completed -- The Nation’s first pilot dam rehabilitation project was recently completed through funding from the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. The dam, which replaced a weakening auxiliary spillway, will protect thousands of residents who live along New Mexico’s Santa Cruz River. The old earth-filled dam was originally built to reduce downstream flood and sediment damages from the arroyos de la Cusesta de los Vaqueros and de los Ajuelos caused by 100-year storm events. Both arroyos are tributaries to the Santa Cruz River. Residents of the watershed include apple and chili farmers; ranchers, many of whom work at neighboring Los Alamos National Laboratories; and those who enjoy rural life. Sixty-five percent of the project construction cost and technical assistance was provided through WRP Pilot Dam Rehabilitation appropriations, with the balance coming from the Santa Fe-Pojoaque Soil and Water Conservation District. Your contact is Barbara Garrett, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 505-761-4406.
Army Reservist Returns to NRCS -- When U.S. Army Colonel David Smith returned to his job with NRCS, fellow employees honored him with a surprise luncheon. Smith was called to active duty after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He is the Information Technology Leader for NRCS Virginia, and has been an Army Reservist for 32 years. Following the World Trade Center bombing, Smith reported to the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) Operations Center at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he served as Chief of the Command Operations Center. This single, worldwide center is responsible for all Department of Defense surface movements, including operational control of both active and Reserve MTMC units. MTMC manages surface transportation around the world to meet national security objectives in peace and war. Your contact is Pat Paul, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 804-287-1681.
"The Leader in You" Spring 2002 Series Continues -- The second installment of "The Leader in You" satellite broadcast training series, "Since Strangling STILL Isn't An Option: Managing Difficult People," is scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, at 1-3 p.m. ET. Sandra Crowe, a previous "Leader in You" presenter, has updated her popular program, "Since Strangling Isn't an Option," to reflect a changing workplace. This program provides participants with practical skills to achieve positive interpersonal relations with both customers and colleagues. Participants will learn to move through difficult situations with ease, power, strength, and confidence. Satellite broadcast coordinates and handout information will be provided as soon as they become available. The Leader in You satellite training program is sponsored by the NRCS Social Sciences Institute and the NRCS National Employee Development Center in cooperation with the National Conservation District Employees Association, the National Association of Conservation Districts, the National Association of State Conservation Agencies, and the Federal Training Network. For more information contact: Barbara Wallace, Social Sciences Institute, at 616-942-1503.
NRCS Launches New Web Site -- On Monday, April 8, NRCS unveiled its new web site, which is loaded with conservation information and valuable links. Veteran users of the site will see a new, modernized look. The updated web site provides easier access to information, smoother navigation within the site, and improved search capability. Material on the new site is easier to find because the Web pages are organized more clearly and the links on each page lead more directly to information users want. Quick links will be updated periodically to make it easy to find the most current conservation features. Material on the site is more accessible, with content meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Another improvement is increased security. This new technology will eventually move NRCS into the world of E-Commerce, where customers will be able to sign up for conservation programs from their home computers knowing their privacy is protected. Your contact is Terry Bish, NRCS Conservation Communications Staff Director, at 202-720-3210 or terry.bish@usda.gov.
New Exhibit for NRCS -- NRCS is unveiling a new national NRCS exhibit called "Agriculture and Conservation." The exhibit depicts the emerging challenges identified in the conservation chapter of the Secretary's Food and Agricultural Policy publication, water, energy, climate change, soil, wildlife, and urban/rural interface. The text on the exhibit reads, "The future of agriculture will be shaped largely by our response to growing expectations about agriculture's role in conservation." Your contact is Mary Cressel, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-690-0547.
Program Provides Soil Analyses,
Information, and Assistance -- The Soil Biology Program was
implemented by the National Soil Survey Center (NSSC) to develop an
understanding of the biological characteristics of soils, in order to eventually
develop soil interpretations. Along with climate, soil organisms and
microorganisms control the turnover rate of organic matter, playing an important
role in energy and nutrient cycling in soil systems.
National Soil Survey Center
To evaluate and measure the amount and rate of turnover of organic matter, the
Soil Biology Program analyzes the soil biological characteristics related to
fast, intermediate, and slow organic matter pools found in soils. Pool data are
useful in the study of carbon dynamics and macronutrient cycling, soil quality
determinations, understanding global climate change, long-term soil fertility
evaluation, and soil survey enhancement. The data can also help farmers,
ranchers, land use planners, conservationists, and other landowners assess the
effects of conservation management practices and erosion.
Initiated as a research program, the Soil Biology Program is now providing soil
analyses and assistance on a limited request basis to special projects around
the country. Eligible projects are selected in a review process from those
submitted at the State level through State soil scientists, major land resource
area offices, and State Conservationists.
Available soil analyses include organic carbon with enhanced accuracy through
gas chromatography; soil carbon to nitrogen ratios related to the composition of
plant and microbial communities; microbial biomass and activity, two labile
carbon fractions, and potential mineralizable nitrogen from microbial activity
for the fast pool; root biomass and particulate organic matter (POM >53 microns)
for the intermediate pool; and clay associated amorphous organic matter (C-Min
<53 microns) for the slow pool.
Also available for general use are fact sheets describing field methods for
determining soil fauna, root biomass, and total soil organic matter.
Information and educational materials available include "Basic Biological
Factors of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen," in poster or page-size handouts; fact
sheets about the Soil Biology Program; an "Implementation of Soil Biological
Analyses at the NRCS-NSSC Soil Survey Laboratory" poster; and an "Evaluation and
Interpretation of Soil Biological Data from Two Selected Sites" poster. Some of
the above, including posters, are also available on the NSSC web site, at
http://www.nssc.nrcs.usda.gov. Your contact is Carol Franks, NRCS
research soil scientist, at 402-437-5316 or <carol.franks@usda.gov>.
TECH TIP
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Established - The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is the outcome of a collaboration of nations around the world through the Convention on Biological Diversity to make biological information globally accessible to decision-makers and the public. The GBIF is an interoperable network of biodiversity databases and information technology tools that are in various phases of development. Users will be able to navigate the world’s vast quantities of biodiversity information, which can be used for national economic, environmental, and social benefits. A GBIF subcommittee for the Electronic Catalogue of Names of Known Organisms (also known as the Catalogue of Life) has formed a Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG). The STAG recently met in Sydney, Australia, to work on the Catalogue. Scott Peterson, National Plant Data Center Director, was a STAG participant. NRCS PLANTS http://plants.usda.gov and the Integrated Taxonomic Information System http://www.itis.usda.gov will function within this network. For more information, visit the GBIF Web site, at http://www.gbif.org/.
Your contact is Scott Peterson, Director, NRCS National Plant Data Center, at 225-775-6280 or scott.peterson@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.
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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