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"Out of the long list of nature's gifts to man, none is perhaps so utterly
essential to human life as soil."
--From Soil Conservation by Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881-1960), first
chief and founder of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
NRCS NewsLinks
NRCS people, projects, and programs appeared this week in the
following newspapers:
National:
USDA Launches Farm Bill Web Site (GrainNet)
National:
USDA Launches Online Farm Bill Resource (Successful Farming Agriculture
Online)
National:
USDA Launches Farm Bill Web Site (AgWeb.com)
National: Seven
to be Honored at National Wetlands Awards Ceremony (Environmental News
Network)
National:
Programs to Review Manure Management (The Poultry and Egg News)
Arkansas:
Students Learn About Forest Resources (The Texarkana Gazette)
California:
Help Available for Farmers to Cut Dust Emissions (The Merced Sun-Star)
Idaho:
Muddy Waters on the Increase (AG Weekly Online)
Indiana:
Diesel Fuel Spill Costs Randolph County (The Star Press, Muncie)
Louisiana:
For the Birds: Project Aims to Preserve, Repair Grand Isle's Coastal Forests to
Serve Migratory Songbirds (The Times Picayune, New Orleans)
Minnesota:
Local Volunteers Honored by Conservation Service (The Cottonwood County
Citizen, Windom)
Montana: Beaver Creek Dam
Needs Help (The Havre Daily News)
New Mexico:
Funds Will Help Burn-area Residents Ready for Floods (The Alamagordo Daily
News)
South Dakota:
City of Melvin to Halt Storm Sewer Repairs (The Ocheyedan Press, Sioux
Falls)
Virginia:
NRCS State Technical Guide Notice (FedNet)
NRCS Drought & Snowpack News
Idaho: Fremont County Seeks Drought Declaration (The Rexburg Standard
Journal)
Idaho: Controversial Water Proposal Evaporates (Ag Weekly OnLine, Twin Falls)
Montana:
Reservoirs Expected to Refill (Daily Inter Lake)
Utah: Good Soaker Eludes Utah (The Salt Lake City Tribune)
(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 its 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).
Focus on the Field
New Regulation for Air Quality -- Effective this week, new San Joaquin
Valley Air Quality Control District (SJVAQCD) regulations will require farmers
going across an unpaved road more than 75 times a day to cut their emissions of
key dust particles by half. Counties affected by the regulation include Fresno,
Kern, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare. NRCS technical
assistance is available for farmers affected by the new air quality regulation.
John Beyer, air quality specialist for NRCS, says that a list of treatment
options is being developed that includes watering, road oils, salt-based
products, polymers, and other dust-reducing compounds. Farmers will work with
conservationists to develop an air quality plan for their roads based on these
options. SJVAQCD emphasizes that this rule will not affect on-field processes.
Rule 8081, passed last November by the Air District, follows research conducted
by the University of California, Davis, in cooperation with SJVAQCD. The
research showed that an average unpaved road experiencing 75 trips a day would
generate an annual average of approximately one ton of tiny dust particles known
as PM10. These are particles smaller than 10 microns, which typically remain
suspended and are suspected to cause respiratory and other health problems. The
list of treatment options available to the farmer, once implemented, will cut
those emissions by 50 percent. Your contact is Beth Sauerhaft, NRCS
ecological climatologist, at 202-720-8578.
Minnesota Earth Team Volunteers Recognized -- Ruth Heeren and Maxine
Walen were recently recognized by the staff at the NRCS Windom Field Office for
their 13-year service as Earth Team volunteers. Their contributions didn’t go
unnoticed and the two were featured in an article in the Cottonwood County
Citizen (see NRCS NewsLinks section in this edition of NRCS This Week). As of
December 2001, Walen had donated 1,155 hours of her time and Meeren 2,159. The
two volunteers have helped with record keeping for the Wetlands Reserve Program,
Conservation Reserve Program, and soil survey work. Heeren retired as office
manager of the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1985. After the sudden
death of her husband, she looked for areas where she could volunteer and feel
productive. Walen retired from the County Family Service Agency in 1988. She
wanted to keep active and enjoyed people so the NRCS field office was a natural.
“Everyone at the field office has enjoyed having both Ruth and Maxine at the
office,” said Gary Moreau, NRCS district conservationist. Your contact is Gary
Moreau, NRCS district conservationist, at 507-831-1153.
Soil Survey Symposium on the Web -- NRCS and University of Missouri soil
scientists recently hosted the 2002 Missouri Natural Resources Conference, “Soil
Information for Natural Resource Assessment and Management.” It consisted of
presentations by foresters, wildlife biologists, conservationists and soil
scientists from NRCS, University of Missouri, Missouri Department of
Conservation, and Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Symposium abstracts
and presentations are posted on the NRCS Missouri web site at:
http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/soils/soilsym/soils_sym.htm. Your contact is
Fred Young, NRCS soil scientist, at 573-876-0907.
Relief for Fire-Stricken New Mexico -- Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman
announced this week the release of $575,000 in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP)
Program financial and technical assistance to New Mexico to assist recovery
efforts resulting from recent wildfires. “While the Penasco Fire appears to be
completely contained, there is emergency need to protect the soils in the
affected watersheds,” Veneman said. “This watershed protection funding will
provide important resources to limit damages by building debris structures,
reseeding, and allow for other practices to slow runoff.” The purpose of the EWP
is to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of floodplain
easements to reduce runoff and prevent soil erosion. These measures safeguard
lives and property from floods, drought, fires, and other natural disasters that
impair watersheds.
Immediate attention is being given to the need for debris structures upstream
from Curtis Canyon Dam in the burned watershed. NRCS and U.S. Forest Service are
coordinating reseeding on private lands upstream from Lincoln National Forest.
Reseeding has urgency because the seed must be sown prior to rains, which tend
to seal over ash currently in the soil. Other watershed rehabilitation
activities in New Mexico include debris removal and cross-felling of trees along
the contours of hills to slow runoff. Your contact is Barbara Garrett, NRCS
public affairs specialist, at 505-761-4406.
Defensible Space Saves Homes from Wildfires -- Because he practiced what
he preached, Otero Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor and rancher
Rick Baish recently saved his home when the Peñasco wildfire torched 15,400
acres near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Over the past 6 years, Baish has built
"defensible space" improvements around his Wills Canyon mountain home that
include installing fireproof steel roofing, thinning trees on about four acres
around his house, and liberally watering the grass around his home to create a
green fire break. The idea of defensible space is taking hold in New Mexico
after the devastating 2000 fire season when the Cerro Grande Fire destroyed more
than 300 residences in Los Alamos, and the Scott Able Fire burned another 64
homes in the Sacramento Mountains. Defensible space is the creation of a
non-combustible zone around residential buildings so the area can be defended in
the event of a wildfire. This spring another two homes in the Sacramentos were
saved from the Kokopelli Fire due to defensible space. Your contact is
Barbara Garrett, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 505-761-4406.
Family Wins Land Stewardship and Development Award -- South Dakotan
Clarence Mortenson was one of seven individuals nationwide selected as a
recipient of the 2002 National Wetland Award. The award was presented to
Mortenson during a ceremony at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. The
award honors individuals for “exemplary contributions to the conservation and
restoration of the nation’s wetlands.” The Springview Ranch, covering more than
19,000 acres in Stanley County, is a third generation family operation owned by
Todd Mortenson, who purchased it from his father.
According to the Environmental Law Institute, “Mr. Mortenson and his sons have
been involved in ecological restoration on their South Dakota property for more
than 50 years, each year expanding their efforts. Their ranch now contains a
restored grassland and wetlands ecosystem and serves as an example for
conservation groups and agencies, university classes and other landowners.”
The North Central RC&D, sponsored a “319” (an EPA program involving broad-based
watershed planning activities) and a State-funded water quality project on the
Mortenson ranch to further assist in development, in addition to a public
information outreach effort involving tours and television documentaries. The
riparian areas have restored woody vegetation. Bottomlands have become
sub-irrigated and no longer have dense clay salt flats. Grassland production has
nearly doubled on the uplands, as well as the flats, and rare forbs are abundant
enough to allow for a native seed harvest business. The Mortensons also received
a word of praise from former NRCS Chief, Pearlie S. Reed, who described wetlands
restoration on the Springview Ranch “as an excellent example of voluntary
restoration and enhancement of wetlands that has benefited critical habitat for
fish and wildlife and provided immeasurable water quality benefits to society.”
Your contact is David Keith, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 605-352-1228.
New Symbolset for NRCS GIS Users -- NRCS GIS coordinator, Shandy Bittle,
in Wheatland, Wyoming has developed an NRCS symbolset for ArcGIS 8.1 users. The
NRCS symbol palettes include line and marker symbols for Soil and Natural
Resource mapping. There are 3 separate palettes: NRCS Planning, NRCS SSURGO, and
NRCS Adhoc. This new tool converts the symbols from the original NRCS symbol
extension that was developed for ArcView 3.x to the ArcGIS environment. All line
and marker symbols can be customized by size and color as the user needs. The
symbolset is available at http://arcscripts.esri.com/. In addition, Shandy has
developed a method for adding a center pivot digitizing tool to the ArcGIS 8.x
interface. This method is available at
http://www.wy.nrcs.usda.gov/wygis/gis2.html or
http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/gistraining/index.htm.
Your contact is Randy Wiggins, NRCS GIS coordinator, at 307-261-6451 or
randy.wiggins@wy.usda.gov.
National
National Water and Climate Center Breaks All Records -- The National
Water and Climate Center's (NWCC) web site is currently getting one million
customer information access visits or “hits,” per month - more than double the
amount of traffic for the same general period last year. The greatest increase
occurred during February and March, with 1,355,154 hits in the latter month
alone. The NWCC also reported 252,882 FTP file downloads for the month of March
- another a two-fold increase from last year. The NWCC web site provides water
supply forecasts for the Western U.S; data from the western snow survey; data
from the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN); climate data and information; and
water quality, hydrology, and water management technology. There is more web
activity in late winter and spring because of interest in water supply forecast
information. The severe drought conditions developing in many parts of the
country, however, likely contributed to the record-breaking interest in this
year’s data. Visit the National Water and Climate Center website at
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov. Your
contact is Bruce Newton, Acting Director, NRCS Water and Climate Center, at
503/414-3055.
Word from Washington
Draft Strategy Available for Comment -- The Estuary Restoration Act of
2000, Public Law 106-457 (the Act) directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(COE), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), and
USDA to develop a strategy to accomplish estuary habitat restoration through a
collaborative process to address the environmental pressures facing our Nation's
estuaries. The Act established an Estuary Habitat Restoration Council that has
developed the strategy through an interagency work group consisting of
representatives from the COE, NOAA, EPA, FWS and USDA. The strategy provides for
the use of Federal cost share assistance to promote implementation of
technically sound, cost-effective estuary habitat restoration projects, and also
encourages the use of innovative technologies. The goal of the strategy is to
restore one million acres of estuary habitat by 2010. The strategy was published
in the Federal Register on May 3, 2002 and has a 45-day comment period. Comments
must be submitted on or before Monday, June 17, 2002.
Your contact is Dave Mason, NRCS soil conservationist, at 202-720-1873, or
dave.mason@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 2002 is "Bogs, Playas, Pools: Protect America's
Unique Wetlands." A wetland can be as tiny as a small wet spot or puddle, or as
large as the Everglades, and one 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 and programs on
the NRCS wetlands website at
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.
What Can You Do to Help Preserve and Protect America's Wetlands?
Participate in Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability Workshops
-- Every
year, workshops are offered to volunteers, non-profit groups, government agency
staffs, and businesses across the country. Participants learn about wetland
ecology, functions and values, regulations and permits, and wetland monitoring.
Each workshop includes field time getting to know wetlands by examining
hydrology, plants, soil, and surrounding land uses. Call 800-284-4952 for
information about workshops, events, and conferences in your area.
Take Advantage of Wetland Technical and Networking Resources.
Take Advantage of Wetland Technical and Networking Resources -- The Izaak Walton League (IWLA) offers American Wetlands Month kits on the
Internet to help local groups initiate on-the-ground projects. The kits include
fact sheets on wetlands, project ideas, contact information, case studies of
projects from across the country, and links to many informative wetland sites.
You can download the kit from the IWLA's website at
http://www.iwla.org/sos/awm/awmkit.html. IWLA also provides technical and
networking assistance to anyone interested in working for wetlands. Call
800-284-4952, or e-mail awm@iwla.org, to get
more information. Save Our Streams (SOS) sells informative materials including
the Handbook for Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability and a video, "Wetland
Stewardship: A Call to Action." View these and other wetlands publications and
materials at
http://www.iwla.org/sos/handbook/index.htm. Your contact is Fred Jacobs,
NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-6790.
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month -- Twenty-three 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 "Unity in Freedom." Your contact is Virginia C. Lewis, NRCS Acting Asian
American/Pacific Islanders National Program Manager, at 301-504-2194.
Tech Tip
Pond Sealing Practice Revised -- Conservation Practice Standard 521C,
which covers bentonite treatment for pond sealing, was recently revised. The
Practice Standard recommends application rates for typical soils to be in the
range of 0.375 to 0.625 pounds per square foot for each 1-inch thick compacted
lift of treated soil. Less bentonite is needed for soils with some silt and
clay, such as ML or CL-ML classifications. More bentonite is needed for sands
with little silt or clay filler. The rates given in the practice standard are
used in the absence of laboratory tests, and are based on using finely ground
bentonite. If coarsely ground bentonite is to be used, or more precise
information on the amount of bentonite you should use for a particular site is
needed, laboratory tests may be desirable.
To learn more about how to submit samples to the National Soil Mechanics Center
laboratories, enter the following URL into your browser window:
http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/soilmech/pubs.html, and download the file "Role
of Soil Mechanics Center Laboratories in Design of Animal Waste Storage Ponds."
The laboratory can perform permeability tests for a range of bentonite
application rates and recommend the minimum application rate to obtain a desired
permeability. For some soils, as much as twice the amount of coarse bentonite is
needed compared to fine bentonite to achieve a given permeability. Be sure to
communicate to the testing laboratory which type of bentonite you want them to
use for your tests. Your contact is Steve Reinsch, Director, NRCS Soil Mechanics
Center, at 402-437-5337 or
sreinsch@nsmc.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.
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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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