June 21, 2002

"Man shapes himself through decisions that shape his environment." 

Rene Jules Dubos (1901-1982), American microbiologist and experimental pathologist

Focus on the Field

Interstate RC&D Promotes Education in Illinois and Iowa
The SMART (Sharp Minds Are Reading Thoroughly) Bus is a mobile literacy program started by Interstate Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) coordinator Mark Jackson, RC&D council member, Charles Curry, and volunteers who spent 500 hours converting an old donated bus into a rolling reading resource center.  Kicking-off its summer tour season, the SMART Bus rolled up to Alwood Elementary School in Alpha, Illinois, providing books to teach 250 students about the importance of conservation while encouraging the kids to read over the summer.  The Interstate RC&D program – funded through NRCS – provides multiple services to a 5-county area encompassing and area along the Illinois-Iowa border.  The Interstate RC&D bus provides free books to students and a one-on-one lesson on the environment, ecology, natural resources, and agriculture from local experts.  On this occasion, Alwood students gathered in the school gym to hear NRCS National RC&D Program Director, Joan Comanor, describe the SMART program as “the little magic edge to help you gain better reading skills by encouraging you to read while you learn about the importance of the environment.”  Lue Walters, NRCS Illinois RC&D Program Manager and Shannon Bumann, Alwood Elementary Principal also spoke.  The SMART Bus has won the Best New RC&D Project in the State of Illinois for FY 2001 the Regional Group Volunteer Earth Team Award, and FY 2001 National Group Volunteer Earth Team Award. 
Your contact is Mark Jackson, Interstate RC&D Coordinator, at 309-764-1486 ext. 4 or mark.jackson@il.usda.gov.   

Garden State NRCS Hits the Airways
NBC affiliate, MGM-TV, in southern New Jersey ran a news feature last week on the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) of lower Cape May.  NRCS resource conservationist Jim Wick, spoke about the WHIP program in general and the importance of the lower Cape May County area for wildlife habitat.  Two local WHIP participants spoke about their experience with the program.  Although lower Cape May County is a globally important stopover area for migratory birds and insects, over 40 percent of the landscape has been developed for housing.  In order to help protect and develop habitat on their property, homeowners in the area have been encouraged to apply for WHIP funding.
Contact: Irene Lieberman, public affairs specialist, at 732-246-1171 ext. 124 or irene.lieberman@nj.usda.gov. 

2002 Farm Bill Rollout Session Held
Joseph DelVecchio, NRCS New York State Conservationist and representatives from the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development met with NRCS district conservationists and other USDA managers for a day-long session in Syracuse to share information and hear and presentations by Farm Bill program leaders.  The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 which contains $13 billion for conservation on private lands over the next 6 years, represents the largest expansion of conservation programs in State’s history.  The record funding for environmental programs means New York farmers can expect at least $12 million in expanded, simplified and new programs under the bill’s conservation title.  For soil and water conservation districts; Federal, State, and local agencies; and private conservation groups, the new Farm Bill presents unique opportunities to blend and deliver programs to New York State landowners.
Your contact is Kathy Carpenter, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 315-477-6524 or kathy.carpenter@ny.usda.gov.

First Joint Envirothon Competition for North Dakota and Manitoba
The International Peace Garden, which straddles the U.S.-Canadian border, was the setting for the first joint Envirothon competition between North Dakota and Manitoba.  NRCS staff in North Dakota served in an advisory capacity and partnered with other Federal, State, and local agencies; natural resource focused organizations; and businesses to make this event possible.  Thirty-seven teams composed of 185 ninth- through twelfth-graders from North Dakota and Manitoba tested their knowledge of forestry, soils, aquatics, wildlife, and a current environmental issue, “introduced species and their effect on biodiversity,” as they walked three outdoor trails.  The students gave a 15-minute oral presentation on biodiversity issues to finish-up the competition.  Many months of planning and more than 100 volunteers helped make this competition a huge success and provided a unique opportunity for North Dakota and Manitoba students, teachers, advisors, and committee members to interact with one another.  Your contact is Arlene Deutscher, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 701-530-2099 or Arlene.deutscher@nd.usda.gov. 

East Regional Technology Workshop
The Stroud Water Research Center, located on the White Clay Creek just south of Philadelphia, was the setting for the recent NRCS East Regional Technology Workshop.  After a welcome from Pennsylvania State Conservationist, Robin Heard, attendees participated in sessions on the establishment and management of forested riparian buffers, the engineer’s role in stream corridor restoration, pathogens and the riparian corridor, composting, invasive species, odor mitigation, agro-forestry, and bio-security.  The group toured several forested riparian sites established in the last 10 years as well as a small watershed in the Stroud preserve that is being used for a long-term, non-point study of agricultural runoff.  As part of an NRCS watershed protection and flood prevention program project, watershed and research scientists from Stroud have been studying White Clay Creek for over 30 years. 
Your contact is Stacy Mitchell, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 717-237-2208 or smitchell@pa.nracs.usda.gov. 

Resource Rendezvous
NRCS and the Big Sandy and Sublette County conservation districts recently sponsored the Southwest Wyoming Resource Rendezvous – a two-day natural resources education event held in Rock Springs, Wyoming, where over 1,000 school children learned about monitoring the health and quality of local streams and rivers.  Kids donned waders and gloves, going into streams to better understand the role that conservation districts play in protecting water quality.  “THAT lives in the stream?” was the question of one wide-eyed attendee while viewing samples of macroinvertabrates that live in Wyoming streams.  How those macroinvertabrates provide clues about the health of a particular water body was one of several lessons during the event.  A mobile exhibit showed youngsters how vegetation, slope, flow, soils, geology, and human activity affect the way a stream functions within its watershed.  Kids also heard how the use of best management practices, such as buffer strips, water conservation, nutrient management, and prescribed grazing minimize negative impacts on rivers, streams, and lakes.  
Your contact is Nancy Atkinson, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 307-261-6482 or nancy.atkinso@wy.usda.gov.

Word from Washington

Ag Producers Can Apply for Farm Bill Programs Online
Beginning this week, the USDA will offer farmers, ranchers, and other customers the opportunity to fill out and submit forms electronically through the Internet.  The USDA NRCS, Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development are working together to provide customers convenient options to apply for loans and conservation programs.  With USDA’s new eGovernment capabilities, the nation’s agriculture producers will now have the opportunity to apply for new and existing Farm Bill programs online.  Through the use of a secure login, producers can apply to receive financial assistance for conservation practices that improve water quality, air quality, wildlife habitat, and prevent soil erosion.  “We’re making it easier for farmers and ranchers to put conservation on their land,” said NRCS Chief Bruce Knight.  “We’re streamlining the application process and giving producers the option of completing and submitting eForms from the convenience of their own homes and offices,” he added.  Once producers register for a secure login at their local USDA Service Center, they can submit eForms via the USDA’s website at http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

NRCS Klamath Basin Ombudsman Named
Roger L. Bensey, Director, NRCS Watersheds and Wetlands Division, has been selected by Chief Knight to be the ombudsman at headquarters for NRCS State activities in the Klamath Basin of Oregon and California.  He will help facilitate the assistance that NRCS State offices (in Oregon and California) are providing to farmers, ranchers, and conservation partners in the Basin.  This assistance includes EQIP plans being developed for landowners throughout the Basin to address water quantity and quality, wildlife habitat, and other resource concerns.  Soils information also is being updated for the Basin.
Your contact is Jack Frost, NRCS soil conservationist, at 202-720-9483 or jack.frost@usda.gov. 

It’s WRP Time Again!
Each year, NRCS offers college students with disabilities internship opportunities through the Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP).  WRP is a national program for businesses and the Federal government to identify, recruit, and hire qualified temporary and permanent employees with disabilities.  Program participants must be highly motivated post-secondary students or recent college graduates with disabilities.  Currently more than 1,800 WRP participants are qualified to participate.  NRCS in Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Oklahoma has hired students and National headquarters is considering hiring four who will be working with office automation, computer analysis, human resources, and cartography.  USDA has established an overall hiring goal of 50 students through the WRP.  NRCS human resource mangers, Denise Decker and Ginny White are enthusiastic about the program which allows hiring agencies to keep students through December of this year.
Your contact is Denise Decker, NRCS human resources manager, at 202-690-0648 or denise.decker@usda.gov.

One-day Wetlands Conference Scheduled
The New England Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists will host a one-day regional conference on Thursday, November 14, 2002, at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.  Papers will be presented by individuals who have conducted research or executed innovative projects in the fields of wetland ecology, management, restoration, policy, or other related areas.  Interested individuals are encouraged to submit an abstract (some of the data must have been collected and analyzed at the time of abstract submission) of no more than 350 words describing the topic of research and summarizing the major results.  Abstracts for submitted papers are due by August 1, 2002.  Presentations about plans for future research projects are not acceptable.  Indicate whether your presentation will be written, oral, or poster.  A poster session will be included only if there are sufficient papers submitted. 
For more conference information, updates, and a listing of papers submitted, go to http://www.sws.org/regional/newengland. 

Estuary Habitat Restoration Act (EHRA) Comment Period Extended
Comments for the EHRA draft strategy (published in the June 21, 2002, Federal Register) must be submitted on or before Monday, July 1, 2002.  The Estuary Restoration Act of 2000, (Public Law 106-457 directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 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 USACE, 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 1 million acres of estuary habitat by the year 2010.
Your contact is Dave Mason, NRCS soil conservationist, at 202-720-1873 or dave.mason@usda.gov.

Tech Tip

Sunn Hemp: A New Alternative for South Florida Producers
A study by the NRCS Plant Materials Center (PMC) in Brooksville, Florida, has concluded that sunn hemp seed can be a viable alternative cash crop for southern Florida growers.  Sunn hemp is an annual legume that suppresses some types of nematodes and can produce over 5,000 pounds of biomass and 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre within a few months.  Because of its potential use in alternative pest management systems and as a sustainable biological source of nitrogen, sunn hemp is a promising cover crop for rotation with vegetables throughout the Southeastern U.S.  Unfortunately, its use has been limited by the high seed cost – most is shipped from Hawaii as seed production requires a tropical climate.  Two years ago, the NRCS PMC in Brooksville initiated a study to determine which zones in Florida could most economically produce sunn hemp seed.  Seed was distributed to 15 growers throughout Florida and although many locations lost their crop to frost, sunn hemp stands in coastal counties below the 27th parallel consistently produced up to 370 pounds of seed per acre.  Growers in more southern areas, such as Homestead, obtained even higher yields. 
Your contact is Clarence Maura, Manager, NRCS Brookville Plant Materials Center, at 352-796-9600 or clarence.maura@fl.usda.gov.

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