July 12, 2002

“Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) German physician, writer, theologian, and environmentalist
 

NRCS people, projects, and programs appeared this week in the following newspapers:

Indiana: State Readying to Join Program that Protects Farmland (Journal and Courier, Greater Lafayette) http://www.lafayettejc.com/news20020708/200207081local_news1026105379.shtml
National: Farm Bill Not a Budget Buster (Wallaces Farmer)
http://www.farmprogress.com/frmp/articleDetail/1,1494,9210+45,00.html
Nebraska: Funds for the Livestock Operators Protested (Journal Star, Lincoln) http://www.journalstar.com/nebraska.php?story_id=10853
Ohio: Ag Center Work is Back on Track (Tribune Chronicle, Warren) http://www.tribune-chronicle.com/news/story/07702002_new12.asp
Oklahoma: More Funding Promised in 2002 Farm Bill (Miami News-Record)
http://www.miaminewsrecord.com/miaminewsrecord/myarticles.asp?P=649519&S=320&PubID=10896&EC=0
Wisconsin: Highlanders Help Clear Brush (Telegraph Herald, Dubuque, Iowa) http://www.THonline.com/News/07072002/TriState/114982.htm
Colorado: Dry Run, Thankfully: Glenwood Flood Plan Initiated, but Rains Pass...This Time (Grand Junction Sentinel) http://www.gjsentinel.com/auto/feed/news/2002/07/06/1025929275.01415.6604.3117.html
Colorado: Forest Recovery Plan Racing Against Erosion Threat (Colorado Springs Gazette) http://www.gazette.com/stories/0706top2.php
Florida: NRCS Joins Nature Conservancy to Protect Florida Ranchlands
http://www.newszap.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2002/July/06-1141-news06.txt
Florida: Chinese Check How Our Gardens Grow (Palm Beach Post) http://www.gopbi.com/partners/pbpost/epaper/editions/today/business_d3d2b0e12625f001000f.html
Illinois: Provisions of New Farm Bill Topic of Broadcast (Pantagraph, Urbana) http://www.pantagraph.com/stories/070602/bus_20020706005.shtml
West Virginia: Officials Move to Reclaim McDowell Waterways (Bluefield Telegraph) http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4691377&BRD=2088&PAG=461&dept_id=346229&rfi=6
National: WHIP Funding May Be Easier to Get (Successful Farming) http://www.agriculture.com/default.sph/AgNews.class?FNC=sideBarMore__ANewsindex_html___48180


(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

“NRCS DC’s to the LZ, Please…”
When the State of Alaska transferred 14,128 acres of leased grazing land to the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the NRCS Homer Field Office faced the challenge of helping the six lease holders submit conservation grazing management plans to the borough by July 1. Although the Homer field office is located in the south central coastal region of the State, where the winters are relatively mild, NRCS district conservationist Mark Kinney and range management specialist Karin Sonnen had to fly by helicopter to each of the lease holder’s ranches to assess production, vegetation, slope, and other factors that effect grazing potential and help develop individual grazing plans. By working through the winter and spring in the State’s leading cattle producing region, the grazing management plans were finalized and submitted by the leaseholders to the Kenai Peninsula Borough for approval early this summer – well ahead of the deadline.
Your contact is Karin Sonnen, NRCS range conservationist, at 907-235-8177 or ksonnen@ak.nrcs.usda.gov.


Third Party Vendor Nutrient Management Training Held
NRCS recently teamed up with the University of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and the Arizona Department of Agriculture (ADA) to train employees and potential third party vendors in Nutrient Management Planning. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided funding support for the training. The day-long workshop was primarily designed to train vendors and operators to become certified nutrient management planning specialists for the development of nutrient management plans on animal feeding operations. Michael Somerville, NRCS State Conservationist, explained that the training is critical to help meet the expected demand for technical assistance from dairy and feedlot operators. "This partnership workshop is the first step for third party vendors and operators to become certified to develop nutrient management plans that meet NRCS standards and EPA requirements," Somerville said. The workshop was successfully completed by representatives from 6 consulting companies, 7 animal feeding operations, and employees of NRCS, ADEQ, ADA, and EPA. Some topics covered in the training included: principles of nutrient management; soil, plant, and nutrient sample analyses interpretations; and environmental considerations. An upcoming series of Best Management Practices planning workshops is scheduled for July 24, and August 14, at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center. These workshops are primarily targeted for dairy and feedlot operators, but others involved in planning animal waste management systems are encouraged to attend.
Your contact is Don Paulus, NRCS Assistant Arizona State Conservationist, at 602-280-8780.


Largest Streambank Stabilization Project in the U.S.
The Little Blue River in northeast Kansas will be the site for the largest streambank stabilization project in the U.S. The project, when completed, will have 30 project sites treating approximately seven miles of eroding streambanks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that the project, which is a partnership effort among NRCS, Kansas State Conservation Commission's (SCC), Farm Service Agency, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, county conservation districts, and Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service, will be the largest in the Nation. The work consists of shaping the streambank, installing rock bendway weirs in the stream channel, revegetating the shoreline with willow cuttings, and planting a 100-foot riparian forest buffer. The riparian forest buffers have been enrolled in the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program and the Kansas Water Quality Buffer Initiative Program. Phil Balch, SCC, developed and designed this project.
Your contact is Mary Shaffer, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 785-823-4571 or mary.shaffer@ks.nrcs.usda.gov.


NRCS Efficiency in Michigan EWP Work
The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program in Michigan's western upper peninsula was completed last week with 7 sites restored to pre-flood hydraulic conditions. The efficiency of the NRCS staff was not lost on the local communities, with several newspaper articles and a television news feature commenting on how quickly NRCS went to work. An Ironwood Daily Globe feature article noted that, "NRCS work began almost before flood waters receded" and "given the usual red tape involved in government projects, the $100,000 worth of emergency projects have moved ahead rapidly." A columnist in the same paper wrote "If you've had your eyes open for the past few weeks, you know that the speed and effectiveness with which government can respond is amazing" (referring to NRCS efforts). The NRCS EWP project staff can be credited with not only the nuts and bolts of the repairs, but also with making sure the press was aware of the great work being done.
Your contact is Chris Coulon, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 517-324-5244 or chris.coulon@mi.usda.gov.


Worst Year on Record for the Rio Grande
The NRCS National Water & Climate Center in Portland, Oregon, forecast hydrologists saw it coming – one of the worst years on record for Rio Grande snowpack run-off. Every January, NRCS forecasters start making water quantity predictions from the mountain snowpack each year. One of the forecast points is the Rio Grande near Del Norte, Colorado. This year’s forecast for April through September of 90,000 acre-feet, or 29 billion gallons of water, is the lowest since the USGS started collecting streamflow data at this gage in 1890. The previous record low runoff for this period was 155,700 acre-feet in 1977.
Additional run-off stats:
* Prior to 1977, the lowest was 231,200 acre-feet in 1940. The measured streamflow on June 21 was 143 cubic feet per second (cfs). The average stream flow for June 21 is 2,958 cfs.
* The Upper Rio Grande Basin in Colorado has only received 43 percent of its average precipitation since October 1.
* At the NRCS Wolf Creek Summit data collection (SNOTEL) site – where normally ten inches of precipitation occurs during this period – there has been virtually no precipitation since March 28. .
* The peak snow water equivalent (SWE) of the Wolf Creek Summit snowpack was 10.5 inches on May 1, of this year. The previous low peak SWE was 11.7 inches of water in 1977 – as contrasted with a maximum of 62.1 inches in May of 1979 and an average peak of 37.2 inches.
* Snow at the Wolf Creek Summit SNOTEL site melted out on May 25 this year, a full two months earlier than normal.
Although the economic impact of such a drought is serious, the advance warning provided by the NRCS Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program, in cooperation with the National Weather Service (NWS), has helped Colorado farmers, ranchers, and water managers avoid even greater losses.
Your contact is Tom Perkins, NRCS forecast hydrologist, at 503-414-3059 or tperkins@wcc.nrcs.usda.gov.
 

Accolades

First National Excellence in Conservation Award
NRCS presented its first national Excellence in Conservation Award this week to California rancher Al Poncia for his efforts to conserve, maintain, and improve the natural resources and environment on America’s private lands. “Mr. Poncia is an outstanding example of an agricultural producer who is committed to conserving the resources on his land and sharing his passion with other ranchers,” said Secretary Ann M. Veneman. “Through this special honor, we hope to encourage adoption of good conservation practices.” Poncia is a third-generation rancher and leader of conservation efforts in northern California. His grandfather started the northern Marin County ranch 100 years ago; today, it covers more than 700 acres. The ranch supports a small flock of sheep and a 200 head cow/calf operation. Poncia has adopted an integrated system of managing the pastureland on his ranch – protecting streams and adjacent land with culvert crossings, installing electric fences that can be reconfigured in response to changing conditions, planting native species on streambanks and carefully monitoring grazing to allow these areas to remain productive and protect them from over use. Poncia also is active in conservation education, conducting workshops on his ranch to promote the conservation of natural resources on private lands, working in partnership with the University of California Extension Service and the Marin County Resource Conservation District.

NRCS initiated the Excellence in Conservation Award earlier this year to recognize the voluntary contributions of nongovernmental individuals and groups to the conservation effort in such areas as technical assistance and other types of program delivery, technology transfer, outreach, or communications. Any non-governmental individual, group, tribe or organization is eligible. “We are presenting this award to honor the conservation successes that have been achieved through the work of private landowners and partners,” said NRCS Chief Bruce Knight, “and the visible results on America’s landscape.”
Your contact is Ted Kupelian, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-5776.


NRCS Employees Receive USDA Honor Awards
Secretary Ann M. Veneman today honored Department of Agriculture employees from across the Nation this week for exemplary service and achievements in the 56th Annual USDA Honor Awards Ceremony. “The Honor Awards celebrate the breadth and diversity of our department and also offer a good opportunity to showcase the important work we do in improving people’s lives,” said Veneman. “We are extremely proud of all USDA employees, particularly those being honored here today, for their teamwork and dedication to public service.”
 
The Honor Awards, presented each year, are the most prestigious awards given by USDA. This year’s 88 award winners represent outstanding service in many fields, including stewardship of natural resources, scientific research, disease control, environmental innovations, educational outreach, emergency response to disasters, food safety, farm and food program delivery, trade and export development, and rural economic development. USDA also honored employees who had performed individual acts of heroism and courage.

The following lists the NRCS award winners.
NRCS National Civil Rights Awards –
Group Award – LaBelle Field Office, LaBelle, Florida
Group Leader: Dan Rutledge
Group Members: Roel Herrera, Ismael Reyes, Rosa Reyes, Jorge Rodriguez, Barbara Tillis – For outstanding contributions in outreach and technical assistance to minority communities.
Individual Winner – Amalia Gomez, Grand Rapids, Michigan – For exceptional commitment in recruiting Earth Team volunteers and outreach to minority and other groups

NRCS Chief’s Workforce Diversity Awards
Manager – Patricia Leavenworth, Madison, Wisconsin – For exceptional leadership in the areas of program outreach by initiating program delivery to American Indian tribes, and creating the first Tribal Conservation Advisory Council in the North.
Non-Manager – Ralph E. Ware, Tucson, Arizona – For making many significant contributions to diversifying the workforce of NRCS, and establishing a natural resource scholarship program to provide hands-on experience for college students.

Category – Enhancing the Capacity of All Rural Residents, Communities, and Businesses to Prosper
Individual Winner: Kenneth E. Noonan, Lincoln, Nebraska – For extraordinary commitment and delivery of the Resource Conservation and Development Program, enhancing the capacity, prosperity, and quality of life for Nebraska’s rural residents, communities, and businesses.

Category – Heroism and Emergency Response
Group Winner – Klamath Basin Emergency Watershed Protection Program Multi-State Team, Portland, Oregon
Group Leader: Robert Graham
Group Members: Barbara L. Ammon, Ryan Bates, Erik H. Beardsley, Tom Bennett, Mike Blakeley, Linden A. Brooks, Donna Burcher, Mike Byrne, Ken Christensen, Theri Cleaver, Kevin A. Conroy, Max Corning, Charles Davis, Charles F. Diehl, David R. Dishman, John C. Earle, Sandra J. Higa, E. Martin Kerns, Richard J. King, Dennis E. Moore, Chris Mundy, Lee Porter, David R. Sanden, Randall S. Seelbrede, Shelley S. Tucker, William Ward, Rick Woodley, and Henry C. Wyman – For providing emergency drought relief to the citizens of the Klamath Basin by transforming more than 40,000 acres of dry and barren land into protected fields.

Category – Maintaining and Enhancing the Nation’s Natural Resources and Environment
Individual Winner – Linden A. Brooks, Red Bluff, California – For developing a model for natural resources conservation in California’s northern counties, resulting in new channels of cooperation and communication between Federal, State, local governments and the public.
Individual Winner – David P. Doss, Annapolis, Maryland – For outstanding leadership in implementing 10 Federal voluntary incentive based conservation programs, resulting in over $65 million of direct assistance to Maryland’s farmers, private landowners, and citizens.
Individual Winner – Patricia Leavenworth, Madison, Wisconsin – In recognition of increasing tribal participation in Federal conservation programs by 90 percent in Wisconsin, and setting a high standard for partnerships through implementation of several nationally recognized partnership endeavors.
Individual Winner – Michael A. McElhiney, Modesto, California – For leading and coordinating the protection of 5,000 acres, resulting in established wildlife corridors and habitats, flood alleviation, improved water quality and crop productions.
Group Winner – National Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative Steering Committee, Davis, Oklahoma
Group Leader: Bob Drake, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Group Members: Dr. C. Pat Bagley, Flavius Barker, Eunice Biel, James K. Brite Jr., Jack Cutshall, Art Darling, Ron Harnack, Aggie Helle, Peter Jackson, Gerald Jaeger, Richard Kjerstad, Jack Laurie, Jack Maddux, Bob McCan, John L. Merrill, Tim Munns, Frank Philp, Leonard N. Purdy, Gretchen Sammis, John Spain, Bill Tracy, Bill Tucker, and Joseph Wright – For significant contributions to improving grazing land management by providing technical assistance to conserve privately owned grazing lands.

Category – Operating an Efficient, Effective, and Discrimination-Free Organization
Individual Winner – Shirley A. Gammon, Palmer, Alaska – For excellence in developing and implementing a plan of operation, resulting in the Montana Natural Resources Conservation Service exceeding its conservation mission.
Group Winner – Integrated Accountability System Team, Washington, D.C.
Group Leader: Pearlie S. Reed
Group Members: Jack Carlson, Patricia Durana, Robert Ensor, Katherine C. Gugulis, Karen W. Karlinchak, Dan Lawson, Dale Miller, Wendall Oaks, Lane Price, Steven Probst, Ken Tootle, Jon Vrana, Dana York – For outstanding leadership and vision in creating an Integrated Accountability System that provides information for the efficient and effective management of agency resources and the delivery of agency programs.

NRCS Employees receiving USDA Honor Awards as part of an Interagency Group
Category – Heroism and Emergency Response
Group Winner – Homeland Security Emergency Support Team, Washington, D.C.
Group Member: Bradley S. Fisher – For unselfish performance of duty during a National Security Emergency to ensure the safety and emergency preparedness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United States of America.
Group Winner – USDA Crisis Response Group
Group Members: Jose Acevedo, Carlos Henning – For unselfish performance of duty during a National Security Emergency to ensure the safety and emergency preparedness of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


West Virginia Mows Down Competition at Grassland Contest
The Roane County FFA became the first West Virginia team to win the Mid-America Grassland Evaluation Contest recently held in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. "This is only the second year that West Virginia has sent a team to the contest,” said Gary Redden, NRCS grassland specialist and organizer of a State grassland contest held in Jackson's Mill last April. The West Virginia team, of Patrick McNutt, Nona Hunt, Kellen McNutt, Tye Ward, and coach Paul Cummings, outscored teams from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The goal of the contest is to educate students in the benefits, use and management of grasslands for livestock production and wildlife habitat. Participants are divided into 4 groups and rotated through soils interpretation, plant identification, grassland condition, and wildlife habitat competitions at 25-minute intervals. In addition, team member Patrick McNutt captured an award for highest scoring individual.
Your contact is Peg Reese, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 304-284-7547 or peg.reese@wv.usda.gov.

Word from Washington

Backyard Conservation Article Gets National Exposure
The NRCS feature story, “Your Home and Yard Can Be More Earth-Friendly,” has started appearing in small newspapers across the country – 116 newspapers with more than seven million readers, so far, according to the North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., which is tracking publication of the feature for NRCS. There have been 84 placements in the top 50 markets, including the New York City market – the Nation’s largest media market – The Dallas and San Diego markets, and 46 additional placements in the next 50 markets, including the Albuquerque, New Mexico, El Paso, Texas, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, markets. Placements should continue for the next few months.

The story is intended to stimulate public use of information available through the NRCS Backyard Conservation program and the FS Advanced Housing Research Center. The article is an extension of NRE’s “Conservation Where You Live” event in Madison, Wisconsin, for Earth Day 2002, which was attended by Secretary Veneman. View materials on Conservation Where You Live at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/conservationwhere.html.
Your contact is Richard Lindeborg, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720 4772.


USDA Service Centers On-line
Instead of driving to a USDA Service Center, farmers, ranchers, landowners, and other customers can now conduct business with NRCS and the other service center agencies on-line in a secure and protected environment. For certain services, customers will need to obtain a USDA Service Center Customer ID and password; however, other on-line services do not require an ID and password. Customers can subscribe to eNews at no cost and receive up-to-date information by e-mail; locate the nearest Service Center and view a map to the office; download video and audio webcasts, images, and forms; and submit forms on-line. More services will be available on-line soon.
Visit the site at http://www.sc.egov.usda.gov.
 

Tech Tip

Wildfire Feature on Plant Materials Web Site
From investigating burned-site rehabilitation strategies to evaluating species for fire-resistant plantings at the wildland-urban interface, the Plant Materials Program has played a key role in advancing wildfire-related plant science. Now you can access Plant Materials information in a special wildfire feature on the Program’s web site, http://Plant-Materials.nrcs.usda.gov/. Users can download publications by Plant Materials Centers and Specialists on wildfire recovery, seeding, and landscaping with fire-resistant plants.

The wildfire feature also contains a list of plant species suitable for revegetation, with links to plant guides and plant fact sheets detailing their use, establishment, and management. For users seeking additional information, the site references related web sites, including NRCS California Emergency Watershed Protection Fact Sheets, National Interagency Fire Center, and United States Fire Administration Fire Resources.
Your contact is John Englert, Manager, NRCS National Plant Materials Center, Beltsville, Maryland, at 301-504-8175 or John.Englert@md.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.

< NRCS This Week Archives