July 26, 2002

"If people destroy something replaceable made by mankind, they are called vandals; if they destroy something irreplaceable made by Nature, they are called developers.”
 

Joseph Wood Krutch, (1893-1970) American amateur naturalist, conservationist, and writer.
 

Focus on the Field

Soil Climate Analysis Network Forum
NRCS and its Mississippi partners will host 2 SCAN (Soil Climate Analysis Network) forums titled, "Weather Impact on Agriculture." The forums will be held at the Delta Research Extension Center, in Stoneville, Mississippi, on August 14, from 1-2:00 p.m. and later that day at the Delta Research & Extension Center's Cotton Research Field Day from 8-10:00 p.m. The forum will highlight how SCAN weather stations generate products, solve problems for users, and a discussion of weather's impact on agriculture. NRCS partners co-hosting the forum include USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board, the Mississippi Delta Research and Extension Center, and the Meteor Communications Corporation.

Your contact is Bart Freeland, research associate, Mississippi State University Weather/GIS Data Center, at 662-686-3274 or weather@drec.msstate.edu www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan


Preserving New Hampshire Farmland
Through funding from the NRCS Farmland Protection Program (FPP) and the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT), 180-acres of some of the richest farmland in New Hampshire is now protected from development. Protection of this property was a high priority for the population of Lyme as it adjoins over 300-acres of conserved land, including a working dairy farm. The property also overlies the aquifer that supplies water to the village which maintains its historical flavor from hundreds of years ago. The preservation efforts also benefit the local agricultural economy. Amy Record, a dairy farmer next door to the preserve, has worked with NRCS on conservation practices for years and will be haying the property to supplement food for her herds. The owners of the protected land, Frank and Elaine Neal, have already restored the farmhouse and grounds and expect to have year-round use of the public trails on the land. More information on FPP and UVLT can be found at http://www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov/Programs/Farm%20Bill/FPP/fpp.htm and http://www.uvlt.org/. To view a 2-minute USDA video news release of this event, go to http://www.usda.gov/agency/oc/vtr/vnrframe.htm and click on Preserving New Hampshire Farmland.

Your contact is Laura Morton, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 603-868-9931 ext. 104 or lmorton@nh.nrcs.usda.gov


Bugging Canada Thistle to Death
Several years ago, NRCS Custer County, South Dakota, district conservationist Tom Warren noticed that the Canada thistle was fast becoming a troublesome exotic invasive weed and a serious threat to biological diversity in both natural and managed areas. As monitoring and control of exotic plant species are necessary tools in an integrated pest management program designed to protect natural ecosystems and maintain foraging areas, Tom started working on the problem. He chose insects as a solution as mechanical and chemical suppression methods that are often time-consuming, costly, and physically impossible to conduct in rough terrain or steep slopes. Initially, 500 Ceutorhynchs litura (a thistle stem mining weevil) and Urophora cardui (a thistle fly that lays eggs in the plant stem creating an energy-sapping gall) were released at 4 sites for at least 2 consecutive years to ensure establishment of a population.

In 1996, the program was expanded to 7 sites and through an Environmental Quality Incentives Program Education grant, a professional consultant was hired to assist with monitoring and to provide technical assistance. In 1997 and 1998, the program was expanded to 48 sites in six Black Hills counties, with 17 sites, covering more than 2,000-acres in Custer County alone. The treatment area continues to expand as the insects move out from their original release points to new Canada thistle infestations. Monitoring has revealed reductions in Canada thistle of 55 to 95 percent in 3- to 5-years at all sites that received biological control insect releases resulting in a corresponding increase in native vegetation.

Your contact is Tom Warren, NRCS district conservationist, at 605-673-4429.


Teachers Workshop
NRCS and the Pedernales Soil and Water Conservation District recently teamed-up to hold a conservation natural resources seminar for teachers at LBJ State Park, in Stonewall, Texas. Fifty-two teachers were given hands-on experience participating in rainfall simulator run-off erosion demonstrations, looking at Texas soils, and conducting evapo-transporation (evaporation of water from leaves and grass) experiments. Other topics covered eco-system concepts, the water cycle, and livestock conservation management. With help from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Forest Service, and the Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service, the workshop enabled teachers to not only teach natural resources conservation, but duplicate the hands-on demonstrations for their classes as well. Following completion of the workshop, teachers receive 16 hours of both Texas Professional Continuing Education credit and Environmental Education Advisory Committee credit.

Your contact is Charles Cowsert, NRCS rangeland management specialist, at 830-868-7237 ext. 3 or charles.cowsert@tx.usda.gov.

Word from Washington

NRCS/FSA All-Employee Teleconference
NRCS and FSA held a joint all-employee satellite video teleconference featuring FSA Administrator James Little and NRCS Chief Bruce Knight on Thursday, July 25. The discussion centered on NRCS and FSA cooperation in implementing the Conservation Title of the 2002 Farm Bill.  A webcast will be available soon at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/index.html.

Help for Fire and Drought-Damaged Wildlife Habitat
This week, Secretary Ann M. Veneman encouraged landowners whose property has been damaged or destroyed by fire or impacted by drought conditions to apply for assistance through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). “This program will provide assistance to landowners for habitat damage caused by fire and drought,” said Veneman. “We continue to examine every available program to help those who have suffered from disasters,” she added. Through WHIP, NRCS helps landowners who wish to improve wildlife habitat conditions on their property. By providing technical expertise and up to 75 percent of the cost of implementing habitat improvement practices, NRCS can help landowners who wish to help their lands recover from habitat damage. In the recently enacted 2002 Farm Bill, Congress authorized up to $15 million for WHIP in fiscal year 2002 and an additional $30 million for fiscal year 2003.

For more information about WHIP and other conservation programs, go to http://www.usda.gov/farmbill.


Emergency Relief for Montana and Nebraska
Secretary Ann M. Veneman announced the authorization of emergency haying and limited grazing this week for Water Bank Program (WBP) contract holders in drought-stricken Montana and Nebraska. “Livestock producers continue to experience severe drought conditions,” Veneman said. “We’ve provided similar emergency relief in North Dakota and South Dakota, and now we are announcing this emergency relief measure to provide immediate help for livestock producers in Montana and Nebraska as well.” Emergency haying on water bank areas in the two States will help producers feed cattle and other livestock. In addition, NRCS will also consider requests to amend producers’ conservation plans to allow for limited grazing where consistent with program purposes. These relief efforts will apply Statewide to WBP contracts consistent with the Secretary’s recent decision on Conservation Reserve Program acreage. The NRCS State conservationists for Montana and Nebraska, in consultation with the State Technical Committee in these States, will establish guidelines for emergency haying and approved grazing on WBP contracts. Haying is authorized until August 31, of this year or until disaster conditions no longer exist, whichever comes first. WBP contract payments will be reduced 25 percent to account for the areas hayed unless the hay is donated. Grazing requests will require a revision of the WBP contract. Payment reductions and other limitations may also apply. Livestock operators should submit applications to their local NRCS office.

Additional information on emergency farm loans is available from local USDA offices or online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/disaster/assistance1.htm.


National Rural Development Council (NRDC) Chair to NRCS
Smith Covey, NRCS National RC&D Liaison, was recently elected chair of the NRDC which brings together representatives of over 40 Federal agencies and national organizations to provide a rural perspective to Federal policy and program development. Covey will oversee NRDC coordination with over 40 State rural development councils involved in channeling information on the implications and impacts of Federal decision-making in rural communities across America. He will also coordinate the NRDC role in:

* identification of program duplication and gaps in service to rural areas,
* building collaboration and coordination among Federal-level rural initiatives and programs,
* providing input on potential consequences for rural communities during policy and regulation consultations with Federal agencies and Congress,
* resolving unintentional Federal policy or regulatory impediments to successful rural development efforts through a formal impediments process,
* providing a forum for the continuing dissemination of information on the status and condition of rural communities, and
* sustaining support at the Federal level for the efforts of the SRDCs.
Your contact is Smith Covey, NRCS National RC&D Liaison, at 202-720-0658 or smith.covey@usda.gov.

 

Tech Tip

Organic Industry Looks to NRCS for Help
NRCS staff from the Science and Technology Consortium (STC) recently exhibited the Customer Service Toolkit and other technical assistance products at the Organic Trade Association Conference and Trade Show in Austin, Texas. STC staff answered questions from organic producers who were particularly interested in how the new Farm Bill will impact them and how participation in conservation programs may be beneficial to their industry. NRCS STC staff explained about the agency’s increased awareness of the need to involve organic growers to ensure that practice standards and program rules don’t inadvertently exclude organic growers by specifying the use of chemicals or practices that are not allowed under organic rules. Organic producers predicted that in the future, NRCS field offices will be asked to serve organic growers by helping them apply conservation practices and develop conservation plans that are compatible with organic farm plans. Additionally, organic growers can provide models to demonstrate conservation practices that are capable of being applied to conventional agricultural operations.
Your contact is Ann Lewandowski, NRCS geographer, at 612-624-6765 or alewand@soils.umn.edu.

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

California: Delta Group Plans Conservation District (Record, Stockton)
Colorado: Mudslides Bury Vehicles (Gazette, Colorado Springs)
Colorado: Work Tedious But Essential (Daily Camera, Boulder)
Indiana: Conservation for Indiana Farmers Growing (Star Press, Muncie)
South Dakota: Baby Boomer Farmers Face Tough Choice: To Stay or Go (Argus Leader)


(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).

NRCS Drought, Fire, & Snowpack News

North Dakota: USDA Authorizes Emergency Relief for North Dakota, South Dakota (Farm and Ranch Guide)
North Dakota: NDSU Economist Highlights Emergency Haying and Grazing (AgNews Online)
Oklahoma: Funding to Help Control Flooding (Norman)
Texas: Assessment: Damage Worse than 98 (New Braunfels)

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