September 20, 2002

"The river with its mask of trees cut a twisting path down through the valley. Two miles away he could see, beside a gigantic lonely oak, the white speck of his tent pitched and left while he went to record his homestead. A long time he sat there…"this is mine," he said simply, and his eyes sparkled with tears and his brain was filled with wonder that this should be his. There was pity in him for the grass and the flowers; he felt that the trees were his children and the land his child. For a moment he seemed to float high in the air and to look down upon it. "It's mine," he said again, “and I must take care of it." 

 from To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck, American author.

Accolades

NRCS Soil Scientist Featured in National Geographic
Dr. Hari Eswaran, NRCS National Leader for World Soil Resources, contributed to an article appearing in the September 2002, issue of National Geographic. Dr. Eswaran provided information and illustrations on soil degradation and was quoted as stating that land degradation is “the root of all socioeconomic problems” in developing nations. The article is part of Hari’s contribution to the “The State of the Planet” – a global report card on the condition of the world’s natural resources which came a decade after his participation in a 1992 meeting in Brazil where representatives from more than 178 nations met to plan how to better protect the world’s resources.
 

Focus on the Field

New Streambank Erosion Protection Practice Piloted
NRCS employees recently pitched in to help install a first-of-its-kind riverbank protection practice in the Ninnescah River near Kingman, Kansas. The Dan Pace farm is the site of the pilot project where a series of bendway weirs were installed to redirect current away from the south bank of the river that has been subjected to excessive bank erosion that is damaging pastureland and threatens a bridge that crosses the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State Conservation Commission (SCC) are using a continuous berm machine to load sand into long sausage-like fabric rolls. The rolls, which may be cut to the required length and closed with staples, are lifted and placed in the river. An excavator is used to place and stack the rolls in pyramid fashion across the current next to the bank. Willow cuttings are then driven into the bank to aid in deflecting the current during high water. When the project is finished later in the summer, there will be 10 to 12 bendway weirs in place.
Your contact is Phil Balch, Kansas SCC, at 785-296-3000.

Because There’s a Lot (Still) Riding on Your Tires
Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) recently organized a tire re-cycling event at the Burt County Fairgrounds in Oakland, Nebraska. Residents from 27 surrounding counties loaded up more than 63 tons, or more than 2,800 tires onto 5 semi trucks. The scrap tires will be recycled into crumb rubber and used in industrial and recreational applications such as park benches, playground surfacing, and picnic tables. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality awarded the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District $8,000 from the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentives grant program for the scrap tire cleanup day. Local residents expressed appreciation for the collection as a means of re-cycling their old tires that otherwise might wind up on roadsides or in streams and other unauthorized dump sites. The Loess Hills RC&D plans to organize future tire collection events.
Your contact is Kent Neumann, NRCS RC&D coordinator, at 402-685-5175.

Cultural Resources Protocol Signed
NRCS and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI) recently signed a joint protocol establishing procedures that will ensure the identification and protection of tribal cultural resources in conjunction with NRCS activities. Leon Jones, Chief of the EBCI and the NRCS State conservationists from North Carolina and South Carolina, Mary Combs and Walter Douglas, signed the protocol in the tribal council chamber in Cherokee, North Carolina. Many NRCS practices require earth moving. During this process there is the potential to uncover or disturb artifacts and other items of cultural significance. The protocol helps to minimize possible damage and alert the Tribal Historical Preservation Office of possible significant findings.

NRCS has similar protocol agreements with the State historic preservation offices in North and South Carolina. NRCS has worked with the EBCI on a number of projects including identifying the Qualla Boundary as an Environmental Quality Incentives Program priority area. There also has been significant work done under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program to repair areas damaged by flooding.
Your contact is Jim Errente, NRCS cultural resources specialist, at 803-253-3937.


Watershed Inspection Team Receive Commendation
Through a joint effort by NRCS, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, local conservation district employees, and conservation district directors and board members, Oklahoma was among the first States in the Nation to complete a field review of all 2,098 small watershed upstream flood control structures in the State. Teams worked one week a month and completed the State's field reviews in less than a year. At a closing ceremony held recently, each member of the Oklahoma Watershed Inspection Team was presented with a Governor's Commendation for their efforts in completing the review in record time. Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating characterized the team’s efforts as "outstanding service to the State by making Oklahoma among the first in the Nation to complete field reviews of all small watershed upstream flood control structures."
Your contact is Terri Daniel, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 405-742-1244 or terri.daniel@ok.usda.gov.


More “Power” for Wildlife
NRCS conservationists recently provided technical assistance to Frank Berry, a wildlife enthusiast and former peach farmer from Edgefield, South Carolina to help him enroll 8.6 acres of his land into the Protecting Our Wildlife at Every Right-of-Way (P.O.W.E.R.) program. P.O.W.E.R. is a State-wide partnership sponsored by South Carolina’s Resource Conservation and Development Councils, power companies, and electric cooperatives program, designed to create and maintain wildlife habitat beneath electrical transmissions lines. Berry has nearly 9 acres of power line rights-of-way funded by South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) and Santee Cooper. To attract wildlife to these locations, several different plantings were placed beneath the rights-of-way such as sorghum and bi-color lespedeza which attract quail because they hold their seeds late into the fall. As a result of Berry's efforts, the quail population is making a comeback along with wild turkey and deer that are also beginning to populate the rights-of-way. Visit the P.O.W.E.R. for Wildlife program at http://pdrcd.tripod.com/PowWL.html.
Your contact is Sabrenna Bennett, NRCS public affairs intern, at 803-765-5419 or sabrenna.bennett@sc.usda.gov.
 

Word from Washington

National Water Monitoring Day
October 18, will be the 30th Anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act and also National Water Monitoring Day (NWMD). America’s Clean Water Foundation and its many partners are coordinating a National Water Monitoring Day to organize citizens around the country to conduct a Nationwide water-sampling event. For the first year, of what is planned to be an annual event, National Water Monitoring Day will focus on the four basic parameters of water monitoring – temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and clarity/turbidity.

Professional water monitoring agencies and organized volunteer monitoring organizations will monitor using their established monitoring protocols and equipment. Monitors can participate and sample water using an inexpensive National Water Monitoring Day test kit that has been specifically chosen for its simplicity and safety for first-time monitors. To order test kits, learn more about the National Water Monitoring Day, register monitoring locations, or find information on other Year of Clean Water events, visit the Year of Clean Water web site at http://www.yearofcleanwater.org.


Emergency Watershed Protection Program Funding Will Help States Hit by Natural Disasters
Secretary Veneman announced that $94 million will be released for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) in 36 States. “This program will provide assistance to help restore natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfires and other natural disasters,” Veneman said. “The Bush administration remains committed to providing the tools and resources for environmental stewardship to ensure that the land remains both healthy and productive,” she added.

NRCS provides technical and financial assistance through EWP where a potential threat to life or property exists as a result of natural disasters, including floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. EWP provides funding to local project sponsors for work that includes clearing debris from clogged waterways, restoring vegetation and stabilizing streambanks.

A list of EWP funds by State follows.

State/Funds                                 State/Funds
Alabama $ 1,480,750                   Alaska $ 655,500
Arizona $ 5,144,000                     Arkansas $ 225,000
California $ 7,168,000                  Colorado $13,061,664
Florida $ 570,000                         Georgia $ 90,000
Hawaii $ 297,000                         Indiana $ 450,000
Illinois $ 2,726,000                      Iowa $ 1,311,000
Kentucky $ 900,000                     Louisiana $ 70,650
Maryland $ 541,500                     Massachusetts $ 30,000
Michigan $ 1,159,855                   Minnesota $ 2,544,000
Missouri $ 2,250,000                    Mississippi $ 2,247,605
Nebraska $ 66,120                      Nevada $ 30,000
New Mexico $ 513,000                 North Dakota $ 225,000
Ohio $ 930,606                            Oklahoma $12,320,850
Oregon $ 900,000                        Puerto Rico $ 2,280,000
Tennessee $ 9,060,000                Texas $13,500,000
Utah $ 621,300                            Vermont $ 68,000
Virginia $ 1,528,360                     West Virginia $ 3,925,875
Wisconsin $ 67,500                      Wyoming $ 40,865

For more information, contact your local NRCS office or USDA Service Center, listed in the telephone book under U.S. Department of Agriculture, or on the Web at http://offices.usda.gov. You may visit the NRCS website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/ewp.html.


Secretary Veneman Announces the Availability of $10 Million in EQIP Funding to Drought-Stricken States
Secretary Veneman has announced the release of nearly $10 million in previously unallocated FY2002 funds for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). These funds will allow NRCS to continue to implement the program this fiscal year, as authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill. “The majority of these funds will be directed to States most severely impacted by the drought,” said Veneman. “This will provide assistance to help agricultural producers implement conservation practices in an effort to prevent further damage to natural resources resulting from the drought,” she added. EQIP is a voluntary conservation program that promotes environmental quality and assists producers to meet local, State and Federal regulations. Funds will help farmers and ranchers install conservation practices to reduce soil erosion, improve water use efficiencies, and protect grazing land.

EQIP funds made available in FY 2002 total $414 million. This includes the initial allocation of $187 million, plus $227 million from the 2002 Farm Bill. The $10 million announced today is targeted to help States where natural resources have been severely damaged by drought. The 2002 Farm Bill represents an unprecedented investment in conservation on America's private lands, nearly $13 billion over the next six years.

Additional information on EQIP and other conservation programs is on the Web at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/products.html. Information to deal with drought is available at http://drought.fsa.usda.gov/.

A list of funds by State follows:

State Funding                 State Funding
Arizona $903,000            California $31,000
Colorado $1,168,000       Kansas $560,000
Montana $992,000           Nebraska $1,088,000
New Mexico $1,011,000    North Dakota $967,000
Oklahoma $409,000         Oregon $39,000
South Dakota $794,000    Texas $234,000
Utah $1,064,000               Wyoming $642,000


USDA Releases $23 Million for Conservation Programs
Secretary Veneman has announced the availability of $323 million for the NRCS-administered Farmland Protection Program (FPP) and the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). These funds will allow NRCS to fully implement these programs in fiscal year 2002 as authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill. “These funds will help keep agricultural lands in production and they will help protect our country’s valuable wetland ecosystems,” Veneman said. Through FPP, $48 million will allow USDA to enter into agreements with States, tribes, local governments and nonprofit organizations – such as land trusts and land resource conservation councils – to protect productive farmland through the purchase of conservation easements. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the appraised fair market value of the conservation easement.

Through WRP, approximately $275 million will enable NRCS to enroll up to 250,000 acres into the program. Landowners who have already submitted WRP applications to the local NRCS office will be notified when funds are available for their projects. The goal of the program is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. Detailed information on these and other conservation programs authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill is available on the Web at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/products.html


Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
The theme for this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15, through October 15, is Strength in Unity, Faith, and Diversity. The month encompasses several historical events including Mexican Independence Day on September 16, and El Dia de la Raza, celebrated October 12.

Expanded to a month in 1989, the Hispanic heritage observance was initiated by the U.S. Congress as Hispanic Heritage Week to encourage Hispanic awareness among all U.S. citizens. The event has grown to a month-long opportunity for all Americans to learn more about Hispanic Americans’ contributions to our society as well as to pay tribute to America's distinctive diversity.
Your contact is J. Xavier Montoya, NRCS National Hispanic Emphasis Program Manager, at 301-504-2187.
 

Tech Tip

Ground Penetrating Radar Soil Suitability Map Developed
"A Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Soil Suitability Map of the Conterminous United States" has been developed and presented at two recent technical meetings by the NRCS National Soil Survey Center staff. The paper and poster describe the map development methodology and identify soil landscapes for the conterminous United States where GPR applications involving the upper meter of soil are likely to be successful. The map is based on field experience and soil attribute data contained in the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) databases. It is designed to provide field investigators with a broad overview of the dominant soil properties that affect radar signal attenuation and depth of penetration, and the relative effectiveness of GPR applications within broadly defined areas. A more detailed county example is also provided.

James Doolittle, research soil scientist, presented the poster and gave a keynote presentation on this work at the Ninth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar held in California. Many academics, geophysicists, geophysical consultants, and engineers attending expressed interest in the map. Geophysical scientists from the United States Geological Survey inquired if the Soil Survey Division could develop a map for the upper 2 meters of the soil. Specialists from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Defense expressed interest related to forensic and unexploded ordnance applications. Based on recommendations from this meeting, additional work was added for detailed mapping. A second poster was developed and presented at the 2002 International ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute or ArcInfo) User Conference, where it was awarded a blue ribbon in the "Best Cartographic Design - Single Map Product" category. The poster will be published in the 2003 ESRI Map Book. The final manuscript has been submitted for publication in a GPR 2002 Special Journal Issue.
http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/posters/index.htm#
The posters can be viewed at on the National Soil Survey Center Web site http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/posters/index.htm#, choose Soil Geophysics, or the 2002 ESRI Map Library Web site http://gallery.dcse.com/map_library/, use "search" for Map ID 20075.
Your contact is Sharon W. Waltman, NRCS soil scientist, at 402-437-4007 or sharon.waltman@nssc.nrcs.usda.gov
 

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