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“Today we renew that commitment, and we continue to work for an America where
individuals are celebrated for their abilities, not judged by their
disabilities.”
from a speech by President George W. Bush on the Commemoration of the 12th
Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act.
Accolades
Fish Story I
Two Massachusetts NRCS employees, Nancy Sheard and Carl Gustafson, have been
recognized by Coastal America for their role in a dam removal-stream restoration
project in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Every spring, alewife and blueback herring
travel 1.5 miles on their spawning run up the Town Brook which runs through
Plymouth. Over the past several decades however, their upstream spawning run has
been obstructed by the Billington Street dam. A joint effort by the
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the town of Plymouth has trapped
and trucked the fish around the obstacle. Nancy and Carl provided valuable
technical assistance and helped obtain Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program funds
for the elimination of the Billington Street dam – the first such removal in
Massachusetts to benefit anadromous fish passage. They received Coastal
America’s 2002 Spirit Award, along with fellow team members from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration, and State and local agencies for their efforts. The Spirit Award
recognizes projects which demonstrate “the Coastal America spirit of teamwork.”
Coastal America is a partnership of Federal agencies, State and local
governments, and private organizations. The partners work together to protect,
preserve, and restore the Nation's coasts.
Your contact is Wendi Kroll, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 413-253-4371, or
wendi.kroll@ma.usda.gov.
Focus on the Field
Watershed Conservation 101
The NRCS Lockeford, California, Plant Materials Center was the site for a
recent Watershed Stewardship Day where locals learned conservation practices to
keep the Mokelumne River clean, control the invasive weed Yellowstar thistle,
and use native grasses for erosion control. The San Joaquin County Resource
Conservation District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Lodi Woodbridge Wine
Grape Commission, California Native Grass Association, Reed & Graham, Inc., and
Kamprath Seed, Inc., teamed-up to provide demonstrations for homeowners on water
quality protection, soil erosion prevention, and wise land management practices.
Other presentations included restoring eroded streambanks with vegetative
plantings, assessing a watershed or a backyard, monitoring techniques for water
quality, improving water quality, best management practices for wine grapes, and
farmland protection.
Your contact is Amy Rocha, NRCS soil conservationist, at 209-946-6229, ext. 123.
EWP to the Rescue
NRCS in Indiana and the Morgan County Commissioner recently signed an
agreement to provide Federal funds for “urgent and compelling” storm clean up.
According to Jane Hardisty, NRCS State Conservationist, the work will protect
homes, businesses, and a historic bridge on old State Road 37 from being damaged
by flooding if a heavy rainfall were to occur. EWP funds are available to
communities damaged by floods, drought, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.
In this case, the biggest part of the job will be to remove downed trees and
debris from 1.6 mile stretch of Indian Creek that could pileup to form a dam and
block the flow of water if there is a heavy rainfall in the area. The signed
agreement commits more than $70,000 in EWP funds to cover 75 percent of the
estimated $95,000 needed to remove and dispose the storm debris.
Your contact is Mike McGovern, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 317-290-3222,
ext. 324, or
mmcgover@in.nrcs.usda.gov.
Fish Story II
When the New York City Soil Water County District (NYCSWCD) learned that
Inner City Oceans, Inc. (ICO) needed to dispose of 3,400 pounds of premium
quality Tilapia, district chair Eugenia Flatow knew she had her work cut out for
her. ICO, New York City’s first environmentally friendly fish farm, needed to
get rid of the fish to make repairs to its indoor re-circulating tank water
systems. After unsuccessful attempts to donate the fish to local Asian markets
or to a prison-operated, game dressing program, Eugenia got an enthusiastic
response from the Bronx, New York-based Food for Survival’s Point Food Bank.
Volunteers arrived at ICO at 3:00 a.m. to help load up the fish that Michael
Hecht from Food for Survival said would be distributed to many locations
throughout the city, providing a much-needed source of protein for needy
families who rely on the food bank for their staples.
Your contact is Eugenia Flatow, Chairperson, Manhattan NYCSWCD, at 212-431-9676.
Protecting Philadelphia’s Water at the Source
Cattle that grazed along the edge of the Little Lehigh Creek in Brookvue
Farms near Alburtis, Pennsylvania, eroding the streambank to the point where the
stream was spilling into the pasture. This posed water quality problems for
downstream communities, including Philadelphia. With the help of 13
environmental groups, government agencies and businesses, five Lehigh County
farms have new fences that are designed to keep their cattle, and thus animal
waste, out of streams.
Claudette Gilbert, a conservationist with the Lehigh and Northampton County
Conservation District, stressed the importance of fences around small streams.
Cattle waste sometimes interrupts the flow in the small tributaries, resulting
in less water in larger downstream waterways, she said. At Brookvue Farms, a
$34,000 project used logs and stones to deflect water back into the stream and
an electric fence to keep the cattle out of the water, resulting in a recovering
pasture and cleaner creek. ''We're pleased with it,'' farm co-owner Larry Moyer
said as 31 beef cattle grazed in a fenced pasture. ''It does keep the cattle out
of the stream, so it has worked extremely well.''
Christopher Crockett of Philadelphia's water department said his city's 1.5
million water customers also benefit from the program. ''The Lehigh River is the
largest tributary upstream to Philadelphia's water supply,'' he said. ''We want
to protect the small streams contributing to it to keep contaminants out of the
water, which we have to pay to remove.''
From a September 23, 2002, The Morning Call article by Elizabeth Bartolai, at
610-820-6554, or elizabeth.bartolai@mcall.com.
Students Compete in Land Judging and Range Use
Eighteen schools from central South Dakota recently competed in the Central
South Dakota high school land judging and range use competition in Wessington
Springs, SD. This competition was one of four involving FFA students in South
Dakota. Eight teams from the four competitions will earn the right to compete at
the national competition in Oklahoma next May. Schools were permitted 15
students per team, with the top four individual scorers from each school
competing collectively for a trip to the national competition.
The range use portion of the competition tested the student’s knowledge on areas
such as plant identification and stocking rates. A 50-square-foot area of
pasture was flagged, representing the entire pasture. Participants determined
the best strategy for utilizing the piece of land according to pre-set goals
indicated by the landowner. In addition to the flagged area, students had to
tackle the “plant identification line,” which was comprised of 20 different
species of plants. In the land judging competition, students analyzed soil
properties such as texture, depth, erosion, stoniness, runoff, permeability and
water table to determine “land capability units” of the soil.
The SD Section of Society for Range Management sponsors the four, Statewide FFA
competitions and the trip to Oklahoma. South Dakota has been involved in joint,
competitive land use and range judging competitions since about 1978.
Your contact is David Keith, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 605-352-1228 or
david.keith@sd.nrcs.usda.gov.
Word from Washington
Secretary Announces $1.5 Million for 1890’s Land Grant Institutions
Secretary Ann M. Veneman has announced the selection of eleven 1890s Land
Grant Institutions, Colleges and Universities to receive nearly $1.5 million in
business development assistance. These funds will provide outreach and technical
assistance in developing new businesses and employment opportunities in
underserved rural communities. “The selected institutions exemplify strength and
dedication to excellence,” said Veneman. “Through these cooperative agreements
we will continue to build on this partnership effort to bring new
entrepreneurial and employment opportunities to rural residents in underserved
areas,” she added. Colleges and universities selected include Tuskegee
University, Tuskegee, Alabama; University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Princess
Anne, Maryland; Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, Louisiana;
University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Fort Valley State University, Fort
Valley, Georgia; Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware; Prairie View A&M
University, Prairie View, Texas; Alcorn State University, Alcorn, Mississippi;
Langston University, Langston, Oklahoma; Tennessee State University, Nashville,
Tennessee; and South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina.
NRCS is continually developing strategies to most effectively utilize 1890
Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. The agency is continuously expanding and
strengthening relationships in order to increase research capacity and
contribute to technical and community assistance to the underserved and socially
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
Science and Agriculture Essay Contest Announced
Students in grades six through eight can gain national recognition in an
essay competition about science and agriculture. The Council for Agricultural
Science and Technology (CAST), in collaboration with USDA’s Cooperative State
Research, Education, and Extension Service and NRCS, is sponsoring the
“Boundless Science for Bountiful Agriculture” essay contest for sixth, seventh,
and eighth grade students across the Nation. The deadline for student essay
submission is November 1, 2002; the 500 word essays will be submitted online at
http://www.cast-science.org. Winners will be recognized at the school, congressional
district, State, and National levels. The national winner, with parents and
teacher, will receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., March 20-23,
2003 during National Agriculture Week in addition to a $3,000 savings bond.
Topics for the competition are available at
http://www.cast-science.org, along with
more detailed information about the contest and sponsoring organizations.
Your contact is Tamara Mitchell, CAST Essay Coordinator, at 202-675-8333 ext.
10.
Izaak Walton Needs You
In an effort to educate interested individuals about the importance of
wetland conservation, the Izaak Walton League is considering developing a
wetland toolkit designed to meet the needs of wetland educators. Before the
Izaak Walton League develops the kit, it would like to gather input on the tools
and resources you need to accomplish wetland educators’ outreach goals. The
League will consider developing the toolkit based upon the results of a new
on-line survey. Please take a few minutes to respond to the survey on the
League's Web site at http://www.iwla.org/sos/awm/#survey. If you would like to
participate in the survey but do not have web access, please call (800) BUG-IWLA
(284-4952) and ask for a hard copy of the survey.
Your contact is Leah Miller, American Wetlands Program Coordinator, Izaak Walton
League of America, Inc., at 301-548-0150, ext. 219, or
leah@iwla.org.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
The national theme for this year's National Disability Employment Awareness
Month is “New Freedom in the 21st Century.” President George W. Bush stated,
“Our Nation's annual observance of National Disability Employment Awareness
Month allows us to reflect upon, and consider the potential possessed by, the
millions of Americans with disabilities who currently serve in our workforce, as
well as those who are ready and willing to join the workforce.” To read White
House Executive Order 13078 on Increasing Employment of Adults With
Disabilities, go to
http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/cap/13078.htm.
In 1988, Congress expanded the national disability employment awareness
observance to a month-long kick-off for year-round programs that highlight the
abilities and skills of Americans with disabilities and changed its name to
National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Your contact is Terry Kirby, NRCS National Headquarters Disability Employment
Program Manager, at 202-720-8758, or terry.kirby@usda.gov.
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.
NRCS to Conduct Seminar for World Food Day
Dr. Hari Eswaran, NRCS National Leader, World Soil Resources will speak on
the Human Impact on Land Systems of the World in Washington D.C., at a seminar
on World Food Day, October 16, 2002, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., in the Jamie
L. Whitten Bldg., Room 107-A. World Food Day is observed in 150 countries each
October 16, which is the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations in 1945. The day is meant to increase
awareness of hunger and to promote year-round action to address it. For more
information about how you can get involved, visit the website at
www.worldfooddayusa.org or contact
Patricia Young, Project Coordinator, U.S. National Committee for World Food Day,
at 202-653-2404, or
patricia.young@fao.org.
Your contact is Paul Reich, NRCS geographer, at 202-690-0037 or
paul.reich@usda.gov.
Tech Tip
Network Diagram Method Evaluated for Cumulative Effects Analysis
The Watershed Science Institute (WSSI), in cooperation with NRCS Oregon and
NRCS National Headquarters, has been investigating and documenting a variety of
methodologies to guide planners through the beneficial or potentially adverse
cumulative effects of existing and planned actions. One of these methods,
network diagramming, was found to be particularly effective because it presents
a logical, visual “map” that can be used to display direct, indirect, and
cumulative effects of conservation activities. Network diagrams are also
especially useful in representing the complex relationships within ecological
systems and their responses to certain disturbances.
As a direct result of WSSI’s work with the NRCS Oregon staff in the Tillamook
Watershed Plan, the agency has increased its technical understanding of
cumulative effects analysis documentation methodologies. This became the basis
for the WSSI staff to lead, with other Agency specialists, the diagramming of
the effects of approximately 60 conservation practices, for use in the 2002 Farm
Bill Environmental Assessments. The WSSI is also exploring the use of network
diagramming as a modeling framework to document the scientific basis for and the
quantifiable effects of a number of conservation practices in a Northeastern
watershed dominated by dairy farming.
Your contact is Lyn Townsend, NRCS forest ecologist, at 503-414-3028, or
ltownsend@wcc.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.
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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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