October 11, 2002

“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.


 

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