NRCS This Week - 01/12/01

News

Friday, January 12, 2001 Washington, DC.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

-- from Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (1929-1968) American civil rights leader

Focus on the Field

Arizona: Southwest Strategy Coordinates Historical Tribal/Federal Effort

Arkansas: Phase I of Large-Scale Irrigation Project Completed

Nebraska: Environmental Festival A Hit

New York: Plant Materials Workshop Held for Native American Nations

Awards and Accolades

Alabama NRCS Employees Honored at Tuskegee University

What's Up in Washington

USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2001

Tech Tips

Invasive Plant Species

USDA/NRCS 'NetNewsLinks:

NRCS National Water and Climate Center Snow-Precipitation Update for the West

NRCS Legislative Summaries

Also on the 'Net:

AGRICOLA: USDA's AGRICultural Online Access

e-Notes from NACD: Weekly news briefs from the National Association of Conservation Districts: http://www.nacdnet.org/eNotes/.

Conference & Training Connection!

See the alphabetical-by-subject list of upcoming events. See NEW! listings under Farmland Protection, Watersheds, and Range Management.

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

Southwest Strategy Coordinates Historical Tribal/Federal Effort - The Southwest Strategy partnership, consisting of the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Defense, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Arizona and New Mexico's governors' offices and tribal representatives, recently conducted an interdepartmental Tribal/Federal Relations training session hosted by the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona. The Southwest Strategy partnership, which sponsored the 4-day event, was created to protect and conserve the cultural and natural integrity of Arizona and New Mexico. The session brought together Federal government officials and tribal leaders in order to gain a better understanding of each other and develop tools to foster productive working relationships in the Southwest. Your contact is Gerry Gonzalez, NRCS Southwest Strategy Coordinator, at 602-280-8777.

Phase I of Large-Scale Irrigation Project Completed - The first phase of a joint-effort irrigation project among the NRCS, Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Ducks Unlimited, and Pope and Conway counties' Conservation Districts was recently dedicated at the Point Remove Wildlife Management Area near Blackwell, Arkansas. The project will help farmers irrigate more than 12,000 acres of cropland and enhance 6,000 acres of wetland habitat. The first phase of the project consisted of building a flume from the Arkansas River. The second phase involves getting the water to the farmlands. Participants estimate that, once completed, the project could greatly increase crop yields. Your contact is Creston Shrum, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, 501-301-3168.

Environmental Festival A Hit - More than 350 fourth grade students and teachers from area schools attended this year's seventh annual Environmental Festival held in Ord, Nebraska. The theme for the event was "The Many Uses of Water" and featured activities led by NRCS employees where the students learned about different types of irrigation systems while watching a working model of canal, furrow, and sprinkler irrigation systems. Students also learned about aquifers, groundwater pollution, and the journey of a water drop through the water cycle. Other agencies participating at the festival included the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Lower Loup Natural Resources District, Farm Service Agency, Bureau of Reclamation, North and Middle Loup Irrigation Districts, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Your contact is Bev Smedra, Ord Natural Resource Conservation District Secretary, at 308-728-3781, ext. 101.

Plant Materials Workshop Held for Native American Nations - The Big Flats Plant Materials Center (PMC) and New York Sea Grant hosted a plant materials workshop for Native American Nations at the PMC. Indian Nations from throughout New York State learned more about the Plant Materials Program, the New York Sea Grant Program, and the American Indian Agriculture Program at Cornell University. The participants toured the PMC, which highlighted conservation plants and field projects. After the tour, the group worked with sweetgrass, which is a culturally significant plant for Native Americans. Everyone had a hands-on experience of separating sweetgrass and potting up the plant divisions. They were then able to take these plants back to their tribal lands to establish propagation nurseries. For more information, contact Martin van der Grinten, NRCS Big Flats Plant Materials Center, at 607-562-8404 or martin.vandergrinten@ny.usda.gov

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Alabama NRCS Employees Honored at Tuskegee University - NRCS employees and partners were recently recognized for their accomplishments in assisting small farmers and helping build rural communities to improve the economic conditions and quality of life throughout Alabama. Miles Robinson of the Alabama Small Farm Rural Economic Development Center at Tuskegee University recently presented awards to NRCS employees Elijah Moore, Winfred Andrews, and Grant Maddox; RC&D Coordinators Mike Cornett and Roland Perry; and Miles Robinson, from Tuskegee University. Your contact is Joan Love Smith, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 334-887-4530.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON

USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2001 - USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum 2001 will take place February 22-23 in Arlington, Virginia. The Department has held yearly outlook meetings since 1923 to help farmers and others plan for the year ahead. This year's program will highlight prospects for agricultural and trade policies, as well as the farm and commodity outlook for 2001 and beyond. Attendees will receive a set of new long-term commodity projections, planned for release at the Forum. Program information is posted on the Forum home page at http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/agforum.htm. Your contact is Ted Kupelian, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 202-720-5776.

TECH TIPS

Invasive Plant Species - Invasive species should be a key factor in resource management and conservation planning. When providing technical assistance to our customers, we must consider both the harmful effects an introduced species may have on an ecosystem. Among these, we must evaluate the degree of potential invasiveness of a plant or animal.

Both native and exotic invasive species can out-compete and displace many non-invasive, desirable species. With such a strong competitive advantage, combined with few economic benefits associated with an invasive species, it becomes imperative that we carefully screen all species for invasiveness before recommending them for use in conservation practices. In addition, once a species has actually become invasive, we must take measures to recommending control and, where appropriate, eradication.

If you are uncertain about the invasive characteristics of a particular species, there are information sources at the agency, county, and State level. For example, many counties and States have weed boards/councils. These groups often compile lists of State or local noxious or invasive plants that will help you with their identification. NRCS's Plant Materials Centers' specialists routinely evaluate plants before they are incorporated into the agency's Field Office Technical Guide recommendation lists. They also develop or select plants that will satisfy agronomic and conservation needs without becoming invasive themselves. Other sources of information include the National Plant Data Center website that lists thousands of plants and has a section devoted to invasive species at http://plants.usda.gov or the Plant Materials website that contains an abundance of technical information on many plants at http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov.

Your contact is Beth Sauerhaft, NRCS Ecological Sciences Division, at beth.sauerhaft@usda.gov.

CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION

January 12, 2001

As a service to NRCS personnel and the agency's partners, "NRCS This Week" offers the following by-subject list of conferences and training sessions. To add an event, please send an e-mail message to fred.jacobs@usda.gov

AFO/CAFO

Agricultural Economics

Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural Outlook/Policy

Agroforestry/Forestry

Air Quality

Coastal Zone Management

NEW! Farmland Protection

Forestry
Geographic Information Systems

Global Climate Change
Grazing Land & Grassland

Invasive Plant Species

Irrigation Management

Locally Led Conservation

Mining & the Environment

Nutrient Management
Partnerships

NEW! Range Management

Rural History

Soil Science/Erosion Control

Water Quality

NEW! Watersheds

Wetlands

AFO/CAFO

Dairy Manure Systems: Equipment and Technology Selection

March 20-22

Rochester, New York

an educational

Dairy Manure Systems: Equipment and Technology Selection is a conference intended for farm managers and their advisors, soil and water conservation district staff, nutrient management consultants, cooperative extension educators, equipment distributors, university specialists, farm system designers and builders, and environmental professionals. It will examine technology and equipment selection for manure handling, treatment, land application, and odor control.. The conference will focus on a systems approach to planning. For more infomration call 607-255-7654 or visit the conference website at http://www.nraes.org/conferences/manure.html.

Agricultural Economics

American Agricultural Economics Associtaion Annual (AAEA) Meeting

August 5-8

Chicago, Illinois

AAEA seeks submission for posters, papers, organized symposia and free sessions for the 2001 annual meeting in Chicago. For more information, contact Nancy Herselius at 515-233-3202, or nancy@aaea.org or visit the meeting website at http://www.aaea.org/meetings/.