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"In our way of life with every decision we make, we always keep in mind the Seventh Generation of children to come When we walk upon Mother Earth, we always plant our feet carefully because we know that the faces of future generations are looking up at us from beneath the ground. We never forget them." - - from a 1993 Earth Day Pledge by Oren Lyons, Faith Keeper, Onondaga Nation
ACCOLADES International Programs Recognizes Northern Plains Region -
This year's NRCS International Programs Division award was presented to the Northern Plains Regional Office (NPRO) for their unselfish contributions which made it possible for NRCS to successfully participate in technical assistance efforts in Central America and around the world. NPRO supervisors and managers willingly released employees from their regular duties to take part in international assignments demonstrating a positive attitude toward international conservation which contributed to the image of NRCS as a world leader in conservation assistance. The agency's international accomplishments and success are, to a large degree, the result of this type of team spirit within NRCS. Each year, the NRCS International Programs Division recognizes a State, region, center, or institute for their support of NRCS's international program. Your contact is Jerry Hammond, Director, NRCS International Programs Division, at 202-720-5337 FOCUS ON THE FIELD Streamwalk Volunteers Honored -
Connecticut project coordinator Kathleen Johnson and the Pomperaug River watershed coalition held a volunteer appreciation day at the Bent of the River Audubon Center in Southbury, Connecticut. Earth Team volunteers were honored for their efforts on the Pomperaug and Nonnewaug Rivers streamwalk project. They were given a guided hike through the Audubon preserve, refreshments, and Earth Team T-shirts. Over the summer, volunteers conducted surveys and collected data on the conditions of the rivers. This information will be used to develop a priority list of sites to be restored by the coalition and its partners. For more information contact Carol Donzella, NRCS Community Planner, at 203-922-9350. Honoring The Past -
The Jimmy Carter Plant Materials Center in Americus, Georgia, is assisting the Georgia Tribe of the Eastern Cherokee with the re-establishment of Trail of Tears corn and beans. Tribal members will grow the traditional corn and beans to feed their families and to honor Cherokee People from Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee who carried these plant seeds during the long Trail of Tears relocation march. An estimated 4,000 Cherokees died - mostly children and the elderly - and endured extreme hardships during the relocation that occurred in 1836-38. Your contact is Larry J. Coburn, NRCS American Indian Special Emphasis Program Manager in Georgia and American Indian/Alaskan Native Employee Association Southeast Regional Representative, at 706-485-2341 ext. 3. Stroud Water Research Center Helps with NRCS Training -
During a recent training session, 26 NRCS employees from East Region recently learned about stream ecology and morphology, stream biotic community, and the importance of forested riparian buffers from Dr. Bernard Sweeney of the Stroud Water Research Center near Avondale, Pennsylvania. The group also participated in a stream walk around the center grounds to observe the effects of native and non-native woody vegetation on stream ecology. They also learned that micro-invertebrates depend on the leaves from forested riparian buffers next to the stream for food to survive. Most attendees agreed that the sessions were excellent and rated the training among the best they had experienced during their NRCS careers. Dr. Sweeney recently traveled to Washington to give a very successful presentation to Larry Clark, NRCS Deputy Chief for Science and Technology, and other headquarters staff. Dr. Sweeney is scheduled to give NRCS regional training this spring. Your contact is Stacy Mitchell, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 717-237-2208 or smitchell@pa.nrcs.usda.gov WORD FROM WASHINGTON Remarks by Mark Rey, Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment -
The following are excerpts from a recent Washington, DC, metropolitan area NRCS all-employee meeting. November is American Indian Heritage Month!In 1986, President Reagan designated November 23-30 as "American Indian Week." President Bush proclaimed the first National American Indian Heritage Month four years later. Since then, each U.S. President has proclaimed each November as "American Indian Heritage Month." Listed below are some websites that deal with American Indian history, knowledge, lifestyles, current events and tradition.
TECH TIP Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) in Utah -
GPR and EMI are two noninvasive geophysical tools recently used by NRCS soil scientists working in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in southern Utah. Jim Doolittle, NRCS Research Soil Scientist, and Dr. Janis Boettinger, Utah State University, provided valuable assistance and support to the NRCS soil scientists who identified the location and depth of lamellae, soft bedrock, or hard bedrock in a variety of locations using these methods. GPR and EMI were tested in a variety of geological materials for the purpose of identifying where they can be most appropriately used. NRCS uses these technologies to support soil, archaeological, agronomic, engineering, and geologic site assessments. GPR has also been used to estimate the taxonomic composition of soil map units, determine the depths to soil horizons, bedrock, water table, and geologic strata; and locate buried artifacts and natural hazards, as well as assess rates of sedimentation. Electromagnetic induction is used to chart the spatial variability of soil properties, locate buried artifacts, estimate areas of groundwater recharge or discharge, determine the presence and extent of seepage from animal waste holding ponds, and assist in selecting appropriate sites for the placement or sampling or monitoring devices. The new tools allow for more documentation of soils information in less time, improve quality control, and provide a more accurate concept of soil-landscape relationships in soil survey project work. 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.
You can receive NRCSTW via e-mail by sending an e-mail to: listproc@nrcs.usda.gov (NHQ personnel should send their e-mail to: GW:"listproc@nrcs.usda.gov@i"). Do not use a subject line and put the following in the body of the message: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Firstname Lastname (example: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Oren Lyons). To get help with other commands that are available at the "listproc@nrcs.usda.gov" address, send a message with no subject and the word HELP on a line by itself in the body of the message. "NRCS This Week" is posted on the NRCS Homepage.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. |
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