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| Friday, December 24, 1999 Washington, DC. |
Get Connected to Private Land Forums, Summit Info - Here's a list of products now available, and soon to be available, on the Private Land Forums held in October in Portland, Denver, Sacramento, Syracuse, and Atlanta, and the National Summit on Private Lands Conservation held this month in Ames, Iowa:
From the Forums
Speeches, "Preserving the Health of the Land" video presentation, news releases, and other items are available on http://www.nrcs.usda.gov through the "Major Meetings" hot button. On December 27, summaries of the individual forums and a combined summary of all of five forums will be available. Verbatim transcripts of the forums are available from Scott Hoag, NRCS Strategic Natural Resources Issues Staff, at scott.hoag@usda.gov and on (202)-690-4979, and from John Nordin, Forest Service Cooperative Forestry Staff, at jnordin/wq@fs.fed.us and on (202) 358-3551.
and from the National Summit
On December 27, Scott and John will have verbatim transcripts of the National Summit. On January 10, a summary of the National Summit on Private Land Conservation will be available at the above Web site. Starting January 25, a summary of written comments will be available on the Web site listed above. A Web version of the combined Forums and Summit summaries, including written comments, will be available February 4.
A Visit Wtih Ivan: Farmer Praises Performances of Dams - Nebraska State Conservationist Steve Chick submits this item that is based on a testimonial from Ivan Nord, a farmer in Valparaiso. Twenty-five years ago, Nord donated 10 acres of cropland and 4 acres of pasture land to provide sites for flood control structures in the Oak-Middle and North Oak Creeks Watershed Projects. Why did he do it? "The reason I am willing to participate in the watershed project," said Nord in 1974, "is because it will benefit the community and also help soil conservation that will benefit future generations."
What does he have to say about the structures a quarter of a century later? "All of the dams have served their purpose very well," Nord said in a recent telephone conversation with Chick. "[The towns of] Valparaiso and Raymond have never flooded since the dams were installed. The flood that occurred in the early '60s took out the railroad track, and the floodwater swept across the highway south of Valparaiso killing three people. Similar rains have occurred since the dams were built, but there has been no flood damage."
"It is great to hear a testimonial about how well our conservation practices have performed," said Chick. Your contact is Pat McGrane, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (402) 437-5328.
Symposium Grows Support for Native Grasses in East - Good words are still heard about the Second Eastern Native Grass Symposium held recently in Baltimore, Maryland, which highlighted the use of native grasses to support USDA programs in the Eastern U.S. A District Conservationist said the event made him proud to say that he works for NRCS. Others offered praises for its variety of speakers and attention to detail. Conference sponsors say the symposium's success is due to the diversity of professions and backgrounds of the attendees and presenters. Addressed were the roles native grasses play in protecting wildlife, water quality, and ecosystems. Other topics included invasive plants, erosion control, uses of buffer strips, restoration projects, and seed production. More than 300 persons attended the symposium, more than double the number at the first symposium held in 1997. Proceedings will be published and distributed in early spring 2000. Congratulations go out to the folks in the Plant Materials Program and everyone else who worked hard to make the symposium a success. Your contact is Gwen Meyer, Horticulturist, NRCS National Plant Materials Center, on (301) 504-8175.
WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Major Newspapers Cover Sprawl, Cite NRI Data - Readers of articles on urban sprawl in the December 16th "Christian Science Monitor" and December 21st "Cleveland Times-Dispatch" saw data from the recently released NRI. The "Monitor" article, which appeared on the front page, took a national perspective on the sprawl issue, while the "Times-Dispatch" piece blended national and local issues. Quoted extensively throughout the "Times-Dispatch" article was Carl Bouchard of NRCS NHQ's Resource Conservation and Community Development Division. Links to these newspapers are http://www.csmonitor.com and http://www.cleveland.com/news/pdnews/metro/c21land.ssf
FY2K Pay Scales, Per Diem Rates on Web - The FY2000 pay scales are on the Office of Personnel Management's Web site at http://www.opm.gov/oca/payrates/index.htm Per diem rates for travel within the Continental U.S. are now on the General Services Administration's Web site at http://www.policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/perdiem/travel.shtml
HONORS AND ACCOLADES
Two Take Texaas Awards for Education, Stewardship - Paul Ellinger and Charles Snowden were recognized by the Northeast Texas Chapter of the Texas Society of American Foresters for providing excellent educational experiences for students and their teachers and sharing knowledge of environmental stewardship. Paul, a Forester from NRCS' Marshall Field Office, and Charles, a Resource Conservationist from the Linden Field Office, shared their know-how and experience at a "Walk-in-the-Forest" event at which nearly 700 4th graders and 73 teachers and sponsors enjoyed "hands-on and heads-on" environmental experiences. Your contact is H. Harold Bryant, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (254) 742-9811.
NEW PUBLICATIONS
CNMP Fact Sheet Now Available - NRCS' Animal Husbandry and Clean Water Programs Division announces the release of a fact sheet featuring Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP). The easy-to-understand fact sheet combines a question-and-answer format with a special section that lists components that should be in a CNMP. To receive a copy by e-mail or fax, call (301) 504-2196. A Web version is expected to be up on the Division's Web site sometime in January.
Place Your Order for NRCS' New Soil Biology Pub - Call 1-888-LANDCARE or send an e-mail message to landcare@swcs.org to place your order for "Soil Biology Primer," NRCS' latest education publication. The pub offers farmers, ranchers, students, and teachers an introduction to soil and emphasizes its roles in agricultural productivity and protecting environmental quality. The pub was produced by NRCS' Soil Quality Institute (SQI) and the Conservation Technology Information Center, USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Ohio State University, and Oregon State University. Persons using the toll-free number should connect to Lori Benge. Mailings will be in early January. Supplies are extremely limited! A fact sheet on "Primer" is available in Portable Document Format on http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/survey/SQI/pdf/FSsbp99d2.pdf
20th Annual Ecological Farming Conference
All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to those individuals who have dedicated their lives to public service and, and through that service, have made invaluable contributions to our Nation's growth and prosperity.
-- Senator Paul Sarbanes, Maryland
Please send correspondence and material for "NRCS This Week" to the editor by: e-mail to: brad.fisher@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
If you are not a NRCS employee, you can receive NRCSTW on an e-mail by contacting: 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 Eleanor Roosevelt). 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" will continue to be 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, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and 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 or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Addresses and telephone numbers for NRCS' Civil Rights Staff are: NRCS Civil Rights Program Compliance Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5471, Beltsville, MD 20705-5471; phone: (301) 504-2287. NRCS Civil Rights Employment Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5472, Beltsville, MD 20705-5472; phone: (301) 504-2181.
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