NRCS This Week - 05/05/00

Former NRCS Chief to Resign as Iowa DNR Director - Paul Johnson, former chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will step down next week as director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Johnson told the "Des Moines Register" that he was lonely for his family and frustrated by lawmaker's refusal to act on some of Iowa's environmental problems. In his last months as resources department director, Johnson helped win approval for a $11.5 million clean-water initiative. "I miss not being with my wife each day," Johnson said in a message to co-workers. "I miss the sounds of our farm as it wakes each morning."

Hydric Soils Interactive Now on Web - Three hydric soil training modules produced by the University of Minnesota, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Wetland Science Institute, are now available on the Web. This product can be a stand-alone educational module or as a pre-course assignment for the NRCS-NEDC Hydric Soils for Wetland Delineation training. You can assess the on-line version at http://www.soils.umn.edu/hsi_web/ You will need to download the authorware plugin; information on how to do this is on the first page. The module works best if your monitor resolution is set to 1024 x 768. Files are large, so you will probably need a direct Internet connection. Your contact is Michael Whited, NRCS Wetland Science Institute, at Michael_Whited@fws.gov

PA Landowner Goes for Three with FIP - Gordon Flomar of Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, has just entered into his third Forestry Incentives Program (FIP) contract. Over the past 3 years, Gordon, with the help of his three sons Norman, Gordon Jr., and Christopher, implemented timber stand improvement practices, which he says he probably would not have been able to do without assistance of FIP.

The family's goal is to improve the timber stand and increase wildlife habitat. Gordon follows a Forest Stewardship Plan written by a private consulting forester. Practices implemented through the FIP program include the control of competitive and invasive species, spraying and thinning, and pre-commercial thinning in a pole stand. Gordon and his sons have performed numerous timber stand improvement practices on their own.

When asked what keeps him so driven to continue improving his woodland, Gordon gives a grin and says, "I just love to see stuff grow." Your contact is Robert Molleur, NRCS Resource Conservationist, National Headquarters, on 202-720-6521.

NRCS Videos are Showpieces in El Salvador - Videos produced for American farmers by NRCS Mississippi are on duty in El Salvador helping farmers deal with soil erosion and teaching them about nonpoint source pollution. The scripts for the videos were translated into Spanish and shown at community development meetings. Nearly 2,500 people have seen the videos. The videos traveled to El Salvador with Benjamin Thornton, the son of a Mississippi Rural Development employee, who went there as a Peace Corps volunteer. Your contact is Jeannine May, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (601) 965-4337.

NRCS Takes Editor Deep into Colorado Snow Survey - Mary Miller, NRCS Area Public Affairs Specialist in La Junta and the editor of the "Colorado Farmer-Stockman" headed off for the pass. The Cuchara Pass, that is, near Trinidad, where NRCS has a snow survey site. Mary showed editor Joan Waldoch how NRCS performs manual snow surveys and learned about the agency's SNOTEL technology. She agreed to write an article on NRCS' snow survey and water supply forecasting program for an upcoming issue of "Farmer-Stockman." The publication reaches Colorado farmers, ranchers, and other NRCS conservation partners. Your contact is Mary on (719) 384-5408.

NRCS Lends a Hand, and Shovel, to Neighborhood Celebration - Florida NRCS personnel and Earth Team volunteers recently helped neighborhood children create a neighborhood garden that produces vegetables for families who cannot afford to purchase them. Backyard conservation was also featured at Garden Celebration Day, which was organized by Gainesville's Neighborhood Nutrition Network. The group plans a network of neighborhood gardens. This is the first of many local gardens planned in partnership with NRCS. Your contact is Dorothy Staley, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (352) 338-9565.

WHIP Funded Project in Michigan to be Featured on NPR - Later this month, National Public Radio's "National Geographic Radio Expeditions" will feature two shows on morning edition regarding bat-friendly mine closures in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which were partially funded through WHIP funds and had NRCS technical assistance on design. The 8-1/2 minute shows will air nationally. Your contact is Christina Coulon, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (517) 324-5244.

Nebraska Wildlife Thirst for "Guzzlers" - Birds are wetting their whistles with them, and deer and antelope, too. Kent Matsutani, District Conservationist for NRCS Nebraska's Sidney Field Office, reports that rainwater catchment structures called "guzzlers" are keeping wildlife refreshed on CRP fields. "Old corrugated metal and hail bent drain gutters have been recycled in some cases. Most designs are simple and creative," said Kent. For more information on wildlife guzzlers, contact NRCS in Sidney at (308) 254-4507.

TECH TIP

Planning Criteria for Pilot Rehabilitation Projects - Recently, the National Reinvesting in America's Watersheds Workgroup discussed planning aspects for potential rehabilitation projects. The Workgroup developed draft criteria for the four pilot rehabilitation projects currently underway in Mississippi, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Mexico.

The draft criteria developed by the Workgroup covered scoping, problems and opportunities, alternatives, effects of alternatives, selected plan, and suggested reporting requirements. This information can be accessed electronically at <http://wmc.ar.nrcs.usda.gov/> under new items. This criteria is meant to be a first step in developing working guidelines for the rehabilitation program and eventually be included in the PL 83-566 Program.

The National Water Management Center (NWMC) is currently assisting a several states with watershed planning issues associated with PL 83-566 and other operational projects. Draft criteria may be helpful in addressing planning needs for rehabilitation of existing projects. Your contacts are Larry Caldwell, National Reinvesting Team Leader (405) 742-1254, and Mike Sullivan, Director, NWMC at (501) 210-8940.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Food Security in Africa - By Dr. Hari Eswaran, NRCS World Soil Resources National Leader

Food security is access to food by all persons at all times and a most important factor determining this is quality of land resources. In 1983, Africa imported about 28 million metric tons of grain and this increased to 31 million metric tons in 1993. A recent headline in the "Washington Post" is on the famine in Ethiopia. Malnutrition and food insecurity afflicts more than 35 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Is Africa doomed?

We wanted to answer the question, "Is there an adequate amount of good quality land in Africa to feed its people?" We looked only at the quality of land resources (ignoring the socioeconomic and political forces) to evaluate the potential. Our study shows that only about 8 percent of the total land area is under cultivation in Africa. There is about 3.4 million km2 of additional land that can be exploited without major impacts on environment. The average yield of grain is about 1.2 tons per hectare or 120 tons per km2. The implication is that if about 10 percent of this good quality land is used, an additional about 40 million tons of grain can be produced. Similar levels of production can also be accomplished by helping the farmers to move from low-input systems to a slightly improved system. If this can be accomplished, we can provide a good basis for a true partnership in global free trade.

To ensure food security and sustainability, African countries need assistance in:

Assessment and monitoring of the land resources to implement discriminatory land use policies;
Appropriate soil and water conservation programs in the context of productivity enhancing technologies; and
Mechanisms to deliver timely information and assistance to land users.

With the limited financial resources available, what they do not need is more research. If we have the will, we can put many African countries on the road to self-sufficiency in food production. We should not forget that the African continent is the last frontier for agriculture and with a wise land management policy, can become the bread-basket of the world. For more information contact hari.eswaran@usda.gov

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Iowa's Conservation Buffer Alliance Recognized with National Award - The Iowa Buffer Alliance has been named the recipient of the National Arbor Day Foundation's 2000 Project Award. Leroy Brown, NRCS State Conservationist and Chair of the State Technical Committee in Iowa, accepted the award on behalf of the alliance on April 29 at a ceremony at the foundation's Lied Conference Center in Nebraska City, Nebraska.

The combined marketing efforts of the public and private groups in the alliance, along with a mix of attractive incentive programs, led Iowa to become the leading State in buffers signed up under the USDA's CRP continuous signup program. Iowa farmers have signed up about 200,000 acres of buffers in the sign-up. About one in every four Iowa farmers has enrolled a buffer of some type in the continuous sign-up. Pheasants Forever, Trees Forever, County governments, FFA, State universities, farm organizations, farm media, private businesses, State conservation agencies, and others are playing key roles in pairing with USDA to establish buffers in the State at record rates. These groups formed the Iowa Buffer Alliance in 1997.

Key strategies of the groups in the alliance include:

Identification of farmers with land most applicable for buffers, with direct appeals in person to the landowners to apply the practices. This is supported by more than $200,000 in challenge grants administered by Pheasants Forever to hire people to talk to eligible farmers about the practices and guide them through establishment.
A Trees Forever initiative to establish 20 streamside buffer demonstration sites a year in Iowa over five years (60 demos established so far).
Local promotions, such as the effort to protect water in Lake Panorama that offers bonus monies for signup in the lake's watershed and enlists support from FFA, Pheasants Forever, the Lake Panorama Association, County Conservation Boards, agribusiness, and others.
Offers of significant airtime on farm radio and space in print media to promote the practices and programs, promotion by county governments of filter strips as economical maintenance measures for drainage ditches.
Research and training on riparian buffers by the Iowa State University Agro-ecology team.

Your contact is Lynn Betts, Public Affairs Specialist, on (515) 284-4262.

Three Receive EPA Silver Medals for AFO Efforts - Carole Jett, Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief for Programs, Kevin Brown, Ohio State Conservationist, and Joseph DelVecchio, Rhode Island State Conservationist, recently received the Silver Medal for Superior Service from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for their extraordinary work on the USDA-EPA Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations. The strategy establishes a balanced and coordinated environmental and agriculture policy and implements a key element of the President's Clean Water Action Plan. EPA Administrator Carol Browner presented the awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

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