NRCS This Week - 09/01/00

News

Friday, September 1, 2000 Washington, DC.

"We abuse the land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

-- Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), American Conservationist

Focus on the Field

Alabama: Backyard Conservation Contest-Bibb County, Alabama

California: California Field Office Conservationist Works with School Children

Indiana: Indiana Holds First Multi-Agency Diversity Training

Nebraska: NRCS Nebraska Employees Assist with Groundwater Study

Tennessee: Tennessee Hatchie River Action Team Gears Up

Texas: NRCS, Plus Cooperation, Times History, Equals Success

And This just in

Soil Survey Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) Signed

Awards & Accolades

Alaska Soil Scientist Receives National Recognition

Milwaukee's "Blue Ribbon" Publications

What's Up In Washington

New Report Will Detail Animal Agriculture and Manure Production

Secretary Glickman Declares Four Additional Texas Counties as Agricultural Disaster Areas

USDA/NRCS 'NetNewsLinks:

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

NRCS Legislative Summaries

Also on the 'Net:

NEW! Gulf of Mexico Program's homepage Two conservation education items developed by the NRCS public affairs staff in Temple, Texas received the most hits on the Gulf of Mexico Program's homepage. "What on Earth is Soil?" and "What on Earth do You Know About Water" were the top two items out of 30 listings.

Howdy Howdy Ag and Farm Search Engine: Surf this large database of categorized Ag sites

AGRICOLA: USDA's AGRICultural Online Access

e-Notes from NACD: Weekly news briefs from the National Association of Conservation Districts

National Interagency Fire Center

NEW! Ag Day - the nationally syndicated (200 stations) daily program - aired three stories this week on the NRCS snow survey. You can check out Ag Day program features at http://www.agday.com/.

Conference & Training Connection!

See the alphabetical-by-subject list of upcoming events.

See NEW! additions under under Soil Science and GIS.

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

Backyard Conservation Contest - Bibb County, Alabama - Thirty-six students recently competed in a Backyard Conservation Contest sponsored by the Bibb County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) with assistance from NRCS and the Tombigbee Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council. The contest was designed to instill in the students a desire to conserve natural resources and to make them familiar with assistance available from districts and NRCS. All contestants completed a written examination. The three students earning the highest scores were asked to create a backyard conservation project and a basic conservation plan outlining practices they would implement. Bibb County SWCD Supervisors judged the completed projects. The first place winner, who created a backyard fishpond showcasing numerous varieties of water plants, was awarded a computer, monitor, and printer. Your contact is Joan Love Smith at 334-887-4506 or joan.smith@al.usda.gov.

California Field Office Conservationist Works with School Children - Lamaia Hoffman, NRCS Salinas, California soil conservationist, recently took local school children on an Equity Leadership Program (ELP) outing. It was her seventh ELP outing as a field guide, reaching out to local kids encouraging them to explore the natural world around them. Through activities such as describing the soil, water, and air in the watershed, from the top of the watershed to the beach, the program encourages children to see their activities through the perspective of a natural resource management professional. "This effort was created to attract kids from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds to professions in forestry, natural resources, and agricultural sciences in the hope that they will create a more diverse human resource pool from which to draw," Hoffman said. "But by the fact that this is my seventh outing, it's obvious that I simply like working and being with the kids," she added. Your contact is Jolene Lau, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 831-754-1595 or jolene.lau@ca.usda.gov.

Indiana Holds First Multi-Agency Diversity Training - Indiana recently held its first multi-agency, "Celebrating Our Diversity" training for 800 participants. State and local conservation partners joined NRCS, Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, Risk Management Agency, and National Agricultural Statistics Service employees at three local high schools for the combined training event. Speakers encouraged participants to understand and respect all cultures, talents, and insights in order to enhance society as well as workplace diversity. A nationally recognized diversity consultant elaborated on diversity concepts. In addition to breakout sessions, presentations by local speakers, and a multicultural lunch, a drama team acted out common workplace situations employing audience interaction techniques. Participants expressed appreciation for the efforts that contributed to a successful seminar. Your contact is Mike McGovern at 317-290-3222 ext. 324 or mmcgover@in.nrcs.usda.gov

NRCS Nebraska Employees Assist with Groundwater Study - NRCS Irrigation Water Management Specialist Kevin Breece and student trainee Paul Woodward participated in a University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) graduate student research project last month. Staff from the UNL Geology Department, Central Platte Natural Resource Conservation District (NRD), and NRCS assisted with a study to find a relationship between a local stream's flow and groundwater levels. NRCS staff measured water table levels during the initial operation of a pump at one of the monitoring wells. Stream gauging tests were taken both upstream and downstream by the Central Platte NRD. Measurements will be ongoing. NRCS and the students hope to gain a better understanding of the relationship between ground and surfacewater and stream flow levels. Your contact is Pat McGrane, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 402-437-5328 or pat.mcgrane@ne.usda.gov.

Tennessee Hatchie River Action Team Gears Up - Erosion rates on cropland in West Tennessee are among the most serious in the Nation. While the soils are highly productive, they are also highly erodible. Tennessee NRCS recently joined with a group of individuals, organizations, and agencies to form a group called the Hatchie River Action Team (HRAT). The team plans to accelerate installation of measures and best management practices to alleviate erosion and siltation problems that plague the area. Numerous practices have already been implemented, and designs for two grade control structures on Richland Creek, which is a tributary to the Hatchie River, have been completed. Your contact is Richard West, NRCS Tennessee Assistant State Conservationist for Field Office Operations, at 901-668-0700, ext. 3.

NRCS, Plus Cooperation, Times History, Equals Success - Buddy Hodges was having a water problem every time that it rained in north central Texas. Years ago, before Lyndon Johnson became President, LBJ was farming the property next to Hodges'. After Johnson became President, his ranch became a National Historical Park and in the following years, grass in a waterway between the two ranches grew and collected silt. When it rained, water flowed into Hodges' field, breaking his terraces and causing erosion. Hodges and Edward Meier, Ranching Maintenance Supervisor for the National Park Service, got together and called in the NRCS Fredericksburg, Texas, field office. NRCS did a topographic survey of the field and the waterway, designed two diversion terraces, brought in a contractor, staked out the site, pitched in with plenty of "sweat equity" and drainage terraces were built. Once again, NRCS spells (or equals) success. Your contact is Harold Bryant, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 254-742-9811 or harold.bryant@tx.usda.gov.

AND THIS JUST IN. . .

Soil Survey Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) Signed - Alabama signed an agreement this week to commence soil survey updates on Anniston Army Depot and Redstone Arsenal and to start soil mapping in FY 2001. An MOU was also signed with Alabama A&M University to establish an MLRA Soil Survey Project Office on campus. The office will manage the updating of soil surveys in Alabama's Tennessee Valley area. Your contact is Julie Best at 334-887-4549 or julie.best@al.usda.gov.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Alaska Soil Scientist Receives National Recognition - Mark Clark, soil survey project leader at the NRCS Alaska State Office, in Anchorage, has been selected by the National Soil Survey staff as NRCS Soil Scientist of the Year. Nominations for this award are received from throughout the United States. Clark was recognized for his exemplary achievements in leading top quality resource inventories, his development and use of innovative field methodologies, his educational activities including professional papers and lectures, and his outstanding interaction with National Cooperative Soil Survey partners. Clark is currently project leader for the six-million-acre soil and natural resource survey of Denali National Park. Your contact is Joe Moore, NRCS Alaska, at 907-761-7700.

Milwaukee's "Blue Ribbon" Publications - Two publications produced through NRCS EQIP Education Assistance funds were recently selected as Blue Ribbon Winners at the 2000 American Society of Agricultural Engineers International Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The publications, "Manure Management Choices for Wisconsin Dairy and Beef Cattle Operations," and "Residue Management Choices: A Guide for Managing Crop Residues in Corn and Soybeans," were produced by NRCS and the Wisconsin Multi-agency Land and Water Education Team as part of a series on conservation choices for landowners. - Your contact is Renae Anderson, NRCS Public Affairs Specialist, at 608-276-8732 ext. 227 or randerso@wi.nrcs.usda.gov.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON

New Report Will Detail Animal Agriculture and Manure Production - A new report on animal agriculture and manure production will soon be released by NRCS. The report, written by Robert Kellogg, Resource Assessment Division, Charles Lander, Ecological Sciences Division, David Moffitt, National Water Management Center, Fort Worth, Texas, and Noel Gollehon, Economic Research Service, is entitled "Manure Nutrients Relative to the Capacity of Cropland and Pastureland to Assimilate Nutrients: Spatial and Temporal Trends for the U.S." Data from the Census of Agriculture were used to estimate livestock populations, quantities of manure produced, and land available for manure application. The analysis shows dramatic shifts in the size and type of livestock operations. As the structure of animal agriculture has shifted toward fewer but larger livestock operations, increased problems associated with the utilization and disposal of animal wastes have occurred. Your contact is Chuck Lander, NRCS Ecological Sciences Division, at 202-690-0249.

Secretary Glickman Declares Four Additional Texas Counties as Agricultural Disaster Areas - After touring drought-stricken farms in Texas this week, Secretary Glickman designated Howard, Reeves, Val Verde, and Wise counties as primary agricultural disaster areas making all qualified family-sized farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency. Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are the following 20 counties: Borden, Cooke, Crockett, Dawson, Denton, Edwards, Glasscock, Jack, Jeff Davis, Kinney, Martin, Mitchell, Montague, Parker, Pecos, Scurry, Sterling, Sutton, Tarrant, and Terrell. In recent months, the Secretary has declared 153 Texas counties agricultural disaster areas. For more information, visit the USDA website at http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2000/08/0287.htm.

CONFERENCE & TRAINING CONNECTION

September 1, 2000

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

Agroforestry/Forestry

Air Quality

Animal Residuals Management

Carbon Sequestration

Dam Safety

Environmental Education

Farmland Preservation

NEW! GIS

Grazing Land & Grassland

Irrigation

Mining & the Environment

Partnerships

Plant Materials

Resource Conservation & Development

Rivers

NEW! Soil Science

Water Quality

Watersheds

Wetlands

Agroforestry/Forestry

Fragmentation 2000-A Conference on Sustaining Private Forests in the 21st Century

September 17-20

Annapolis, Maryland

An examination of the forces that are fragmenting American working lands and forests. Contact: Lester DeCoster on (703) 860-2513, and at lesdecoster@worldnet.att.net To submit papers, contact: Terri Bates at 3325 Rose Lane, Falls Church, Virginia 22042. Her telephone number: (703) 538-1134, and at Bates-Stasny@erols.com To get updates, articles, and registration material (coming soon), click on http://www.sampsongroup.com/FragCon/frag_conf.htm

International Poplar Commission 2000 Conference

Sept. 24-30

Portland, Oregon

Will include scientists and practitioners from more than 32 countries. The theme: "Poplar and Willow Culture: Meeting the Needs of Society and the Environment." Papers will be presented in working group sessions, including Poplar and Willow Breeding, Diseases, Insects and Other Animal Pests, Production and Environmental Systems, and Logging and Utilization. The Web site is http://www.ncfes.umn.edu/IPC2000/

Forest Utilization Conference

May 1-3, 2001

Wagoner OK

The Ouachita Mountains Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. will sponsor its 6th annual Forest Utilization Conference and Equipment Exposition at the Western Hills Guest Resort in Sequoyah State Park on the shores of Lake Fort Gibson. For information, contact Gary Garman, Coordinator for Ouachita Mountains RC&D Council, at (918)-423-2479, fax 918-423-0793, email omrcandd@icok.net or visit the web site http://www.icok.net/~omrcandd

Southern Forest Science Conference: Contributions of Forest Research to Sustainable Forestry Preliminary Conference Announcement and Call for Papers

November 26 - 28, 2001

Renaissance Waverly Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia

The Southern Forest Science Conference will highlight the history and future of research in sustainable forestry. The conference is for anyone interested in the science of southern forests and is open to researchers, research managers and research users as well as policymakers, landowners and other interested stakeholders. Call for Papers: Topics, deadlines and other information can be found at the conference website at http://www.southernforestscience.net/ For more information contact www.southernforestscience.net or the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station at (828)-257-4302.