April 8, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

April 8, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. NACD Comments on CAFO Proposal
Yesterday NACD filed comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rule regarding Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Under EPA’s proposed rule, CAFOs requiring a water quality NPDES permit must complete and implement a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) by February 27, 2009. This effort builds upon EPA’s 2006 proposed regulation, which regarded voluntary certification of CAFOs that do not discharge or do not propose to discharge waste.

EPA’s proposed rule also addresses elements of nutrient management plans for permitted CAFOs. Specifically, EPA is proposing options for determining manure and wastewater application rates to account for flexibility in cropping patterns, rotations and site-specific needs. EPA is expected to release a final CAFO regulation over the summer.

NACD’s comments on the proposed rule address conservation districts’ work in helping producers prepare, maintain and comply with their NMPs. To view NACD’s comments, click here.

Nutrient management issues will also be discussed in an upcoming webcast hosted by the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center. The April 25 webcast will discuss managing the potential risks of antibiotics and hormones in animal manure to water quality and human health/safety. Speakers include Professor Linda Lee from Purdue University and Professor Jessica Davis from Colorado State University. For more information, please click here.

2. Farm Bill in Limbo
Congressional leaders continue negotiations on the 2008 Farm Bill in an effort to meet the April 18 deadline when the current extension of the 2002 Farm Bill expires. In a speech before the North American Agricultural Journalists yesterday, USDA Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said he would consider another short term extension if Congress and the Administration had come to terms on a framework agreement. The major points of negotiation remain additional funding sources and the creation of a permanent disaster program. NACD continually monitors these negotiations and will keep you posted on the latest developments.

3. Appropriations Subcommittees Examine FY 2009 Priorities
The House and Senate appropriations committees are conducting hearings with key administration staff regarding funding priorities for fiscal year 2009 (FY 2009). Recent hearings include the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittees’ reviews of conservation spending under the Department of Agriculture budget and the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee review of the Forest Service budget.

A primary focus of the House subcommittee hearing was the lack of funding under the Administration’s proposal for Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA). Members of the subcommittee were especially interested in how programs under the current Farm Bill proposal will be implemented without proper funding of technical assistance. Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro expressed concern that without adequate CTA, the ability to conduct technical planning would be undermined. Among issues raised by both the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations subcommittees was the proposed elimination of several programs under the FY 2009 budget proposal, including Watershed and Flood Prevention; and Resource Conservation and Development Councils.

Members of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee were especially concerned about proposed cuts to State and Private Forestry programs and funding for wildfire suppression in the proposed Forest Service budget. Senators agreed to work together to undo the cuts. Click here to view testimony submitted by the Administration.

The appropriations committees continue to hold hearings on programs before they begin to make decisions on specific funding levels in May. NACD remains engaged with the committees as they continue work on FY 2009 appropriations and will continue to report the latest information as it becomes available.

4. Hammon to Support Renovation Riders
Rumor has it that the Renovation Riders will be burning as many as 5,000 calories per rider per day during their five-day ride from Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. As a result, NACD is pleased to announce the riders will have their own personal chef to ensure they have great meals to start and end each day and keep them energized along the way. Fred Hammon, the SWCD Administrator at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Soil and Water and the father of Mary Hammon, one of the riders on the Newbies team, has kindly volunteered to drive a support van and cook breakfast and dinner every day. Join us in welcoming “Chef Daddy Hammon” to the Renovation Ride team!

The Renovation Ride is an NACD staff-led and conservation district supported effort to ride 258 miles the week prior to NACD’s Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference. The Ride is being held to garner additional support for NACD’s 509 Capitol Court Campaign, an effort to raise $280,000 to renovate the NACD Headquarters Office in Washington, D.C. More information about the ride and donation instructions are available at http://www.nacdnet.org/events/509campaign/ride/. You can also keep up-to-date with the riders training progress and recent announcements on the Renovation Ride blog at http://renovationride.blogspot.com/.

Thanks to Fred for volunteering a week of his time to provide much needed support to the Renovation Ride! He’ll be our meals, our extra wheels, our fix-it-guy and our motivator. We are all counting on you to pledge your financial support to renovate your national office. Knowing that you support our efforts will make each turn of the pedal a little easier!

5. Counting Down to Stewardship Week—Your 2008 Check List
Stewardship Week 2008 is approaching quickly, and there is still so much to do! If you haven’t done so already be sure to:

Contact your local mayor, county official or governor of your state to sign the proclamation for Stewardship Week.
Go to http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/2008/ to find the proclamation and other free stewardship downloadable products.
Don’t forget to call your local news media for the proclamation signing and take pictures to submit to NACD when we ask for your Stewardship Success Stories.
Haven’t ordered your 2008 “Water is Life” materials yet? If you order by credit card today at http://www.nacdstore.org, you may still receive them in time!

This year, Stewardship Week will be celebrated April 27 to May 4, 2008. Stewardship Week is one of the largest national annual programs to promote conservation and stewardship. NACD has been observing the national event since 1955, but encourages stewardship year-round. To learn more about NACD’s stewardship program, go to http://www.nacdnet.org/stewardship/.

6. Western Governors' Association Land Use Working Group Invites Public Comment
As reported last month, NACD joined members of the Western Governors' Association Land Use Working Group in March to prepare a report for governors and their staffs on policies to integrate information on wildlife habitat and migration corridors into land use planning decisions. The draft report provides a number of recommendations that address issues such as data availability, interagency cooperation and conflicting land use.

This draft report, along with similar reports from energy, transportation and climate change working groups, is now available for public comment. Comments will be reviewed and be factored into report revisions. The deadline for submitting comments is April 17. A final report will be delivered to Western Governors in late June 2008. To submit comments or to view a copy of the draft Land Use Report, visit http://www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/corridors/index.htm.

7. Check out the April Edition of Forestry Notes Online
The latest edition of Forestry Notes is now available on NACD’s website at http://nacdnet.org/news/publications/forestrynotes/april08.phtml. Read more about an Arizona forestry partnership that has helped to protect the Flagstaff area; three state conservationists who were recognized by the American Tree Farm System for their contributions in forest management and their support of family forests owners; the team effort between NRCS the Alabama Forestry Commission to provide increased assistance to Alabama forest landowners; and more! If you missed last month’s edition, back issues of Forestry Notes are also available online for your convenience, in HTML and PDF format, at http://nacdnet.org/news/publications/forestrynotes/archive.phtml.

8. EPA Funding Available for Diesel Engine Retrofitting
EPA recently announced the availability of grant money to help improve emissions from diesel engines. Over 400,000 engines have already been retrofitted using grants from this program, reducing emissions by over 300,000 tons. Both transportation and non-transportation engines, including engines used for agricultural purposes, are eligible for a variety of projects, including retrofitting, idle-reduction technologies and upgrades and replacements. The grants are available to state, local, regional and tribal governments; nonprofits; and certain institutions. More information on approved projects, along with application instructions, can be found at http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.

9. EPA Hosts Two Water Quality Webcasts this Week
EPA will be hosting two free webcast training sessions this week that may be of interest to districts involved with water quality management.

The first webcast, titled “Stormwater Retrofitting” will take place on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 from Noon – 2 p.m. EST. This webcast will focus on the Center for Watershed Protection’s guide to retrofitting urban and suburban landscapes, “Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices,” released in August 2007. Land uses covered in the guide include parking lots, residential streets, conveyance systems and landscaped areas. Experts from the field will be present to discuss ways to develop and implement a successful retrofit program and will present a successful retrofitting case study in Charlottesville, Va. To register for this webcast, please visit www.epa.gov/npdes/training.

The second webcast, “Monitoring Watershed Program Effectiveness,” will occur on Thursday, April 10 from 2 – 4 p.m. EST. This webcast will focus on different monitoring designs, including how to measure administrative, social and environmental impacts, as well as issues to be considered when developing an effective monitoring program. This webcast is part of a monthly series designed for those who work with watershed management. To register or to access archived audio versions of past webcasts, please visit http://www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts.

10. NACD Calendar of Events
May 14-17, 2008 Executive Directors’ Conference, Saratoga, WY
June 8-10, NACD Northern Plains Region Leaders Meeting, Nebraska City, NE
July 18-23, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
August 3-5, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH
August 10-12, Southeast Region Meeting, Biloxi, MS
August 21-23, South Central Region Meeting, Hot Springs, AR

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