NRCS Flood/Tornado Damage Assessment Efforts -- Arkansas: NRCS in Arkansas has responded to the recent disaster with over 50 employees attempting to assess the flooding and tornado damage throughout the State. NRCS efforts have been hampered by extensive damage to roads and other transportation systems in the affected counties and by the fact that the Arkansas National Guard is restricting travel into the affected counties. Flooding and tornadoes have also done extensive damage to homes, businesses, and agricultural land.

The President, who visited Arkansas, declared 9 counties Federal Disaster areas. The Governor of Arkansas has also declared 8 additional counties disaster areas, as well.

NRCS Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, Jerry Mitchell, conducted a teleconference on March 3, with NRCS personnel in the affected counties to coordinate damage assessment work.

Ohio: NRCS in Ohio has responded to the recent disaster with over 40 employees attempting to assess the flooding damage in the southern part of the State. NRCS efforts have been hampered by extensive damage to roads, bridges, and other transportation systems in the affected counties; however, an estimated 500 potential EWP sites have already been identified. Flooding has done an estimated $25 million damage to levees; exposed sewer, water, and utility lines; county and township roads; and agricultural land.

The Governor has requested that 2 more counties be added to the 14 already declared Federal disaster areas by the President.

Vice President Gore and State Conservationist Pat Wolf separately toured the flood-stricken counties by helicopter, where 5 deaths have been attributed to the 10 inches of rain which fell in less than 24 hours.

Kentucky: NRCS in Kentucky has responded to the recent flood disaster with nearly 100 employees attempting to assess the flooding damage throughout the State. Vice-President Gore has toured the flood-stricken counties by helicopter.

The President has declared 9 counties Federal disaster areas.

Secretary Names NRCS Associate Chief to Top Civil Rights Post -- Secretary Glickman has appointed Pearlie S. Reed, NRCS Associate Chief and team leader for the Civil Rights Action Team (CRAT), as acting Assistant Secretary for Administration (ASA). This position is responsible for civil rights and civil rights enforcement at the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Reed reported to his new position March 10. He has been vested with the full authority of the Secretary to implement the recommendations contained in the CRAT report.

Katherine C. Gugulis, Director, Operations Management and Oversight Division, has accepted a detail to the position of team leader for implementation of the Civil Rights Action Team recommendations. She reported to the ASA's staff on March 10. That detail is not to exceed December 31, 1997.

NRCS Seeks Instructors for Civil Rights Program Delivery -- Recent events resulting from the Secretary's Civil Rights Listening Forums have stimulated numerous requests for additional deliveries of the NRCS course "Civil Rights Compliance in Program Delivery." NRCS is seeking up to nine employees for this Civil Rights Compliance training. The program is designed to develop a highly qualified, well trained cadre of employees who will serve as instructors for Civil Rights Compliance training.

Locally Led Conservation Program Manual Distribution -- Distribution for the Locally led Conservation Program Manual to all NRCS field offices is scheduled for the week of March 16. The manual contains information on all programs including a brief overview of locally led conservation. The program begins at the grass roots level with community stakeholders assessing their conservation needs under conservation district leadership. It explains USDA's role in locally led conservation and how the program delivery process incorporates the locally led concept. The manual gives an overview of State Technical Committee roles and responsibilities. It also outlines elements required for State-submitted USDA funding proposals, to include a funding proposal outline, incorporating the basic information elements needed for national USDA program allocations to the States.

Conservation Farm Options -- A Conservation Farm Option (CFO) notice is being prepared for publication in the Federal Register. The notice includes a Request for Proposals (RFP), an Application for CFO Pilot Proposals, Guidance for Completing the Application, and a CFO Scoring Summary Sheet. The RFP includes background information on the legislation, an overview of the program, available funding for Fiscal Year 1997, the minimum requirements of a proposal, and Department of Agriculture contact persons.

The proposals received will be rated by an interagency team, using the summary scoring sheet. Project areas will be selected from those with high ratings for allocation of FY 1997 funds. Work will continue on development of a CFO program rule, which should be in place prior to allocation of FY 1998 CFO funds.

National Rural Development Partnership Holds Conference -- The National Rural Development Partnership will hold its 6th Annual Washington Conference "Partnerships for Rural America: Linking People, Policy, Research, Ideas, and Resources for Action" March 17 -19, in Arlington, VA. Forums being presented include Health Care, Housing, Economic Development, Welfare Reform, and Transportation. There will be presentations on strategies to action that include partnership strategies for involving community based organizations, the Fund for Rural America, and persistent rural poverty as well as many others. Wes Jackson of the Land Institute, Salina, KS, will keynote on "Becoming Native to This Place." NRCS staff from headquarters and the field will attend.

IN THE FIELD

Farmer Thank You Project in Virginia -- The Farmer Thank You Project is going strong in Virginia, thanks to some hard work by local conservationists in Franklin and Henry Counties. Dan Pace, Associate District Director with the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District, met with the Henry County School District superintendent who agreed to have his teachers incorporate the Thank You Program -- where students write farmers, thanking them for the food and fiber they produce -- into 4th and 5th grade social studies classes.

Next, Raymond Cocke, NRCS district conservationist, and Linda Boitnott, County Chair of the Farm Bureau's Women's Committee, recruited some of Linda's committee members to make presentations on conservation and agriculture to school children in Franklin County schools.

The results of their efforts was dramatic. Nearly 2,500 students will be involved in the project, including a number of Franklin County students who will read their thank you cards and talk about conservation and agriculture on local cable TV.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Hearing on Final Rule -- The Forestry, Resource Conservation and Research Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee conducted an oversight hearing February 26, on the regulations issued to implement CRP.

Many of the subcommittee members thanked the Department for its work on CRP prior to their remarks. Dallas Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services, was the lead witness for the Department. He was accompanied by Larry Clark, Deputy Chief for Programs, NRCS; Tom Hebert, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment; and Parks Shackleford, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, FSA.

USDA witnesses were asked about the Department's ability to service the workload during the March 3-28, sign-up. Mr. Smith responded that CRP is a top priority and USDA will shift staff and resources as needed to get the job done on schedule. Members from Great Plains States asked if there would be regional shifts in approved acreage. USDA witnesses responded that regional shifts in approved acreage are not anticipated. There were concerns from members and commodity groups concerning notification of applicants of their acceptance/non-acceptance into the program. Department officials said that applicants will be notified of their status by June 1, 1997. A few members indicated that the multi-page Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) worksheets were complex and felt that applicants would have difficulty understanding them. USDA responded that the EBI worksheets while complex, are for technical staff to complete, not producers. Most information is easily accessible at the field office level and can be completed in most cases from the office.

New Legislation Introduced in the House -- The following bills were recently introduced and are of significance to NRCS and conservation:

H.R. 709 by Cubin (WY) -- The legislation would reauthorize and amend the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992. (Companion legislation introduced by Senator Craig (ID) - S.317.)

H.R. 725 by Lewis (KY) et al. -- The legislation would amend the Competitive, Special, and Facilities Research Grant Act to provide increased emphasis on competitive grants to promote agricultural research projects regarding precision agriculture, and to provide for the dissemination of the results of such research projects.

H.R. 796 -- Sanford (SC) -- The legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior to make technical corrections to a map relating to the Coastal Barrier Resources System.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Oven Run Project Model for Similar Clean Water Programs -- The Oven Run Project was singled out as a model project by Representative John P. Murtha. The project will clean up 6 miles of mine discharges that severely degrade a once-excellent fishery and pollute the drinking water of several communities in the Stoneycreek River area near Johnstown, PA. NRCS, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will each provide funds to halt or mitigate the discharges.

The Oven Run Project has become a model for a new Federal Office of Surface Mining program called the Appalachian Clean Stream Initiative, which will tackle clean-ups on the Little Toby and Quemahoning Creeks.

INTERNET ADDRESSES OF NOTE

EnviroLink Network -- Earth Day 1997 Online is the centralized resource for all information related to Earth Day 1997 on the Internet. To make this site as effective as possible, EnviroLink Network needs people from communities around the planet to submit their Earth Day events and activities for listing on their site. Listings are completely free, and can be submitted via the web: http://www.envirolink.org/earthday/. The Earth Day 1997 Online site is a project of the EnviroLink Network. As of January 1997, over 5.4 million people per month were turning to EnviroLink. EnviroLink has also aided over 400 environmental non-profit organizations to gain Internet presence via the world wide web. You can visit the EnviroLink Network on the Internet at: http://www.envirolink.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 18 -- Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, and The Ohio Conservation Partnership will sponsor Manure Management '97: "A Conference Showcasing Keys to Innovative Solutions," Novice G. Fawcett Center for Tomorrow, The Ohio State University Campus, 2400 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH. Call: (614) 265-6684 or e-mail: tammie.brown@dnr.state.oh.us .

March 20 -- NRCS and the National Agroforestry Center will present a video conference on alley cropping, forest farming, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, and windbreaks. NRCS Chief Paul Johnson and Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck will open the program. For information on coordinates, downlink sites, and program details, call: 402-437-5178, ext. 41.

March 22 -- 4th Annual "Providing Education Through Agriculture for Students" (PEAS), Memorial School, Natick, MA. Contact: Stacia Caplanson, 413-245-7402 or Stacy Miller, 617-259-9506, ext. 7700.

March 24-27 -- NRCS National Economics and Related Social Sciences Meeting, Nashville Airport Marriott Hotel, Nashville, TN. Contact: Marita Baker or Renna Young, 202-720-2307, e-mail: renna.young@usda.gov.

April 3-6 -- 45th Annual Meeting, National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA. Information about NRCS participation may be obtained from Tom Levermann, NRCS Office of Public Affairs, 202-720-7570. Information about the convention is available from the NSTA Convention Office at 703-243-7100 or FAX: 703-243-7177.

April 4-5 -- Timber Utilization Conference & Equipment Expo, Wagoner, OK, sponsored by Ouachita Mountains RC&D. Call: 918-423-0785 or FAX: 918-423-0793. Conference information can also be found at: http://www.icok.net/~omrcandd/timber_conf.html.

April 25-27 -- National Association of Farm Broadcasters Washington Watch, Washington, D.C. Contact: 612-224-0508.

April 27-May 2 -- 21st Annual Conference of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, Little Rock, AR. Contact: Rod Emmer, 608-274-0123.

May 7-9 -- An American Wetlands Month Celebration -- "Communities Working for Wetlands," Radisson Plaza Hotel, Alexandria, VA. Call: 800/726-4853 or FAX: 703-548-6299 or e-mail: terrene@gnn.com.

May 8-10 -- Public Service Recognition Week, National Mall Event, Washington, D.C.

May 14-16 -- Senior Action for Healthy Neighborhoods is the theme for the Environmental Alliance of Senior Involvement annual meeting, Ramada Plaza Hotel, Alexandria, VA. Information about the conference is available from Harlow Knight Associates, 703-241-0019 or FAX: 703-538-5504.

May 18-21 -- Fifth National Watershed Conference, "Living in Your Watershed." Sponsored by the National Watershed Coalition, Reno, NV. Contact: Jim Fisher, 303-988-1810.

May 18-20 -- The Wildlife Habitat Council (in cooperation with the Wildlife Society and sponsored by NRCS and other Federal, State, and private organizations) 1997 Wildlands Conference, "Exceeding Expectations," Swissotel, Atlanta, GA. Call: 201-588-8994.

May 25-28 -- 8th Global Warming International Conference & Expo, New York, NY. Conference Hotline: 630-910-1561.

June 1-3 -- National Agricultural Biotechnology Council 9, "Resource Management in Challenged Environments," Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Call: 607-254-4856

June 11 -- USDA Annual Honor Awards Celebration, Washington, D.C.

June 15-18 -- National Association of RC&D Councils Conference, St. Paul, MN. Contact Becky Lane: 202-546-8800 or write to: National Association of RC&D Councils, 509 Capital Court, NE, Ste. 100, Washington, D.C. 20002.

July 17-19, 1997 -- Land Improvement Contractors of America Summer Meeting, Providence, RI. Contact Wayne F. Maresch at 301/248-9313 or e-mail to: Wayne F86@aol.com.

June 18-20 -- 31st Annual Meeting of the Texas Council of Chapters, Soil and Water Conservation Society. Workshops will be held for GIS, GPS, CPESC, and Leadership Development. Contact: Ginger Phillips, 817-467-3867.

July 12-16 -- ACE/NETC '97, Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Public Square, Cleveland, OH. Contact: Martha Carroll, 614-292-9833.

July 22-25 -- The 52nd Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference; Interactions, Managing Ecosystems on a Watershed Basis; Toronto, Canada. Contact: Nancy Herselius, 800-843-7645, ext. 18 or e-mail: nancyh@swcs.org. Conference information can also be found at: http://www.swcs.org/AnnCon.htm.

July 27-30 -- The 84th American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada. Call: 515-233-3202. Conference information can also be found at: http://www.aaea.org/Meetings.html.

July 31-August 1/2 -- Indiana Land Care Exposition sponsored by Indiana Land Improvement Contractors in cooperation with Purdue University, NRCS, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the Shelby County Soil and Water Conservation District. Contact: Don Sisson (317) 349-1935 or Shelby County SWCD (317) 392-1394.

August 10-14 -- ASAE Annual International Meeting, "Tools for Transforming Tomorrow," Minneapolis, MN. Contact: American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 616-429-0300 or FAX: 616-429-3852 or e-mail: hq@asae.org.

August 19-22, 1997 -- National Rural Community Assistance Conference, "Sustaining Our Environment and Our Communities: Working Together-The Sky's The Limit." Sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and other partners, the conference will be held at the Outlaw Inn, Kalispell, MT. Contact: Bitter Root RC&D, 406-363-5450.

September 7-9 -- National Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Huntington, WV. Contact Kelly Sponaugle, 304-255-9225 or FAX: 304--255-1250.

November 11-14 -- Environmental Technology China '97 (ETC '97), Third International Exhibition on Environmental Protection, Pollution Control and Green Production Technology, Shanghai Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China. Contact: Perry Tang, Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., 4/F Stanhope House, 734 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong, 852-25163346 or FAX: 852-25165024.

November 16-18 -- National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges Annual Meeting, Washington Hilton Hotel and Towers, Washington, D.C. Contact: 202-778-0850.

QUOTE

"The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself."

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).

NRCS This Week is issued weekly by the Office of Public Affairs, NRCS headquarters, Washington, D.C., and posted in the SCS:SCS shared folder on FTS2000Mail. Please send correspondence and material via FTS2000Mail to !A16SCSOPA and type "This Week" on the subject line or e-mail: fred.jacobs@usda.gov or mail to Editor, "NRCS This Week," NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013 or fax to Editor, "NRCS This Week," 202-690-1221.

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