National Technical Service Provider Summit

U.S. Department Of Agriculture

Washington, D.C. -November 7, 2002

“Thank you, Bob. Good morning and welcome to everyone joining us for this National Technical Service Provider Summit.

“Whether you’re with us in person, here in Jefferson Auditorium, or tuning in through satellite hookup, we’re glad you’re part of this discussion. We welcome your comments and participation.

“What makes this dialogue so unusual is that it brings together voices from across the country, right from the start, as we craft the process that will bring technical service providers -or TSPs --to conservation.

This is our chance to take advantage of new opportunity built into the 2002 Farm Bill. We’re here to maximize the potential of this historic conservation legislation.

“Before we get underway, let’s take a minute to thank everyone who’s worked long and hard to coordinate this Summit ... the leadership of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency ... Chief Bruce Knight and Administrator Jim Little are here with me. They’ve spent a lot of their time working together on this, melding FSA and NRCS ... to get this done and get it done right.

“They’ve already held listening sessions across the country to involve stakeholders and consider their needs and expectations as we develop the interim final rule. I felt from the beginning that this was too important a task to leave to the experience of those of us in D.C.

“Today’s Summit will contribute substantially to that information, and I urge your participation.

I want to thank our panelists. We needed people like you, on the ground, to bring your personal experiences to this morning’s discussion. Our panelists are wearing three different provider hats B as recipients of services, and as public and private providers.

“We’re here to do more listening than talking.

“What you have to say today ... in person, by phone, or written statement ... will help move conservation programs into the hands of America’s farmers and ranchers.

“Make no mistake. This may be a technical issue, but it’s absolutely fundamental to the heavy workload of this Farm Bill.

“When President Bush signed the legislation, he put the full faith and trust of the American people in our ability to deliver the services that come with a $13 billion investment over six years.

“This is the largest commitment of resources to conservation on private lands in the nation’s history.

“At the same time, the new law recognized that we’d need help to get this enormous job done. It is an enormous task. But it’s also an enormous opportunity, and therefore a responsibility, to do it and do it right.

“Third party providers aren’t new. But the Farm Bill’s formal mechanism for paying for outside help is one of the law’s most significant and innovative features.

“We’re determined to make it work and succeed for farmers and ranchers. To do that, we all need to understand several points:

“ First, while we’re creating a whole new industry of conservation service providers, these people will not replace NRCS employees in any way. In fact, they will enhance the stature of NRCS.

They will expand NRCS’ capabilities well beyond what we could accomplish by ourselves, as a federal agency. If we tackled this on our own, the dedicated people in our field offices wouldn’t see their families for the next six years ... and we still wouldn’t get the job done.

“At the same time, the TSP concept is very efficient. Because it has a market orientation, it falls in line with the goals of the President’s Management Council, to use the private sector where it makes sense.

“As we expand the infrastructure for delivering conservation services, we’ll build on our historic partnerships with the conservation districts and state agencies, depending as always on their experience and expertise.

“In every respect, this is service -- one of my fundamental principles of American government. This is service to the land, service to landowners, and service to America’s taxpayers.

* Second, Congress made clear that Farm Bill money is for farmers, for landowners, and not to support government bureaucracy. This is money for farmers on the ground, where they need it, through programs like EQIP and WRP and the CRP. That principle does not change.

“Whether government employees provide services, or farmers opt to pay for outside assistance from certified sources, including state agencies, the funds that go to TSPs will not reduce benefits to farms and ranches.

“In fact, in my experience as a hog farmer from Indiana, TSPs help expand benefits in ways that make a big difference for my operation. I work closely with my own consultant, who’s made a big difference in a broad area, including profitability.

“When I need help, I don’t call in 10 specialists for a piecemeal approach to conservation. I call in my consultant because he’s the conduit for the technical resources I need.

We view the farm through a “whole resource” lens.

“Much like holistic medicine, we consider the farm as a complete entity -- soil, water, animal, plants, air, each in complex relationship with the other.

“In the words of conservationist Aldo Leopold, Athe landscape of any farm is the owner’s portrait of himself.”

“Equipped with this complete picture of the farm and its components working together, we get the needed resources, and create a conservation plan. And an interesting thing begins to happen ... what we learned on my farm applies to others, and the benefits go on and on. In my view, this is just one strong example of the opportunities the TSP process will make available.

“This is your chance to influence an administrative rule that will guide the success of this historic Farm Bill and the nation’s conservation planning well into the future. What we apply to the land always has a long-term impact, whether positive or negative.

“I urge you to make your voice heard. If you prefer not to speak out today, we invite you to submit written comments. But do contact us. Let us know what you think about what it takes to motivate people on the ground to do something different than they did yesterday.

“And now let’s have a frank and open discussion.

“Thank you. “