United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content





Janaury 2007 West Kansas snow strom (NRCS photo by Janice Colgran, Atwood, Kansas -- click to nlarge)NRCS This Week mast head

The Natural Resources Conservation Service — Helping People Help the Land.

 Subscribe to NRCS This Week | NRCS This Week Archives | Contact Us | Where to Get Information | eNotes from NACD | Adobe Acrobat Document TSP Express (Requires Adobe Acrobat.)

focus on the field header bar

Alaska

Lesnoi Plants 50,000 Sitka Spruce Seedlings at Chiniak
(from the Kodiak Daily Mirror) Some 50,000 Sitka spruce seedlings planted throughout November at Cape Chiniak are taking root.

Peter Olsen of Quayanna Development Corporation (QDC), contracted for the reforestation project by land owner Leisnoi Native Corporation, said the young trees are “plug plus one” seedlings that got a head start in a nursery.  Private Land and Resource Consulting (PLaRC) is the forestry and resource consulting part of QDC.

Kansas

district conservationist Clyde Mermis -- builder of the Douglas County rain simulator (NRCS photo -- click to enlarge)Kansas NRCS Rainfall Simulator Goes International
For over ten years, the Douglas County, Kansas Conservation District has used a small portable rainfall simulator first built by district conservationist Clyde Mermis and the Lawrence, Kansas Field Office NRCS staff as a demonstration tool to show crop producers the value of crop residue management to protect cropland from wind and water erosion.  Although the simulator generated hundreds of phone calls and e-mails from people all over the world who wanted information about the simulator and how they can build their own unit, the device just recently went international.  In response to a query by York Bayer — a soil fertility consultant in Berlin, Germany — the rainfall simulator was shipped to Hanover, Germany, for the Agritechnica 2007. 

Maine

l. to r: Maine NRCS State Conservationist Joyce Swartzendruber; Anthony Carroll, Chairperson of the York County Soil and Water Conservation District and President of the Maine Association of Conservation Districts; and Seth Bradstreet III, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, recently signed a Cooperative Agreement between the three partiesNRCS Renews Cooperative Working Agreements with Maine and SWCD’s
Maine NRCS State Conservationist Joyce Swartzendruber and Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources Commissioner Seth Bradstreet III recently signed individual cooperative working agreements with the 16 Maine soil and water conservation districts (SWCD) at the Maine Association of Conservation Districts annual meeting. 
 

transitions header bar

NRCS State Conservationist Richard SimsSims Acting Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment
Effective January 6, 2008, Idaho NRCS State Conservationist Richard Sims will serve as Acting Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment.  Mr. Sims will remain as Acting Deputy Chief until further notice.

Washington State NRCS area conservationist Rick Noble will be filling in behind Sims by serving as Acting Idaho NRCS State Conservationist.  Mr. Noble will remain as Acting State Conservationist for a period not to exceed 120 days.

Richard Van KlaverenRichard Van Klaveren Retires
 Effective January 6, 2008, Richard Van Klaveren retired as State Conservationist of Iowa.  Mississippi NRCS Assistant State Conservationist  for Programs Al Garner will serve as Acting State Conservationist for Iowa, effective January 20, 2008.
 

 

accolades header bar

Allen Green, Colorado NRCS State Conservationist NRCS State Conservationist Recognized for Distinguished Service
(from the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal) The Colorado Association of Conservation Districts (CACD) honored Allen Green, Colorado NRCS State Conservationist during its 63rd annual meeting.  Green was awarded the CACD 2007 Distinguished Service Award for outstanding lifetime commitment to conservation education and conservation of natural resources in the State of Colorado.

 

technology news header bar

New Distributional Maps on NRCS PLANTS Web SiteNew Distributional Maps on NRCS PLANTS Web Site
The National Plant Data Center (NPDC) has announced that a new PLANTS Plant Profiles map is now available on the PLANTS Web site. The map reflects North America, north of the Mexico border. The U.S. portion includes Hawaii, Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. Data for Canada, Greenland (Denmark), and the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) were provided to us by the Montreal Botanical Garden so that PLANTS could better reflect a plant’s distribution across North America.
 

NRCS directives header bar

 NRCS Directives for the Week of January 6, 2008
 

NRCS Photo Album header bar


 One of the first Conservation Districts is formed after the creation of the Soil Conservation Service. (NRCS image -- click to enlarge). Early Conservation District
One of the first conservation districts is formed after the creation of the Soil Conservation Service (NRCS image — click to enlarge).

NRCS This Week features a weekly historical photo and caption.  NHQ, districts, States, RC&D councils, and all other NRCS entities are invited to submit a historical photo of activities or individuals who have worked or are working for the agency along with a caption. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.