Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations (Update) - Comments have been received requesting that testimony from 11 listening sessions be included in the public comment record. As a result, nearly 2,100 comment letters have been received. The AFO strategy team has reviewed the comments and is editing the strategy. The majority of the comments focused on some 80 issues. A Federal Register notice, which will include an analysis of the public comments, will occur after the final Unified Strategy is issued.

IN THE FIELD

Tuolumne River: Water Supply, Wildlife Habitat, and Flood Control - NRCS in California and the Stanislaus Resource Conservation District joined with 10 other city, county, State, and Federal agencies recently to sign an agreement to improve salmon habitat on the Tuolumne River. The salmon population has plummeted from 130,000 in the 1940's to an estimated 11,000 in 1996. One of the problems faced by the salmon is the modern regulation of spring floods, which traditionally cleaned spawning beds, regenerated native vegetation, and carried young salmon to the ocean. In 1997 an El Nino-style flood devastated local homes, farms, and businesses - but, from the salmon's perspective, also revitalized the river.

An expanded floodway is seen as an important element in the restoration of fish populations. To this end, the Floodland Protection Improvement Project has proven an important and popular option for farmers and ranchers who own floodplain land. The NRCS has purchased 1,200 acres of floodplain from willing landowners - and has offers for purchase of another 2,400 acres.

This easement corridor will also help the river meet the new requirements established by the Corps of Engineers to expand the floodway to avoid catastrophic events.

The story has inspired glowing media response. The Modesto Bee calls the voluntary flooodplain enlargement through NRCS easements, "the kind of local leadership that makes a difference." The San Francisco Chronicle, in an article called, A Happy Ending Hatched from a Troubled Fish Story, favorably quotes both farmers and the local district conservationist. "I know I'll enjoy seeing all the salmon and big birds and hawks return to the area," says one participant.

Paul W. Johnson Named 1999 Man of the Year in Service to Iowa Agriculture - Progressive Farmer magazine has named Paul W. Johnson the 1999 Man of the Year in Service to Iowa Agriculture. Johnson, an Iowa farmer and the tenth Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, is a well-known leader in the field of farm conservation.

Mr. Johnson brought with him 20 years of farming experience, 3 terms in the Iowa legislature, and experience in teaching conservation, to the job of chief of the NRCS in 1994.

Progressive Farmer established the Men and Women of the Year awards program in the 1940's, to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the profession of agriculture. Each year the winners are featured ion the February issue of the magazine.

Roll-Out of National Range and Pasture Handbook - The Grazing Lands Technology Institute staff recently assisted New Mexico NRCS with the roll-out of the National Range and Pasture Handbook to New Mexico's partnership at a day-long symposium on the handbook. Approximately 60 individuals recently participated in the symposium, as well as a field exercise on to demonstrate rangeland inventory methods. Individuals were from the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, New Mexico State University, New Mexico State Land Office, and other New Mexico partnership agencies.

Buffer Beginnings - This week's featured story is from Arkansas. "When this newest Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) program came along, I saw I could have my cake and eat it too. I saw an opportunity to put in a corridor for wildlife and at the same time straighten out some lines on the farm and not have so much turning on the corners." So says Burt Haralson, who has about 5,000 acres along a mile and a quarter of the White River in Arkansas. Haralson has been high on the CRP since its inception and has had about 400 acres in the program. As his CRP contracts have expired, he has re-enrolled some of the land and is adding new acreage for buffers.

"I have to weigh what property's worth to me as a farmer," Haralson says. "I can take a little here and there to get something done that should be done for other reasons, such as helping wildlife, reducing erosion and helping water quality. I have a number of small pieces where a stream makes an odd meander and dozen or so acres grown up in cypress or brush and timber. It's not really harvestable, but it's good cover for wildlife - whitetail deer, squirrels, raccoons, possums, rabbits; and there's a world of ducks and geese that come through and even winter here."

Missouri Public Information and Marketing (PIM) Staff Receives Award - The Missouri public information and marketing staff recently received the Show-Me Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society's Conservation News Media Award. The awards committee selected the Missouri staff based upon the continuing work done informing both government personnel and the general public regarding the many facets of our natural resources. The award was presented at the 1999 Natural Resources on February 2, 1999. The Missouri staff includes Norm Klopfenstein, State information officer; Sarah Minor, public affairs specialist; and Gail Broderick, information assistant.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Farm*A*Syst Program Helps Protect Water Quality in the Chesapeake Region - Now milk drinkers can use their pocketbooks to help the environment. By purchasing milk packaged with the Environmental Quality Initiative mark on the carton, consumers will directly support farmers who are committed to preventing pollution from animal waste and other sources around their farmsteads.

The first product to carry the mark, called "Chesapeake Milk," is currently sold exclusively by Fresh Fields grocery markets in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

From every half gallon sold, 5 cents will be returned to participating Pennsylvania dairy farmers. The money will reward those who have demonstrated high standards of environmental performance and it also will help other farmers make conservation improvements.

NRCS Signs Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation - NRCS recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Reno, NV. The MOU will provide a framework for cooperative activities between the two organizations that are necessary to maintain and enhance the productivity of habitats supporting free ranging North American elk herds and other wildlife. Activities include: habitat production, restoration, and enhancement projects; providing technical assistance; delivery of information and educational materials; and collaboration regarding elk habitat and associated wildlife research and wildlife management techniques.

RC&D Assists With Economic, Salmon Recovery in Alaska - Alaska's Southeast Conference Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, and its partners, are assisting the town of Coffman Cove with economic recovery by developing a king salmon fish hatchery. Thanks to their efforts, the town will receive a $40,000 grant from the Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development to establish the hatchery which will provide employment opportunities for individuals affected by the closing of a local pulp mill.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

House Appropriations Hearing - The House Appropriations Committee conducted hearings this week on the Administration's FY 2000 Budget proposal relating to NRCS and Conservation programs. Key witnesses included Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Jim Lyons and Chief Pearlie Reed.

Bill to Re-Authorize Farmland Protection Program Introduced - Senator Patrick Leahy (VT) and eleven other cosponsors introduced a bill February 5, to reauthorize the Farmland Protection Program at $55 million per year. The bill, S. 333, will help address the nationwide demand for farmland protection and encourage more State governments, local communities and private groups to start new matching programs.

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UPCOMING

February 1-28 - African-American History Month.

February 28-March 2 - (Missouri) The Southwest Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Association meeting will be held in Springfield, MO. For more information, call the NRCS Resource Conservation & Community Development Division at 202-720-2241.

March 1-4 - (Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia) GEOTec Media will host the 13th Annual Conference on Geographic Information Systems "GeoSolutions: Integrating Our World," at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, BC. For more information, call 203-445-9265; e-mail: info@GIS99.com; or visit the conference website at: http://www.gis99.com/default.asp.

March 9 - (Missouri) NRCS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Great Rivers Alliance of Natural Resource Districts will host the 8th Annual Urban Erosion & Water Management Conference, "Meeting Water Quality Concerns in the 21st Century," at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, MO. For more information, contact Rick Macho at 618-656-5166; or Dawn Larry at 314-922-2833.

March 22-23 - (Idaho) The Clearwater RC&D Council will host their 9th annual workshop for non-industrial private forest landowners, "Forest Stewardship Management: Working Within the System," at the Best Western University in Moscow, ID. For more information, contact Dan Pierce at 208-882-4960, ext. 4; or Harry Lee, 208-885-6900; e-mail: crcdc@moscow.com.

March 26-30 - (California) The Wildlife Management Institute will hold its 64th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, CA. For more information, call 202-371-1808; fax: 202-408-5059; e-mail: wmihq@aol.com; or visit the Wildlife Management Institute website at: www.wildifemgt.org/wmi.

March 29-April 2 - (California) NRCS will conduct its National Civil Rights Committee Meeting in Davis, CA. Issues, concerns and recommendations from the States should be reviewed and submitted by March 19, through either the State civil rights committee or State conservationist to Darrel Dominick, Chair, NRCS, 5 Godfrey Drive, Orono, ME 04473.

April 7,9,12,16 - (Ohio) The Association of Ohio Pedologists and eighteen other organizations will sponsor four identical regional workshops throughout Ohio on "Soils Information for Decision-Making." For more information, visit the Ohio NRCS website at: http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/soils/webwkshp.html.

April 14-17 - (California) The second in the series of Third Annual American Wetlands Month Conferences will be held in San Francisco, CA at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway. For more information, contact the Terrene Institute at 800-726-4853; fax 703-548-6299; e-mail: terrconf@aol; or visit the Terrene Institute website at: www.terrene.org, for program updates.

April 15-16 - (Nevada) Biennial High Mountain workshop will be held at the CalNeva Lodge in Crystal Bay, Nevada. The registration deadline is April 9. For more information, contact the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District office at 800-541-5654.

April 22-23 - (Washington, D.C.) More than 30 different agricultural organizations are combining efforts to hold a national celebration, "Ag-Earth Day" on Earth Day, to raise public awareness and highlight agriculture's contributions to the environment. The event will be on the National Capital Mall and will feature comments from national agricultural community leaders; extensive exhibits; a traditional farmers' market; outdoor equipment displays, and a satellite uplink to classrooms across the country featuring a lesson in soils. For further information, visit the Ag-Earth website at: http://www.nasda-hq.org/nasda/earth/events1/index.html.

April 27-28 - (Oklahoma) 1999 Timber Utilization Conference and Equipment Exposition to be held at Western Hills Resort in Sequoia State Park near Wagoner, OK. For information, contact Ouachita Mountains RC&D at 918-423-2479; fax 918-423-0793; or e-mail: omrcandd@icok.net.

May 1 - (Louisiana) The NRCS State office is hosting a celebration of American Wetlands Month, "Restoring Louisiana's Wetland Heritage," in Monroe, Louisiana. The event will be celebrating 100,000 acres of wetlands restored, protected, and enhanced through voluntary efforts of cooperating landowners and will illustrate the benefits of Wetlands Reserve Program. For more information, contact Herb Bourque at 318-473-7762; or e-mail: hbourque@laso2.la.nrcs.usda.gov.

May 6-8 - (Massachusetts) The third and final Third Annual American Wetlands Month Conferences will be held in Boston, MA, at the Rolling Green Inn and Conference Center. For more information, contact the Terrene Institute at 800-726-4853; fax 703-548-6299; e-mail: terrconf@aol; or visit the Terrene Institute website at: www.terrene.org, for program updates.

May 16-19 - (Texas) The National Watershed Coalition is presenting its Sixth National Watershed Conference, "Getting the Job Done at Ground Level," at the Doubletree Hotel in North Austin, TX. For more information, contact John W. Peterson at 703-455-6886 or 4387; fax: 703-455-6888; or e-mail: jwpeterson@erols.com.

May 23-28 - (Indiana) The International Soil Conservation Organization will host the 10th International Soil Conservation Conference, "Sustaining the Global Farm," at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. For more information, call 765-494-8683; fax: 765-494-5948 c/o ISCO99; e-mail: isco99@ecn.purdue.edu; or visit the conference website at: http://spc3.ecn.purdue.edu/isco99/isco99.htm.

June 6-9 - (Pennsylvania) The American Farmland Trust and 13 other agricultural organizations, in cooperation with NRCS and several other Federal agencies, will host the "Keep America Growing: Balancing Working Lands and Development" conference at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, contact Karl Otte at 703-440-8611; or visit the conference website at: www.farmland.org/KAG.html.

June 9-12 - (Louisiana) The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, and other Federal and State agencies, will present the Third National Workshop on Constructed Wetlands/BMPs for Nutrient Reduction and Coastal Water Protection at the Radisson Hotel, New Orleans, LA. For more information, contact Dr. Frank Humenik at 919-515-6767; or e-mail: frank_humenik@ncsu.edu.

July 18-21 - (Toronto, Ontario Canada) The Annual International Meeting of ASAE to be held in cooperation with the Canadian Society at the Sheraton Toronto Center in Toronto, Ontario Canada. For more information, contact Brenda West, ASAE Meeting and Conferences Manager, at 616-429-0300; fax: 616-429-3852; e-mail: west@asae.org; or visit ASAE's website at http://www.asae.org.

August 13-15 - (Massachusetts) The Northeast Organic Farming Association is holding its 25th annual Summer Conference and Celebration of Rural Life at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. For more information, contact Julie Rawson at 978-355-2853 or 2270.

December 15-17 - (Louisiana) The Department of Agriculture and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will co-sponsor Conservation 2000 - A Conference to Highlight Local, State and Federal Programs. Abstracts for oral or poster presentations should be submitted by April 26. Five copies of a typewritten, single-spaced abstract, not exceeding 250 words, should be sent to Conservation 2000, 1220 Potter Drive #170, West Lafayette, IN 47906; or an electronic copy sent to: ctic@ctic.purdue.edu. Please include your address, phone, fax, and e-mail address. For more information, contact the Conservation Technology Information Center at 765-494-9555; or e-mail: ctic@ctic.purdue.edu.

QUOTE

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Strength to Love

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., (1929-1968) American civil rights leader and founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

NRCS This Week is issued weekly by the Conservation Communications Staff, NRCS headquarters, Washington, D.C. Please send correspondence and material via e-mail: fred.jacobs2@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.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (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 USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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