Nevada Wildland Fires Claim 500,000 Acres of Private Land - Wildland fires are dealing Nevadans a bad hand across the northern portion of the State. More than 1.6 million acres have burned so far, including 500,000 acres of private land. New fires break out every day. Half of the Bureau of Land Management's fire crews and half of the Forest Service's bombers are fighting fires in the State. Continued high temperatures and a lack of precipitation keep fire danger at an extremely high level. Cattle killed by fire have been found in waterways and ravines in inaccessible, mountainous areas and are posing serious health threats. Help from the National Disaster Assistance Recovery Training team has been requested to help NRCS begin assessing the damage on private land. Your contact: Liz Warner, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (775) 784-5288.

Monitors To Take Surprises Out of Utah Snowmelts - Tornadoes and other weather phenomena can happen suddenly and with little warning. But thanks to a pair of new monitoring stations recently installed by NRCS along the Wasatch Front, people in Salt Lake City and Centerville are less likely to be surprised by floods caused by springtime snowmelts. Traditionally, NRCS has focused snowmelt monitoring on steam flow and providing water supply information to municipal, agricultural, and reservoir water managers. "NRCS has done very well in categorizing the high-, mid- and low- elevation snow zones for water supply forecasting," said data collection officer Randy Julander. "Now we're taking a step forward in being able to better determine low-elevation snowpack and rates of snowmelt for determining the annual snowmelt flood potential for Salt Lake City." Your contact: Ron Nichols, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (801) 524-4556.

NWMC, Local District Quench Islands' Need for Irrigation Water - Thanks to NRCS' National Water Management Center (NWMC) and the Virgin Islands Conservation District, limited resource farmers are receiving much-needed supplemental irrigation water. The effort deals with irrigation water deficits caused by lack of surface water storage, saltwater intrusion into ground water, and inadequate water delivery systems. Work is based on assessments of St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John and meetings with stakeholders. Another concern is rapid surface water runoff that degrades coral reef and mangrove ecosystems. In response, NWMC personnel are assisting Caribbean Area staffs with evaluating enhancement methods for reefs and mangrove communities, which are ecologically and economically vital to the islands. The NWMC is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and can be reached on (501) 324-6621. Be sure to Visit the NWMC's home page at http://wmc.ar.nrcs.usda.gov

NRCS Funds Drainage Channel Repairs - Holes in a drainage channel caused by heavy August rains near Herman, Nebraska, are being repaired with assistance from NRCS' Emergency Watershed Protection Program. NRCS is funding $172,500 of the $230,000 estimated repair costs, with Burt/Washington Drainage District financing the balance. If not repaired, future floods could damage homes, nearly 7,500 acres of cropland, and sewage disposal ponds. NRCS and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District are designing repair methods and monitoring construction. Drainage district board chairman, Randy Olson, said, "I'm very impressed with the speed of the financial and technical assistance to correct this problem. As soon as it was dry, the work started and should be completed this week." Your contact: Pat McGrane, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (402) 437-5328.

Tennessee Watershed Demo Project Saves Tons of Soil - In Gibson County, a combination of agronomic and engineering practices are reducing erosion rates and sedimentation levels, and improving water quality in the Buck Creek Watershed Demonstration Project. The practices were applied by 32 producers on 423 acres. The results - 8,500 tons of soil remained on the land, and each year more than 2,300 tons will not reach the Middle Fork of the Forked Deer River. Your contact: Craig Ellis, District Conservationist, in Trenton, on (901) 855-0023, ext. 3.

Alaska Emphasizes Assistance to Outlying Areas - NRCS Alaska reports outstanding examples of how agency resource specialists are offering services to Native villages accessible only by air and river. In Canyon Village, soil scientist Dennis Mulligan of the Fairbanks Field Office recently met with community leaders to identify suitable sites for a new landing strip and landfill. In the Arctic village of Allakaket, State range conservationist Dave Swanson provided Tribal leaders with a site survey to identify homesite construction areas. In Aniak, State resource conservationist John Copeland presented a conservation planning workshop that focused on concerns about landfill pollution, health, and safety. In other areas of the State, NRCS resource specialists also provide villagers with the fundamentals of conservation planning and help them meet the long-range challenges of permafrost soils, tundra landscapes, and low-lying rivers subject to spring flooding. Your contact: Jeanette Colville, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (907) 271-2424.

Conference Calls for Building on Leopold's Legacy - October 4-7, in Madison, Wisconsin, scientists, scholars, and conservationists will mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Aldo Leopold's "A Sand County Almanac" at a conference titled "Building on Leopold's Legacy: Conservation for a New Century." Conference organizers see the event as an opportunity to bring about a nationwide rededication to conservation by: increasing understanding of our conservation legacy; encouraging communication among agencies, organizations, and academic leaders; identifying the reasons for successes and failures; and inspiring and instilling the land ethic. Further information can be found on the conference web site at www.wisc.edu/wisacad/landethic/

Fact Sheets Focus on Minority, Low-income Customers - Alabama's Tennessee Valley RC&D Council produced six fact sheets to help minority and low-income customers understand environmental and public health issues. The fact sheets offer information on water quality, erosion control, vegetative streambank stabilization, vegetative phosphorus filter strips, fertilizer basics, and care and maintenance of septic systems. They were translated into Spanish and distributed throughout local communities, which include Hispanic immigrants and African Americans, as well as the largest population of Native Americans in the State. Your contact: Joan Love Smith, State Public Affairs Specialist, (334) 887-4530.

New Pub Highlights Landowners' Successes - Montana State Conservationist Shirley Gammon recently announced the release of the first edition of Your Land - Private Landowners and Conservation, a quarterly publication highlighting conservation successes of the State's private landowners. "The Natural Resources Conservation Service is fortunate to work with these individuals who have been, and continue to be, excellent stewards of the land," said Gammon. Featured in the premier issue are articles on rotational grazing and irrigation systems, and range and watershed inventories. Your contact: Lori Valadez, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (406) 587-6842.

Buffer Team Announces VoiceCom Mailbox for State Buffer Reps - NRCS State Buffer Representatives seeking answers to technical questions have a new source of assistance to call on. The National Conservation Buffers Initiative Technical Team recently activated a special buffers mailbox on VoiceCom. By dialing 1-(800) 384-USDA, and then dialing BUFFERS (283-3377), NRCS State buffer reps may ask a question of, or leave a message for, the Technical Team. Please note that this new service is to be used only by NRCS State Buffer Representatives. Field personnel and partners should continue to submit their questions and comments their NRCS State Buffer Representative. Your contact: Lyn Townsend, NRCS Forest Ecologist, on (206) 616-8414, by fax on (206) 616-8417, or at lyntowns@u.washington.edu

HELP WANTED

Andrea Mann, NRCS Wetland Specialist in Wenatchee, Washington, needs technical information regarding wetland restoration of organic (peat) soils. If you have experience with restoration measures that involve those soils, please contact Andrea at Andrea.Mann@wa.usda.gov, or call (509) 664-0244.

SITES TO SEE

NRCS Alabama www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov/al/costshare.html

NRCS Alabama combines information about cost-share programs with success stories and average cost lists.

Support Services Bureau www.info.usda.gov/ssb/

Stay in touch with what's happening with the new Support Services Bureau.

SPECIAL EVENTS

"Negotiate with Confidence" Training Seminar Satellite Broadcast

Thursday, September 2, 1999

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Discover how to turn negotiation into collaboration. Learn how the needs of both parties can be met. Trainer Ed Brodow has advised AT&T, Eastman Kodak, McDonalds, and Microsoft. For satellite coordinates and other information, please contact the NRCS Social Sciences Institute by return e-mail, or by faxon (616) 942-0586 or telephone on (616) 942-1503.

 

Society of American Foresters National Convention

Portland, Oregon

September 11-15, 1999

The theme is "Pioneering New Trails." NRCS foresters attending the convention will meet Thursday, September 16, to discuss forestry issues and review new technology. For more information, contact Keith Ticknor, NRCS National Forester, keith.ticknor@usda.gov

 

Seventh Annual Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference

Morro Bay, California

September 13-17, 1999

Information is available through a link on the Morro Bay National Estuary Programs web site at www.mbnep.org

 

National Conference on Reclamation

Roanoke, Virginia

September 16-18, 1999

This year's theme is "Building Successful Watershed Partnerships." For information, please contact Byron Thompson on (803) 253-3930 or at b.thompson@usda.gov

 

National Association of State Foresters 77th Annual Meeting

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

September 19-23, 1999

Public lands, water, emerging issues, fire, wildland/urban interface, and forest land taxation are some of the issues that will be discussed. For more information, contact Keith Ticknor, NRCS National Forester, keith.ticknor@usda.gov

 

Alliance for Environmental Stewardship: A Comprehensive Approach

St. Louis, Missouri

September 27-29, 1999

Early registration: $150. For information, please contact: Sara Snyder (312)266-3311 or check the web at http://www.inform.umd.edu/ManureNet/workshops/workshop.htm

When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all.

-- Edward O. Wilson, American entomologist

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