  |
 |
 |
NRCS Home
About Us
News
Programs
Technical Resources
Partnerships
Features
Contact Us |
|
|
|
| Friday, October 29, 1999 Washington, DC |
NRCS Staffer Pens Song to "Fund the Fight" Against Breast Cancer - The people of NRCS are well known for offering their time and talent to worthy causes, while both on and off the clock. A story with a special spin, however, comes from Sammy Moore, Jr., Management Analyst for Civil Rights, at the agency's California State Office. Sammy, a singer and songwriter whose résumé resonates with four decades of musical accomplishments, has turned his talents toward the benefit of Cure Breast Cancer, Inc., a grassroots, nonprofit organization committed not only to living up to its name, but to educating the public about breast cancer and the need for its early detection, as well. Among CBC's goals are providing care to all women, whether they have health insurance or not. Led by Dr. Ernie Bodai, the Sacramento-area surgeon who developed the U.S. Postal Service's breast cancer awareness postage stamp, CBC is staffed by a nearly all-volunteer workforce.
Coming from this caring connection between CBC and Sammy is "Let's Fund the Fight," a song powered by a spirited, emotional, and uncompromising appeal that aims right at the heart of both the listener and the issue. "The lyrics say it all," says Sammy. Here's a sample: "Is she your mother, your sister, your friend, or some stranger facing a night with no end/What does it matter? Her life's on the line/It makes no difference if she's your friend or mine/Let's fund the fight." Sacramento's New Testament Baptist Church Choir II delivers a triumphant and haunting back up to Sammy's soulful and hard-hitting lead vocal. Serving as producer and engineer was Bob Snieckus, the NRCS' National Landscape Architect. The recording session was conducted in the sanctuary of the choir's home church where the first public performance of "Let's Fund the Fight" will be held on November 15.
"Let's Fund the Fight" is winning a nationwide audience and is available on compact disc from Amazon.com, CDNow, Tower Records, and CBC's web site at www.curebreastcancer.org Some sites offer downloadable sound bites. Recordings of this kind typically return 30 cents per dollar to the sponsor. CBC, however, will receive 85 cents of every dollar generated by the song; the remaining 15 cents will cover production and distribution costs. "The level of return going to CBC is totally unheard of. It's just not done," said Sammy. "But we are doing it anyway." For more information about "Let's Fund the Fight," please contact Sammy Moore, Jr., on (530) 792-5608.
Outreach to Teach Hmong Farmers Effective Pesticide Application - The Hmong, natives of southeast Asia, are the fastest-growing Asian population in Wisconsin; most are involved in agriculture. Many grow vegetables for farmers markets, while many others grow ginseng. Because pesticide use is necessary for these types of agriculture, a new slide set and video are being developed in the Hmong language to train proper pesticide application techniques. The training will make it easier for Hmong to become certified private pesticide applicators, in compliance with State pesticide-use laws. Statistics show that most who fail the private pesticide applicator certification exam, in areas of heavy Hmong concentration, are Hmong. Future analysis of exam scores will compare the success of Hmong who took the training in English and those who took it in the Hmong language. The slide set, which is funded through a limited resource farmer grant, will be completed by November 2000, in time for upcoming certification exams. For more information, contact Dan Lynch, Wisconsin NRCS Asian-American Program Manager, at dlynch@co.ozaukee.wi.us
NRCS RI, Partners Celebrate Mussachuck Creek Restoration - Rhode Island State Conservationist Joe DelVecchio joined Save the Bay, and community, State, and Federal partners in the announcement of the completion of a fish ladder at Echo Lake in Barrington. The partners also unveiled future restoration plans for the Big Mussachuck Creek Salt Marsh that include restoring fish passage to Brickyard Pond and salt marsh habitats along Mussachuck Creek. "This project is evidence of what can be done when a community gets together and gets the job done," said DelVecchio. The goal of the project is to restore river herring populations in an area where road building and other activities have prevented the fish from reaching spawning grounds. Nearly $76,000 in funding for the second phase of the project will be provided through NRCS' Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. Your contact is Nancy Wood on (401) 828-1300.
Potato Pick-Up Yields Bounty for Nebraska Food Pantries - Food pantries, nursing homes, and senior centers in seven Nebraska counties share a hefty harvest of potatoes thanks to more than 20 USDA personnel, including folks from NRCS. USDA staffs gleaned nearly 2 tons of potatoes from 60 to 70 acres of land that were left behind by a harvester. Each county received an equal share. Chase County's potatoes were separated by a local Girl Scout troop. USDA food gleaning efforts benefit people and communities and make the public aware of local agricultural products. Your contact is Pat McGrane, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (402) 437-5328.
Chamber Names DC "Agribusiness Person of the Year" - Veteran NRCS district conservationist and soil conservationist George V. Davis was named agribusiness person of the year by the Casper, Wyoming, Chamber of Commerce. For 29 years, George has worked closely with farmers and ranchers in Natrona County on soil, water, and crop problems. For 10 years, he served with the Bureau of Reclamation. His accomplishments include supervision of seepage prevention of the Casper-Alcova irrigation canal and improvement of irrigation practices during a selenium crisis. Congratulations, George! Your contact is Nancy Atkinson, State Public Affairs Specialist, on (307) 261-6482.
TECH TIP: SSI DEVELOPS VERSATILE NEW WEB SITE
The NRCS' Social Sciences Institute has developed a new Social and Economic Data Access Web Site. The site, located at http://people.nrcs.wisc.edu/customdata/, provides conservation professionals with access to more than 200 data fields organized at the county level.
The site, drawn from multiple data sources, enables users to place variables into standardized tables. Using this web site will save time because conservationists will not need to go to three or four data sources, download data in different formats, and then try to piece together the different data sets. The site will offer a custom data retrieval system, on-line training in the use of social and economic information, and on-line tools for users to develop county profiles, thematic maps, and a guest book. The site will also offer examples of how profiles may be used to make presentations to the public; how to more effectively market conservation; how to assess the rapidity with which new conservation practices may be adopted; and how to identify and describe limited resource producers and candidates for outreach programs.
If you have questions or comments leave them with the Guestbook feature or contact Jeff Kenyon, NRCS Social Sciences Institute, Madison, Wisconsin, on (608) 265-3646, or at jkenyon@ssc.wisc.edu
SOIL "FACTOID" FOLLOW-UP
From Horace Smith, Director, NRCS Soil Survey Division
The "Tech Tip" in the October 1 issue of NRCS This Week included a list of 'factoids' from the National Soil Survey Center that show why soil is such an important resource. These factoids have stimulated positive awareness and good discussion.
It has come to our attention some background information on the factoid that reads "Shrinking and swelling of some kinds of soil damage buildings, roads, and other structures. Repairing this damage costs our Nation more each year than repairing the total damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods" would be of value.
The damage and cost resulting from shrinking and swelling soils are continuous over large areas, and are long term. By contrast, the damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods is more of a short-term, high-impact nature associated with a very high cost for the impacted area. The intent of this factoid was to illustrate that nationally, expansive soils are very costly to the Nation, and that the damage occurs on a continuing basis. We would point out that for an area or region of the Nation in many years, damage due to hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods is high in terms of cost and impact to residents of the area.
The reference for the factoid is: Jones, Earl D., Jr., and Wesley G. Holtz. 1973. Civil Engineering, V. 43, no. 8, pp. 49-51. Earl D. Jones, Jr. was Chief Engineer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Wesley Holtz was a consulting engineer when this article was published.
AWARD OPPORTUNITY
Cattlemen Now Accepting Nominations for Stewardship Award - The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) is now accepting nominations for its Environmental Stewardship Award Program. In the past, nominations were only accepted from NCBA State cattle associations, breed organizations, and State beef councils. This year, however, NCBA is accepting nominations from any group or organization in the U.S. The only stipulation is that the nominated farm/ranch operation, must in some capacity, raise or feed cattle. The deadline for submissions is March 8, 2000. Nomination information is on http://hill.beef.org/cnsrvt/agfesa.htm Your contact is Liz Hickam, Coordinator, Environmental Issues, NCBA, on (202) 347-0228; e-mail lhickam@beef.org
Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
-- Robert Frost, American poet
Please send correspondence and material for "NRCS This Week" to the editor by: e-mail to: brad.fisher@usda.gov; or by fax to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," 202-720-1564; or by mail to: Editor, "NRCS This Week," NRCS, P.O. Box 2890, Washington, D.C. 20013
If you are not a NRCS employee, you can receive NRCSTW on an e-mail by contacting: listproc@nrcs.usda.gov (NHQ personnel should send their e-mail to: GW:"listproc@nrcs.usda.gov@i"). Do not use a subject line and put the following in the body of the message: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Firstname Lastname (example: subscribe NRCS-THIS-WEEK Eleanor Roosevelt). To get help with other commands that are available at the "listproc@nrcs.usda.gov" address, send a message with no subject and the word HELP on a line by itself in the body of the message. "NRCS This Week" will continue to be posted on the NRCS Homepage.
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.
Addresses and telephone numbers for NRCS' Civil Rights Staff are: NRCS Civil Rights Program Compliance Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5471, Beltsville, MD 20705-5471; phone: (301) 504-2287. NRCS Civil Rights Employment Division, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mail Stop 5472, Beltsville, MD 20705-5472; phone: (301) 504-2181.
|
|
Back to Top