USDA Sets Next CRP Sign-Up for October-November - Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on September 4 announced that the next Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up will be held during a 5-week period from October 14 through November 14 in USDA Service Centers across the Nation.

"This is an opportunity for landowners to participate in a cost-effective, voluntary program to improve their land, water, and wildlife resources," Glickman said. "Many landowners have not participated in CRP in the past. Now they will have another chance to do so.

"Applicants should be aware that CRP is a highly competitive program and that the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI) system was changed for this sign-up to address concerns arising from the 15th sign-up and to better protect the Nation's natural resource base," said Glickman. I encourage applicants to find out about the EBI well in advance of November 14 , and to consult with USDA experts locally on steps they can take to maximize EBI points. Landowners who do this have a higher likelihood that their acreage will be accepted."

The EBI's wildlife habitat factor is revised to recognize the benefits attributable to vegetative covers planted to address the habitat needs of specific wildlife species.

USDA also modified the EBI's air quality factor to reflect more accurately wind speed, moisture conditions, particle size, organic material, volcanic and organic soils. Other minor revisions also were made.

"We want to make sure every potential applicant has the information he or she needs to make an informed decision," Glickman said. "We will be holding public informational meetings and making other efforts to get the facts out to landowners in plenty of time before the sign-up begins.

"This also will be an opportunity for landowners whose contract offers were not accepted in Sign-up 15 last spring and those with contracts expiring this fall to make new contract offers."

Approximately 27.8 million acres will be under CRP contracts on October 1, 1997. Just over 4.8 million acres are under contracts that expire next year on September 30. USDA is authorized to maintain enrollment of up to 36.4 million acres.

NRCS Retiree Sworn in as State Senator in Nebraska - Jerry Willhoft of Central City, NE, was sworn in as State Senator to represent District 34 in the Nebraska Legislature in August. Willhoft will serve the second year of the two-year term of the State's 95th Legislature, filling the position of Janis McKenzie who resigned to take a position with the Nebraska Department of Education.

Before his retirement two years ago, Willhoft worked for NRCS for 31 years, serving as a soil conservation technician, district conservationist, and water quality coordinator for the Mid-Nebraska Water Quality Demonstration Project. Taking on new challenges is not new to Willhoft. He went to college for the first time at 41, and at 55 went on a four-month tour with his National Guard unit to the Iraqi border during the Persian Gulf War.

September Channel Earth Segment to Feature Erosion Study and NRI - The September 15 "From the Grassroots" show on Channel Earth will feature a 10-minute segment on a special cropland erosion study and the upcoming National Resources Inventory (NRI) conducted every 5 years on nonfederal lands. The featured erosion study shows a decline in the erosion rate on highly erodible cropland from 1995 to 1996. Channel Earth is a new DIRECTV news and information channel devoted exclusively to serving farmers, ranchers, and other rural residents. It has more than 2 million subscribers nationwide.

NRCS Participates in Western Drought Workshops - The recently formed Western Drought Coordination Council held the first of a series of "Planning for the Next Drought" workshops in Albuquerque, NM, this summer. The workshop was supported by the Western Governors with administrative support provided by the International Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, NE. More than 100 people representing a broad spectrum of water managers from State lands offices, irrigation districts, municipalities, and Native American communities attended the workshop. Jon Werner, Co-Director of the NRCS National Water & Climate Center (NWCC), presented a paper on building monitoring systems that explained NRCS expertise in remote climate, soil moisture, and snowpack/ water supply monitoring, data management, generation of decision support analyses, and delivery via the Unified Climate Access Network (UCAN). The next drought workshop is tentatively planned for late fall in Salt Lake City, UT.

National Forestry Manual Available - A new edition of the National Forestry Manual (NFM) has been distributed electronically and is available on the NRCS Home Page. To access it, click on "NRCS Operating Policy" on the opening screen of the NRCS home page and select "Manuals," then "Ecological Sciences," and finally "National Forestry Manual."

The new NFM establishes policy for forestry and agroforestry activities in the agency. It also introduces the concept of "Ecological Sites" and the automated information systems that support ecological sites and soil-related interpretations.

International Erosion Symposium - David Schertz, NRCS-National Agronomist, will deliver a paper at the International Symposium on Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming Conference. The conference will be held September 15-19 in Xi'an P.R.D., China. It is organized by the Institute of Soil and Water Conservation in Yangling, Shanaanxi, China, and the National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory in West Lafayette, IN. Other symposium sponsors include USDA-NRCS, Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service, the Soil & Water Conservation Society, the World Association of Soil & Water Conservation, and other sponsors from China. Schertz will also participate in a seven-day field-tour after the conference to view erosion and sediment control projects being conducted in China.

Environmentally Friendly Trade Show and Conference - The National Marketplace for the Environment (NME) Trade Show and Conference is scheduled for November 18-20, 1997, in Washington, DC., at the Washington Convention Center. The event will focus on marketing environmentally-friendly products, technologies, and services to Federal, State, and local governments, key segments of the private sector, and potential buyers from around the world. The target audience includes members of Congress and staff; key Federal, State, and local leaders; environmental and procurement officers; and university and industry representatives. Vice President Gore has been invited to give a speech and perform a ribbon cutting to officially open the trade show. An estimated 5,000-8,000 participants are expected.

IN THE FIELD

Riparian Buffers in Connecticut Receive Federal and State Funding - On 30 acres of a Connecticut farm being put into riparian buffers, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Rivers Restoration Program will fund the fencing, and the Conservation Reserve Program will pay the easement rental. The buffers will enhance wildlife habitat and protect streams and wetlands associated with the Blackberry River. Adjacent fields on the farm, which is in Canann, CT, are used as rotated pasture for dairy cattle.

Agriculture Officials from South Africa Visit Maryland - This summer, NRCS and the Kent Soil Conservation District Board in Chestertown, MD, hosted three agriculture officials from South Africa: Hein Lindemann and Dr. Mishack Molope, Chief Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Professor Peter Ewang of the University of Zululand. The visitors were part of a delegation from South Africa attending the meeting of the U.S./South African Binational Commission in Washington, DC. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the NRCS conservation delivery system.

Vermont Launches Information Campaign on Value of Agriculture - NRCS in Vermont is a partner in a new public information campaign to show how everything that makes Vermont special can be attributed to agriculture: pastoral settings, quality of life, healthy food, clean water, the working landscape, farm animals grazing, etc. The public information campaign is a spin-off from the work of the Farm Bill Information Team in the State. Participants include NRCS; the Farm Service Agency; the Vermont Department of Agriculture; Food and Markets; Cooperative Extension; and conservation districts. A recent survey conducted by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing ranked scenery, mountains, foliage, and cows and trees as the four top elements that characterize the State's image.

CONSTITUENCY AND PARTNERSHIP NEWS

September 23 Restoration Forum for River Corridors and Wetlands - NRCS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and more than 23 other partner groups are sponsoring a one-day workshop on river corridor and wetland restoration on September 23, at the Springfield Hilton (Springfield/Franconia Metro Station), Springfield, VA, about 15 miles southwest of Washington, DC. The purpose of the workshop is to broaden and strengthen relationships among restoration partners. For more information call Mary Hinton at 202-260-7797, or send e-mail to: hinton.mary@epamail.epa.gov.

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Award Nominations Due - Nominations for the 1998 NACD Awards (Distinguished Service, Special Service, Professional Service, Communications, and Business Conservation Leadership) are due at NACD's League City Office by September 30. Contact Ron Francis at 1-800-825-5547, extension 28.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 22-26 - National Watershed Water Quality Project Symposium, Hyatt Regency Washington Capitol Hill, Washington, DC. Contact the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) at 765-494-9555 or visit CTIC's Internet site at http://www.ctic.purdue.edu.

October 6-10 - National Conference on Urban Soils, New York City, NY. Contact Tyrone M. Goddard at 315-477-6526 or send e-mail to tgoddard@ny.nrcs.usda.gov for more information.

October 15-17 - Fourth Annual Conference, Workshop, and Exposition of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association, Eisenhower Inn and Conference Center, Gettysburg, PA. Contact Ed Stein by phone at 410-545-0362 or FAX at 410-209-5010 or contact David Snyder by phone at 704-398-0954 or FAX at 704-394-7946.

October 31 - November 2 - The 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Orlando, FL. Contact the ASFMRA at 303-758-3513, E-mail asfmra@agri-associations.org or check out the WEB site at http://www.agri-associations.org/asfmra/news/conference.html.

November - Native American Heritage Month

November 2-4 - International Irrigation Exposition & Technical Conference, Nashville, TN. For conference information visit the Irrigation Association's Web site at <http://www.irrigation.org/ia/main.html>.

November 2-5 - The National Urban and Community Conservation Conference "Natural Resources Issues in Rural America," Columbus, OH. For conference information contact Robert Raschke at 303-988-1810 or visit NACD's Web site <http://www.nacdnet.org>.

November 2-5 - Third North American Conference of the Farming Systems Research & Extension Association, "Food & Natural Resource Systems: Integrating Diversity, Inquiry, Action, & People," Welches (Mt. Hood), OR. For information contact seiters@bcc.orst.edu of Oregon State University.

QUOTE

"Conservation is critical to the staying power of agriculture and our world. Americalearned its lesson back in the 30s. I'm from Kansas, and if you go back and read the newspaper accounts of the Dust Bowl, folks said they could actually hear the ground cracking. It was an ominous warning: We can push the earth beyond her generous limits. We must choose not to. We must, as the Native Americans say, 'tread lightly on the land.'"

--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman

NRCS This Week is issued weekly by the Conservation Communications Staff, NRCS headquarters, Washington, D.C., and posted on the NRCS Home Page at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov. Please send correspondence and material via e-mail to: nancy.garlitz@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.

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