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| Friday, October 5, 2001 Washington, DC. |
"I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God."
–- Helen Keller (1880-1968) author and advocate for Americans with disabilities
ACCOLADES
High Marks for NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance - NRCS customers have given the agency very high customer satisfaction ratings in a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) poll. The ACSI showed that farmers and ranchers are happy with the conservation technical assistance (CTA) they get from the NRCS and conservation districts. CTA received a satisfaction index of 81 out of a possible 100 points - 10 points higher than Americans rate private sector services and 12 points higher than the index for Federal government services. CTA received a trust index of 90 out of a possible 100. More information on the ACSI is available on the NRCS web site at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/survey/satisfaction.html.
FOCUS ON THE FIELD
Bringing the Tools of Technology to Bush Alaska -
A soil survey in Alaska's interior region of 9 million acres along the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers closed out the field season with the installation of two new soil climate monitoring stations. NRCS, working in partnership with the University of Alaska Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, installed monitoring stations in the villages of Aniak and Napiamute, two of the 19 villages within the vast and remote soil survey region. These stations will provide much needed baseline data for local residents, as well as be key element of a wider NRCS climate network collecting data to study climate change. Partnerships with village schools are being formed to incorporate the monitoring station data into the school science curriculum. Your contact is Jeanette Colville, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 907-271-2424.
Kids Enjoy Clean Water Festival - Over 200 fourth and fifth graders from Garfield Upper Elementary School in Abilene, Kansas, recently had the opportunity to enjoy some good clean fun learning about water with "hands-on" water-related activities. The Dickinson County Water Improvement Program, NRCS, and volunteers from local and State agencies guided students through activities including the EnviroScape - a surface model of a watershed that shows sources of pollution and how it reaches ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. The students especially enjoyed the Edible Earth Parfait where they learned about aquifers, groundwater contamination, and groundwater protection through ice cream, soda, and ice cubes. More information on the event is available on the Water Improvement Program website at http://www.ikansas.com/~water/waterfestival.html.
Your contact is David Gurss, Project Administrator, Dickinson County Water Improvement Program, at 785-263-9914.
NRCS Provides Technical Assistance to Washington, D.C. - NRCS in Maryland is providing conservation technical assistance in the form of restoration practice design and construction and contract administration for the District of Columbia to stabilize the Watts Branch streambank and help improve its water quality. Summer storm flooding resulted in debris and erosion along the urban drainage area that flows to the Chesapeake Bay through the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. NRCS also supervised the restoration work, which included debris removal, wall repair, soil bioengineering plantings, rock vanes, riprap streambank protection, and grading and seeding. The Watts Branch covers approximately 5,500 acres in the northeast section of the city and almost 6,000 acres in neighboring Prince Georges County in Maryland. The technical assistance provided by NRCS will help protect these areas from future flood and water erosion damage from major storms.
Your contact is Carol Hollingsworth, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 410-757-0861, ext. 313.
Congresswoman Tours Farms with NRCS - U.S. Representative Marge Roukema recently toured two conservation farms in Warren County, New Jersey with NRCS State Conservationist Joe DelVecchio and local partners. One farmer discussed the technical assistance he has received from NRCS and showed the Congresswoman the nearly completed waterway on his property. This erosion control project was implemented to reverse decades of topsoil loss that occurred after rainfalls. At a dairy farm, the Congresswoman learned about the cow manure storage facility built to protect water quality and improve the field fertilization process. NRCS provided technical assistance and funding for the facility through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Your contact: Irene Lieberman, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 732-246-1171.
NRCS Adopts New Agency Symbol - NRCS adopted a "new" symbol this week by returning to the familiar raindrop and contour. This graphic, along with the agency initials and name, make up the new official NRCS symbol, replacing the USDA/NRCS logo in use since 1994. In bringing back the raindrop graphic, the agency is underscoring its commitment to conservation and acknowledging a long tradition of effective communication with its customers. The blue raindrop symbolizes both the purity and the power of natural forces that shape the land. The contour symbolizes both landform and vegetation tools used in conservation to capture the benefits of nature and protect the land. The modern typestyle of the initials for our agency’s name reflects our use of the latest scientific knowledge in our conservation practices. "The Natural Resources Conservation Service Symbol, Its Purpose and Use," provides details on uses of the symbol, color specifications, and examples. The guide and symbol can be found at http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/nrcslogo.html.
Your contact is Chris Lozos, NRCS visual information specialist, at chris.lozos@usda.gov.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month - The theme of this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month is "Win with Ability." In 1988, Congress expanded the observance to a month-long kick-off for year-round programs that highlight the abilities and skills of Americans with disabilities and changed its name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." Find out more at the U.S. Department of Labor's website at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/odep/public/programs/ndeam.htm.
Book Profiles Sustainable Farming Experiences in the U.S. - A new Sustainable Agriculture Network (SARE) book, "The New American Farmer," is a collection of in-depth interviews with farmers and ranchers across America. The book's diverse profiles detail the effects of farming practices on profitability, quality of life, rural communities, and the environment. By publicizing these stories, SARE demonstrates that sustainable farms and ranches are no longer few and far between. Instead, they are viable throughout American agriculture. There's something in the collection for everyone - from a banana producer in Hawaii to a potato farmer in Maine, and almost every State and commodity in between. The book is available in hardbound and (searchable) CD-ROM formats. For ordering information, call 802-656-0484, or e-mail sanpubs@uvm.edu. The book also can be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat (pdf file format) at http://www.sare.org/newfarmer/index.htm.
Your contact is Valerie Berton, SARE communications specialist, at 301-504-5230.
Animal Waste Management Software Approved - The NRCS National Water Management Center's Animal Waste Management (AWM) software is up, running, and approved for use in the field. AWM is a planning and design tool for estimating the production of waste materials within an animal feeding operation and determining the size of storage/treatment facilities. AWM process and calculations are those used in the NRCS Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook. The new program's strong points include ease of use, flexibility, and documentation. However, program developers are still working to improve nutrient tracking for land application. More information about AWM, including instructions for loading, is available at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/water/quality/common/wastemgmt/awm.html. Ultimately, a separate program, Manure Management Planner (MMP - a nutrient management tool under development) will be integrated with AWM. MMP will track nutrients through a waste management system and provide information for better land application decisions. As a short-term alternative to MMP, the AWM team is exploring ways to use AWM in conjunction with a basic nutrient balance program, Manure Master, available at http://www2.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/ManureMaster/.
Your contact is William Boyd, NRCS environmental engineer, at 501-210-8917.
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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 John Muir). 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, sex, 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 and 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.
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