I want to thank each and every NRCS employee and partner for the excellent work you have put into the 1999 Workload Analysis. This is an excellent grassroots-level tool that will help to underpin the whole conservation program with solid facts and figures.

We will be embarking on the next iteration of the workload analysis in a few weeks. This is necessary to further validate and refine the process to meet the needs of the partnership. I urge you to base your input to the WLA on good resource information, your best technical judgment, honesty, and integrity.

Working together in this way assures that we will have the most accurate information possible to help the partnership become stronger.

Pearlie S. Reed

FOCUS ON THE FIELD

NRCS, Partners Get Grant To Protect Lives and Roads from Snow Disasters - NRCS North Dakota and its partners recently received a $673,000 grant to establish living snow fences to protect lives and 100 miles of State roadways. Driving this effort was the winter snow disaster of 1996-97 that resulted in 7 deaths, a 3-week closure of an interstate highway, and hundreds of millions of dollars lost in revenue. The grant will be combined with funds from the North Dakota Department of Transportation, North Dakota Centennial Tree Trust Fund, and USDA's Conservation Reserve Program.

Conservation District Impresses Government Reps from Japan - NRCS Maryland reports that on a recent tour of the Talbot Soil Conservation District ag representatives from the government of Japan were "amazed" by the effectiveness of partnerships. The visitors were impressed by how the district puts conservation on the land and works with landowners. They are exploring the possibilities of setting up conservation districts in Japan.

Joint Grassland and Rangeland Conference Draws Large National Audience - NRCS Nebraska reports that nearly 1,450 persons from across the Nation attended the recent joint meeting of the American Forage and Grassland Council and the Society for Range Management. Featured at the 5-day event were sessions on how to improve grasslands, how to use rangelands for ecotourism, management of livestock grazing and recreation in the western U.S., and the economics of cropping and grazing alternatives. Nebraska State Conservationist Steve Chick praised the organizers of the event, saying "They did a super job."

District Conservationist Receives Award for Assisting Disabled Farmers - NRCS New Hampshire reports that a vocational development farm for disabled students presented an award to District Conservationist Helen Castles for her assistance with conservation planning and implementation. The Stormy Moon Vocational Development Farm, located in Lyndeborough, assists individuals with disabilities with finding sources of income rather than relying on support from the State's social services. Ms. Castles received the award at a ceremony held at Congressman Charles Bass' office in Concord.

Soil and Water Conservation Society To Mark Centennial with Special Feature - SWCS will feature a special package for the April-May issue of Conservation Voices magazine on soils, the soil survey, and the centennial. There will be a piece on soil quality and its assessment, based on a paper by the NRCS Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment, presented at the recent state of the land conference; and an article on the soil survey, then and now.

Islands Seek Naming of Official Soils - To commemorate the Centennial of the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program, NRCS Puerto Rico is working with local agriculture departments on resolutions to have official soils declared for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. If their efforts are successful, Bayamon will become the official soil of Puerto Rico, and Victory the official soil of the Virgin Islands.

Demonstration Shows the Benefits of Buffers - Visitors to Nebraska City, Nebraska, be on the lookout for a demonstration going on at the Arbor Day Farm. A conservation buffer demonstration, that is. Featured are excellent examples of stripcropping, a grassed waterway, a living snowfence, and a constructed wetland, plus backyard conservation practices. Joining NRCS in this project are: the National Arbor Day Foundation, National Agroforestry Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, and the Nemaha Natural Resource District. Each year, more than 160,000 persons visit the farm and conference center. This outstanding demonstration of buffer benefits is located on cropland near the Lied Conference Center.

Ruby Raindrop Makes Splash for Conservation Education - NRCS Alabama and the Lauderdale County Soil and Water Conservation District created for kids a flier promoting the Ruby Raindrop conservation awareness program. Fliers were distributed to schools where they were given to kindergartners and kids in first, second, and third grades, and special education. Because of this effort, 32 conservation programs have been presented to nearly 600 students in 3 schools. Programs are planned for 1,650 students in 7 schools. Assisting with the programs are Earth Team volunteers and interns from the University of North Alabama.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON

Vice President Announces Runoff Reduction Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations - On Tuesday, Vice President Gore announced a comprehensive Federal strategy to minimize the water quality and public health impacts of animal feeding operations. Developed by USDA and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations is an interagency effort to reduce polluted runoff from the Nation's 450,000 animal feeding operations where cattle, dairy, poultry, and hogs are raised in confined situations.

Excitement Builds for Earth Day Event on National Mall - NRCS NHQ and more than 40 agricultural and conservation organizations are pulling out all the stops for the exciting Ag-Earth Day celebration on the National Mall. The goal for the event is to raise public awareness about the conservation efforts of farmers and ranchers, and the need for responsible stewardship of natural resources. Featured will be innovative environmental practices and partnerships, programs for school children, a traditional farmers' market, and testimonials of successful stewardship happening on America's farms and ranches. If you are visiting Washington on April 22 and 23, and you want some Earth Day excitement, look for the partnership's tents adjacent to the Department of Agriculture's Administration Building.

SPECIAL EVENTS

NRCS National Civil Rights Committee Meeting

Davis, California

March 29-April 2

 

Ag-Earth Day

National Mall, Washington, D.C.

April 22-23

Visit the Ag-Earth website at: http://www.nasda-hq.org/nasda/earth/events1/index.html

 

"Restoring Louisiana's Wetland Heritage" Celebration

Monroe, Louisiana

May 1

Contact: NRCS State Public Affairs Specialist Herb Bourque at 318-473-7762; or e-mail:

hbourque@laso2.la.nrcs.usda.gov

"QUOTE OF THE WEEK"

Nature is the one place where miracles not only happen, but happen all of the time.

Thomas Wolfe, American novelist

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