Forest Service, US Department of Agriculture WATERSHED - FISH - WILDLIFE - AIR - RARE PLANTS ::: WFW MONTHLY WFW STAFF NEWSLETTER April 2009 CONTENTS News Coming Events Technical Information & Publications Training & Tools Sharing Success Vacancies/ Employment Opportunities General/Cross Area * Air Resource Appeals & Litigation Aquatic/Fish Continuing Education/WFW * NatureWatch * * Planning Soil TES * * * * Watershed Weather Wildlife * * Other Staffs or Partners *NFSL R2, R3, R6, R8, R9, R10, Other * Click on the header to take you to this section of the newsletter. Federal job announcements can be found at: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/agency_search.asp Submit your information Disclaimer & Non-Discrimination Statement News: GENERAL/CROSS AREA Lowell Suring Retires from WFW Lowell Suring retired this winter. Lowell was a Wildlife Biologist with our WFW Wildlife Ecology Unit. Lowell began Federal employment in 1978 and joined the Forest Service in 1980, serving at Forest, Regional and National levels. That makes over 30 years with the Federal government and over 28 years with the Forest Service. This followed three years with the State of New York. He worked in a variety of habitats from the temperate rainforests of Alaska to the grasslands of the Great Basin. Lowell has demonstrated dedication, hard work, and steady, dependable service to his profession and the Forest Service. He works quietly and often in the background, and is under-recognized for his valuable contributions to wildlife management. Lowell practiced the art and science of wildlife management with a high level of integrity, honesty, and compassion that made him a highly sought after team member and mentor. In addition to all of this, he is one of the nicest people that one could ever hope to encounter. Lowell is currently working for Northern Ecologic L.L.C. in Boise, ID. You can congratulate Lowell on his retirement and new adventures at Lowell@northern-ecologic.com. Submitted By: Michael I. Goldstein, USFS/R10/WFRP Save the Frogs Day! April 28th was National Save the Frogs Day. What did you do to help save frogs? Nothing? Now is the time to plan for 2010. Climate Change and the Forest Service Get the Forest Service perspective on climate change. Forest Service's Climate Change Strategic Framework, and its 7 goals: FS Climate Change - Home page FS Climate Change - Message FS Climate Change - Strategic Framework FS implementation teams are working on each of these goals, to: * Build knowledge, skills, and expertise * Develop experience, and partnerships. * Support the mission of the Forest Service Forest Service's Climate Change Resource Center A related, interesting report: European Commission (EC) - Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity EC - The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Report (TEEB) Phase 1 report: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) Common messages for developing the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity: * rethink today's subsidies to reflect tomorrow's priorities; * reward currently unrecognized ecosystem services and make sure that the costs of ecosystem damage are accounted for, by creating new markets and promoting appropriate policy instruments; * share the benefits of conservation; * measure the costs and benefits of ecosystem services. Submitted By: Marc Bosch, USFS/WO/WFW NATUREWATCH "First" Eagle Egg of the Season Take a virtual trip to the Deschutes National Forest! A photo of the first egg (with mom) on the nest/eagle cam. This is exciting! Recall last year, we were getting over 20,000 hits a day on this site...If the egg hatches, we will dwarf last year's figures. National Symbol, National Forests, Live Cam, Kids in schools watching daily = a very positive/educational experience. This is also a form of accessibility for our visitors who can't hike on trails. We bring the forest and ecosystems to them. Thanks to our partner Marcia Langhorst. Submitted By: Don Virgovic, USFS/WO-R6/WFW-NatureWatch TES - Threatened and Endangered Species The Nature Conservancy - Ecoregional Portfolio Data Publically Available Excerpt from TNC/LandScope Newsletter - April (http://www.landscope.org/) "One challenge to pursuing strategic land protection is the lack of a broader picture of how and where land trusts, agencies, and other conservation groups are focusing their attention. The result of rigorous expert analysis, The Nature Conservancy's Ecoregional Portfolio identifies high priority lands and waters for conserving biodiversity, considering all representative ecosystems and at-risk species within each of the country's ecoregions. And now, for the first time, The Nature Conservancy is sharing a comprehensive and publicly accessible version of its portfolio data through LandScope America. Learn about the data, view it in the LandScope map viewer, and discover how it can help inform your own conservation priorities, plans, and on-the-ground actions." "LandScope America is a collaborative project of NatureServe and the National Geographic Society to develop a new online resource for the land-protection community and the public. LandScope America brings together maps, data, photography and information about our environment and presents them in dynamic and accessible formats." Global Climate Change and Effects on Birds and Trees Forest Service's Northern Research Station in Delaware, Ohio, recently launched an updated, user-friendly version of their Global Climate Change Atlas that shows possible range changes for eastern tree and bird species as affected by the three most commonly used global climate change scenarios. Citation Matthews, S.N., L. R. Iverson, A.M. Prasad, A. M., and M.P. Peters. 2007-ongoing. A Climate Change Atlas for 147 Bird Species of the Eastern United States [database]. http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas/bird, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Delaware, Ohio. Abstract We assess the current status and potential future status following climate change, of 147 bird species in the eastern United States. We use Breeding Bird Survey data with 11 environmental variables and 88 tree species potential change data (see companion site) to generate models of current suitable habitat for each species. We then change the climate according to three climate models (HADCM3, PCM & GFDL - see 3-GCMs for details) and two emissions scenarios (A1FI (Hi) = little conservation efforts to mitigate CO2 emissions, B1 (Lo) =significant conservation effort), and model the potential future species habitats. These two emissions scenarios bracket most of the emission futures as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's evaluation of emission scenarios (Nakicenovic et al. 2000), and end the 21st century at roughly double (550 ppm-B1) and triple (970 ppm-A1fi) the pre-industrial levels for CO2. Details on the Random Forest Regression Model methodology can be found in Prasad et al. 2006, and details on the output generation can be found in Iverson, L.R. et al. (in press). (see "Citations"). Submitted By: Marc Bosch, USFS/WO/WFW WILDLIFE Senate Bill Introduced to Conserve Rapidly Disappearing Migratory Birds (Excerpt from Media Release) Contact: Steve Holmer, American Bird Conservancy, 202-234-7181, ext. 216 sholmer@abcbirds.org, www.abcbirds.org "The Senate bill, S. 690, reauthorizes the existing Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA), but at significantly higher levels, to meet the growing needs of our migrants, many of which are in rapid decline. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) plans to introduce similar legislation in the House of Representatives. The legislation was introduced following the release of U.S. State of the Birds, the most comprehensive assessment to date on the status of bird populations. The report found that over 250 American bird species are in decline or facing severe threats." More information (http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/090407.html) Submitted By: Jina Mariani, USFS/WO/WFW Register Your International Migratory Bird Day Event Over 350 IMBD events are registered in the International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) database. Register your event at IMBD's site. Events are taking place in every state and almost every Canadian province. Check out the Explorer's Map to find an event near you. Registering provides free advertising for you and allows EFTA and our sponsors to know where and how many events are occurring. That's important for continued support. Please register today! Submitted By: Jina Mariani, USFS/WO/WFW Technical Information & Publications: NATUREWATCH Get those Kids in the Woods! Producing Partnership Reports The 2008 WFRP data is complete and on the internet. It is a perfect time to generate your own "Electronic Partnership Report," using our Electronic Report Generator. Please check out our electronic 2008 Kids in the Woods Report. It is absolutely impressive what "YOU" do "on-the-ground" to Get Kids in the Woods! The project list is staggering, as is the list of partners. The projects are top-notch and many are heart-warming. Internal link External link The external link is the link you will get when you "publish" your own report. It takes about an hour depending on when the server refreshes to get this link. This is the one you will want to send to folks outside the FS. Please share this report internally and externally with your partners, family, friends, and prospective partners. Oh yeah, click "yes" for all the crazy pop-ups that appear. Submitted By: Don Virgovic, USFS/WO-R6/WFW - NatureWatch TES - Threatened and Endangered Species NEW! Reptile and Amphibian Habitat Management Guides Many of you are impressed with the most recent version of the reptile and amphibian habitat management guides! If you haven't purchased your copy yet, you still have time. These new guides can be purchased for a mere $10 each. What a fantastic deal - fancy comic books cost more than ten dollars! These guides make great mid-year "Atta Employee" awards. Give copies to your Line Officers and then take them out to do a survey. Currently, the new editions of the Southeast, Northeast, and Northwest guide are available for purchase. In addition, pre-orders are being accepted for the Midwest (2nd edition) and Southwest guides. Southeast: The Southeast regional guide is now available for order. Northeast: The Northeast regional guide is now available for order. Northwest: NEW! The Northwest regional guide is now available for order. Midwest: The second edition of the Midwest guide is in progress and may be available as early as September 2008. Southwest: The Southwest regional guide has been drafted and will be available in 2009. To order hard copies of the regional habitat management guidelines. Contact: Delinda Franklin at High Cotton, dfranklin@highcottonusa.com, phone: 1-877-838-2345, fax: 205-836-5587 PARC hopes to sell piles of hard copies at this fantastic price, with the intention of recouping the funding needed to help cover development and publication costs for the remainder of the series under production. When you purchase these guides you are also supporting PARC and future guides. Special Credit: Thanks to the Forest Service regions for contributing substantially to the funding of all of PARC's conservation products to date. The Forest Service Directors have supported us consistently and handsomely. Submitted By: Ernie Garcia (PARC/USFWS) and Wayne Owen (USFS/WO/WFW) National Forest Service Library New Anthropology Journals at National Forest Service Library NFSL added Anthrosource to the library subscriptions. It includes full-text access to the following titles at Wiley.com. American Anthropologist American Ethnologist Anthropology & Education Quarterly Anthropology & Humanism Anthropology News Anthropology of Consciousness Anthropology of Work Review Archeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association Bulletin of the National Association of Student Anthropologists Central Issues in Anthropology City & Society CSAS Bulletin Central States Anthropological Society Cultural Anthropology Culture & Agriculture El Mensajero Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings Ethos General Anthropology Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology Journal of Linguistic Anthropology Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Europe Medical Anthropology Quarterly Museum Anthropology National Association for the Practice of Anthropology Bulletin North American Dialogue Nutritional Anthropology PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review SOLGAN Teaching Anthropology: Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges Notes Transforming Anthropology Visual Anthropology Review Voices Submitted By: Julie Blankenburg, USFS/NFSL/FPL Training and Tools: GENERAL/CROSS AREA FWS Wetlands Maps on Google - One Year Later April 22, 2009 The Fish and Wildlife Service maps of its National Wetlands Inventory are available for viewing on Google Earth. Since its launch one year ago, over 1.4 million maps of wetlands data have been downloaded using this versatile, fast program. If you don't have Google Earth, the Service's Wetlands Mapper, a separate site, fully integrates digital data with printable customized maps. http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/ Jay Jensen Named Deputy Under Secretary for USFS The Executive Director of the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition, Jay Jensen has been selected by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the position of Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE). More information: Western Institute for Study of the Environment USDA News Western Governors (Scroll down) Submitted By: Shelly Witt, USFS/WO/WFW WCAG Theme Song & Video -- Expand Your Perceptions You might not write code for websites, but you probably create content that is posted online. This video and theme song encourage using WCAG to create accessible websites. Those of us writing content can benefit from insight to how diverse our visitors are. How we construct documents (e.g., headers), display data in a chart or describe a graphic ("alt text") makes a difference. It is worth our time to build quality documents. USDA TARGET Center offers training in how to build quality documents. MP3 & lyrics are at: http://www.eramp.com/wcag_theme_song.htm Watch the video from home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IWBT4Tk3t0 Origin: Bill Williams, USFS/R5/Communications Specialist - via FSWebsters Submited By: Shelly Witt, USFS/WO/WFS Meeting OPM Qualifications for 0401 Natural Resources Management Series A televised broadcast of the Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium (NRDLC) describing how employees may meet education qualification standards for OPM 0401 Natural Resources Management series is available online. Broadcast link This broadcast was co-hosted by BLM and FS and broadcast live through NPS and F&WS internal networks. The Consortium is currently comprised of ten, nationally ranked universities across the nation. In consultation with your supervisor and the determination that the knowledge obtained through these education courses is in the public interest, government funds may be used to pay tuition costs and also provide official work time to take these courses. Typical single course tuition (three academic credits) ranges from approximately $600.00 for an undergraduate course to $1,400.00 for a graduate level course. Academic courses delivered through distance learning technologies are delivered at any time, at any location having access to the internet. Distance learning courses avoid typical travel costs of about $1,600.00 per week (air fare, lodging & meals), but most importantly time away from job and family. Individuals desiring to meet OPM qualification standards for positions classified in the 0401 series must either A: obtain an academic degree in agriculture, biology, natural resources management.... or B: complete 24 academic semester credits equivalent to major field of study. Employees are urged to consult directly with a qualified human resources liaison to determine in advance that the courses you want to take will meet OPM qualification standards for the 0401 series. For detailed information, please examine the Consortium website at: http://www.nrdlc.org Submitted By: Bill Woodland, USFS/WO/National Training & Education-NFS Shelly Witt, USFS/WO/WFW Sharing Success: TES - Threatened and Endangered Species 10th Anniversary of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) Established in 1999 as one of the most ambitious, all-volunteer conservation partnerships in the country, PARC brings together representatives of science and education, industry and commerce, state and federal government, conservation societies, pet and field hobbyists, and the general public from across the US and including Canada and Mexico. PARC stands alone internationally as being the only effort to address the conservation of all amphibians and reptiles through partnerships that connect and complement existing efforts. Over the past decade, PARC has come a long way in bringing people together and creating the tools and services that address the many challenges in amphibian and reptile conservation. PARC has featured some of the great projects and the partners involved in our efforts in a commemorative brochure, available for download. Quarterly newsletter to keep you updated on all that is happening in PARC Endangered Species Bulletin Special 2008 Highlights edition, there is a 2-page summary of PARC starting on p.22 Note the case study featured is an Int'l PARC project led by USFS's Tom Biebighauser (R8)! Submitted By: Ernesto Garcia (PARC/USFWS) WILDLIFE SRS Wheelin Sportsmen Hunt News Release with event video The staff at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) was instrumental in organizing and hosting this hunt. It's a continuing demonstration of a very head's up staff and the great outreach to the community. The hunt this year was April 17 and 18. "The hunt, held as part of the NWTF's Wheelin' Sportsmen outreach program, has helped hunters with disabilities enjoy wild turkey hunting at SRS since 2004. This year, 24 hunters teamed up with SRS employees and harvested a total of 27 gobblers on Friday and Saturday." Submitted By: Ted Schenck, USFS/WO-R8/Making Tracks Read success stories at our USFS Success Story Reporting System. Have a USFS Success? Share it through the USFS Success Story Reporting System. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/ssrs/index.php - NOW ON WWW! Vacancies/Employment Opportunities: http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov REGION 2 GIS Specialist on Shasta-Trinity - GS-401/11 Permanent Full time position Vacancy Announcement #: ADS09-R5-SHFSO-02382G Sierra NF- Wildlife Biologist, GS 486-12 The outreach notice for this position can be accessed at http://outreach.fsr5.com. Contact: Phil Strand at (559) 297-0706 ext. 4883 or pstrand@fs.fed.us REGION 3 Outreach: Prescott NF's Wildlife, Fish and Rare Plants Team Leader position GS-401-12 Interested candidates can contact Mike Leonard for more details. Please reply to the outreach by May 26, 2009. Contact: Mike Leonard, Ph.D., Staff Officer for Planning, NEPA, Wildlife, Fish and Rare Plants, Prescott National Forest; (928) 443-8211 email: mikeleonard@fs.fed.us Outreach: Natural Resources Staff Officer - Coconino NF The position will be filled using a single application process. The announcement should be advertised in the next four to six weeks. This position is located at the on the Coconino National Forest at the Supervisors Office in Flagstaff, Arizona where the selected person will serve as the principal Staff Officer for the Recreation, Heritage, Wildlife, Lands, Watershed, Rare Plants and Weeds programs. They will be a member of the Forest Leadership Team. This position plans, develops, implements, coordinates, and evaluates the above mentioned management programs to achieve resource management objectives. In the position of primary staff for these programs, provides advice and council to the Forest Supervisor on issues relevant to these program areas. The incumbent will provide professional knowledge in leadership, coordination, and direction for the administration of the resource management activities associated with these functional areas. As a supervisor of six GS-12, program staff, the position provides direct and indirect supervision to employees who manage these programs in the Supervisor's Office. Contact: Joe Stringer, Deputy Forest Supervisor, 928-527-3456 (jstringer@fs.fed.us) REGION 6 Outreach: Fremont-Winema Forest Plan Revision Team GIS analyst (GS-0301-9/11) Two positions on the forest plan revision team are being outreached: The GS-11 GIS/Data Services Specialist position will be advertised as an open continuous recruitment announcement in AVUE, OCR announcement # ADS08-FSJOBS(GIS)-0056G & DP, with a referral list requested on or about May 15. Responses to the outreach for the GS-9/11 Writer-Editor are due May 15. Natural Resources Staff Officer for the Siuslaw National Forest Advertised in two series (401 and 1301) and as a DEMO. Vacancy announcement closes 4/24/09. Duty Station in Corvallis, Oregon - a university town. The Siuslaw is a great Forest (with lands along the Pacific coast including the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area) with a diversity of issues and excellent restoration efforts underway! ADS-R6SW-B4955DP (P-JL), Supervisory Natural Resource Biologist, GS-0401-13 ADS09-R6SW-B4955G (P-JL), Supervisory Natural Resource Biologist, GS-0401-13 ADS09-R6SW-A4955DP (P-JL), Supervisory Physical Scientist, GS-1301-13 ADS09-R6SW-A4955G (P-JL), Supervisory Physical Scientist, GS-1301-13 REGION 8 Regional Wildlife Program Manager, GS-486-12/13 Regional TES Specialist, GS-401-12/13 Please share with your contacts and/or interested folks that we are advertising two potential GS-13 positions. The vacancies represent a significant opportunity to work in a great region with numerous wildlife and rare species, as well as lead in integrating and restoring some important landscapes. I am available to discuss with anyone the wildlife position activities. Thanks for your assistance in helping us establish a strong candidate pool. Both positions are stationed in the Regional Office here in Atlanta, GA. They are both GS-12/13 jobs, Submitted By: Kenneth "Rex" Ennis, USFS/R8/WFW Zone GIS specialist (GS-401-11), National Forests in Florida USA Jobs- ADS09-R8NFFL-1582G (PTMS) The National Forests in Florida is advertising a Zone GIS specialist position (GS-401-11) on USA Jobs- Job Announcement Number: ADS09-R8NFFL-1582G (PTMS). The position serves as the Zone GIS specialist for the Osceola and Apalachicola National Forests and includes Forest-wide duties related to the implementation of National Applications on the National Forests in Florida. The NFs in Florida consist of three National Forests. The Supervisor's Office is located in Tallahassee, FL. The Apalachicola NF is closest to the Supervisor's Office, the Osceola NF is only about a two-hour drive, and the Ocala NF is approximately three hours by car. For more information on the NFs in Florida, please visit http://www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/florida. This position is open government wide until May 25, 2009 http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov Contact: Jason Drake, Geospatial Program Manager, National Forests in Florida Desk: 850-523-8560, Cell: 850-570-8993 Email: jasondrake@fs.fed.us REGION 9 Acquisition Director GS-1102-14 Vacancy Announcement Until May 11 Region 9 to be Director of Acquisition (and Partnerships) Contact: Kimberly Anderson, 414-297-3257 Outreach: Public Affaris Officer & Program Leader Green Mountain and Finger Lakes NF - Rutland, Vermont 05701 GS-0401-12/13 - Permanent Full-Time Position Contact: Meg Mitchell, Forest Supervisor; Desk 802-747-06704 or Cell: 802-558-0922, mmitchell01@fs.fed.us Outreach forms due by April 30, 2008. This will help determine prospective candidate interest level in this opportunity. The Forest will likely notify all persons responding when the position is advertised. Outreach: Team Leader - Chippewa NF GS 12/13 Team Leader, located at the Supervisor's Office in Cass Lake Minnesota. This position provides leadership to the engineering, recreation, lands/realty, heritage, and recreation programs. This is a chance for an ambitious leader to work with a wide spectrum of partners and programs in a unique setting. This is a wonderful opportunity to work with a high performing leadership team (with an infectious sense of humor) to help shape a promising future. REGION 10 Regional Watershed & Air Program Leader position Reply Date: May 18, 2009 GS-13, in the Alaska Region The position is now posted as an interdisciplinary offering, open to the Hydrologist 1315 series and the Soil Scientist 0470 series. Vacancy Announcements: ADS09-R10RO-0478G (P-JO) ADS09-R10RO-0478DP (P-JO) " ... the views from the office window are fabulous here: eagles, spawning salmon, mountain goats, bears, fishing boats, float planes, urban avalanches...i could go on but i have to get back to work. And we promise to get you out in the woods with us. ..." Outreach: Alaska Region Director of Operations, GS-341 or 1102 - 14, closes 5/8/09 Reply Date: May 8, 2009 This is a new position for the Alaska Region. Due to Regional Office Transformation and the consolidation to a single Deputy Regional Forester, we have created a new Director role which consolidates financial management, acquisition management and residual administrative functions under a single director area. Due to this being a new position, proven leadership at bringing together different staff areas to work as an effective team is essential. Contact: Denny Bschor, Regional Forester, dbschor@fs.fed.us Or albergstrom@fs.fed.us Information about Region 10 Outreach: 3 Resource Program Positions The Chugach National Forest is moving to a two-zone natural resource management program between the three Ranger Districts (RDs). The Prince William Sound Zone (covering geographic areas located on the Cordova and Glacier RDs) and the Kenai Zone (covering geographic areas located on the Glacier and Seward RDs) will be filling three key positions this fiscal year. The assignments are a great opportunity to take a leadership role in one of the most unique areas in the National Forest System, while becoming immersed in the beauty and lifestyle of Southcentral Alaska. Note: Interested applicants should reply to outreach by April 27 (note special instructions for GS-11 Wildlife Bio). Contact Person: Nancy O' Brien, 907-424-4722, nobrien@fs.fed.us OTHER VACANCIES Grand Canyon National Park - Database Coordinator Grand Canyon NP GS-12 term database coordinator position. This is not a GIS position, but rather a true database position. Contacts: Kathryn_Parker@nps.gov or 928-779-2095 Current database coordinator: Chris Flaccus at 928-774-3215 to discuss the details of the job duties. WFW Newsletter Contact Information: Disclaimer - Non Discrimination Statement WFW Newsletter is a monthly newsletter without a clever name and is provided by the National Forest System Watershed-Fish-Wildlife-Air-Rare Plants staff (including Soils and Meteorology) of the USDA Forest Service. Contributions are welcome and should be submitted to Netta Grant at agrant@fs.fed.us or your favorite Program Leader no later than the 20th of each month. We reserve the right to edit contributions for clarity and brevity. Emphasis is on brevity. Links to detailed URLs or documents are great - include them in your information contribution. If photos are included in your submission, please provide alternative text with each photo. Alternative text should not repeat captions but describe the scene shown in the photo. If brevity and clarity are a struggle for you, we recommend the "Plain & Simple! Document Writing" workshop instructed by Dr. Jud Monroe. Vacancy Positions listed are for outreach purposes only and are not full announcements. Interested individuals should contact the units referenced or consult the USAJOBS website. "The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (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 to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer." ?? ?? ?? ?? WFW Newsletter Page 1 of 14