May 24, 2002

"Out of the long list of nature's gifts to man, none is perhaps so utterly essential to human life as soil."

--From Soil Conservation by Hugh Hammond Bennett (1881-1960), first chief and founder of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
 

NRCS people, projects, and programs appeared this week in the following newspapers:

National: USDA Launches Farm Bill Web Site (GrainNet)
National: USDA Launches Online Farm Bill Resource (Successful Farming Agriculture Online)
National: USDA Launches Farm Bill Web Site (AgWeb.com)
National: Seven to be Honored at National Wetlands Awards Ceremony (Environmental News Network)
National: Programs to Review Manure Management (The Poultry and Egg News)
Arkansas: Students Learn About Forest Resources (The Texarkana Gazette)
California: Help Available for Farmers to Cut Dust Emissions (The Merced Sun-Star)
Idaho: Muddy Waters on the Increase (AG Weekly Online)
Indiana: Diesel Fuel Spill Costs Randolph County (The Star Press, Muncie)
Louisiana: For the Birds: Project Aims to Preserve, Repair Grand Isle's Coastal Forests to Serve Migratory Songbirds (The Times Picayune, New Orleans)
Minnesota: Local Volunteers Honored by Conservation Service (The Cottonwood County Citizen, Windom)
Montana: Beaver Creek Dam Needs Help (The Havre Daily News)
New Mexico: Funds Will Help Burn-area Residents Ready for Floods (The Alamagordo Daily News)
South Dakota: City of Melvin to Halt Storm Sewer Repairs (The Ocheyedan Press, Sioux Falls)
Virginia: NRCS State Technical Guide Notice (FedNet)


NRCS Drought & Snowpack News
Idaho: Fremont County Seeks Drought Declaration (The Rexburg Standard Journal)
Idaho: Controversial Water Proposal Evaporates (Ag Weekly OnLine, Twin Falls)
Montana: Reservoirs Expected to Refill (Daily Inter Lake)
Utah: Good Soaker Eludes Utah (The Salt Lake City Tribune)


(NOTE: Links are tested at the time NRCS This Week is cleared. However, by the time readers try the link, the story may be off its server. In most cases, readers can go to the paper's homepage, where they will be able to access the story through the paper's archives).
 

Focus on the Field

New Regulation for Air Quality -- Effective this week, new San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Control District (SJVAQCD) regulations will require farmers going across an unpaved road more than 75 times a day to cut their emissions of key dust particles by half. Counties affected by the regulation include Fresno, Kern, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare. NRCS technical assistance is available for farmers affected by the new air quality regulation. John Beyer, air quality specialist for NRCS, says that a list of treatment options is being developed that includes watering, road oils, salt-based products, polymers, and other dust-reducing compounds. Farmers will work with conservationists to develop an air quality plan for their roads based on these options. SJVAQCD emphasizes that this rule will not affect on-field processes. Rule 8081, passed last November by the Air District, follows research conducted by the University of California, Davis, in cooperation with SJVAQCD. The research showed that an average unpaved road experiencing 75 trips a day would generate an annual average of approximately one ton of tiny dust particles known as PM10. These are particles smaller than 10 microns, which typically remain suspended and are suspected to cause respiratory and other health problems. The list of treatment options available to the farmer, once implemented, will cut those emissions by 50 percent.  Your contact is Beth Sauerhaft, NRCS ecological climatologist, at 202-720-8578.

Minnesota Earth Team Volunteers Recognized -- Ruth Heeren and Maxine Walen were recently recognized by the staff at the NRCS Windom Field Office for their 13-year service as Earth Team volunteers. Their contributions didn’t go unnoticed and the two were featured in an article in the Cottonwood County Citizen (see NRCS NewsLinks section in this edition of NRCS This Week). As of December 2001, Walen had donated 1,155 hours of her time and Meeren 2,159. The two volunteers have helped with record keeping for the Wetlands Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Program, and soil survey work. Heeren retired as office manager of the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 1985. After the sudden death of her husband, she looked for areas where she could volunteer and feel productive. Walen retired from the County Family Service Agency in 1988. She wanted to keep active and enjoyed people so the NRCS field office was a natural. “Everyone at the field office has enjoyed having both Ruth and Maxine at the office,” said Gary Moreau, NRCS district conservationist. Your contact is Gary Moreau, NRCS district conservationist, at 507-831-1153.

Soil Survey Symposium on the Web -- NRCS and University of Missouri soil scientists recently hosted the 2002 Missouri Natural Resources Conference, “Soil Information for Natural Resource Assessment and Management.” It consisted of presentations by foresters, wildlife biologists, conservationists and soil scientists from NRCS, University of Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Symposium abstracts and presentations are posted on the NRCS Missouri web site at: http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/soils/soilsym/soils_sym.htm. Your contact is Fred Young, NRCS soil scientist, at 573-876-0907.

Relief for Fire-Stricken New Mexico -- Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced this week the release of $575,000 in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program financial and technical assistance to New Mexico to assist recovery efforts resulting from recent wildfires. “While the Penasco Fire appears to be completely contained, there is emergency need to protect the soils in the affected watersheds,” Veneman said. “This watershed protection funding will provide important resources to limit damages by building debris structures, reseeding, and allow for other practices to slow runoff.” The purpose of the EWP is to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of floodplain easements to reduce runoff and prevent soil erosion. These measures safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, fires, and other natural disasters that impair watersheds.

Immediate attention is being given to the need for debris structures upstream from Curtis Canyon Dam in the burned watershed. NRCS and U.S. Forest Service are coordinating reseeding on private lands upstream from Lincoln National Forest. Reseeding has urgency because the seed must be sown prior to rains, which tend to seal over ash currently in the soil. Other watershed rehabilitation activities in New Mexico include debris removal and cross-felling of trees along the contours of hills to slow runoff. Your contact is Barbara Garrett, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 505-761-4406.

Defensible Space Saves Homes from Wildfires -- Because he practiced what he preached, Otero Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor and rancher Rick Baish recently saved his home when the Peñasco wildfire torched 15,400 acres near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Over the past 6 years, Baish has built "defensible space" improvements around his Wills Canyon mountain home that include installing fireproof steel roofing, thinning trees on about four acres around his house, and liberally watering the grass around his home to create a green fire break. The idea of defensible space is taking hold in New Mexico after the devastating 2000 fire season when the Cerro Grande Fire destroyed more than 300 residences in Los Alamos, and the Scott Able Fire burned another 64 homes in the Sacramento Mountains. Defensible space is the creation of a non-combustible zone around residential buildings so the area can be defended in the event of a wildfire. This spring another two homes in the Sacramentos were saved from the Kokopelli Fire due to defensible space.  Your contact is Barbara Garrett, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 505-761-4406.

Family Wins Land Stewardship and Development Award -- South Dakotan Clarence Mortenson was one of seven individuals nationwide selected as a recipient of the 2002 National Wetland Award. The award was presented to Mortenson during a ceremony at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. The award honors individuals for “exemplary contributions to the conservation and restoration of the nation’s wetlands.” The Springview Ranch, covering more than 19,000 acres in Stanley County, is a third generation family operation owned by Todd Mortenson, who purchased it from his father.

According to the Environmental Law Institute, “Mr. Mortenson and his sons have been involved in ecological restoration on their South Dakota property for more than 50 years, each year expanding their efforts. Their ranch now contains a restored grassland and wetlands ecosystem and serves as an example for conservation groups and agencies, university classes and other landowners.”

The North Central RC&D, sponsored a “319” (an EPA program involving broad-based watershed planning activities) and a State-funded water quality project on the Mortenson ranch to further assist in development, in addition to a public information outreach effort involving tours and television documentaries. The riparian areas have restored woody vegetation. Bottomlands have become sub-irrigated and no longer have dense clay salt flats. Grassland production has nearly doubled on the uplands, as well as the flats, and rare forbs are abundant enough to allow for a native seed harvest business. The Mortensons also received a word of praise from former NRCS Chief, Pearlie S. Reed, who described wetlands restoration on the Springview Ranch “as an excellent example of voluntary restoration and enhancement of wetlands that has benefited critical habitat for fish and wildlife and provided immeasurable water quality benefits to society.”
Your contact is David Keith, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 605-352-1228.

New Symbolset for NRCS GIS Users -- NRCS GIS coordinator, Shandy Bittle, in Wheatland, Wyoming has developed an NRCS symbolset for ArcGIS 8.1 users. The NRCS symbol palettes include line and marker symbols for Soil and Natural Resource mapping. There are 3 separate palettes: NRCS Planning, NRCS SSURGO, and NRCS Adhoc. This new tool converts the symbols from the original NRCS symbol extension that was developed for ArcView 3.x to the ArcGIS environment. All line and marker symbols can be customized by size and color as the user needs. The symbolset is available at http://arcscripts.esri.com/. In addition, Shandy has developed a method for adding a center pivot digitizing tool to the ArcGIS 8.x interface. This method is available at http://www.wy.nrcs.usda.gov/wygis/gis2.html or http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/gistraining/index.htm.
Your contact is Randy Wiggins, NRCS GIS coordinator, at 307-261-6451 or randy.wiggins@wy.usda.gov.
 

National

National Water and Climate Center Breaks All Records -- The National Water and Climate Center's (NWCC) web site is currently getting one million customer information access visits or “hits,” per month - more than double the amount of traffic for the same general period last year. The greatest increase occurred during February and March, with 1,355,154 hits in the latter month alone. The NWCC also reported 252,882 FTP file downloads for the month of March - another a two-fold increase from last year. The NWCC web site provides water supply forecasts for the Western U.S; data from the western snow survey; data from the Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN); climate data and information; and water quality, hydrology, and water management technology. There is more web activity in late winter and spring because of interest in water supply forecast information. The severe drought conditions developing in many parts of the country, however, likely contributed to the record-breaking interest in this year’s data. Visit the National Water and Climate Center website at http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov. Your contact is Bruce Newton, Acting Director, NRCS Water and Climate Center, at 503/414-3055.

Word from Washington

Draft Strategy Available for Comment -- The Estuary Restoration Act of 2000, Public Law 106-457 (the Act) directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS), and USDA to develop a strategy to accomplish estuary habitat restoration through a collaborative process to address the environmental pressures facing our Nation's estuaries. The Act established an Estuary Habitat Restoration Council that has developed the strategy through an interagency work group consisting of representatives from the COE, NOAA, EPA, FWS and USDA. The strategy provides for the use of Federal cost share assistance to promote implementation of technically sound, cost-effective estuary habitat restoration projects, and also encourages the use of innovative technologies. The goal of the strategy is to restore one million acres of estuary habitat by 2010. The strategy was published in the Federal Register on May 3, 2002 and has a 45-day comment period. Comments must be submitted on or before Monday, June 17, 2002.
Your contact is Dave Mason, NRCS soil conservationist, at 202-720-1873, or dave.mason@usda.gov.

Celebrate American Wetlands Month -- Each May, thousands of individuals celebrate the uniqueness, beauty, and importance of wetlands. The theme of American Wetlands Month 2002 is "Bogs, Playas, Pools: Protect America's Unique Wetlands." A wetland can be as tiny as a small wet spot or puddle, or as large as the Everglades, and one can be found in every State in the U.S. This celebration is an ideal time to emphasize programs and activities that support voluntary wetland restoration and protection.

During May, conservation districts, grassroots organizations, and government agencies join individuals and educators across the country to acknowledge the importance of this valuable natural resource and the role wetlands play in the health of our Nation. Discover more about wetlands activities and programs on the NRCS wetlands website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/.

What Can You Do to Help Preserve and Protect America's Wetlands?
Participate in Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability Workshops -- Every year, workshops are offered to volunteers, non-profit groups, government agency staffs, and businesses across the country. Participants learn about wetland ecology, functions and values, regulations and permits, and wetland monitoring. Each workshop includes field time getting to know wetlands by examining hydrology, plants, soil, and surrounding land uses. Call 800-284-4952 for information about workshops, events, and conferences in your area.
Take Advantage of Wetland Technical and Networking Resources.

Take Advantage of Wetland Technical and Networking Resources -- The Izaak Walton League (IWLA) offers American Wetlands Month kits on the Internet to help local groups initiate on-the-ground projects. The kits include fact sheets on wetlands, project ideas, contact information, case studies of projects from across the country, and links to many informative wetland sites. You can download the kit from the IWLA's website at http://www.iwla.org/sos/awm/awmkit.html. IWLA also provides technical and networking assistance to anyone interested in working for wetlands. Call 800-284-4952, or e-mail awm@iwla.org, to get more information. Save Our Streams (SOS) sells informative materials including the Handbook for Wetlands Conservation and Sustainability and a video, "Wetland Stewardship: A Call to Action." View these and other wetlands publications and materials at http://www.iwla.org/sos/handbook/index.htm. Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-6790.

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month -- Twenty-three years ago, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution declaring the first Asian Pacific American Heritage Week as May 4-10, 1979. Eleven years later, in 1990, President George Bush extended the week into a month-long celebration. Two years after that, Public Law 102-450 designated May of each year Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific American month is "Unity in Freedom." Your contact is Virginia C. Lewis, NRCS Acting Asian American/Pacific Islanders National Program Manager, at 301-504-2194.

Tech Tip

Pond Sealing Practice Revised -- Conservation Practice Standard 521C, which covers bentonite treatment for pond sealing, was recently revised. The Practice Standard recommends application rates for typical soils to be in the range of 0.375 to 0.625 pounds per square foot for each 1-inch thick compacted lift of treated soil. Less bentonite is needed for soils with some silt and clay, such as ML or CL-ML classifications. More bentonite is needed for sands with little silt or clay filler. The rates given in the practice standard are used in the absence of laboratory tests, and are based on using finely ground bentonite. If coarsely ground bentonite is to be used, or more precise information on the amount of bentonite you should use for a particular site is needed, laboratory tests may be desirable.

To learn more about how to submit samples to the National Soil Mechanics Center laboratories, enter the following URL into your browser window: http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/soilmech/pubs.html, and download the file "Role of Soil Mechanics Center Laboratories in Design of Animal Waste Storage Ponds." The laboratory can perform permeability tests for a range of bentonite application rates and recommend the minimum application rate to obtain a desired permeability. For some soils, as much as twice the amount of coarse bentonite is needed compared to fine bentonite to achieve a given permeability. Be sure to communicate to the testing laboratory which type of bentonite you want them to use for your tests. Your contact is Steve Reinsch, Director, NRCS Soil Mechanics Center, at 402-437-5337 or sreinsch@nsmc.nrcs.usda.gov.
 

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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, or 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).

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The NRCS Mission: The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment.

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