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October 13, 2009
NACD Continues Work in Transition
The NACD Officers and Executive Board want to assure
members that NACD’s work on behalf of conservation
districts remains on track. The Executive Board continues
to guide and direct the mission of this organization with
the support of a qualified and professional staff that
continues to carry out the daily functions of NACD. NACD
President Steve Robinson has expressed appreciation for
Interim CEO Brad Ross’ leadership during this critical
time.
Ross has over 33 years experience working with conservation
districts at all levels. He has served as a district
manager, SWCD administrator at the Ohio Department of
Natural Resources, CEO of the Ohio Federation of SWCDs,
NACD Senior Director of Member Services, and earlier this
year as NACD Interim CEO. His understanding of conservation
district members and their needs, as well as strong
experience working with conservation partners, is a real
asset during this transition.
Ross can be contacted at brad-ross@nacdnet.org.
Congress Finalizing FY10 Appropriations
Congress completed work on fiscal year 2010 (FY10)
Agriculture Appropriations late last week, as the House and
Senate passed a conference agreement to send to the
President to be signed into law. The FY10 Agriculture bill
provides $887.629 million for Conservation Operations, an
increase of over $34 million over FY09. Conservation
Operations remains a key priority for NACD.
Work still remains for the FY10 Interior Appropriations
bill, which includes NACD priorities under the Forest
Service’s State and Private Forestry Programs and the
Environmental Protection Agency’s 319 Nonpoint Source
Pollution Grants. A conference committee is expected to
take up the FY10 Interior bill in the coming days.
USDA Officials Testify on Conservation Programs
Last week, the House Agriculture Committee Subcommittee on
Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research held a hearing
to review the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
implementation of Farm Bill conservation programs.
Testifying before the Subcommittee were NRCS Chief Dave
White and FSA Administrator Jonathan Coppess. The hearing
focused on USDA’s implementation of conservation programs,
with specific interest on Department’s work regarding the
Chesapeake Bay Program and the Mississippi River Basin
Initiative. During the hearing, Chief White announced that
the recent Conservation Stewardship Program sign-up period
ending September 30 resulted in 21,300 applications covering
33 million acres. NRCS can accept 12.7 million acres and
will now review applications and plans to sign contracts in
November. Those not accepted can reapply for the enrollment
period that started on October 1.
Full testimony can be found on the House Agriculture
Committee website at http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/statements.html.
USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the
Environment Confirmed
Last week the Senate confirmed Harris Sherman to become
USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the
Environment. Once sworn in, Under Secretary Sherman will
oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the
U.S. Forest Service. NACD congratulates Under Secretary
Sherman on his confirmation, and we look forward to
working with him in this new role.
USDA Announces CRP Rental Payments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced about
$1.7 billion in Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental
payments will go to 424,000 farms this month. This total
includes approximately 29.4 million acres of general sign
up and 4.4 million acres of continuous sign up CRP payments.
The rental payments are to producers who are protecting
environmentally sensitive lands throughout the nation. For
a list of acreage enrollments by state, number of
contracts, number of farms, acres enrolled and CRP
projected payments for fiscal year 2010 you may go to the
table located at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/apportstate.pdf.
Other CRP payments are issued throughout the year. These
payments include a 50 percent expense reimbursement for
establishing and managing cover as well as incentive
payments for enrolling eligible high priority conservation
practices.
EPA to Review Atrazine
Last week EPA formally announced they will review the risks
associated with the pesticide atrazine. The review will
include cancer and non-cancer effects and recent studies on
birth defects, low birth weight and premature birth. After
completing the public review process, EPA will decide if
additional restrictions on the use of the pesticide are
necessary to protect human health. Atrazine is a widely
used herbicide that has been on the market for 50 years.
NWTF Searches for Outstanding Conservation District
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) values the
partnership with conservation districts in raising public
awareness and focusing on conservation and wildlife
management. To highlight these efforts, NWTF is seeking
nominations for the 2010 Outstanding Conservation District
Award. The award will be presented at the 2010 NACD Annual
Conference in Orlando, Fla.
Nominations for this award can be a conservation district
or an individual representing a conservation district who
has partnered with the NWTF in their efforts. Entries must
consist of a summary of the partnership between the
conservation district and NWTF and include specific
information on the impacts on the natural resources and
the importance of the partnership. Photos and other
supporting material may be sent in with the nomination.
The nomination deadline is October 15, 2009. For more
information and the nomination form, please visit
http://www.nacdnet.org/news/awards/nwtf.phtml.
GreenWorks! Project Grants Available
Project Learning Tree’s (PLT) service learning program
provides grants up to $5,000 to schools and youth
organizations for environmental projects. Students “learn
by doing” through community action projects they design to
improve an aspect of their neighborhood’s environment.
Since 1992, PLT has distributed over $700,000 to fund 900
GreenWorks! projects across the country. PLT provides a
guidebook with practical ideas and pointers for action
projects that make a difference in young people's sense of
responsibility toward their communities, and in their
understanding of their relationship to the environment.
Some examples of past grant projects include habitat
restoration, watershed improvement, outdoor classrooms and
energy conservation. Proposals for the fall 2009 grant
cycle are due by October 31, 2009. Visit
http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/21_22_18.html for additional
information.
NACD Annual Meeting—Register Today!
Registration is in full swing for the 2010 Annual Meeting
in Orlando, Fla., January 31 - February 3, 2010. Orlando
will be the perfect location to show your commitment to
conservation, to hear from visionary conservation leaders,
and to view Florida’s unique natural resources—all while
enjoying countless activities for you and your family. Time
still remains to take advantage of early registration
opportunities for significant savings on hotel and
registration packages. But don’t let this opportunity pass
you by. Early registration discounts begin expiring in
November. Visit NACD’s Annual Meeting website for more
information on how you can lock in your savings today!
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