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August 25, 2009
Urban and Community Forestry Conference Scheduled for
November
The Arbor Day Foundation, in cooperation with other
organizations including NACD, is sponsoring a national
conference on urban and community forestry. “Partners in
Community Forestry” is scheduled for November 9-11, 2009 in
Portland, Oregon. Over 40 presentations will be offered on
urban forest research; best practices in forest management;
and models on how to engage diverse groups in building
effective partnerships. These and other networking
opportunities can help conservation districts in their work
with communities, whether villages, towns or metro areas.
Details about the conference are now available at
http://www.arborday.org/pcf.
USDA Announces Additional Recovery Act Funds for Forest
Service
USDA recently announced the
release of $94.6 million in additional funding under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for
105 Forest Service projects in 36 states. The funds will
be utilized to help restore natural resources on federal,
state and private lands while improving public safety and
creating job opportunities. A significant portion of the
funds will address Wildland Fire Management on federal
lands in cooperation with states, local governments,
tribes and private landowners for project types including
ecosystem restoration, research and rehabilitation;
invasive species protection; hazardous fuels reduction
activities; state fire assistance projects; biomass
utilization grants; and wood to energy grants. Funds will
also be utilized for Capitol Improvement and Maintenance
projects for facilities improvements, roadway maintenance
and decommissioning, and watershed enhancements. Click
here for more information from USDA.
NACD identified Forest Service programs as candidates for
economic stimulus funding in its proposal earlier this
year. Conservation districts are encouraged to continue to
work with partners at the federal, state and local level
as ARRA implementation continues.
USDA Asks Public for CRP Comments and Schedules Public
Meetings
Last week, USDA announced the
opportunity for public comment through listening sessions
for the Conservation Reserve Program. Public comments will
be utilized by USDA to prepare a Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement that addresses programmatic changes to
the program in the 2008 Farm Bill. Listening session are as follows:
• Sept. 15, 2009, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Spokane, Wash.
• Sept. 17, 2009, from 5 - 7 p.m., Great Falls, Mont.
• Sept. 21, 2009, from 5 - 7 p.m., Moorhead, Minn.
• Sept. 23, 2009, from 5 - 7 p.m., Manhattan, Kan.
• Sept. 25, 2009, from 5 - 7 p.m., Springfield, Ill.
• Sept. 29, 2009, from 5 - 7 p.m., Oklahoma City, Okla.
• Oct. 1, 2009 from 5 - 7 p.m.; Clovis, NM
• Oct. 6, 2009 from 5 - 7 p.m., Albany, Ga
• Oct. 8, 2009 from 5 - 7 p.m., Harrisburg, Pa.
Public comments are due by Oct. 19, 2009, to be considered
in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
Comments can be delivered during the public listening
sessions and can also be submitted to USDA through a
variety of methods.
More information is available at
FSA's website.
American Forest Foundation Seeks Forest Stewardship
Award Nominations
Nominate an NRCS State Conservationist and their staff
today for outstanding technical and financial assistance to
private forestland owners on forest conservation
activities. Nominations are due by September 15, 2009. Any
individual, organization, agency, and others may nominate a
State Conservationist for this award. Up to three State
Conservationists may be recognized annually. Click here for additional details and nomination requirements.
ADM Cares Initiative Provides Funding for Conservation
The Archer Daniels Midland Company has designated one
percent of pretax earnings in 2009 for its ADM Cares
Initiative. This program focuses the company’s investment
toward safe, responsible and environmentally sound
agricultural practices in critical growing areas in North
America, South America, West Africa and Southeast Asia.
This program will provide grant funding for projects that
promote health and safety programs for farm workers and
children who live on farms; responsible use of agricultural
chemicals; sustainable farming practices; and
rehabilitation and preservation of environmentally sensitive
lands.
To qualify for this funding, the applicant must be a
501(c)3 non-profit organization. This presents conservation
districts the opportunity to partner with organizations
such as their state associations, an RC&D Council or other
related group on proposed projects.
ADM has an online application process and applications are
accepted throughout the year. Please visit their website for more information.
Free Webcasts to Cover Water Quality Protection and Crop
Production
The Heartland Regional Water Coordination Initiative will
facilitate two webcasts next month aimed at helping crop
producers, resource managers and agency professionals
improve practices to protect water quality. The webcasts
are as follows:
Adoption and Cost Effectiveness of Practices for
Water Quality Protection
Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Time: 10:00 a.m. - Noon
Converting CRP Grassland to Crop Production and
Pasture
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Time: 10:00 - 11:45 a.m.
Additional information on the webcasts and participants are
available at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/waterquality/webcasts.htm.
To participate, please go to
http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nebraska/. You will
also need to dial into (866) 433-4616 and when prompted
for a passcode, enter 882477. The presentations will also
be archived at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/waterquality/webcasts.htm for later viewing.
Please note that at time of eNotes mailing, the Kansas State Research and Extension’s website server was down, but it should be back up and running by Wednesday, August 26, 2009. If the link does not work initially, please try again later.
2009 NAAEE Conference to Focus on the Power of
Partnerships
The North American Association of Environmental Educators
will gather in Portland, Oregon, October 7 - 10, 2009 for
their annual conference. The meeting will be themed The
Power of Partnerships: Creative Leadership in Environmental
Education. Attendees will have many opportunities to
participate in conservation education sessions and
workshops.
Of particular interest is the October 6 conservation
education workshop titled State Fish and Wildlife Tools for
Conservation Education: Let's Work Together! Join forces
with a national movement elevating conservation education
in formal and informal settings using free, new tools
developed by fish and wildlife agencies. This session will
cover techniques for field investigations, core concepts
and best practices for conservation education.
To learn more about the conference, please visit
http://www.naaee.org/conference. Be sure to join
conservation district employees and affiliates at NACD’s
booth in the exhibit hall on Thursday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Contact Susan Schultz at (317) 326-2952 or stewardship@nacdnet.org if you have any questions.
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