February 5, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

February 5, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. President’s FY 2009 Budget Released
The President's fiscal year (FY) 2009 budget request was released yesterday with many programs critical to the delivery of conservation practices severely under-funded. NACD Acting President Steve Robinson released a press statement today reacting to the President's budget request. The full release can be viewed at http://www.nacdnet.org/news/newsroom/releases/2008/02_05_08.phtml.

In the coming weeks, Congress will begin writing appropriations legislation for FY 2009. NACD has already begun expressing to Congress priorities for our key programs: Conservation Technical Assistance, State and Private Forestry and 319 Nonpoint Source Grants. Letters with NACD’s funding requests were delivered to the appropriations subcommittees of jurisdiction last month.

More information on NACD's FY 2009 appropriations priorities can be found at http://www.nacdnet.org/policy/appropriations/fy09/.

2. Senate Names Conferees for Farm Bill
Yesterday, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss announced the members from the Senate who will participate in the Farm Bill Conference Committee. Members of the conference committee will work to resolve differences in the House-passed and Senate-passed versions of the Farm Bill as they create one final piece of legislation.

Democratic Senators who will participate in the conference committee, in addition to Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), are:

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Senate Agriculture Committee Member
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Agriculture Committee Member

Republican Senators who will participate in the conference committee, in addition to Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), are:

Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Former Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Committee
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), Senate Agriculture Committee Member

3. NACD Addresses National Conference of Regions
NACD Director of Legislative Affairs Keira Franz spoke with the National Association of Regional Councils’ (NARC) Environment Committee yesterday at the 2008 National Conference of Regions in Washington, D.C. During the session, Franz updated the group on NACD’s work on the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill and the current status of Farm Bill negotiations. The session also provided an opportunity to update the regional representatives on NACD’s urban and forestry efforts. NACD has partnered with NARC through our efforts with Landcare.

4. Leaders Speak out for Conservation
Conservation district leaders’ voices have been and will be heard surrounding NACD’s 62nd Annual Meeting, scheduled for next week in Reno, Nevada. NACD Secretary/Treasurer and Annual Meeting Chair John Redding took the mic for this month’s America’s Voice audio address, inviting you to join in the action in Nevada. Click here to hear what John has to say.

Redding was also interviewed last week by Dave Russell of Brownfield Ag Network in Indianapolis, Indiana, in preparation for the upcoming event. Russell will also be attending the conference, where he will interview NACD and partner leaders and conservation district officials from across the country. You can follow the event coverage on the NACD Special Events page on the Brownfield Network’s website. Other farm broadcasters scheduled to participate in the event are Kristi Pettis of the Northern Ag Network in Billings, Montana, and Randy Koenen of the Red River Farm Network in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Be sure to tune into your local station in the broadcasters’ respective coverage areas to hear live updates from Reno.

Better yet, join us at the 2008 Annual Meeting in person. It’s not too late to register—onsite registration will be available! Go to http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/ for conference details.

5. Reminder: Stewardship Discount Ends February 29, 2008!
Order your Stewardship materials today to take advantage of early bird discounts! There are 24 days left to save 10 percent on your “Water Is Life” education materials for 2008 Stewardship Week. Go to www.nacdstore.org to place your order today.

6. Stormwater Webcast on BMP Performance Scheduled for Feb. 6
Best Management Practice (BMP) performance will be the topic of the next Stormwater Webcast, sponsored by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The webcast is scheduled for February 6, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST. Experts from the International BMP Database project, the Center for Watershed Protection and EPA will provide an overview of BMP performance terms and topics; an introduction to EPA’s new “Urban BMP Performance Tool” (http://www.epa.gov/npdes/urbanbmp); a discussion of analyses of BMP performance; and elements needed to assess BMP performance. The webcast will conclude with a brief look at how to use BMP performance information in stormwater management programs.

To register for this Stormwater Webcast, visit http://www.epa.gov/npdes/training.

7. Two New Strategic Conservation Training Opportunities Available
Due to high demand, The Conservation Fund has added new Green Infrastructure course offerings in 2008. One course, "Strategic Conservation Planning Using a Green Infrastructure Approach," will be offered April 14 – 18, 2008 at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Information about this course can be found online at http://www.conservationfund.org/node/239. The deadline for registration is March 12, 2008.

Another new course, "GIS Tools for Strategic Conservation Planning" will be also be offered at the National Conservation Training Center, June 16 – 19, 2008. The deadline for registration for this course is May 1, 2008. Additional information is available online at http://www.conservationfund.org/node/670.

8. Smallwood Conference Scheduled for May
The SmallWood 2008 and Bioenergy & Wood Products joint conference will be held May 13 –15, 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin. This year’s theme is “Cutting Edge Technologies to Optimize Utilization of Smallwood and Woody Biomass.” The conference will provide information on small-tree utilization, foster peer-to-peer learning and include an international slate of speakers, optional tours and more. Go to http://www.forestprod.org/conf2008.html to download details and registration information. Be sure to register by April 30, 2008 to qualify for the early bird registration discount.

9. February Forestry Notes Online
The February 2008 edition of Forestry Notes is now available for viewing online at http://nacdnet.org/news/publications/forestrynotes/. This month’s issue highlights the winner of the National Wild Turkey Federation Partner of the Year Award; a collaborative effort in Indiana that is exploring new ways to improve the management and sustainability of hardwood trees in the Central Hardwood Region; and more! Keep an eye out for the March edition: Forestry Notes will cover the forestry buzz at the 2008 NACD Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada.

10. NACD Calendar of Events
February 10-13, 2008, 2008 NACD Annual Meeting, Reno, NV
July 18-23, 2008, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
Aug. 3-5, 2008, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Due to NACD’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Reno Nevada, February 10-13, the next scheduled issue of eNotes will be published February 20, 2008, but you can expect to receive daily updates during the conference.

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For queries about this newsletter or if you are unable to automatically subscribe, contact editor Lisa Lerwick, NACD Director of Communications, at Lisa-Lerwick@nacdnet.org or 202-547-6223.