June 17, 2008 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

June 17, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. Floods Continue to Devastate Midwest States
Prolonged rainfall and flooding continue to wreak havoc across the Midwest, spanning from South Dakota to Oklahoma and East to Kentucky and Ohio. Most of the flooding, however, is concentrated in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.

Concern for levees spans the region as rivers and tributaries are cresting. Many are close to overflowing and, in many cases, some have already broken, flooding cropland and residential areas. As a result, many of this year’s yields are significantly impacted and ruined. At this late date, much of the affected land cannot be replanted. The state of Indiana is expecting major crop failure. Because farmers were forced to plant later than usual due to excess rainfall, only 87 percent of corn and 43 percent of soybeans were planted in Indiana.

Although many areas throughout the Midwest are devastated by the recent flooding, some areas have been reported to have less damage and devastation due to conservation practices that were installed and maintained in recent years. Various conservation efforts such as grassed waterways, no-till and contour buffer strips minimized flooding damages for some producers.

NACD will be working with FSA, NRCS and Congress regarding emergency conservation programs to address the needs in the flood damaged areas. Conservation districts will continue to assist landowners and communities during this difficult time and the recovery efforts that follow.

To view some photos of Iowa’s flood and some of their conservation projects at work you can visit the Iowa NRCS website at http://www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/news/2008Floods.html). Up–to-date flooding conditions can be monitored at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website at www.noaa.gov.

2. Delaware Hosts NACD Staff for Urban Conservation Tour
Yesterday, NACD Policy Director Keira Franz, Communications Director Lisa Lerwick and Communications Associate Mary Hammon spent the day with the conservation districts of Delaware. The visit provided the opportunity for NACD staff to learn first-hand about the efforts of the three conservation districts and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) in the area of urban conservation.

Highlights of the tour include development, permitting and site inspection of storm water management projects in housing developments and commercial sites; addressing construction debris pits and open space land management in housing subdivisions; flood control and shoreline restoration projects; and a trip to the “CREP store” where landowners can visually see a variety of CRP practices prior to entering into a contract.

Our thanks go out to the staff and supervisors of the New Castle, Kent and Sussex Country Conservation Districts, the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts and NASCA President Mike Brown for hosting our excellent tour of Delaware.

3. Attention CCE Computer System Users: Security Training Required
The deadline for CCE system users to complete the required online security training has passed. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) employees and partners, including conservation district employees, technical service providers and contractors, who have access to government information systems are required each year to complete security awareness training under the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002. This year’s deadline for completion was March 31, 2008.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has now begun the process of disconnecting those employees, partners, TSP's and others that are connected to the CCE system who did not complete the security online training requirements by the deadline. Once disconnected, an employee will not be reconnected until he or she has completed the appropriate training. Reminders on this subject have been provided to all users through various sources over the last several months.

Anyone wishing to be reinstated should not be disconnected very long while they complete the training. For questions and/or to be reinstated onto the system, please contact your ITS support staff.

4. $228 Million to be paid in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program
Last week the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that about 1,850 county and local governments will receive funds to help provide government services related to firefighting, public safety and infrastructure. To be eligible for consideration, jurisdictions must contain nontaxable federal lands.

These payments will be distributed beginning in June and are based in part on the number of acres of federal lands managed by the National Forest System, National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation within each county or local jurisdiction.

For more information and a state-by-state list regarding these PILT payments is available on DOI’s website at http://www.doi.gov/news/08_News_Releases/080612d.html.

5. Bureau of Reclamation Stakeholder’s Meeting Addresses Water Availability Challenges
NACD Western Issues Specialist Ralph Thier represented NACD last week at a Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Stakeholder’s meeting in Washington, D.C. The meeting emphasized challenges facing water availability in the West, and BOR Commissioner Robert Johnson named expanding current water resources and planning for climate change as top priorities for the Bureau.

Leaders also discussed planned additions to the Water 2025 plan and to Regulatory Guidance Letter-429, which provides clarification over which waters, including wetlands, are under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act.

The Bureau of Reclamation also introduced a new quarterly newsletter to meeting attendees. It is available at http://www.usbr.gov/eta/.

6. Upcoming Webcast Focuses on Technology in Urban Forests
Is your conservation district working to restore, enhance and protect the tree canopy of a given locality? Did you know you could use a suite of tools, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and tree benefit calculators, to set and achieve ambitious urban forestry goals?
Extrapolating the data into bottom line “dollars and cents” can be a powerful tool for gaining the attention of public officials. Learn more about using technology in urban forests through the Alliance for Community Trees webcast, scheduled for 1–2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, June 19.
For more information and to register, go to http://actrees.org/site/stories/technology_in_the_urban_forest.php?tag=news.

7. Recognition Pins Available for District Supervisors
NACD Service Pin Many district supervisors volunteer hours, weeks, years, even decades to their local conservation district’s cause. Check out the NACD Store today for pins to honor your district supervisors or employees for their years of service. The NACD store has service pins available in five year increments up to 50 years. Visit www.nacdstore.org to view the selection of service pins and more.

8. Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program Accepting Applications
The National Park Service (NPS) is accepting applications for Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) across the United States. This program currently offers technical support for local conservation projects in 290 communities nationwide. These collaborative projects vary widely, with preference given to those that include an NPS area, provide physical connections among resources, focus on conservation and outdoor recreation or partner with a health organization.

Non-profit organizations, community groups, tribes and state or local government agencies are eligible to apply. Selected projects typically run for one year with an opportunity for a second year of additional assistance. Short-term help is also available. Final project selection is usually completed in early November. The deadline to submit RTCA applications is August 1. For more information or to apply, go to www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/contactus/cu_apply.html.

9. New Training Workshop for Water Quality Credit Trading
The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) will host a workshop on water quality credit training in Troy, Ohio, August 19–20. The workshop, co-hosted by the Environmental Trading Network, Water Environment Federation and Certified Crop Advisors, will provide attendees with case studies from current trading programs and feature break out sessions to develop specific skills. Farmers, agricultural advisors and representatives from municipal wastewater facilities are invited to attend and learn from expert speakers about the steps involved in developing a trading system. A networking event will be held Tuesday evening.

CTIC’s mission is to provide reliable, profitable solutions to improve the relationship between agriculture and the environment. Hotel rooms at the Fairfield Inn and Suites will be available at a reduced rate until July 18. For more information, please contact CTIC at ctic@conservationinformation.org or (765) 494-9555.

10. EPA Environmental Justice Small Grants Program
The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) program is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support communities by building collaborative partnerships while working to solve local environmental or public health issues. EJSG began in 1994 with $500,000 that funded 61 projects. During 2006-2007, $1 million was awarded to 20 large programs in 10 regions nationwide.

Groups eligible for EJSG funding include non-profit organizations, local government agencies, and tribal governments. It is vital that the project work directly with the community that is most impacted by the environmental harm or risk identified in the proposal. Application materials must be received by June 30 and can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/publications/ej/grants/rfa-sg-grant-4-7-08.pdf.

11. NACD Calendar of Events
July 18-23, NACD Summer Board Meeting and Legislative Conference, Washington, D.C.
August 3-5, Northeast Region Meeting, Portsmouth, NH
August 10-12, Southeast Region Meeting, Biloxi, MS
August 21-23, South Central Region Meeting, Hot Springs, AR
September 14-16, Southwest and Pacific Region Meeting, Aptos, CA

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