NACD Home

January 8, 2008
index to previous eNotes

1. NACD Kicks off a Busy 2008
2. New Award Created in Tribute to Olin Sims—Deadline Quickly Approaching
3. NACD Conducts Tribal Conservation Districts Workshop
4. EPA Proposes Change for Reporting Air Releases on Farms
5. Events Sought for National Pollinator Week
6. Stand Up and Be Counted in the 2007 Census of Agriculture
7. Grant Offered to Advance Hardwood Forestry
8. NPDES Compliance Monitoring Strategy Released
9. January Forestry Notes Available Online
10. New Districts on the Web
11. NACD Calendar

1. NACD Kicks off a Busy 2008
Happy New Year from NACD! We are kicking off an exciting new year, ready to serve districts in 2008 as America’s Voice for Natural Resource Conservation. NACD Acting President Steve Robinson and Secretary/Treasurer John Redding are in Washington, D.C. this week, tending to NACD business and participating in a flurry of meetings with Congressional staff and agency leaders. Tune in to the January edition of “America’s Voice for Conservation” to hear NACD CEO Krysta Harden provide a Washington update on NACD activities. Click here to hear the audio clip.

State meeting travel also resumed this week, with NACD Second Vice President Bob Cordova attending meetings in Asheville, N.C. and Jackson, Miss. Cordova addressed crowds at the annual meetings of the North Carolina Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts and the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts, providing updates on NACD activities and recognizing each state’s leaders for their respective contributions to the national association. NACD Director of Legislative Affairs Keira Franz will attend the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts’ annual conference this week in Monroe, La., where she will address the current status of the Farm Bill and NACD’s involvement.

2. New Award Created in Tribute to Olin Sims—Deadline Quickly Approaching
Former NACD President Olin Sims was recognized by many as an up-and-coming leader with loads of potential to continue making a difference in conservation when he died in December. In tribute to Olin’s memory, and to further promote and recognize outstanding conservation leadership at the State and local level, NACD and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) have joined forces to establish an Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award. The award will be provided each year to one up-and-coming leader who demonstrates excellence in promoting and leading voluntary conservation on private lands.

State Conservationists should submit nominations by January 25, 2008. Nominations must be limited to a single page describing the nominee’s leadership and volunteer service qualities and outlining the ways the nominee has served to promote conservation at the State or local level. Nominations should be submitted via e-mail to Dr. Samuel Thornton, Legislative and Public Affairs Division, at samuel.thornton@wdc.usda.gov. Questions regarding the Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award can be directed to Dr. Thornton at (202) 720-6571.

3. NACD Conducts Tribal Conservation Districts Workshop
NACD Past President Bill Wilson led a tribal conservation districts workshop last month in Las Vegas, Nev. in cooperation with a symposium of the Indian Nations Conservation Alliance (INCA) and the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC). Fostered by funding from NRCS, NACD hosted dialogue on the issues tribal districts are confronting, many of which are similar to issues other conservation districts encountered during their early formation.  

The goal of the workshop was to identify lessons learned by other conservation districts and to then apply those lessons to the current the situations of tribal districts. Workshop participants focused on the various challenges and barriers their local districts face, then brainstormed and shared ideas to overcome those challenges.

NACD will prepare a report on the results of the workshop, which will available in late spring 2008. NACD is also hosting a concurrent session on tribal conservation districts at the 2008 NACD Annual Meeting in Reno, Nev. in February 2008. For more information on the Tribal Conservation Districts breakout session at NACD’s annual meeting, go to
http://www.nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/program/breakouts.phtml#130.

4. EPA Proposes Change for Reporting Air Releases on Farms
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed a rule change that would provide an administrative reporting exemption for air releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms. Farms are currently required to report certain levels of releases of hazardous substances under Federal National Contingency Plan (NCP) regulations, but administrative exemptions from particular notification requirements are authorized under both Superfund and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

EPA proposed the rule change, citing the reporting requirement for air releases of animal waste hazardous substances as unnecessary. Such air releases primarily involve ammonia and hydrogen sulfide and are not likely to receive an emergency response. The proposed rule change would enable emergency personnel to better respond to release notifications that warrant a response. Releases of hazardous substances to the air from sources other than animal waste would not be exempt from reporting requirements.

Comments to the proposed rule change can be submitted to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-2007-0469 at http://www.regulations.gov. The deadline for comments is March 27, 2008.

Fore more information on the proposed rule change, visit http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/epcra/cercla_dec07.htm

5. Events Sought for National Pollinator Week
The 2nd Annual National Pollinator Week will be celebrated June 22-28, 2008, and The CoEvolution Institute is planning a national publicity campaign to promote Pollinator Week events across the nation. Any conservation district planning an event as part of National Pollinator Week can submit their event information to be distributed to the media and listed on the Pollinator Partnership website as part of the publicity campaign. Districts interested in participating should send the date, time, place and a brief description of the event, along with their contact information, to Kat McGuire at km@coevolution.org by January 15, 2008.

More information on National Pollinator Week can be found at http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2008.htm.

6. Stand Up and Be Counted in the 2007 Census of Agriculture
Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed the 2007 Census of Agriculture to America’s farmers and ranchers. Conducted every five years, the Census provides detailed data covering nearly every facet of U.S. agriculture. Government organizations, lawmakers, town planners and individual farm operations use this information to help them plan for future facilities, services and community growth. Therefore, it is important for producers to supply accurate information when completing Census forms.

Farmers and ranchers have until February 4, 2008 to complete and return questionnaires. Producers can return the forms by mail or, for the first time, complete Census forms online. For more information about the Census, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free (888) 424-7828.

7. Grant Offered to Advance Hardwood Forestry
The Hardwood Forestry Fund (HFF) is accepting grant applications to advance sustainable hardwood forest establishment and improvement on public and non-profit lands. HFF, a 501(c)(3) educational organization, supports sustainable forestry by funding selective tree planting, direct seeding, natural regeneration, management and hardwood research requests. The deadline for submitting grant applications is January 31, 2008. Application guidelines, forms and instructions can be found at http://www.hardwoodforestryfund.org/Grants.htm.

8. NPDES Compliance Monitoring Strategy Released
Districts involved in various aspects of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program can now learn about new requirements for communities from a new strategy released by EPA, titled “Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Compliance Monitoring Strategy for the Core Program and Wet Weather Sources.” This new strategy, which takes effect in 2009, outlines inspection and compliance goals for the entire NPDES program, including major and minor NPDES facilities, pretreatment programs, biosolids, CSOs, SSOs, stormwater and CAFOs. It places increased emphasis on wet weather issues, particularly stormwater sources, and sets ambitious targets for audits and inspections of Phase I and II MS4s, construction sites, and industrial facilities. For more information or to download the strategy, visit www.epa.gov/compliance/monitoring/programs/cwa/npdes.html.

9. January Forestry Notes Available Online
The latest issue of Forestry Notes is now online! Go to http://nacdnet.org/news/publications/forestrynotes/  and read about:

• A professional development program called “Changing Roles” that is attempting to provide solutions to increasingly complex challenges at the wildland-urban interface;
• Three conservation districts recognized by Two Chiefs Awards for successful conservation and forest stewardship collaboration among federal, state, and local partners;
• The Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, recently signed by nine Midwest states and the premier of Manitoba; and
• More! 

10. New Districts on the Web
As more districts recognize the value of a website as a way to better communicate with their customers, NACD is happy to assist them by registering domain names and providing server space. Listed below are the latest districts to publish websites. Go to http://nacdnet.org/resources/webhosting/ for information about NACD’s web hosting services or send an email to Linda-Campbell@email.nacdnet.org.

11. 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: We continue to post memories of Olin Sims on the “Tribute to a Cowboy” page. We have also posted messages from his wife, son and mother there. The page is available at http://www.nacdnet.org/olin/tribute.phtml.

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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.