eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts

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June 12 , 2007
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  1. Conservation Leaders Celebrate Colorado District’s History
  2. Appropriators Act on Key Funding Bills
  3. House Agriculture Committee Schedules Farm Bill Debate
  4. NACD CEO Talks Forestry with Key USDA Leader
  5. Secretary’s Urban Forestry Committee Seeks Input on Catastrophic Events
  6. EPA, Army Corps Issue Joint Guidance to Sustain Wetlands Protection under Supreme Court Decision
  7. EPA Releases National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report
  8. USDA, DOE Announce Funding for Biomass Research and Development
  9. Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Coastal and Ocean Mapping
  10. Firewise Chat Tomorrow
  11. NOTICE: Stewardship Marketplace on the Move

1. Conservation Leaders Celebrate Colorado District’s History
NACD President Olin Sims and Second Vice President Bob Cordova joined USDA Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Gary Mast to celebrate the San Juan Conservation District’s 60th Anniversary this week in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. On June 9, 1947, the San Juan Conservation District was recognized for bringing in the one billionth acre under the guidance of a locally-elected Board of Supervisors, charged with the protection of its soil and water resources. Sims, Cordova and Mast recognized the many men and women that have served on the Board of Supervisors of the San Juan Conservation District, both on the board and as staff.

Congratulations to the San Juan Conservation District for 60 years of dedication to the land!

2. Appropriators Act on Key Funding Bills
The House Appropriations Committee is moving quickly to address funding bills for fiscal year 2008. The Committee completed action last week on the Energy and Water bill and the Interior bill – two of the priority bills for NACD. Funding for USDA’s State and Private Forestry is included above the President’s request at $280.602 million and the Environmental Protection Agency’s 391 Non-Point Source Grants is funded at $204.04 million. The Bureau of Reclamation’s Water 2025 Grants is not funded. The Committee was concerned that the authorization for the program had expired and would not fund a program without a current authorization. The Committee is scheduled to work on the Agriculture and Commerce bills this week. Additional information on NACD’s funding priorities can be found at http://nacdnet.org/policy/appropriations/fy08/.

3. House Agriculture Committee Schedules Farm Bill Debate
The House Agriculture Committee has scheduled June 26, 27 and 28 as the days the full committee will review the entire 2007 Farm Bill proposal. The Subcommittees will work this week on Forestry and Nutrition and next week on Commodity Programs and then tie those areas into recently completed titles. The debate in the full committee will center around funding and whether additional funding will be provided for all farm bill programs, including conservation programs. The debate will likely take all three days to cover the 10 or more titles of the Farm Bill. NACD is working with Committee Staff and others on conservation related provisions of the bill and potential amendments.

4. NACD CEO Talks Forestry with Key USDA Leader
NACD CEO Krysta Harden recently joined Kip Howlett, Executive Director of the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), in a meeting with USDA Undersecretary Mark Rey regarding the Administration’s proposal for funding of State and Private Forestry. While Congress has been supportive of private forestlands thus far in the current budgeting process, both NACD and NASF are concerned that future USDA budget proposals may drastically reduce support for these important areas. Undersecretary Rey assured Harden and Howlett that their respective organizations’ concerns would continue to be considered as the Department seeks solutions during tight budget times.

5. Secretary’s Urban Forestry Committee Seeks Input on Catastrophic Events
The National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) is asking for input on urban forests damaged by catastrophic events such as hurricanes, floods, ice storms and fires as it prepares its 2007 recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture. These catastrophic events damage urban forests and create large quantities of woody debris that communities must address. NACD contract forester Doug Williams attended the national listening session last week in Biloxi, Miss. Communities commented on the need for an arborist or urban forester to be able to access the condition of city trees before they are cut down as part of the emergency debris removal.

This information is being collected as an important part of planning, policy-making and preventing long-term impacts of catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina. Districts who wish to comment have until August 1, 2007 to submit experiences and recommendations to Neil.Letson@forestry.alabama.gov. More information on this effort can be found on the NUCFAC website at www.treelink.org/nucfac.

6. EPA, Army Corps Issue Joint Guidance to Sustain Wetlands Protection under Supreme Court Decision
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have issued joint guidance regarding wetlands and other water bodies protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

The guidance pertains to the Supreme Court's decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States regarding the scope of the agencies' jurisdiction under the CWA. EPA and Corps staff will use the guidance when taking enforcement actions under the CWA. The guidance clarifies those circumstances where a person may need to obtain a CWA Section 404 permit before conducting activities in wetlands, tributaries and other waters. Individual tribal, state and local laws, regulations or policies may further protect aquatic water resources.
 
Specifically, this guidance discusses the agencies' protection of three classes of waters through the following actions:

  • Continuing to regulate "traditionally navigable waters," including all rivers and other waters that are large enough to be used by boats that transport commerce and any wetlands adjacent to such waters;
  • Continuing to regulate "non-navigable tributaries that are relatively permanent and wetlands that are physically connected to these tributaries;" and
  • Continuing to regulate based on case-by-case determinations for other tributaries and adjacent wetlands that have certain characteristics that significantly affect traditionally navigable waters.

A six month public comment period has been opened for case studies and experiences applying the guidance. Comments can be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OW-2007-0282 through www.regulations.gov. More information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/guidance/CWAwaters.html. 

7. EPA Releases National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its first National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report this month as a part of the 20th Anniversary of its National Estuary Program (NEP). The report rates the condition of ecological resources in the 28 estuaries that make up the NEP. The estuaries are located in 18 coastal states and Puerto Rico.

Using data collected as part of EPA’s National Coastal Assessment, the estuaries were rated individually, regionally and nationally according to four primary criteria: water quality, sediment quality, benthic (bottom) condition and fish-tissue contaminant concentrations. Overall, the report found the NEP estuaries to be in fair condition.

This report serves as a foundation for EPA's efforts to protect, manage and restore coastal ecosystems. Estuaries are valuable sources of many ecological, economic and recreational benefits. Continued population growth along coastal areas threatens the integrity of estuaries. In 2000, over two-thirds of the coastal population lived in NEP-coincident counties, which comprise less than six percent of the coastal land area.

For more information or to view the full NEP Coastal Condition Report, go to http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nepccr/index.html.

8. USDA, DOE Announce Funding for Biomass Research and Development
USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy announced a combined total of up to $18 million will be available for research and development of biomass-based products, biofuels, bioenergy and related processes. USDA and DOE are issuing these grant solicitations for several types of projects aimed at increasing the availability of alternative and renewable fuels, which will help further President Bush's energy initiatives, including Twenty in Ten. The Twenty in Ten Initiative promotes greater energy security through increased efficiency and diversification of energy sources.

The $18 million solicitation will fund projects in the following four categories: the development of technologies to convert cellulosic biomass into intermediaries for biobased fuels (45 percent); product diversification (30 percent); feedstock production (20 percent); and analysis for strategic guidance (5 percent).

For more information on these grant solicitations, visit www.grants.gov. For more information on the Twenty in Ten Initiative, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2007/initiatives/energy.html.

9. Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Coastal and Ocean Mapping
Last week the subcommittee on fisheries, wildlife and oceans held a hearing to ocean research legislation with a panel of experts. During the hearing, the panelists discussed the importance of accurate coastal and ocean mapping. Accurate mapping would help continue ocean exploration and could lead to new resources for the country at the ocean’s floor. The panel also agreed that federal agencies and organizations need to work together to create precise maps, and that partnerships need to be formed throughout agencies to ensure correct information.

Click here for a listing of panelists and copies of their written testimony.

10. Firewise Chat Tomorrow
A Firewise Communities chat session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13 at 1:00 p.m. EDT at www.firewise.org/chat. The featured guest will be Jim Smalley, Firewise Communities Program Manager. Jim is prepared to talk about important new changes to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards 1141 and 1144. NFPA Standard 1141 deals with fire protection infrastructure for land development in rural and suburban areas, while NFPA Standard 1144 is concerned with reducing structure ignition hazards from wildfire. To participate in the chat, go to www.firewise.org/chat. Select 'Enter the Chat' and input your name at the prompt. At the password prompt, enter 'chatfirewise'. You will then be placed in the chat room.

11. NOTICE: Stewardship Marketplace on the Move
The FFA Merchandise center is moving to a new location. NACD’s Stewardship Marketplace will be closed during the move. The Order Entry Department is closed June 13 - June 15. Placing of orders are planned to restart on Monday July 2.



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