October 2, 2007 eNotes - National Association of Conservation Districts">

October 2, 2007
index to previous eNotes

1. Farm Bill Discussions Continue
Last week, NACD joined over 60 conservation, agriculture and nutrition groups in a letter to Senate Leadership and the Agriculture Committee asking for expedited action on the 2007 Farm Bill. While members of the Senate continue discussions behind the scenes, the Senate Agriculture Committee has yet to schedule a public “mark-up” to review the entire legislative proposal. The Senate Finance Committee will proceed this week with a review of their proposal including conservation tax credits, a permanent disaster program, energy tax credits and other provisions. This proposal must also contain “off-sets” or cuts in spending to cover these provisions and potentially include additional funds for the Senate Agriculture Committee to use in their Farm Bill proposal. The total cost of the Finance Committee proposal is expected to be about $10 billion and may be funded through extension of some taxes and a reduction in the ethanol tax credit once production has reached a specified level. Stay tuned—we’ll continue to update you on 2007 Farm Bill Action as it happens.

2. NACD President Sims Sounds Off America's Voice
Do you ever wonder why it is you do what you do? In this month’s issue of America’s Voice, NACD President Olin Sims takes a minute to reflect on why he invests the time and energy into his job of leading the association. It’s harvest, it’s four generations on the ranch, it’s time in the field improving resources. Take a minute to hear what he has to say about the positive impacts of landowners’ and districts’ efforts to improve the land.

3. Joint Forestry Team Develops a Work Plan
NACD representatives Johnny Sundstrom, Orval Gigstad, Doug Williams and Ralph Thier participated in the Joint Forestry Team meeting September 25–26 in Arlington, Va. The group met to discuss ways to improve coordination of interagency delivery of forestry and conservation assistance for working forests, farms and ranches. Other members on the Joint Forestry Team represent USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA Forest Service (FS) and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF).

At the meeting last week, the Joint Forestry Team developed an action-oriented charter and a work plan focused on outcomes. In an effort to see which parts of on-the-ground implementation are working and which could be improved, the team’s next step is to poll NACD, NRCS, FS and NASF organizations and members about their experiences with forestry and conservation assistance. Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for a chance to participate in this poll and help the Joint Forestry Team collect the best information possible.

4. NACD CEO and Past President Participate in CTIC Board Meeting
NACD immediate past President Bill Wilson and CEO Krysta Harden represented NACD last week at the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) board meeting, which was held in Washington, D.C. The board, of which NACD is a member, meets annually in Washington to provide updates on various projects and programs as well as to hear from leading government officials and partners. This year’s session included meetings with USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as discussions on the 2007 Farm Bill and other major issues that impact the development and delivery of conservation technology. CTIC’s next board meeting will be held in conjunction with NACD’s annual meeting in February 2008.

5. USDA Will Not Release CRP Acres Penalty-Free
Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Connor confirmed last week that USDA would not offer penalty-free early releases from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts at this time. The Department had been asked to consider early releases for some CRP contracts to open up more land for corn, wheat and other crops. More than 2 million CRP acres expired under existing contracts on September 30, 2007.

The Administration does not anticipate a general sign-up while commodity prices remain high. Acres enrolled under continuous CRP signup, such as filter strips and riparian buffers, are not affected by general signup decisions. USDA expects to provide $1.8 billion in rental payment during this fiscal year for activities undertaken last year.

For more information, see the full USDA press release.

6. EPA Inspector General Reports on Insufficient TMDL Data
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently completed a review and released a report on the agency’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program.

The report concluded that more comprehensive information is needed on the implementation activities and outcomes of various state TMDL programs. The report found that EPA currently has limited information on TMDL programs implemented by states. The report includes several recommendations regarding improved data tracking and reporting, and clarifying elements of the TMDL program’s development, efficiency and effectiveness.

Under the Clean Water Act, states are required to develop TMDLs for bodies of water that do not meet water quality standards, which EPA then reviews and approves. NACD recently testified before Congress emphasizing the work of districts at the local level in providing technical assistance, implementing 319 Nonpoint Source Grants and education to help landowners meet water quality requirements related to TMDLs and nonpoint source pollution.

The full report can be found on the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2007/20070919-2007-P-00036.pdf.

7. EPA and Forest Service Partner for Clean Water
The U.S. Forest Service (FS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Friday to improve water quality on National Forests and Grasslands. The goals of the partnership are intended to complement collaborative efforts already underway between EPA and the FS, states, territories, authorized tribes and other partners as well as provide a platform for fostering further collaboration with these entities for maintaining and restoring water quality.

The objectives of this MOA are to work on Total Maximum Daily Load programs on National Forest lands; implement the FS National Best Management Practices program on National Forest System lands; monitoring; data transfer; and to foster regional or state level MOAs to achieve similar goals. This agreement should increase coordinated efforts to manage, protect and restore the health of the nation’s water resources.

Additional information can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us/news/2007/releases/09/water-quality.pdf.

8. Bush Administration Hosts International Global Warming Talks
Representatives from seventeen major economy countries, as well as the United Nations, met in Washington last week to discuss energy and climate change. The meeting, hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was to form a basis for future discussions, and to foster collaboration between nations as they form environmental policies. Presentations and discussion focused on five key areas: low carbon fossil power generation, transportation, land use, market penetration and energy efficiency and finance.

Countries differ on approaches to dealing with climate change with many favoring regulatory approaches to cap emissions. In his remarks at the meeting, President Bush shared his goal of producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions without undermining economic growth.

Participants are expected to meet again after the U.N.’s Climate Change Conference 2007 this December in Bali. As climate change discussions continue with the Administration and in Congress, NACD continues to seek opportunities for districts – whether through carbon sequestration, use of renewable fuels or other areas.

9. Last Chance for 2008 NACD Award Nominations – Deadline Extended
The nomination deadline has been extended until October 12, 2007 for the following NACD awards: Distinguished Service Award, Friend of Conservation Award, District Excellence Awards (8 categories) and Excellence in Communications Award.

If you missed the chance to nominate a district, company, organization or individual for one of NACD’s awards, now is your opportunity to follow through. Don't hesitate any longer. You have just less than two weeks to send in your nominations and share conservation success stories at the national level. All nominations must be postmarked by October 12.

For more information, check out the NACD Awards page at http://www.nacdnet.org/news/awards/.

10. NACD Seeks Intern for Winter Semester
NACD has a position opening for a spring intern in Washington, D.C. An internship with NACD provides an excellent opportunity for any student interested in gaining hands-on experience with the legislative process. The intern will work full time as a part of the NACD staff, working closely with the Legislative Affairs and Communication staff to advance the Association’s legislative agenda. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assisting in summarization and distribution of policy information to conservation leaders, assisting with the coordination of grassroots outreach efforts and attending hearings and briefings on subjects relative to private lands conservation funding and policies. The 15-week internship will begin mid-January and end in April. NACD typically fills this position with college juniors/seniors who have interest in environment and/or agriculture. A performance-based stipend is awarded at the end of the internship. For more information, please visit NACD’s internship web page at http://www.nacdnet.org/about/intern_program/ or contact lisa-lerwick@nacdnet.org.

11. NACD Calendar of Events
October 11-12, Great Lakes Committee Meeting, Ann Arbor, MI
November 15, NACD at NAFB Trade Talk, Kansas City, MO
December 12-13, Tribal Conservation District Workshop, Las Vegas, NV

Editor’s Note: Due to the Columbus Day holiday, the next scheduled edition of eNotes will be published on Wednesday, October 10, 2007.

To subscribe to eNotes, simply send a email with the word "subscribe" in the subject field to enotes-request@email.nacdnet.org.

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.