|
November 25, 2008
NRCS Publishes First 2008 Farm Bill Regulation
Today NRCS released the State Technical Committee interim
final rule as altered by the 2008 Farm Bill. NRCS will be
accepting comments on this regulation until January 29,
2009. Under the rule, which takes effect today, Local Work
Groups (LWGs) become subcommittees of the State Technical
Committee and are now exempt from the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA). NRCS will develop best practices and
guidance documents on establishing, organizing and
effectively utilizing State Technical Committees and LWGs
and is seeking comments in this area and several others
regarding the operation of LWGs and State Technical
Committees.
NACD will submit formal comments regarding the role of
conservation districts and the recommended operation of
LWGs. NACD encourages individual districts and state
associations to provide specific comments to help guide
NRCS in the development of guidance documents for states.
Organization of 111th Congress Begins
Congress was in session last week and among the work
completed were leadership elections for the 111th Congress,
which will convene in January.
Continuing in key leadership positions for the majority in
the U.S. House of Representatives in the 111th Congress will
be Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
(D-MD) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC). In the U.S.
Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) will retain his
leadership post, as will Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
Leadership positions for the minority in the next session
of U.S. House of Representatives were also determined last
week. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) will continue his
leadership post, and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) was selected as
Minority Whip to replace Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who stepped
down in that capacity. In the U.S. Senate, Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will maintain his position, as will
Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-NV).
Notable committee leadership changes occurred in the Senate
Appropriations Committee, where Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV)
announced that he will step down as chairman. Senator
Daniel Inyohe (D-HI) is expected to assume the
appropriations chairmanship. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
succeeded in his bid for chairmanship of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee, replacing Rep. John Dingell (D-MI).
This committee had primary jurisdiction over climate
change policy, and the new chairman will provide
leadership developing climate legislation. On the House
Agriculture Committee, Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) is expected
to serve as ranking member, succeeding Rep. Bob
Goodlatte (R-VA) who is term-limited in that position
under Republican committee rules.
NACD looks forward to working with new and returning
leaders in Congress next year.
NACD Participates in National Community Forestry
Conference
NACD staff member Debra Bogar attended the Partners in
Community Forestry National Conference last week in
Atlanta, Ga. Nearly 300 people from local urban forestry
groups, national nongovernment organizations, universities,
and state and federal agencies gathered at the event, which
was sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation. Speakers covered
a broad realm of topics of interest to conservation
districts such as stormwater management, storm damage, best
practices for urban forests, ordinances and much more. Also
discussed were new potential partnerships with public
health departments, utilities and others.
Conservation districts across the U.S. are active in urban
and community forestry, and NACD encourages districts that
aren’t involved to learn more. Urban and community forestry
offers many great opportunities and potential partnerships
to help districts get conservation on the ground in
communities across the nation.
For information about the Partners in Community Forestry
National Conference or urban and community forestry
opportunities, contact Debra Bogar at deb-bogar@nacdnet.org.
Copies of conference presentations will eventually be
available at the Arbor Day Foundation website at http://www.arborday.org.
EPA Proposes Guidelines for Construction Stormwater
Discharge
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently
announced a proposed rule for effluent limitations
guidelines and new source performance standards to control
the discharge of stormwater pollutants from construction
sites.
The proposed rule would establish limitations requiring
erosion control measures, sediment control measures and
other pollution prevention best management practices to
minimize and control pollutants from construction sites.
Construction sites disturbing 10 acres or more would be
required to install settlement basins or similar stormwater
control technology. The proposed rule would also require
numeric limits on the allowable level of turbidity in
stormwater discharge for sites 30 acres or greater in areas
with high rainfall and clay soils.
EPA is accepting comments for 90 days on the proposal.
More information is available at http://www.epa.gov/ost/guide/construction/.
“Dig It!” Soils Education Materials Available in January
NACD is very excited about our upcoming soils education
materials and we hope you are too. As you may know, each
year NACD develops educational materials that correspond
with the Stewardship Week theme and makes the materials
available for purchase through our online store.
This year, NACD has had the wonderful opportunity to work
with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and
the Soil Science Society of America to develop our soils
education materials. This year’s materials not only
correspond with NACD’s Stewardship topic, but also go hand
in hand with Smithsonian’s “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil”
exhibit. NACD originally anticipated releasing the
materials in late summer 2008. However, because the review
processes of all three partners, the development has taken
longer than expected. But we are certain you will agree that
the finished product is well worth the wait!
NACD currently expects the printed materials to be
available in the online NACD Marketplace in January 2009.
By the end of December some materials should also be
available for download at no charge on NACD’s website. In
the meantime, we have developed an order sheet for your
planning purposes. Click here to download the “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil” planning
sheet and start planning your soil education order today!
Reserve Your Copy of Neil Sampson’s Book, “With One
Voice” Today
Attendees of the 2009 NACD Annual Meeting will have the
opportunity to purchase a copy of author Neil Sampson’s new
book, With One Voice: The National Association of
Conservation Districts, at a deeply discounted, one-time
launch price of $30. The first copies of the book will be
released at NACD’s 2009 Annual Meeting in New Orleans,
February 1-4.
With One Voice looks at the development and expansion of
conservation programs in recent years, the struggles and
victories that accompanied the conservation movement and the
role of the National Association of Conservation Districts
in all of it. Click here for additional details about the book.
A limited number of books will be available at the
conference. If you would like to reserve a your discounted
copy or copies, NACD asks that you please complete a
reservation form to ensure we have enough copies available
in New Orleans. Click here to download
and submit the form.
If you are unable to attend the 2009 NACD Annual Meeting,
the book will also be available through a number of online
booksellers at the suggested retail price of $44.95. If
you plan to attend the conference but haven’t yet
registered, go to http://nacdnet.org/events/annualmeeting/ and register today!
Upcoming Forest Landcare Webinar Open to Districts
The National Network of Forest Practitioners (NNFP) is
offering a “forest landcare” webinar on Tuesday,
December 2, 2008 at 2 p.m. EST. NACD is a co-sponsor of the
event, which is free to NNFP members and guests of
co-sponsors.
David Richert, an RC&D forester with the Virginia Department
of Forestry and public board member of the Blue Ridge Forest
Cooperative (BRFC), will present the webinar. Richert will
provide an introduction to "forest landcare," a new approach
for engaging forest landowners in forest improvement and
neighbor-to-neighbor collaboration.
Additional details regarding the webinar are available at
http://www.nnfp.us/WebinarsDec08.html. Contact Scott Bagley
at scott@nnfp.us with any questions or to register.
|
