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June 2, 2009
Groups Voice Support for Conservation Funding
Fifty conservation, forestry, agriculture and
environmental groups expressed their support for full
funding of Farm Bill conservation programs in fiscal year
2010 in a recent letter to Congress. President Obama’s
fiscal year 2010 budget recommendation includes significant
cuts to Farm Bill conservation programs including the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wetlands Reserve
Program, Farmland Protection Program, Wildlife Habitat
Incentives Program, Agricultural Management Assistance
Program and Healthy Forest Reserve Program. The budget
recommendation also includes legislative changes to the
Conservation Reserve Program. NACD worked to secure
additional mandatory funding for these conservation
programs in the Farm Bill that was approved by Congress
just last summer and strongly opposes the proposed cuts to
these important programs.
Click here to view a copy of the letter sent to House and Senate
Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee leaders. To review
NACD’s action alert on this subject click here.
The House and Senate will be working on appropriations bills
to fund USDA and other government agencies over the coming
weeks. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is scheduled to appear in
the Senate on Thursday to discuss USDA’s budget proposal.
Resources Conservation Act (RCA) Returns
The Resources Conservation Act (RCA) was reauthorized in
the 2008 Farm Bill. The RCA authority-first enacted in
1977-called on USDA to develop a new and overarching program
and polices for conservation based on a thorough appraisal
of natural resource conditions across the country. The Act
calls for extensive public involvement in gathering input
for the direction the nation should take on conservation.
The first RCA processes were completed in the early 1980s
and led to the development of many new conservation
authorities and programs at the state and federal level,
as well as significant funding increases. The RCA has
produced significant results for conservation districts.
NRCS is now beginning to implement the latest round of the
Act. Districts will have an opportunity to file comments
electronically, as well as opportunities to attend public
meetings to register input. Additional methods for NACD
and conservation district involvement are anticipated over
the coming months. NACD will post updates and alerts as to
how you can be involved. For more details and a schedule of
upcoming RCA events and activities, please see the RCA page
on NACD’s website http://nacdnet.org/events/rca/.
GAO Reports on Endangered Species Act
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued
a report stating that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) has no systematic means to track cumulative "take" or
harm of most listed species under Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under Section 7 of the ESA,
federal agencies are required to consult with FWS regarding
proposed actions involving listed threatened or endangered
species. Following the consultation, FWS issues an opinion
assessing the proposed action’s predicted impact on listed
species. FWS may also require the federal agency to monitor
the effects of its own actions.
The GAO report found that FWS biologists often do not have
the time needed to track the required monitoring reports.
This results in insufficient knowledge regarding predicted
species response to proposed actions. The FWS agreed with
the report’s findings, recommending that additional methods
are needed to track monitoring reports and cumulative take
of listed species. To view the GAO report, visit
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09550.pdf.
EPA Announces New Soil Fumigant Pesticide Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently
announced new safety standards for soil fumigant pesticides.
Soil fumigant pesticides are gases injected into the soil
to control a wide variety of soil-borne pests and are used
on a variety of crops such as potatoes, tomatoes,
strawberries, carrots and peppers. According to EPA, issues
with the use of Soil Fumigant Pesticides result from the
migration of pesticides from the soil into the air which can
affect agricultural workers or bystanders.
The new standards proposed by EPA were formulated after
receiving public comment and input. Standards include buffer
zones, posting requirements, agricultural worker protections,
site-specific fumigant management plans and emergency
preparedness and response requirements. EPA believes the new
proposed measures will increase the overall safety of
fumigant use by requiring greater planning and compliance.
The new measures are expected to take effect in the 2010
and 2011 growing seasons. More information is available on
the EPA website.
National Pollinator Week Around the Corner
Conservation districts again have a chance to celebrate
National Pollinator Week which will be observed June 22-28,
2009. The special week is designed to increase public
awareness of the importance of pollinators for our food
supply and healthy wildlife ecosystems. Pollinator Week is
also a good opportunity to acquaint the public with the many
ways conservation activities can help pollinators. Of
particular interest this year is the availability of
Ecoregional Planting Guides for Pollinators. These guides
provide practical information on selecting plant species
that are good for pollinators in a given locality. The
guides are free and are available for download at
http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm.
National Pollinator Week is a project of the North American
Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC), a tri-national
collaboration facilitated by the Pollinator Partnership.
NACD has been a partner in this campaign and has jointly
sponsored a Pollinator award for producers who are nominated
for their efforts to support pollinators. More information
on the award nomination process will be coming in a future
edition of eNotes.
To find out what is happening in your state this year and
to access free resources offered by local event organizers,
go to http://www.pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2009.htm.
Two Conservation Funding Opportunities Available Through NFWF
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently announced
two funding opportunities available through the Pulling
Together Initiative (PTI) and the Native Plant Conservation
Initiative (NPCI). Eligible applicants for both
opportunities include local governments and non-profit
organizations.
The PTI seeks to find programs that control invasive plant
species through public and private partnerships. Competitive
programs for application must prevent, manage or eradicate
invasive and noxious plants through a coordinated program
of public and private partnerships and increase public
awareness of the adverse impacts of invasive and noxious
plants. The pre-proposal deadline for the PTI is June 30,
2009. For more information and to apply for the PTI, please
click here.
The NPCI is a program that seeks projects that focus on the
conservation of native plants and pollinators. Priority will
be given to those projects that have a climate change
component as it pertains to the conservation, restoration
and sustainability of native plants. The pre-proposal
deadline for the NPCI is July 1, 2009. For more information
and to apply for the NPCI, please click here.
Upcoming Webcast: Urban Landscaping with Bare Root Trees
Conservation districts who work with landowners and
communities on urban tree planting may be interested in the
June 18 webcast by the Alliance for Community Trees.
Scheduled for 1:00pm eastern time, participants will learn
about the advantages and disadvantages of bare root stock,
dealing with the narrower planting window, finding desired
species, and selling to and educating the public about bare
root trees. In an industry where having a viable root system
is the primary determining factor of whether trees survive
and thrive in their new location, current practices must be
reevaluated. Addressing this topic will be speakers from the
Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University and
Delaware Center for Horticulture. Click here to sign up for
the free one-hour webcast.
September 26th - National Public Lands Day
The National Environmental Education Foundation has
announced that National Public Lands Day is scheduled for
September 26, 2009. First begun in 1994, the event now
boasts the cooperation of over 120,000 volunteers working in
over 1,800 locations nationwide to improve and enhance the
conditions on public lands. Projects include bridge and
trail maintenance, weed removal, tree planting and trash
pickup. Eight federal agencies are involved as advisors to
numerous partner organizations. To learn more about events,
sponsors, partners and ways to get involved, visit
http://www.publiclandsday.org.
Editor's Note
The next issue of eNotes will be
published on Wednesday, June 10 due to NACD staff travel.
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