Arkansas Annual Report 2006

A Year of Recognition and Change

Fiscal year 2006 brought about many opportunities for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to “Help People Help the Land.” I want to thank NRCS employees and partners for the outstanding support. It meant a great deal in our ability to implement over $50 million in Farm Bill programs. We have consistently been able to accomplish our goals, fully implement our business plan, and positively impact natural resources of this great state. Let’s reflect on the many accomplishments associated with last fiscal year:

The Arkansas NRCS received several prestigious state and national awards. The first award came from the Tree Farmers of America for our efforts and partnerships working on non-industrial forests in partnership with the Arkansas Forestry Commission. USDA Forest Service described our partnership as “a model for the nation.” Next, Ducks Unlimited acknowledged our work in implementation of the Wetlands Reserve Program by awarding us the Conservation Achievement Award. Arkansas is ranked number two in the nation with almost 200,000 acres enrolled in WRP.

It was my honor to accept the Rural Advocate of the Year Award at the Rural Development Conference. Our hard work and dedication at the field level allowed us to have a positive impact on rural economic development.

For the second year in a row, an Arkansas small farmer was selected as the National Small Farmer of the Year Award by the National Organization of Profession Black NRCS Employees. Harvey Williams was recognized for his outstanding use of conservation to enhance his farming operations. The final award received in 2006 was the Chief’s Workforce Diversity Award. This award recognized our efforts related to recruitment and outreach. It also rewards our efforts to make sure our workforce mirror our customer base and community.

Changes were plentiful within NRCS this year. The Management Team and state office reorganized to reflect changing priorities and technology, and to refocus programs. Positions and staffs were eliminated, split, combined, and created to better serve our employees and customers. The management team solicits your ideas on how we can become more efficient and effective.

Many long-time employees with vast experience decided to retire. A wealth of knowledge left with the retiring employees, but new ideas came with new employees. A new generation of NRCS staff is in the making.

The Management Team continues to look toward the future and plan actions accordingly. We will focus on where we have been, where we are going, and plan the best way to get there.

It was a good year for the Arkansas NRCS. I am honored to provide leadership to this agency and I recognize our work is only accomplished because of the dedicated staff performing side-by-side with the Arkansas Conservation Partnership, communities, farmers, and ranchers.

Arkansas Conservation Partnership

More than 250 NRCS employees serve Arkansas’ 75 counties from 62 field service centers throughout the state.
These employees work with private landowners and the Arkansas Conservation Partnership to preserve and maintain the natural resources of Arkansas.

The Arkansas Conservation Partnership is a unique force, combining the strengths of federal, state and local organizations along with educational institutions to help preserve and protect the Natural State.

Formed in 1992, the partnership now consists of eight organizations: Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Arkansas Association of Conservation District Employees, Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Councils Inc., University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The various agencies’ diverse missions complement each other.

In fiscal year 2006, the partnership focused on water resources, land resource management, conservation education, forestry health, 2002 Farm Bill implementation, community development and alternative fuels.

Earth Team

Arkansas has more than 2,919 active volunteers who provided more than 15,311 hours of service to help NRCS accomplish the successes outlined in this report.

Volunteers throughout the state helped with tours, forestry clinics, field days, fairs, outreach meetings, Earth Day, Farm Safety Day Camp, 2006 Waterfest, WOW II at the Zoo, an outdoor classroom at Carver Elementary, Envirothon contests, water quality monitoring tests, grazing land management workshops, organizing and facilitating the Technical Advisory Committee from the Arkansas Bioenergy Council, a forestry conference for timberland owners, as well as surveying and field work activities.

Volunteers in Marshall worked 2,142 hours to distribute and plant 37,000 tree seedlings and build and install 125 Eastern Bluebird nesting boxes. Schools, 4-H clubs, FFA groups, Boy Scouts, church groups, and local people participated.

In Camden, 964 volunteers collected litter, discarded household appliances, tires, metal and refuse along the banks and waterway of the Ouachita River and conducted two forestry contests.

Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program

NRCS uses the watershed program to reduce flooding problems, efficiently utilize and conserve irrigation water, improve water quality through improved management of animal waste and erosion control, and to supply water to rural communities.

Residents develop watershed-wide plans with NRCS assistance to assess problems and develop solutions.

The program also provides financial assistance to carry out the plans.

During 2006, NRCS helped Prairie Grove develop a project design to provide increased protection to residents living below Lake Prairie Grove and to extend the dams useful life by at least 100 years.

NRCS provided continued assistance to Waldron, Big Creek Watershed Improvement District, Poteau River Watershed Improvement District, Point Remove Watershed Improvement District and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in developing a Supplemental Watershed Plan/Environmental Assessment (EA) to provide increased protection to residents living below the lakes and to extend the dams useful life by at least 100 years.

NRCS provided $2,055,360 for construction of Ozan Creeks Watershed Site 13, Poinsett Watershed Channel Segment 7 and Sites 14L&R, Point Remove Wetlands Reclamation and Irrigation Project, and long-term contracts for the Little Red River and Buffalo Tributaries Watersheds.

Planning for the Big Slough Supplemental Plan/EA or EIS continued in FY 2006. A feasibility report was prepared to determine if the project still had a potential positive benefit to cost ratio. This project would provide an increased level of flood protection for parts of central Clay County, Piggott, Rector and Greenway.

The sponsors of the Gould portion of the Grady-Gould Watershed are in the process of securing land rights and preparing for eventual construction to raise the flooding protection for Gould, Ark.

The sponsors of the Departee Creek Watershed are in the process of securing land rights for project implementation.

The sponsors of the Upper Petit Jean Watershed continue engineering studies for the preparation of the Supplemental Plan/Environmental Impact Statement to add water supply to Site 3 for residences of Scott and Logan counties.

Soil Surveys

Viewable interactive Soil Surveys are available online (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov) for all counties in Arkansas. Digital soil maps are also available for all counties in the state.

Grazing Lands

NRCS has four full-time grazing specialists on the staff. Technical assistance for owners and managers of grassland in Arkansas is an important component of NRCS.

The Arkansas Grazing Lands Coalition (AGLC) provides leadership and direction to the grazing lands programs. AGLCs membership includes the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Arkansas Forage and Grassland Council, Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, Arkansas Farm Bureau, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension and NRCS. A decision was made to add members of the dairy industry and producers of small ruminants.

In 2006, approximately 60 events related to grazing lands reached 2,050 farmers and educators. Several trainings reached 135 NRCS personnel with information on prescribed grazing standards and facilitating practices. Support was provided to Heifer International for a Conservation Innovation Grant training limited resource farmers on prescribed grazing.

Plant Materials

The Booneville Plant Materials Center (PMC) serves parts of Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. It is part of a national network of plant material centers that provide vegetative solutions to conservation problems in their service areas.

In order to address the dry-matter potential of switchgrass for use in the production of bioenergy, primarily biofuels, the Booneville PMC initiated a study to evaluate the growth of three cultivars of switchgrass with dry land and irrigated situations.

The PMC staff conducted nine tours of their facility. During these tours, they discussed the PMC program and individual studies. The staff provided 14 oral and poster presentations for state and multi-state meetings and activities.

The center is extensively involved with the Oklahoma and Missouri Highway Departments of Transportation developing contracts for vegetative establishment, demonstration and management methods.

Major efforts have been made to evaluate native grass species establishment on highway rights-of-way after construction, and rehabilitation of maneuver areas on Fort Chaffee.

Resource Conservation and Development

Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) councils in Arkansas worked on a variety of projects including grant programs for rural fire departments, developing markets for non-traditional crops, restoration of historic sites, timber management by landowners with small acreages, assistance with rural water supplies, drainage improvement in rural communities, conservation education, outdoor classrooms and disposal of hazardous household chemicals.
RC&D councils looked at biomass as a feasible energy alternative, including an innovative process that converts chicken litter to a gas that can be used in internal combustion engines. Development of the biomass energy alternatives will create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Farm Bill Programs Overview

NRCS is the administering agency for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Security Program and Healthy Forest Reserve Program. The agency provides technical assistance for the Conservation Reserve Program and Grassland Reserve Program.
In addition, NRCS cooperates with state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations to assure consistent delivery of conservation technology through Farm Bill programs on private lands.

Environmental Quality Incentives Program

During 2006, 2,304 landowners applied for $45,377,944 in funds for statewide resource concern areas. Program funding levels limited funding to 1,033 applicants, who received a total of $19,942,229 in funding.

Arkansas NRCS allocated $500,000 to the Small Scale Farm Initiative category and $500,000 to the Alternative Crop category. Between these two categories, 44 small farm owners and operators applied for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). All applicants were funded for a total of $387,063 of cost shares.

Wetlands Reserve Program

During 2006, Arkansas funded and contracted 34 Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easements, totaling $12,939,629. There were 277 applicants requesting $44,954,086.

To date, Arkansas landowners have enrolled 190,433 acres into the program. This year, WRP went through an extensive makeover and changes were made to the process used to appraise easements. Although this new process slowed the easement acquisition, NRCS is still moving forward, restoring and protecting vital wetland areas in Arkansas.

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program

During 2006, $658,506 was approved to carry out 65 Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) contracts in 18 counties. These contracts will benefit threatened, endangered and declining species, and will restore critical habitat for resident and migratory wildlife. In addition to those projects that were funded, another 125 applications were made requesting $732,146.

Arkansas NRCS used funding categories to address specific wildlife needs in the state. They were: ivory-billed woodpecker special projects, quail habitat restoration in focal areas, elk habitat enhancement in a focal area, streambank restoration, cave protection, upland wildlife enhancement and wetland wildlife habitat enhancement.

Conservation Security Program

During 2006, $16,199,646 over the life of the contracts was approved to fund 94 Conservation Security Program (CSP) contracts. Five contracts were Tier III and 89 Tier II. Another 107 applicants applied for $18,326.563 that were unfunded.

Healthy Forest Reserve Program

During 2006, $982,125 was approved to fund seven Healthy Forest Reserve Program (HFRP) contracts. In addition to those projects that were funded, another 42 applications were made requesting $3,806,865.

Grassland Reserve Program

During 2006, two contracts were awarded for $30,942. In Arkansas, the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) focused on helping landowners put in a rotational grazing system. Contracts included cross fencing, watering systems and prescribed grazing incentives.

< Back to Publications