Arkansas Conservation News -- Fall/Winter 2008

Conservation Corner

Kalven L. Trice
State Conservationist

We had another banner year in fiscal year 2008. Your hard work resulted in Arkansas NRCS obligating more than $31.1 million of conservation projects through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. You also wrote conservation plans for more than 475,000 acres and applied conservation practices on more than 733,000 acres. All of this work helped us exceed our goals in each category of the BPI (Better Program Initiative).

Several of you were also on the front lines when historical flooding and tornadoes devastated Arkansas in the spring. Through the Emergency Watershed Protection program, we contracted $605,266 worth of work to remove debris from stream channels and bridges.

As most of you are well aware, 2008 wrapped up with another daunting task – reviewing 5,519 open obligations to complete corrective actions related to the 2008 NRCS financial audit. Once again, thanks to your commitment and sacrifices, we met the deadline and our efforts will improve customer service. I thank each of you for working together to complete this tremendous workload.

As you know, 2009 will be another challenging and busy year for us. Over the next few months, you will receive additional information about the 2008 Farm Bill. Most of the interim final rules have been written for our conservation programs and are awaiting public comment. Once this step is completed, we should start receiving our allocations and announcing sign ups.

As an Arkansas NRCS employee, you have a huge role to play in the delivery of the Farm Bill. I appreciate your continued effort to help Arkansas landowners and get the word out about conservation.

Thank you for all you do.

Reorganization = Effectiveness, Efficiency

Arkansas NRCS has underwent two reorganizations in the past 10 years -- one in the field and one in the state office.

The current reorganization sets a framework for flexibility, conservation practice implementation, and field office support without more staff. The goal is to make ourselves more effective and efficient, according to Kalven L. Trice, state conservationist.

At the peak of our staffing level in 1997, Arkansas NRCS had 332 employees. Now we have less than 240.

Although Arkansas’ budget has increased more than 300 percent since the 2002 Farm Bill passed, technical assistance funds (dollars to pay staff) have not kept pace with financial assistance dollars increases.

Financial assistance dollars, funding that pays for projects on the land, that is, money that goes to farmers and landowners, is five times greater than it was in 1997.

Technical assistance dollars has not increased and actually could continue to fall.

We have submitted deficit reduction plans to national headquarters for the past three years.

These deficits highlight the necessity to determine an appropriate level of staffing and overhead so our focus can be addressing the natural resource concerns in Arkansas.

The staff cannot keep up with this pace of work long-term. This reorganization is for the staff, to better share the workload and lessen burden on individuals, according to Trice.

Plant materials staff conducts field day

Training event focuses on center's work, grass management, nutrients

The Booneville Plant Materials Center staff provided training for approximately 25 NRCS field office employees during a recent field day.

Students learned about plant identification, nutrient management and native grass management.

During practical field exercises, the group learned seed bed preparation, herbicide sprayer calibration, native grass management and about the switchgrass bio-fuel study.

Dr. Dan Pote, Agricultural Research Service, also demonstrated a prototype machine that incorporates poultry litter into the soil. Incorporated litter is advantageous to the poultry industry because of significantly reduced run-off, odor and water pollution.

SWCS Razorback chapter meets, tours wildlife management area

The Razorback Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society met Oct. 2 at the Conway Field Service Center, followed by field training at the Bell Slough Wildlife Management Area.

During the tour of Bell Slough, members learned about moist soil unit management, bottomland forestry and green tree reservoir ecology.

Monica Sharp, a junior at Southern Arkansas University, majoring in Agriculture Business, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the chapter. She plans on continuing her education through a master’s degree and then working in a profession supporting agriculture in Arkansas.

Members discussed possibly holding a summer family meeting in June. The meeting would be hosted by the North West subchapter and would be combined with camping, and a float trip or a cave tour, according to Brent Clark, chapter president.

The chapter also has for sale a limited collector’s Razorback belt buckle.
 

RC&D councils train data collectors for energy audits

Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Councils received a grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission to train eight data collectors.

The data collectors were trained to compile data from interviews with poultry and grain farm operators. They also collect on-site information on poultry house equipment, grain dryers and irrigation systems they currently use.

The group was trained to identify motors and their efficiencies by collecting data from the motors ventilation systems, type of fans in poultry houses, types of lighting and controls, insulation on doors and side walls, and to take pictures for their records.

After compiling the information, they input the data into spreadsheets to use as part of an energy audit report. The audit can then be used by the farmer to prioritize energy efficiency improvements.

The 2008 Farm Bill includes a provision to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with energy efficiency improvements. This provision, in section 9007, is titled the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Applications for Energy Efficiency improvements must be accompanied by an energy audit performed by a qualified professional. This training is the first step in providing energy efficiency assistance to Arkansas farmers. RC&D councils across the state can assist businesses and landowners with the REAP program.