Upcoming NRCS Meeting to Give 2009 Conservation Results and Seek Input on 2010
Priorities for California
DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) in California will host a State Technical Advisory
Committee (STAC) meeting on Nov. 9, 2009, to discuss 2010 priorities for Farm
Bill conservation programs in California. The meeting will be held at the
Stanislaus County Ag Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, in Modesto, beginning at 10
a.m.
The meeting will begin with a synopsis of the 2009 distribution of funds and
conservation results covering water conservation and water quality, drought
mitigation, nutrient management on dairies, air quality, transition to organic
production, rangeland management, and more. 2009 was the first year of
implementation for the 2008 Farm Bill (Food Conservation and Energy Act of
2008). The Farm Bill programs provide millions of dollars in technical and
financial assistance for California farmers, ranchers, forest managers and
organizations to protect natural resources on private lands. Most provisions
of the 2008 Farm Bill are in effect for five years.
"The state has a multitude of natural resource needs deserving of conservation
planning, technical assistance and Farm Bill-based funding," says Acting State
Conservationist Gayle Norman. "We will be seeking input on prioritizing these
needs for NRCS to address in 2010."
Specifically NRCS will ask for input on:
1. Special initiatives that may or may not be continued and at what level.
2. New opportunities for air quality programs in forestry.
3. Ways to refine the application ranking process.
4. Possible topics of focus for wildlife habitat programs.
NRCS-administered Farm Bill Programs include the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), the
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and easement programs such as the
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), and the
Farmland Protection Program (FPP). For more information on conservation
planning, Farm Bill conservation programs and more see the agency's Web site
at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov.
SOURCE USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service
Anita Brown, +1-530-792-5644, or Alan Forkey, +1-530-792-5653
