Crafting a Regional Vision - New River Valley, Virginia is Developing Long Range Strategic Plan to Shape its Future

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Chris Beck, Senior Projects Advisor, USDA Rural Development Office of the Under Secretary, on November 26, 2013 at 9:15 AM

Jessica Wirgau, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the New River Valley and Kevin Byrd, Executive Director of the New River Valley Planning District Commission, celebrate the near completion of a successful three-year federally-funded community planning process.

One of the challenges with implementing USDA Rural Development programs is that many of the communities we serve have not had the opportunity to develop strategic plans to guide federal infrastructure investments effectively. Fortunately, a 2010 grant from HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities enabled the New River Valley Planning District Commission to engage the public in the rural Southwest Virginia counties of Pulaski, Montgomery, Giles, and Floyd and all the major towns to develop a blueprint for future economic activity.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend a meeting where over 100 rural citizens in the New River Valley gathered to put some of the finishing touches on the 3-year regional planning process, known locally as their Livability Initiative. I came away inspired by the dialogue that has evolved over the past three years and am looking forward to seeing how the communities in this economically diverse rural region look for ways to implement some of the ideas they have generated to improve their communities and enhance long-term economic opportunities.

Some of the ideas in the plan are regional in nature and some, of course, focus on locally-based strategies.  Over the coming years these communities will now be able to benefit from the multi-county relationships they have built and guidance by the goals identified in the plan.  The HUD planning grant is part of the federal agency Partnership for Sustainable Communities aimed at promoting more efficient use of federal infrastructure investments.

One of the more impressive aspects of the New River Valley Livability Initiative is how it is moving forward.  Once the plan is finalized this spring the Community Foundation of the New River Valley has volunteered to keep the community involved as it moves toward refining some of the goals and implementing the ideas outlined in the plan.  Having spent the past couple of years exploring ways that philanthropy can be more engaged in rural America, this struck me as a superb example of a foundation leveraging federal resources and stepping up to the plate to provide capacity in a rural area.   It’s the sort of activity we envisioned when USDA signed partnership agreement with the Council on Foundations in 2011.

A complementary initiative in Southwest Virginia was announced in 2012–the Rural Jobs Accelerator, a one-time program funded by USDA, the Economic Development Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission.  The SW Virginia project–Appalachian Spring—Connecting Communities in SW Virginia.– provides a national example for a regional strategy focused on culture-based economic opportunities as well as developing strategies to support the outdoor recreation economy.  The effort includes the combined initiatives of two organizations, the Crooked Road, aimed at fostering the region’s bluegrass music tradition and Round the Mountain, dedicated to elevating the artisan crafts of the region.

During my tour of this rural region, I was able to visit the rural hamlet of Floyd situated on a hilltop ridge, near an entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Floyd offers a model of a rural community that is already embracing innovative ways of supporting local livability and embracing the cultural economy.  The pedestrian-friendly main street environs are surrounded with local businesses coupled with Bluegrass music stages in several local establishments. Moreover, the town’s proximity to outdoor recreation, and its abundance of working farms, from which a vibrant local food economy can be nurtured.

USDA Rural Development has recently provided grant support for the development of food processing facility in partnership with Sustain Floyd, a local leader in helping shape the economy of Floyd County.   Sustain Floyd’s efforts around developing a viable Farm to School effort also demonstrate strong partnership with USDA.

SW Virginians are doing everything they can to chart an innovative economic strategy for the future, and I look forward to seeing the results of their work.

The main street in Floyd, Virginia, one of the rural Southwest Virginia communities building their future around cultural economic strategies involving local food systems and Bluegrass music.

Conservation Innovation Grant Helps Cranberry Farmers Conserve Water, Shield Fruit from Cold

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Justin Fritscher, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on November 25, 2013 at 5:30 PM

Growers load cranberries after a harvest at Mayflower Cranberries in Plympton, Mass. Photo by Jeff LaFleur of Mayflower Cranberries used with permission.

It’s tough to imagine the Thanksgiving celebration without turkey, dressing, and most importantly, the cranberry sauce. To keep this holiday staple safe from the cold and ready for harvest, farmers apply water to cranberries on frosty nights.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association worked with growers to install automated sprinkler systems that conserve water and trim costs.

With the automated system, cranberry growers can control sprinklers from a computer and turn on and off sprinklers with a simple button. Traditionally, the different systems had to be turned on and off manually, wasting time, money and water.

A Conservation Innovation Grant from NRCS has enabled the association to work with 11 growers and implement these sprinkler systems, which are a relatively new technology to the industry.

These systems have sensors among the cranberry vines that monitor temperature and other weather conditions. A grower can monitor and control the systems from the Internet. Growers using these systems can save more than 9,000 gallons of water per acre on a frost night.

“The use of computerized irrigation systems had a huge impact on growers’ lives,” said Jeff LaFleur, the association’s former director. “The system has simplified how we monitor bog temperatures, and it provides accurate data on when irrigations systems should be turned on to protect from frost.”

Sprinklers spray water on cranberries during a frosty morning. Photo by Jeff LaFleur of Mayflower Cranberries used with permission.

During the study period, the systems kept water running about two hours less. For a typical growing season, 280,000 gallons of water per acre can be conserved.

Water protects the plants because as it turns to ice, heat is released, warming the berries. If the berries get too cold, they’re difficult to market.

“Water is our life blood in cranberries,” said LaFleur, who now heads the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts and owns his own cranberry farm. “Even though cranberry bogs are dry most of the growing season, proper water management is critical to yields and fruit quality.”

This grant, awarded in 2007, has changed the way cranberry growers do business. The grant shows how technology can make farming easier and cheaper, LaFleur said. Most of the participating growers plan to invest in more automated systems for their bogs.

Cranberries are floated after they are picked. Photo by Jeff LaFleur of Mayflower Cranberries used with permission.

“It was risky for growers to participate in this project,” he said. “We asked them to trust computers and make management decisions based upon what the computers were telling them. The end result is that growers have come not only to trust the systems but rely heavily on them on a regular basis to better manage the resources on their farms.”

Most cranberries are grown in southeastern Massachusetts, where 400 cranberry growing families farm more than 14,000 acres.

Cranberries grow in low-lying beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. Commonly called bogs, they were originally created by glacial deposits. Now, growers create commercial bogs through a network of wetlands, ditches and ponds.

Almost 20 percent of cranberries produced each year are eaten during Thanksgiving week, what LaFleur calls “an iconic part of the Thanksgiving celebration.”

Ripe berries on the vine ready to be picked at Mayflower Cranberries in Plympton, Mass. Photo by Jeff LaFleur of Mayflower Cranberries used with permission.

Public TV Showcases Conservation Efforts in California to Clean & Conserve Water

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jennifer Van Eps, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on November 21, 2013 at 4:00 PM

Ann Johnson grows wine grapes in El Dorado County, Calif., where she carefully uses each drop of water. Water is imperative to her operation, and using it wisely and keeping it clean are important to private landowners like her.

Conservation practices, like a drip irrigation system, help her care for this natural resource. A public television series, “This American Land,” will showcase Johnson and other California farmers and ranchers who are working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to put conservation on the ground.

The segment, “Precious Sierra Water,” is included in the season’s sixth episode, being released this month to public TV stations across the country.

Johnson, a fourth-generation wine grape grower, worked with the NRCS to create a conservation plan for her land. With the help of NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program, she installed a drip irrigation system that uses 20 percent less water.

“It was great because they listened to what our ideas were and issues that we wanted to focus on and then gave us tools for our tool box that we could put into practice,” Johnson said.

Ann Johnson grows grapes for wine in El Dorado County, Calif., where she demonstrates how a drip irrigation system reduces the water used on her farm. Her story and the stories of other California farmers and ranchers are featured in a public television series, “This American Land,” this fall. Photo courtesy of NRCS.

California ranchers George and Toni Forni also worked with NRCS to put conservation work on the ground. With the help of NRCS, they’ve implemented a rotational grazing system, which alternates cattle among different pastures.

By rotating cattle every 30 days, no area is overgrazed. To do this, they installed cross-fencing, which breaks big pastures into smaller ones.

NRCS also helped the Forni family install above-ground water troughs. “What NRCS has done for us has allowed us to make sure that every one of our pastures has a good water source,” Toni Forni said. “They helped us with a fencing plan and a well. We couldn’t have done it without them. And it wasn’t a handout, but a leg up.”

Forest landowner Jeremy Wagner worked with NRCS to plant 18,000 trees on his property, preventing erosion and runoff into a nearby waterway. Like Johnson and the Forni family, his story was also showcased in this public TV series.

“That would not happen purely out of my pocket,” Wagner said. “Without NRCS, I might have been able to do a section of it, but I would not have been able to do 200-plus acres.”

Through a variety of Farm Bill conservation programs, NRCS helps farmers and ranchers ensure water is clean downstream and abundant.

To learn more about Farm Bill conservation programs, visit the NRCS website or a local NRCS field office. For more information on the public television series, visit NRCS’ “This American Land” page.

Forest, Grasslands Users Now Have Access to Digital Maps

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Kathryn Sosbe, Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service, on November 20, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Digital maps available for your smart phone will help visitors find their way around U.S. Forest Service forests and grasslands.

Scaling a mountain or hiking across a meadow is a peaceful, exhilarating exploration – unless you don’t know which fork in the trail to take.

It used to mean taking out a folded map, holding onto it tightly so the wind won’t blow it away or trying to shelter it from raindrops. Now dealing with a map may be faster, easier and more convenient by opening your smart device and using a U.S. Forest Service digital map you downloaded for free or for a nominal fee.

“In many areas of our national forests or grasslands, internet connections are just not available,” said Joan Steber, a cartographer who worked on the digital map project. “The free app and static maps will help because the user downloads the maps to their Apple or Android device before heading to a national forest or grassland.”

The Forest Service maps are available through the PDF Maps Mobile App developed by Avenza Systems Inc. The geospatial PDF maps allow you to use the information without the need to be connected to a live network. Users can measure distance and area, find coordinates, zoom, plot marks, save place marks and add labels and other convenient ways to customize for your own experience.

The app is available for free through iTunes and the Android Play Store. The app provides access to Forest Service maps, such as motor vehicle use maps, which are free while national forest atlases are 99 cents and forest visitor maps are $4.99. Prices are pending for other agency maps.

The maps are geo-referenced with the user’s location appearing as a blue dot. The app works on iPhones (3GS or newer) and iPads with WiFi+3G. It also works with Android 4 or newer operating systems on devices with at least 1 gigabyte of memory.

“Through our web surveys, we know visitors want this type of information, and they want it mobile,” Steber said. “We have worked to offer them a product they can use easily.”

Digital maps showing U.S. Forest Service lands are available for your smart device and will augment age-old tools like your compass. (U.S. Forest Service)

In geographic areas with Internet availability, you will be able to use the products with live data. The interactive map is expected to be available on a limited basis starting in March 2014.

The digital maps are part of the agency’s work regarding President Obama’s initiative to create a paperless government that also provides the American public with better, more accessible information. The Forest Service is currently working on the first phase of a website redesign, expected to debut early in 2014, which centers on a map-based tool for planning trips onto our nation’s forests, grasslands and other special places.

The Forest Service differs from other federal government agencies in how the Forest Visitor map is funded. The Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1938 calls for the sale of maps as the funding mechanism to revise and produce maps for the public. In 1999 the Act was amended to include products available through the web as “geo-referenced data.” The Forest Service’s seven regions are tasked with uploading maps. Users should contact the regional office where a forest or grassland is located if maps are not available on the app.

Paper maps are still available for purchase online at the National Forest Store.

Digital maps available for your smart phone will help visitors find their way around U.S. Forest Service forests and grasslands.

Natural Resources Conservation Service Helps Michigan Tribes with Wild Rice Production

USDA Blog Posts:

Posted by Brian Buehler, NRCS Michigan, on November 20, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Larry Romanelli, with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Ogema (left) and NRCS Michigan State Conservationist Garry Lee (right) pose with artist Shirley M. Brauker, the winner of the agency’s Native American Heritage Month poster contest. NRCS photo.

When the Anishinaabe people migrated from the Atlantic Ocean coast to Michigan centuries ago, they were in search of a place where “food grows on the water,” according to their tribe’s legend. Their quest ended when they found wild rice, thriving in shallow waters in the Great Lakes region.

The wild rice, or manoomin, served as a staple of the Anishinaabe diet is still culturally and spiritually important to them. And, today, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is helping keep this tradition alive.

NRCS has worked with two Anishinaabe tribes to increase the number of wild rice beds using financial assistance from Farm Bill conservation programs. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was the first tribe to use NRCS assistance for planting rice. Tribal members planted about 12 acres of wild rice at six locations in 2006.

Wild rice requires very specific conditions to grow. It needs good water quality, shallow but flowing water, and a mucky base.

Through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, the tribes were able to implement the wetland wildlife habitat management practice, which helps restore the wild rice stands while providing habitat for wildlife.

The importance of wild rice to tribes in Michigan was recently showcased in a poster honoring Native American Heritage Month, held each November. Michigan artist Shirley M. Brauker painted the poster depicting three women in a canoe harvesting wild rice.

The poster was chosen as NRCS’ national poster to highlight the month, which is displayed at the agency’s offices across the country.

NRCS helps the tribes keep other traditions alive, including the cultivation of other food sources like native fish. The agency helped the tribes to construct aquaculture ponds for raising walleye, a native fish traditionally eaten and harvested by the tribes. The agency also helped tribes construct fish passages to allow for brook trout and other fish to move past man-made barriers.

Learn more about NRCS’ partnership with tribes across the country.

Artist Shirley M. Brauker painted this poster, titled “Gathering Wild Rice,” which depicts three women in a canoe harvesting wild rice. NRCS photo.

Join Us at the USDA Harvest Festival

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Annie Ceccarini, Outreach and Education Specialist, The People’s Garden Initiative, on November 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM

The People's Garden Harvest Festival poster. Click to enlarge for larger version.

You’re invited to the USDA Harvest Festival on Friday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come celebrate the end of the growing season in the People’s Garden and at the USDA Farmers Market. Take advantage of the last opportunity of the year to shop the outdoor USDA Farmers Market located along 12th Street, SW in between Jefferson Drive and Independence Avenue in Washington, DC.

The day will be filled with fun activities and educational demonstrations that are free and fun for the whole family. Here’s a list of the planned events:

• Pickle garden harvest with Gordy’s Pickle Jar from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• As Thanksgiving approaches, cooking the traditional turkey dinner gives rise to anxieties and questions. Get tips to ensure a delicious and safe holiday meal with USDA-Food Safety and Inspection Service.
• Meet a potbelly pig, sheep, goats and other farm animals.
• Become fascinated with mushrooms thanks to The American Mushroom Institute, Phillips Mushroom Farms and Penn State Extension. See how specialty mushrooms grow into ready to eat fungi.
• Grind a great crop of corn grown in the USDA People’s Garden with USDA-Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
• Hear the story of cotton and practice spinning it.
• Listen to Music by Laissez Foure, a swingin’ jazz quartet.
• Attention gardeners and hobby beekeepers! Watch honey bees at work in a glass-walled observation hive from USDA-Agricultural Research Service, taste honey from the People’s Garden Apiary, and learn how honey is used in soap making.
• Participate in building this hoop house and get advice on how to extend the growing season in your garden.
• And much more.

We hope to see you this Friday for the last #USDAFridays of the 2013 growing season!

Reaching Back to Traditional Native American Cooking in Search of Healthier Meals

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Kathryn Sosbe, Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service, on November 15, 2013 at 2:00 PM

The curly tips of the fiddlehead fern can be found in early spring before they open to reveal a full taste akin to asparagus. U.S. Forest Service photo.

Elizabeth Nelson tasted then added more spice to a soup made with fiddlehead ferns, those curly leaves of a young fern that resemble the scrolled neck of a superbly crafted violin.

Although Nelson has made the soup hundreds of times before, her culinary prowess this day is being documented for a project called Mino Wiisinidaa!, or Let’s Eat Good! – Traditional Foods for Healthy Living.

“When we were kids, my mom would send us all out with a bucket. And she said, ‘Don’t you kids come back until that bucket is filled,’ ” said Nelson, a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians Reservation in Northwest Wisconsin. “And we would go and fill them with cow slips and fiddlehead ferns. And that was our supper for the night. That was how we lived.”

Documenting Nelson’s kitchen expertise is part of a three-year Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission project, funded by the Administration for Native Americans. The project will encourage healthy living by reintroducing food preparation taught by elders of the Anishinaabe people and based on recipes that are decades old.

“The Mino Wiisinidaa! Let’s Eat Good! project focuses on a return to traditional Anishinaabe foods in a new and healthy way,” said LaTisha Coffin, project coordinator. “We work with many elders from our member tribes that want to pass on knowledge about our traditional foods and stories about harvesting and the healthy lifestyle that came with gathering and processing your own food.”

One of the main goals of the program is to combat diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases. Native Americans are at higher risk at developing pre-diabetes and diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, and many people are unaware they are at high risk. According to the American Diabetes Association, Native Americans have the highest age adjusted rate for diabetes at 16.1 percent while the overall United States rate is half that.

LaTisha Coffin, Mino Wiisinidaa! project coordinator, harvests fiddlehead ferns that will be used in a cooking demonstration. U.S. Forest Service photo.

To date, more than 70 recipes have been gathered that take advantage of plants that grow in the wild in and around and the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Many of the recipes are aimed at getting tribal members to rediscover traditional foods in a healthier way and talking about moderation and balancing meals, especially for diabetics. In order to test and try these recipes, the project staff harvests, or wildcrafts, with tribal elders. Wildcrafting is harvesting plants from their natural environment and serves as an economical way to find edible plants that can become healthy table fare.

“When we are out harvesting with a tribal elder, we make sure to listen and learn as much as we can from them. There are always certain ways to harvest foods, certain amounts you should take while leaving the rest to return for next year,” Coffin said. “The elders tell us how to care for natural resources that we gather and harvest, so that they will be around for us to harvest next year, and for our children to harvest, and their children to harvest.”

Foraging requires knowledge about plants. Some varieties of fiddlehead fern will make you sick, and are mostly used as a diuretic. Make sure to thoroughly research plants and their look-alikes before harvesting, or harvest with an expert.

The Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center on the Chequamegon-Nicolet has become the kitchen to test out such dishes as wild rice flour breads, watercress pesto, venison cabbage rolls, and a healthier version of Nelson’s fiddlehead fern soup.

Recently, during the forest’s annual fishing day event for kids, more than 100 people got to sample another project recipe: Mole Lake Lobster, which is actually white fish that is a traditional food in the Upper Great Lakes region. Event goers also got to take home the recipe for this traditional and microwavable dish.

Other published recipes are available in Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission online newspaper.

The Mino Wiisinidaa! project will continue to host cooking demonstrations through next spring and will create and distribute a cookbook with an instructional DVD that includes all of the collected recipes, including Nelson’s soup.

Bad River Tribal Member Elizabeth Nelson, adds onion and garlic powder to her fiddlehead fern soup as cooking assistant Stephen Ante videotapes her. The footage will be used in the “Mino Wiisinidaa!” project. U.S. Forest Service photo.

Range of Bull Trout in Oregon's McKenzie River Indicates Improved River Health

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Trish Carroll, Pacific Northwest Region, U.S. Forest Service, on November 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Bull trout spawn in a spring of the Middle Fork Willamette River. They were transferred from the McKenzie River to historic habitats in the Middle Fork. (U.S. Forest Service)

The bull trout in the McKenzie River on the Willamette National Forest have a survival story to tell, thanks to U.S. Forest Service stewardship of local rivers and fresh, healthy sources of groundwater.

“We’re reintroducing the top predator back into the river ecosystem,” said Ray Rivera, the district fisheries biologist on the forest’s McKenzie River Ranger District. “Their presence means two things to us. First, because bull trout are very sensitive to environmental changes compared to other salmonid fishes, their existence means the river’s water quality is excellent and the physical quality of their habitat is also good. Second, since bull trout are the top predator and they are doing well this means the overall ecosystem is doing well. Their presence is an excellent barometer of a river’s health.”

Bull trout, which are actually a char, are a groundwater dependent species. They require the coldest and cleanest water in order to fulfill their life cycle, with stream temperatures between 39.2 to 50 degrees for spawning. Optimal fry growth occurs between 39.2 to 40.1 degrees.

Within the entire McKenzie River sub-basin, only five small stream segments – a total of less than six miles – meet these requirements and all are found on the district. These cold temperatures exist because of groundwater discharge and are one reason bull trout were able to hang on in the McKenzie River sub-basin while other sub-populations in the Willamette River basin became extinct.

However, the McKenzie is no longer the only habitat for bull trout. Their range has increased due to the forest’s efforts in the last 16 years to restore their habitat and re-introduce bull trout to their historic territory in the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Now these splendid, groundwater-dependent species are living in ecosystems that better reflect their historic range because of cold water springs like those found in the McKenzie.

The McKenzie River at the base of Tamolitch Falls – meaning bucket in Chinook – flows during the spring runoff. Five miles downstream of Clear Lake, the falls was created when a lava flow dammed the McKenzie. (U.S. Forest Service)

Where does the cold groundwater come from? The source is young, porous basalt lava flows in the upper McKenzie River watershed.

“Volcanos erupted throughout the High Cascades region as recently as 1,500 years ago, leaving lava flows with a large network of underground fractures between the rocks,” said Gordon Grant, a fluvial geomorphologist with the agency’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. “Precipitation filtering from the surface collects in those fractures, creating a gigantic hydrological sponge. The McKenzie and other High Cascade rivers are fed by groundwater that literally springs out of the earth.”

By September, many western rivers that rely on snowmelt runoff are reduced to a trickle. But groundwater keeps systems like the McKenzie River robust with water temperatures ranging around 48 to 53 degrees. The temperature of the cold water springs in the McKenzie range between 39 and 44 degrees.

These very cold groundwater-fed streams where the fish spawn also benefit the main stem river by providing abundant, cold summer flows for adult and sub-adult bull trout that can tolerate temperatures up to 68 degrees. For example, Olallie Creek, with a constant 40 degrees year-around, provides a large influx of cold water to the McKenzie in the summer and allows bull trout to dwell in the entire river.

Bull trout associated with glacial melt water are in trouble. As glaciers recede due to climate change the cold water supply becomes less robust and may eventually disappear entirely. However, bull trout associated with cooler groundwater sources will fare much better in a warming climate.

A bull trout habitat in the upper McKenzie River is one of five segments in the McKenzie where bull trout can spawn. Most of the wood in the photo is material added during a U.S. Forest Service restoration and enhancement project. (U.S. Forest Service)

USDA Blog » Made in Rural America: Value-added Agriculture Takes Oregon Wool from Ranch to Runway and, Now, to the Olympics

USDA Blog » Made in Rural America: Value-added Agriculture Takes Oregon Wool from Ranch to Runway and, Now, to the Olympics

USDA Blog » ‘Ag in Action’ Lab on Wheels Brings the Farm to Alabama Schools

USDA Blog » ‘Ag in Action’ Lab on Wheels Brings the Farm to Alabama Schools

Rehabilitated Bear Cubs Return Home to the Wild

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Gail Keirn, USDA APHIS Public Affairs Specialist, on November 13, 2013 at 10:30 AM

Earlier this year (see July 31 blog), the USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center’s (NWRC) field station in Millville, Utah, agreed to house two orphaned black bear cubs as part of a collaborative rehabilitation effort with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Division).

The bears did well in captivity gaining enough weight to be re-released into the wild in early November. The young bears arrived at the facility weighing approximately 30 pounds and left weighing over 120 pounds. The two young male bears were fed bear chow (similar to dog food), fish, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables donated from a local grocery store and farmers. In addition to being well-fed, the bears had plenty of enrichment opportunities in their pen including a tire swing, climbing trees and logs, and a mini swimming pool.

While at the field station, the bears had limited contact with humans. NWRC and Division researchers plan to follow the bears throughout their lives to see how or if their experiences in captivity influence their future interactions with people.

Outfitted with radio-collars and tags, the bears were released into a remote area outside of Price, Utah.  The Division will monitor the bears this winter to ensure they adjust back to life in the wild.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ mammals program coordinator John Shivik places a radio-collar on a black bear cub in preparation for its release. The Division will monitor the cub and its sibling who were recently housed at the NWRC Utah field station to ensure they adjust back to life in the wild. Photo by USDA Wildlife Services

“It was a great opportunity for us to study bears at our facility,” notes Dr. Julie Young, NWRC’s Utah field station leader. “Now that the bears have been released back into the wild, we’ll be able to follow them and any future rehab bears kept at our facility to see how their experiences here may influence their future interactions with people. This will help us develop better management strategies for bears.”

WS’ NWRC is the only Federal research organization devoted exclusively to resolving conflicts between people and wildlife through the development of effective, selective, and socially responsible methods, tools, and techniques. Experts at NWRC’s Utah field station focus on the development of new management tools to reduce conflicts with predators, including coyotes, wolves, bear, and mountain lion.

All grown up and ready to go. One of two orphaned black bear cubs peers out of his pen at the NWRC Utah field station. The rehabilitated bears were recently released back into the wild in Utah. Photo by USDA Wildlife Services

Forest Service Encourages Youth to Play Outdoors

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Stephanie Bryant, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Forest Service, on November 12, 2013 at 5:00 PM

Children gather around Regional Forester Randy Moore’s desk as he signed a proclamation endorsing the California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights. The Pacific Southwest Region supports the Children’s Bill of Rights, which encourages children to experience outdoor activities. (U.S. Forest Service/Mario Chocooj)

Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore believes that every child should have the opportunity to go camping, take a hike and explore nature. And with the stroke of a pen, he signed in late September a proclamation endorsing the California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights as a group of children gathered to watch.

Moore wanted to publicly show the Pacific Southwest Region’s support for the statewide initiative, which was created to encourage children to experience outdoor activities and promote active, healthy lifestyles.

“You all represent the future,” said Moore to the children huddled around his desk. “It is important for us to have you learn about the outdoors, and we want you to enjoy being outdoors.”

Moore quizzed the children on their knowledge of the Forest Service and what activities they already enjoy doing outdoors. It provided a successful lead-in as Moore explained the significance of the bill.

The California Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights includes easy, fun activities for children ages 4-14, such as playing in a safe place, exploring nature, learning to swim, going fishing, following a trail, camping under the stars, riding a bike, going boating, connecting with the past and planting a seed. Moore challenged the children to engage in these activities before they turn 14 years old.

The region, which includes California, Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, plans to promote this Bill of Rights and its activities as a guideline for national forests, parks, parents, communities and other entities to use as a tool to communicate the benefits of being outdoors and having an active lifestyle.

“Providing our youth every opportunity to develop strong connections to the land will help teach them essential values that will contribute to healthy lifestyles,” said Moore. “It is vital for the Forest Service to connect with children, so that they know how important they are, and make every effort to connect them to nature.”

The Pacific Southwest Region provides a great diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities for its residents and continuously works toward connecting people with nature in an unmatched variety of settings and activities.

Successful Launch of the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jaime Adams, USDA Office of the Chief Scientist, on November 12, 2013 at 4:00 PM

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

Exciting times are ahead for the future of global agriculture, development, and health.  On October 31, the US delegation returned from successfully launching the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN) initiative at the Open Government Partnership Summit in London. GODAN, a partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom governments, focuses on opening agricultural and nutrition data. Working with over 50 partners, GODAN expects to keep the momentum rolling, welcoming additional partners to join the initiative before the first GODAN partner meeting.

President Obama committed to opening data to the public as highlighted in the Second Open Government National Action for the United States (NAP 2.0). Within the NAP 2.0, the United States has four commitments focused on Opening Data to the public — one of which is supporting the GODAN initiative.  In addition to increasing the quality, quantity, and timeliness of available data to support agriculture and nutrition efforts, GODAN strives to increase the number and diversity of stakeholders who are applying data-based solutions to improve agriculture and nutrition. This initiative will support public and private global efforts to make agriculture and nutrition data more available and easier to access.

If you are interested in joining the initiative, please visit: www.GODAN.info. We encourage your organization to join before the first partner meeting so that you will have the opportunity to play a key role in official stand-up of the initiative. GODAN is open to public and private entities including donors, international organizations, and businesses. By signing on as a partner your organization signals support for GODAN and the principals outlined in the statement of purpose. There is some expectation (but no requirement as becoming a partner is non-binding) that your organization would use the GODAN Statement of Purpose to guide current and future open data operations. There is no financial requirement up front nor commitment required for future.

Forest Service Program Introduces Kids to Natural Resource Careers

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Brandan Schulze, Northern Region, U.S. Forest Service, on November 1, 2013 at 2:00 PM

Two students with the Youth Forest Monitoring Program monitor the impact of weeds in a meadow near Webb Lake in the Scapegoat Wilderness. Forest Service photo.

In an age where technology tends to focus the attention of youth indoors, getting kids outdoors and interested in natural resource careers is even more vital today.

Since 1998, an innovative U.S. Forest Service seven-week summer program in central Montana has been achieving that goal by immersing high school students in forest management. They gather data and present findings to Forest Service officials and other representatives in their local communities.

Students involved with the Youth Forest Monitoring Program spend the summer monitoring the health of the national forests at a variety of different locations in the area, but one of the high points is their three-day trip into the Scapegoat Wilderness on the Helena National Forest northwest of Lincoln, Mont. Though the area isn’t far from where many of these students have grown up, the trip gives them the opportunity to experience a protected area many had never visited before. Earlier this year, 13 students along with four field instructors were there to gather data on recreation impacts, water quality and document the spread of invasive weeds.

“This is a highlight for the students,” says Liz Burke, the Helena National Forest program manager of the Youth Forest Monitoring Program. “It’s a three-day, two-night backpack trip where we hike in seven miles to Webb Lake for monitoring recreation impacts, and also for perfecting their monitoring skills.”

In addition to measuring stream and soil health near Webb Lake, the students also visited nearby Heart Lake to look for amphibians.  The number of amphibians and the diversity of species they find can help Forest Service officials determine water quality.

Laura Burns, a geographic information systems specialist with the Helena and Lewis & Clark National Forests, holds a western toad during an amphibian monitoring study at Heart Lake. Forest Service photo.

Tom Pederson, a field instructor and science teacher at Capital High School in Helena, Mont., says the types of insects, fish and other species that live in the water are indicators of what students are looking for in healthy streams.

“The quality of the water is based on life in the water, not drinking water, so you’re looking at chemistry, macro-invertebrates and physical features of the stream,” said Pederson.

After gathering the data, the students then compare their information with data students have gathered in past years and later present their findings to Forest Service officials, elected officials and the public.

“It’s a great opportunity, because it always seems like they take our recommendations and really look at what we’re talking about, and it makes you feel important,” said Kaitlin Martin, a senior at Helena High School who is in her third year with the program.

The Youth Forest Monitoring Program is open to high school students in Lincoln, Helena and Deer Lodge and work on projects on both the Helena and Beaverhead-Deer lodge National Forests.  Students work with the Forest Service to find areas where their monitoring data can help forest managers determine the impacts of natural events such as fires, floods or rock slides as well as the impacts or effectiveness of management actions.

Amber Kamps, District Ranger for the Lincoln Ranger District on the Helena National Forest, says monitoring creates a feedback loop following the completion of a project on the forest.

“Often times you can be working so hard at implementing all of your projects, but then you don’t get that feedback of how well those projects are being implemented, how well those treatments are actually being applied, and then what’s the response,” said Kamps. “Are we getting the response that we need? And if we aren’t getting the response we need, then maybe we need to choose something a little bit different.”

The program has been incredibly successful through the years by introducing kids in high school to natural resource careers. Burke keeps in touch with alumni of the program through annual surveys, and has found that more than 60 percent of the students who have taken the program ultimately seek out a career in natural resources.

At the end of the seven-week program, each of the students receives a stipend.  Youth Forest Monitoring Program is supported by a partnership with the Helena National Forest, Montana Discovery Foundation, Helena College of Technology, and generous support from local counties.

Additional photos from the Youth Forest Monitoring Program’s work in the Scapegoat Wilderness are available on the U.S. Forest Service Northern Region Flickr page.

After a long day of monitoring in the Scapegoat Wilderness, students sit around the campfire at Webb Lake Ranger Station. Forest Service photo.

The President's New Executive Order on Climate Preparedness: Another Step to Support American Agriculture

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment, on November 1, 2013 at 2:30 PM

Today, President Obama established a Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience to advise the Administration on how the Federal Government can respond to the needs of communities facing the impacts of climate change. This is an important step in our shared effort to respond to climate change – and like the President’s broader Climate Action Plan, it will help American agriculture mitigate and adapt to the impacts of a changing climate.

America’s farmers, ranchers and landowners have long been tremendous stewards of our environment. At USDA, we have worked with a record number of producers and landowners over the course of the Obama Administration to help conserve the soil and water, and clean our air – more than half a million over the past four and a half years. Meanwhile, in support of the Climate Action Plan, USDA put forward a series of new policies in June to help agriculture develop new climate solutions in the months and years to come. We have taken steps to create seven new regional climate hubs that will aid in sharing climate information for farmers and ranchers. We released the results of the Rapid Carbon Assessment – the largest-ever survey of soil carbon to help improve research efforts. And our new COMET-Farm tool provides a way for producers to see the impacts conservation practices could have on their land.

This new Executive Order directs Federal agencies to engage in similar efforts across the government. Together, we’ll be sure that modern Federal programs work for farmers and ranchers to mitigate the impacts of climate change. We will ensure that our risk management and conservation programs allow producers to undertake modern practices and provide new possibilities for producers and landowners to capitalize on their good stewardship. We’ll continue to help producers manage land and water by increasing participation in conservation programs on farms and private forest lands. We’ll build on the Rapid Carbon Assessment and COMET-Farm tools to continue providing useful data and information to help prepare for climate change impacts. And USDA scientists will continue a wide range of groundbreaking research to learn more about the impacts of climate change on agriculture.

Together, we can ensure that our nation is prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change – and at USDA we will continue taking steps to support a strong American agriculture sector in the face of these modern challenges.

USDA Blog » Former California Governor Schwarzenegger Cited for Work on Climate Change, Named Honorary US Forest Service Ranger

USDA Blog » Former California Governor Schwarzenegger Cited for Work on Climate Change, Named Honorary US Forest Service Ranger

Arkansas Poultry Farmer Cuts Costs & Reduces Carbon Footprint

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Creston Shrum, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Arkansas, on October 30, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Stanley Lee has put more efficient light bulbs in his chicken houses and made other updates that lower his carbon footprint.

It can take a lot of energy to raise chickens as farmers have to control the temperature and lighting in houses, meaning high costs and high energy use.

But with help from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, poultry producers can cut their costs while conserving energy.

One Benton County, Ark. producer is cutting his gas and electric bills while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Stanley Lee did this by installing radiant heaters, light-emitting diode light bulbs, or LEDs, and attic insulation in his six chicken houses that shelter 890,000 chickens each year.

Lee’s work will reduce an estimated 95 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by decreasing the amount of fossil fuels used for power. That is equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 18 passenger vehicles. This not only helps the producer save money but benefits the environment.

“I’m already seeing a return on my investment on the amount of propane required to keep the houses at the proper temperature,” Lee said. “So far for this flock, I’ve used about half the propane that is normally required by this time – the insulation and radiant heaters keep the houses warmer longer.”

Lee also expects to see savings with the new light bulbs. He is replacing 75-watt incandescent bulbs with 10-watt LED bulbs.

“Although the bulbs cost more, they last longer and use less electricity, which will cut my electric bill,” he said. “The LED bulbs are brighter and allow me to dim them more.”

NRCS worked with Lee on an Agricultural Energy Management Plan, which prescribed the conservation practices needed to lower his carbon footprint.

“The energy savings is going to be great,” Lee said. “Without the financial assistance provided by NRCS, I wouldn’t have been able to make these improvements.”

Conservation efforts, like those on Lee’s farm, are some of many USDA efforts to help America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners adapt to new challenges caused by a changing climate.

One Seed at a Time: Plant Materials Center in Los Lunas, New Mexico Helps Restore the Grand Canyon's South Rim

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Mark A. Smith, Natural Resources Conservation Service, New Mexico, on October 21, 2013 at 1:00 PM

Grasses grown from the NRCS Plant Materials Center in Los Lunas line the edge of Mather Point in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

For more than 20 years, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has been growing seeds for the Grand Canyon National Park and other national parks.

When the National Park Service renovated the Grand Canyon’s South Rim visitor center in 2008, they looked to the NRCS Plants Materials Center in Los Lunas, N.M. to produce the seed needed to restore native grasses in the area.

Now, driving along eight miles of twists and turns of the South Rim, you can see the bright green grasses surrounding the parking lots, roads, and popular viewpoints including Prima Point, Hermit’s Rest and the Bright Angel Trailhead.

“Where you don’t have native grasses put in, you would have invasive weeds coming through,” said Janice Bosco, park horticulturalist with the National Park Service. “The native grasses grown by NRCS also give elk and deer some nice food.”

In national parks across the West including Zion, Arches, Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon, the Park Service uses seed from the Plant Materials Center in Los Lunas to restore disturbed areas where roads, trails, walkways and parking lots have been added or removed.

But finding and growing the seeds isn’t easy.

Because each species of plant has developed an advanced genetic makeup specific to the cliffs, valleys and ridges of the parks, the Park Service uses seed native to that specific park area. In the long run, native plants are better able to resist damage from freezing, drought, common diseases and grazing animals like elk and deer.

The Park Service collects a small amount of those specific seeds and provides them to NRCS for planting. The Plant Materials Center starts the seed, such as blue grama, spike muhly, muttongrass and needle-and-thread and Indian ricegrass, in a greenhouse before transplanting it in a nearby field to mature.

Each planted seed will end up producing hundreds of seeds for many years. With each harvest, the seeds are processed, bagged and delivered in quantities of tens to hundreds of pounds ready to be planted by the Park Service.

In addition to supplying seeds to the national parks, the Plant Materials Center also develops new varieties of plants that are drought tolerant and combat erosion to be used for conservation projects and on public and private lands across the southwest.

“These grasses not only reduce erosion and provide food and cover for wildlife, but they also beautify the area,” said Greg Fenchel, the center’s manager.

The next task for NRCS is to replant Orphan Mine, an old mining site of the Grand Canyon used as a source of uranium from 1953 until 1972.

The Park Service is looking to reclaim Orphan Mine and the surrounding area and will be using seed from the Los Lunas Plant Materials Center.

“It is an honor for us to be a part of these replanting efforts for our national parks – some of the most beautiful places in the world,” Fenchel said.

David Dreesen, NRCS agronomist at the Plant Materials Center, shows the first signs of life of the native grass seed collected and shipped from the Grand Canyon and other national parks.