West Virginia Interagency Natural Resource Marketing Team

February 5, 2008 Conference Call

Participants:

• Leslie Fitzwater, West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF)
• Joe Gumm, West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts (WVACD)
• Beth Southern, West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA)
• Devin Wanner, USDA FS State and Private Forestry
• Charlotte Elliott-Friend, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• Gail Bennett, USDA Rural Development
• Carol Lagodich, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

The group contact information is updated. The list is at http://www.wv.nrcs.usda.gov/marketing/

Agency Updates:

• Leslie Fitzwater, West Virginia Division of Forestry (WVDOF):
  • The Forestry 2007 annual report and other publications are available.
    • A Smokey Bear calendar is very popular. Its available at state forestry offices. The number for the Fairmont office is 304-367-2793
  • The West Virginia Division of Forestry has implemented a new Logger of Excellence program recognizing the most conscientious professional loggers in the state. Award recipients will be recognized at the A. B. Brooks Forestry Symposium in February 2008.
  • Seedlings are available Division of Forestry's forest tree nursery.
• Joe Gumm, West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts (WVACD)
  • The annual trip to the Capital is March 10. Talking points are being compiled. 
  • The annual Federal and State Legislative tour will be in August. This years area is the Northern Panhandle.
  • Ag Day was Jan. 29 in Charleston.
  • Election activity is ongoing.
  • The Envirothon is in April at the Canaan Valley. Locations for the 2009 event are being considered.
  • NACD 2008 Annual Meeting is February 10 - 13, 2008 in Reno, NV. Joe is on the Stewardship and Grassland committees.
• Beth Southern, West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA):
  • Link to legislative sites: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Reports/Agency_Reports/agencylist_all.cfm
  • The Market Bulletin contains lawn fertilizer program advertising.
  • Ag Day was successful.
  • National Ag Week is the 3rd week in March. Jackson, Wood and Pleasants are focus Counties
  • The national farms registration is at the 50%. The program includes animal ID and has a a full time employee.
• Devin Wanner, USDA FS State and Private Forestry:
  • Devin is working on a 6 state contacts database.
  • He is working on an exhibit for the Children's Health Fair in Morgantown. They plan to give out tree seedlings
  • A firewood forum is planed for Mid March or early April in New Jersey or Delaware.
  • A program on intergeneration land transfer will be presented at the national NACD conference. 
• Gail Bennett, USDA Rural Development
  • Rick Rice, State Director, is in Charleston this week – discussions/meetings on the new building for present employees of the Harley O. Staggers Federal Building in Morgantown, WV.
  • Rural Development is in its final stage of having an approved Business Plan and putting it into place throughout the State.
  • Several Rural Development employees will be participating in WV EXPO during March, 2008.
  • Rural Development State Director Rick Rice and Community Facilities Specialist Paula Moeller will be attending the WV Association of Counties (WVACO) annual meeting next week as presenters of information on USDA Rural Development programs.
• Carol Lagodich, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS):
  • The State Technical Committee Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 5, 2008 is postponed until Tuesday, March 18, 2008. We hope to have a new Farm Bill by then and will be beginning preparations for FY-2009 program planning and implementation.
  • NRCS-West Virginia has responded to the decline in funding by decreasing its staffing levels through attrition (retirements, transfers, etc.).
    The January 2008 staffing level for the state is approximately 160--a 22% decrease since 2004.
  • Charlotte Elliott-Friend is in a new position, Outreach Civil Rights.
  • The WV state Chesapeake Bay group is submitting around 12 CB related articles to WV newspapers. Some were written by agency employees, some the public.
  • The annual Agriculture and Conservation Day was held on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, in the West Virginia Capitol Rotunda. West Virginia Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) joined other USDA and WV State agencies, associations, and organizations promoting agriculture and conservation.
  • I'm finishing up the annual report and Feb. newsletter.
  • NRCS will roll out a new national campaign—Conservation: Our Purpose. Our Passion.—at the combined National Association of Conservation Districts' (NACD) Annual Conference/National Leadership Team Meeting. Landowners, employees, and other partners who have worked closely to fulfill natural resource conservation and stewardship goals will be featured prominently.
  • NRCS provides a variety of free publications about conserving our natural resources. To browse the list of publications or agency forms, enter the title, a keyword (such as "water" "soil" "engineer" or "form"), or the publication/form number in the 'Search' box on the Landcare website: http://landcare.sc.egov.usda.gov/
• Charlotte Elliott-Friend, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS):
  • Charlotte is updating the Chesapeake communication plan.
  • Charlotte is doing civil rights recruiting and working to get more education courses at West Virginia State University.

The next teleconference is scheduled for May 6, 2008 at 09:00.  

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