United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Washington Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content





  Conservation Footprints graphic header icon

 

 

 

 

 

 





    Spring 2009 Issue

 

A picture of Roylene Rides at the Door, State Conservationist NRCS Washington

Message from Roylene

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. This year I am looking forward to spring more than ever. One of the things I missed most about the Rockies was the colors of wildflowers. Growing up, I would walk the meadows and rangelands looking at the different colors Mother Earth had changed. I am excited to share this with my husband who has never experienced springtime in the Rockies. Already the Mule’s Ear or Arrow Leaf Balsam Root (which is a tradition food for my people) is blooming. I spent many days lying in the middle of those blooms with the colors of yellow and purple all around me. When I would walk and see the yellow butter cups and crocus (Old Man flowers) I knew that winter would soon be behind me.

For the Blackfeet, spring is when we celebrate a new year, when the sap flows in the trees and when the thunder returns. So as we start a new year, things are pretty bright. The Farm Bill rules are being finalized and we are working hard to obligate new conservation funding received, while also designing and starting many new construction projects.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the USDA will be providing $625,000 to improve fish passage along critical areas of Omak Creek, in Okanogan County. Because of the cultural resource value to members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT), this is an especially important project. It has multiple objectives, including addressing water quality and fish habitat for two threatened and endangered anadromous fish species.

But with the multiple deadlines for program implementation, conservation planning, training and other important demands, I realize that sometimes there doesn’t seem to be enough time to get it all done. But I want you to know how much I appreciate your dedication to the cause of conservation and how hard you work to get it done.

I also want you to know that when it comes to conservation implementation, YOU are our most important asset. And so as we transition from winter to spring to summer, I ask that you be sure to take care of yourself – to take your well-deserved vacation time with your families – and to enjoy the natural resources that you have had such an important role in protecting.

In other words, please take time to smell the roses along the way. After this long winter, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it warms up in time to get them to actually bloom!
 

Bootprint graphics icon   "Makin' Tracks" icon

See what's happen' with employees around the state. The following personnel changes for this quarter have been supplied by our state Human Resources department.

welcome to new employees icon
Eric Peitz, transferred and promoted from Arizona NRCS to the Soil Conservationist position in the Ellensburg Field Office, effective 1/18/09
Kim Galland, transferred from Massachusetts Conservation District to the Soil Conservationist position in the Ritzville Field Office, effective 2/1/09
Darren Mitchell, assigned to the Soil Conservationist position in the Ephrata Field Office, effective 2/15/09
Jessica Taylor, assigned to the Soil Conservationist position in the Walla Walla Field Office, effective 3/15/09
Brian Jackson, assigned to the Agronomist position in the Ephrata Field Office, effective 4/26/09
Manuel Diaz Gonzales, assigned to the Student Trainee (Engineering) position in the Wenatchee Field Office, effective 5/24/09
Jennifer Johnston, assigned to the Student Trainee (Engineering) position in the Spokane State Office Design Team Office, effective 5/24/09
Philip Roberts, assigned to the Biological Science Technician (Soils) position in the Mount Vernon MLRA Office, effective 5/24/09
John Spring, assigned to the Student Trainee (Soil Conservationist) position in the Montesano Field Office, effective 5/24/09
Jolene Childress, assigned to the Student Trainee (Soil Conservationist) position in the Okanogan Field Office, effective 6/21/09
Jennifer Kubel, assigned to the Student Trainee (Soil Conservationist) position in the Davenport Field Office, effective 6/21/09
Kara McDaniel, assigned to the Student Trainee (Soil Conservationist) position in the Mount Vernon Field Office, effective 6/21/09
Nicholas Meisinger, assigned to the Student Trainee (Soil Conservationist) position in the Spokane Field Office, effective 6/21/09
 

employee of the quarter icon
Suzanne DeMaine – For your valuable contribution to the Effective Presentations training. With little lead time, you facilitated the high tech filming and playback of presentations so that the presenters could instantaneously view and hear themselves during the critique. You displayed versatility and provided great customer service.
Leigh Nelson – For your contributions to the Micro Irrigation workshop in Ephrata. You did an excellent job handling coordination with instructors, logistics and the field tour.
Oscar Tobias – For your outstanding assistance with the Anderson’s EQIP livestock watering system. You provided excellent help on this project, and went above and beyond with your assistance.
Dave Kreft – For your exceptional medial outreach efforts related to our snowpack and water supply forecasting program throughout the year.
Suzanne DeMaine – For your outstanding graphic design assistance on the nationally recognized EQIP Forestry marketing effort. Your work on the brochure, poster, postcard and banner displays reflect a high level of professionalism that will contribute to the success of the campaign. Your work was featured at the recent NRCS National Forestry Discipline meeting in Reno, Nevada. Your work was also recognized by Region 6 of the US Forest Service and Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Clare Flanagan – For your hard work and diligence in the relocation of the Renton field office. You spent a great deal of time during work hours and after to efficiently move the office with the least down time and complications. Your professionalism and courtesy during this trying time is very much appreciated.
 

congratulations on promotions icon
Clea Rome, Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator in the North Olympic Peninsula Office promoted effective 2/15/09
Tim Riebe, Soil Scientist in the Spokane MLRA Office promoted effective 3/15/09
Heather Simmons Rigdon, Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator in the South Central Office promoted effective 3/29/09
Na Yang, Financial Technician in the Spokane State Office promoted effective 4/12/09
 

location reasignment icon
Bari Williams, reassigned from Program Analyst to the Resource Conservationist position in the Montesano Field Office, effective 4/12/09.

goodbye and good luck icon
Justin Mount, Resource Conservationist, Wenatchee Field Office, promoted and transferred to NRCS Dept. of Strategic Planning and Accountability in Raleigh, NC, effective 1/18/09
Jim Loiland, Soil Conservationist, Walla Walla Field Office, promoted and transferred to District Conservationist position in Dillingham, AK, effective 2/1/09
Roger Amerman, Tribal Liaison, Yakama Tribal Office, reassigned to the Soil Conservationist position in Nez Perce, ID, effective 2/1/09
Jerry Beemer, Soil Conservation Technician, Goldendale Field Office, retired effective 2/28/09
Larry Cooke, Environmental Specialist, Spokane State Office, retired effective 2/28/09

Items of Interest logo
Brian Lanning, former district conservationist in Waterville, passed away March 29, 2009


Bootprint graphics icon   "Footprint Features" icon


Highlights of conservation activities in Washington
Contract crew shovels snow onto tarp and down into the parking lot.
Cabin Fever Highlights Winter of ’08 -’09 in the Northeast Team
Submitted by Dave Kreft, District Conservationist, Colville

What happens when a team of energetic and dedicated conservationists are snowed-in and chained to their desks? Cabin Fever, that’s what. Beginning in mid-December the snow began to fall, and fall, and fall. The roads were bad, vehicles were buried under three feet of snow and no bare ground was visible anywhere.

Read more...

Stream Vortex Rock Weirs in Okanogan, County - Photo by Joe Lange
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Submitted by Leigh Nelson, Irrigation Engineer, Ephrata

Last spring, the Central Area started a monthly newsletter, the Tickler (to Tickle your memory). We requested that everybody take and send in photos of conservation practices.

Read more...

   A stump, new seedling and snag is demonstrative of the multiple generations of forest and wildlife habitat remaining from the storm.
EQIP and Partnership Foster Regeneration of Storm Damaged Acres in Southwest Coastal Counties
Submitted by Bari Williams, Resource Conservationist, Montesano

Floods, high winds, heavy rainfall and mudslides are all part of the winter cycle on the Washington coast. However, landowners were hit especially hard December 2nd -4th, 2007. As much as 20 inches of rain fell on top of snow received in the Willapa Hills area of Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties resulting in catastrophic flooding throughout the region. At the same time, winds in excess of 80 miles per hour, with gusts exceeding 145 miles per hour were sustained along the coast of Washington.

Read more...
Oscar Tobias and Sergio Paredes conducting a hispanic growers’ meeting in spanish.
Hispanic Producer Participation on the Rise for South Central Team
Submitted by Amanda Ettestad, Sergio Paredes and Chris Johnson

In the Yakima Valley and surrounding area, the Hispanic population is and has been increasing. In fact, according to the Census of Agriculture, operators identifying themselves as Hispanic in Yakima and Benton counties have increase by about 55 percent from 2002 to 2007.

Read more...
GPS satellite
New Survey-Grade GPS Systems
Submitted by Wes Durheim Civil Engineering Technician, Spokane State Office

NRCS Washington has two new survey-grade GPS system units to supplement the three that we already have.  The Puget Sound and North Central Teams received the new units as well as training from the vendor, on January 22, 2009.



Read more...
Aerial photo looking south toward Whidbey Island from Goose Rock
Island County Soil Survey
Submitted by Bruce Lindsay, MLRA Project Leader, Mount Vernon
 

The Island County soil survey was published in 1953 and it has been used by farmers, ranchers and conservation organizations. In 2003 a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NRCS, Whidbey Island Conservation District, Snohomish Conservation District, Washington State University and the National Park Service to update the soil survey.
 
Read more...
North Olympic Peninsula RC&D Helps Local Farmers Market Grow
Submitted By Clea Rome, RC&D Coordinator

The North Olympic Peninsula (NOP) RC&D is partnering with community organizations around the North Olympic Peninsula to assist in farmland preservation efforts, as well as promote and expand markets for local agricultural products. One of the primary goals of the NOP RC&D Council is to support and maintain a sustainable resource-based economy for the benefit of local citizens. An important and threatened sector of Clallam County’s rural economy is small-scale farming.

Read more...
How To Become an Equal Rights/Civil Rights Superstar
Submitted by Sergio Paredes, Hispanic Special Emphasis Program Manager

This article was done by Bob Bartholomew, Idaho NRCS

I Want to be Outstanding!

This January brought NRCS employees a revised performance appraisal format. Supervisors have been working feverishly converting their staff’s appraisals to the new system. One of the results has been questions on what it now takes to earn a Superior or Outstanding rating.

Read more...
Valuing Diversity in the USDA
Submitted by Clea Rome, West Area Representative

The USDA Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) provides valuable assistance and direction to the agencies within the Department of Agriculture to promote equal opportunity, equal access, and fair treatment for all USDA employees and customers. Ultimately, however, it is up to every employee within our agency to uphold the Department’s mission of diversity.

Read more...


 

Bootprint graphics icon   "Footprint Extras" icon

Other items of interest along the way
 

Tips and Tricks

We will add this section for anyone who has tips and tricks to share.  Here is your first tip!
 

Turn your slide into an interactive whiteboard (PowerPoint 2000/2002/2003/2004)

Before the advent of PowerPoint slideshows, you could add handwritten notes to your printed transparency slides during your presentation to illustrate your point or emphasize your text. PowerPoint integrated that technology as well, but few presenters take advantage of it. If you’d like to utilize a handy onscreen pen during your presentation, simply activate it as follows:

1. Right-click on a slide ([Ctrl]-click in 2004).
2. Select Pointer Options and in 2002/2003 choose the type of "pen" you’d like to use from Ballpoint Pen, Felt Tip Pen, or Highlighter. Select Pen in 2000/2004.
3. Right-click again and select the pen "ink" color you wish to use.
4. Draw on the slide using your mouse pointer.
You can press [E] to erase all your markings, or select the Eraser from the right-click menu to erase specific notations. To return to the normal cursor, right-click ([Ctrl]-click in 2004) and select Pointer Options | Arrow.

PowerPoint versions 2000 and 2004 don’t store your notations, but 2002 and 2003 ask whether you want to save your doodles when you end your presentation.
 

 

Forest stewardship campaign “Sparks” regional recognition
Washington NRCS lands prestigious marketing communications awards

Photo of NRCS graphic designer SuzAnne DeMaine (left) and public affairs officer Ron Nichols

NRCS graphic designer SuzAnne DeMaine (left) and public affairs officer Ron Nichols were on hand at the awards gala to accept an amazing nine Spark Awards, including two of the three Brightest Spark Awards presented.

Normally, a spark and a forest could spell trouble. But this year, a forest stewardship campaign and several “Sparks” spelled “Congratulations!” for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington.

The NRCS outreach and education campaign titled “Keeping Your Forest Healthy,” recently received seven prestigious Spark Awards from the Spokane Regional Marketing Communications Association – including two of the three Brightest Spark Awards presented. Only the top three point winners out of all submissions received Brightest Spark Awards.

The agency landed two additional awards in news and feature writing for projects not associated with the forestry campaign – bringing the NRCS award total to nine.

Regional professionals submitted more than 130 entries ranging from publications and feature stories, to web site designs and media relations campaigns as part of the competition. Spark Awards recognize excellence in communications tactics and strategic marketing communications and outreach campaigns that incorporate sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession.

This year, the award entries were sent to the Capital City Communicators organization in Boise, Idaho to be judged. NRCS’ “Keeping Your Forest Healthy” campaign was recognized for its outstanding marketing communications work in the following categories:

• External Marketing Campaign (Brightest Spark Award, Award of Excellence)
• Special publications (Brightest Spark Award, Award of Excellence)
• Brochure (Award of Excellence)
• Displays (Award of Merit)
• Radio spot (Award of Merit)

“Every day NRCS employees, working with Washington’s private landowners, are engaged in some of the best conservation work in the world,” NRCS Public Affairs Officer Ron Nichols said. “I’m delighted our marketing communications efforts to support that conservation work, and to help landowners make more informed stewardship decisions, have been recognized for contributing to those important endeavors,” Nichols said.

 

We hope you have enjoyed the employee submitted articles highlighted in this issue of Conservation Footprints.  Please submit your comments, suggestions and/or new articles for an up-coming issue of this newsletter.  

Read past Conservation Footprints or Current Development publications.

< Back to... News