Winter Issue 2007

This new electronic publication will provide news and feature articles highlighting activities occurring across our state.
Conservation Footprints will be replacing the quarterly publication formerly known as Current Developments.
 

Naaaaaw!  It can’t be time for the holidays!  I’m not ready yet.  After all, I have to go shopping for gifts for the nearly-perfect-grandkids.  Well.  Maybe I won’t have to panic yet.  It isn’t December 24, is it? I hope each of you finds time this season to celebrate with your family and friends.  In fact, I insist that you find that time.  Life is too short.  Family is too precious. I have been impressed with how hard you have worked to get conservation on the ground.  We have had our challenges, but we have seen a lot of good work being done.  I know we don’t often hear it, but people appreciate our work.  I recently received a letter from an individual in King County.  He wrote, “The hands on service provided by NRCS is one of a kind and is greatly respected and appreciated by landowners and partner agencies.  The farmers of King County face many obstacles and challenges unique to this area but by being proactive with innovative ideas and technology it will be possible for agricultural production to remain viable . . .”  Clare Flanagan was the NRCS employee he specifically identified as being great. I knew that.  Good job, Clare.  Good job, everyone. Enjoy the Holidays. Gus

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.

Clea Rome, RC&D Coordinator, Port Angeles, effective 1/6/08.

Molly Smith, Civil/Agricultural Engineer, Chehalis, promoted effective 10/28/07.

Jessie Ham, Soil Conservationist, Waterville, Leave Without Pay, effective 10/14/07.
Nancy Allison, RC&D Coordinator, Montesano, Leave Without Pay, effective 11/02/07.
Les Hannemann, Soil Conservationist, Davenport reassigned to the East Area Office, effective 11/11/07.


Tony Ingersoll, RC&D Coordinator, Port Angeles, reassigned to NRCS Hawaii, effective 11/25/07.
Frank Easter, State Resource Conservationist, Spokane State Office, retired effective 1/3/08.
Paul Taylor, ASTC – Operations, Spokane State Office, retired effective 1/3/08.
Wayne Crowder, Soil Conservationist, Pullman PMC, retired effective 1/3/08.

Performance Recognition

(This section was inadvertently omitted from the last issue so recipients from both quarters are listed.)
Paul Taylor – For extra ordinary efforts to keep those absent from SLT meetings informed on meeting issues.
Kyle Stephens – For outstanding organization of the final mapping acres for the Spokane County Soil Survey.
Doug Fenwick – For assistance in putting together materials for the Forest Roads Workshop.
Nick Somero – For assistance in putting together materials for the Forest Roads Workshop.
Mike Blakeley – For coordination of detailed staff for CRP assistance.
Dave Weber – For coordinating training and support for partner – TSP services.
Rich Riehle – For assisting the Palouse-Rock Lake Conservation District with planning for riparian management.
David Welk – For substantial contribution in carrying out the forestry workload.
Amy Smith – For outstanding efforts to post two WRP RFPs for planting projects.
Dean Renner – For excellent presentation at the conservation planning training.
June Johnson – For training provided at the conservation planning course on CST.
Ron Joyner – For extra effort to support the many formal training courses in FY 2007.
Kathy Randazzo – For support and hard work involving formal training courses in 2007.
Moncia Hoover – For participation in the conservation planning course.
Georgia Sormun – For assistance with the administrative assistant’s training.
Paul Taylor – For assistance with the administrative assistant’s training.
Kathy Randazzo – For assistance with the administrative assistant’s training.
Ron Joyner – For assistance with the administrative assistant’s training.
Kathy Dickerson – For help in organizing the administrative assistant’s training.
Sandy Degner – For arranging/instructing the administrative assistant’s training.
John Kendig – For excellent technical training provided in FY 2007.
Marty Chaney – For excellent technical training provided in FY 2007.
Rachel Maggi – For excellent technical training provided in FY 2007.
Chuck Natsuhara – For excellent technical training provided in FY 2007.
Molly Smith – For excellent technical training provided in FY 2007.
Wayne Crowder – For quality assistance provided to address the Whitman County CRP workload in FY 2007.
Pete Bautista – For quality assistance on the Arizona EWP projects.
Rhonda Brasch – For quality assistance on the Arizona EWP projects.
Georgia Sormun – For assistance with formal training sessions.
Bela Espinoza – For assistance with formal training sessions.
Sally Bredeweg – For preparing, organizing and overseeing the Basic Engineering Workshop.
Shawn Woodard – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Jerry Robeson – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Dick Erickson – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Gary Cook – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Steve Becker – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Kim Galland – For completing the conservation plans/contracts for 2007 EQIP.
Eileen Jackson – For contributions to the WA State recruitment effort and her role in the Civil Rights Advisory committee.
Kim Galland – For completing initial cultural resources review worksheet/ proximity map for EQIP 2007 plans and contracts.
Shelly Lassiter – For work on the state newsletter “Conservation Footprints.”

Highlights of conservation activities in Washington

These feature stories were submitted by employees in Washington.
 

	Naneum Creek Operator Takes Proactive Approach to Upcoming Regulatory Requirements Submitted by Sarah Troutman, Resource Conservationist, Ellensburg When Doss Roberts, his wife Edra, and two children took over the 150 acre family farm on Naneum Creek approximately 10 miles north of Ellensburg in the late 1970s, he quickly realized that upgrades to irrigation infrastructure and grazing management would be a necessity to keep the farm in business, along with complying with future environmental regulations. Read more (HTML)...
	The Stevens County Conservation District hosts the State FFA Land Judging Competition Submitted by Chandra Neils, Area Resource Soil Scientist When fall is in the air, school busses are on the road, and hot cocoa starts to sound really good, then you can be sure that the FFA (Future Farmers of America) Land Judging competitions are in full swing.  Every year dedicated teachers get their teams together and begin to teach them skills that will be useful for the rest of their lives.  The students come to the land judging events to show off their knowledge and skills in hopes of making it to the national competition in Oklahoma.  Read more (HTML)...
	Field Borders Increasing on the Landscape Submitted by Dick Erickson, Resource Conservationist, Ritzville While driving from Reardan to Davenport, Harrington to Tokio, or along the Paha Packard Road, trained eyes notice that Field Borders are becoming more visible on the landscape.  Field Borders are strips of perennial vegetation along the edge of a field. Read more (HTML)...
	Grass Buffer Strips -A Conservation Alternative Submitted by Rich Edlund, District Conservationist, Spokane Grass Buffer Strips (GBS) are zones of permanent vegetation on the typically steeper (read:most erodible) part of the hillside that break up the cumulative erosive power of runoff. That part of the hillside is a natural choice to leave out of production since it is often less-fertile exposed subsoil. Read more (HTML)...
Easement Program Data Migration Submitted by Dave Brown, ASTC - Programs  NRCS is about to enter a new age in easement management.  Without the benefit of a national contracting program for easements such as Protracts, each state maintained and managed easement contracts and associated data with a stand alone Access database.  Read more (HTML)...
Pasco Service Center Staff Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month Submitted by Glenn Riehle, Resource Conservationist, Pasco On October 17th, the Service Center staff in Pasco, comprised of the FSA, NRCS, Franklin Conservation District (FCD) and Department of Natural Resources, gathered around the “lunch table.” and while eating learned about Fortino Mario Alfonso Moreno Reyes.  Reyes is a widely popular Mexican theatre and film industry actor, once called “the greatest comedian in the world” by Charlie Chaplin.   Read more (HTML)...

Other items of interest along the way

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
Submitted by Eileen Jackson, Civil Rights Advisory Committee Chair

(Adapted from ‘A Student Guide to Mead School District Policy #6590’. Reprinted with permission.)

We all know that harassment is not allowed in the Federal workplace but sometimes it’s hard to know where the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior lies.  I found the information below in a handout from the Mead School District and even though the original target audience was students, I thought I’d share it since a lot of it applies to our own corner of the world.

Many types of behavior can get a person into trouble, including slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendoes, demeaning comments, drawings, cartoons, pranks, gestures, physical attacks, threats, generalizations about members of one sex or different expectations based on gender, or repeatedly asking someone for a date when you’ve been told ‘no’.

Harassment can occur even if you don’t intend to harass anyone.  Intent is not part of the definition.  Even though you may think you are just engaging in harmless teasing or flirting, or being funny, it is how the receiving person feels about the words or acts that matters.  Since you can’t read someone’s mind, try asking yourself the following questions:

• Have I been told my actions are unwelcome or inappropriate?  If so, stop the behavior.
• Would I say/do the same to someone of the same sex?  If not, stop the behavior.
• Would I say/do this if my parents, spouse, or boss were present?  If not, stop the behavior.
• Would I want someone to say/do this to my spouse, siblings, or parents?  If not, stop the behavior.
• Am I doing this because I am bigger, stronger, or more powerful than the other person?  If so, stop the behavior.

And remember, even if the acts or words are welcome to the person you’re talking to, if other people in the same area who see the behavior find it embarrassing, offensive, and unwanted, this may still constitute harassment and/or a hostile environment!

So what should you do if you believe you are being harassed, intimidated or bullied?  The best, most direct action is to just tell the person to stop.  Be clear, explain exactly what behavior you object to and ask them to stop.  If possible write an email or letter to them, and keep a copy in case follow-up actions are needed.  If you’re uncomfortable confronting the person directly, talk with their supervisor.  If it is your supervisor who is engaging in this type of behavior, talk with their supervisor.

Harassment, intimidation, and bullying could be wiped out with three steps:

• Think about not only what you’re saying or doing, but what the other person may be hearing and feeling.  When in doubt, ask.
• Treat everyone with common courtesy and respect.
• Expect equality and respect, and speak up if you are not being treated in a fair and professional manner, or you see someone else being harassed, intimidated, or bullied.

Getting Ready for Winter
Submitted by Stefan Fechter, State Administrative Officer

This material came from the WA DOT website.  The links take readers to other useful information.
http://wsdotblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/getting-ready-for-winter.html

The leaves are almost off the trees and there is a chill in the air. Winter is fast approaching. The west side had one windstorm already this year, reinforcing what we know from last years storms -- preparedness pays off.

We are taking steps to make sure that our crews are ready to clear the roads, and that we can keep you informed at a moments notice in the event of a storm. But that's only half the battle. Taking simple steps to prepare could save you much hassle and headache, and give you peace of mind during that next storm.

Here is some of my favorite advice, gleaned from recent preparedness materials that I read.

1. Don't get out of your car if you are near a recent avalanche. Your chances of being found are much better if you are inside of your car.
2. Don't use a gas oven for heat, or light up the barbecue inside your home. Surprisingly, this was one of the hardest learned lessons from last year's windstorms. It was astounding how many people tried heating their homes or cooking inside, and ended up with carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Fill your car’s gas tank, especially if you know snow is in the forecast.
4. Pack an emergency kit in the trunk of your car, and one for your home.
5. Create a family plan, and one for your kids (pdf). The kids will appreciate the contact-in-case-of-emergency cards. My kids carry them in their school backpacks, and they feel safer knowing they are able to contact me whenever they need to.
6. Talk to your employer in advance so you know what’s expected of you in a snow storm. Can you stay home with your kids?
7. Get a radio that allows you to stay informed. At the very least, the radio will give you and your family something to listen to while you play cards when the power goes out.

I hope you find these as helpful as I did. Take the time to prepare, it's worth it.

We hope you have enjoyed our most recent issue of Conservation Footprints. Comments about the new look of this newsletter are welcome. If you would like to have your article published in an upcoming issue of Conservation Footprints, let me know. 

For those interested in accessing past Current Development publications.

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