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In This Week’s Edition . . .
A Report from the Executive Director, Jennifer Boyle
Congratulations to Indiana’s National Award Winners. The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) recently honored two Indiana conservationists. Harold Thompson, recently retired NRCS Assistant State Conservationist, received the Fellow Award for 2009. Thompson is a 37-year member and leader of the Hoosier Chapter of SWCS. Quoting the SWCS: “Thompson’s many significant career accomplishments at the local, state and federal levels make him an exemplary recipient of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Fellow Award.” Quentin Williamson, a long time Wayne County SWCD employee and dairy farmer, received the Harold and Kay Scholl Excellence in Conservation Award for 2009. Williamson touched and influenced literally thousands with his simple, persistent and personal message about stewardship of the land. Congratulations to both of these outstanding Hoosier conservationists!
Grants Promote Environmental Conservation Programs. This week’s GrantStation eNewsletter highlight’s the Wallace Genetic Foundation which provides grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide that believe in the long-term conservation of the soil and of the environment, rather than exploitation of natural resources for temporary profits. Specific areas of interest include: sustainable agriculture, protection of farmland near cities, plant genetic research, biodiversity protection, and environmental education and media. Requests may be submitted throughout the year. Application guidelines and forms are available on the Foundation’s Web site.
Have a good week,
Jennifer
Seminar offers basics on residential wind power
A wind power revolution is blowing across the United States. Landowners interested in corralling the renewable energy source can attend a free seminar hosted by Purdue University.
The Introduction to Residential Wind Seminar will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT March 31. The seminar, originating from the Pfendler Hall Dean’s Auditorium on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, will be broadcast at 11 County Purdue Extension offices.
“This seminar will give participants a basic course on what residential wind development is and information on how to put up a wind turbine on their property,” said Chad Martin, Purdue Extension renewable energy specialist.
Besides learning about the science behind wind energy, the workshop also will cover the cost of wind turbines and the benefits to landowners from harnessing the wind for electricity.
“While small-scaled wind turbine installations are not necessarily a profit-generating opportunity in our state, people may be interested in these systems to provide green energy production on their property,” Martin said. “Some utility companies and REMC’s are interested in purchasing excess power through net metering, and some are not. Be sure to check with your local utility before installing a small wind turbine.”
Clay Sterling of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association will lead the seminar. A seminar brochure is available on the Purdue Renewable Energy Web site’s wind energy page.
The seminar will be carried by Internet video hookup at 11 sites around the state. >> click here for the locations and information.
A limited number of seats are available at the Pfendler Hall Dean’s Auditorium. To reserve a seat, contact Cris Dorman, coordinator of public outreach and education for the Indiana Office of Energy Development at 317.690.7243 (cell) or by e-mail at cdorman@oed.in.gov.
The Indiana Office of Energy is a lead seminar sponsor. Other sponsors include Purdue Extension, Purdue’s Energy Center at Discovery Park and North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
Chief of NRCS Named
Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack yesterday named Dave White as chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). With approximately 12,000 employees and an annual budget in excess of $3 billion NRCS is the nation’s leading agency in conserving natural resources on private lands.
“Dave White’s extensive experience working with the NRCS and at the local, state and national levels is exactly what we need during this time of economic uncertainty and renewal,” said Vilsack. “Dave’s expertise and advice will be particularly valuable as we implement the 2008 Farm Bill and work to achieve President Obama’s goals for renewing America and combating global climate change.”
Established in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service, NRCS emphasizes voluntary, science-based conservation and technical assistance, incentive-based programs, and partnership conservation at the local
level.
White is a career conservationist with NRCS. He has provided technical and management expertise in Missouri, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Montana, where he served as State Conservationist from 2002 to 2008. White also served in the Senate Agriculture Committee where he helped craft the Conservation Title for both the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills.
Conservation District/NRCS Operational Highlights Updated
Over the past several months, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) has been working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a number of operational issues involving conservation districts, including:
• Suspension of Outlook Web-Access
• HSPD-12 LincPass personal identity cards
• Common Computing Environment (CCE)
• Farm Bill Section 1619 (Information Sharing);
• Seat management for computer support
• Security training for district employees
• ESRI GIS software including for districts not located in USDA service centers
The Computers for Districts page on NACD’s Web site provides information on these topics and more. While many of the questions on the FAQ page have remained the same, the answers have been updated to reflect the latest information available. Of particular note in these updates are some significant changes regarding the NRCS procedures related to computer management. Please also see the Update on Conservation District/NRCS Operational Highlights document for additional information regarding each of the above operations issues.
NACD will continue to keep you posted on these topics as they develop. If you have any questions on these matters, please contact Brad Ross or Rich Duesterhaus with NACD or Steve Webber with NRCS.
GrantStation Webinars Scheduled for April
All webinars are led by Cynthia M. Adams, CEO of GrantStation, and scheduled to begin at
2 p.m. EDT.
Writing a Letter of Inquiry
If you are new to grant writing, this webinar will help you understand the different components of a letter of inquiry (LOI), what information you need to collect to write a strong introductory letter, and how to create a sense of urgency so your letter generates a request for a full proposal. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. The registration fee is $89 per person. Visit this Web site to register.
Grant Seeking During a Recession: How to Broaden Your Grant Support
How do you broaden your grant support during a recession? This webinar discusses how to establish an aggressive grant seeking program that can help you weather economic downturns. Find out what you can expect from grant makers in the next year or two, and how to position your organization to take advantage of the current economic climate. Learn a step-by-step grant seeking process to help you secure the grant awards your organization needs to survive and grow. This webinar will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2009. The registration fee is $89 per person. Visit this Web site to register.
Making Time to Write Grants
The number one reason people give for not applying for a particular grant is that they don’t have the time. This webinar is full of practical advice that can help you organize your approach to grant seeking by teaching you how to create the time to do the job and do it well. Adams will cover everything from big picture thinking and how it can drive your grant seeking efforts, to how to determine the best time to apply for grant awards. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The registration fee is $89 per person. Visit this Web site to register.
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