News & Notes April 2003

PA Representatives Attend
NACD Legislative Conference

The National Association of Conservation Districts held their annual spring legislative conference March 17-19, 2003 in Washington, D.C.

The conference provided an opportunity for conservation district leaders to interact with key policy and decision makers and help shape conservation policy for private, working lands. One of the chief goals this year was to get the Farm Bill conservation, forestry and energy title programs fully funded and implemented in a timely manner.

NACD President Gary Mast charged the group with developing relationships, partnerships and contacts while they are in town that will benefit their efforts at home, and to urge their congressional leaders to fully fund the programs they authorized in the Farm Bill. "We have a tremendous opportunity at our doorstep," he said, referring to the growing public and congressional support for private lands conservation. "We must capitalize on these opportunities by working together."

NACD Director Pat Sueck, PACD President Ron Rohall and PACD Executive Director, Susan Fox, met with members of Congress during the NACD Legislative Conference on March 19. Pat, Ron and Susan met with legislators to discuss key messages and top issues facing conservation on private, working lands.

Pat, Ron and Susan met with staff from Senator Santorum, Senator Specter, Representative Tim Murphy and Representative John Murtha's offices. They also met with Representative Tim Holden and Representative Todd Platts.

In particular, the PACD representatives asked for support of full implementation and full funding of conservation, and forestry and energy title programs; continued improvement in the locally led approach to decision making for these programs; and support for regional equity in the distribution of program funding and continued funding of the AMA conservation program.

Feedback from members of Congress and staff on conservation issues was especially encouraging this year. Other conference participants reported back that conservation issues and funding had solid support from their congressional delegations.

Conference participants focused on a common theme of fully funding Farm Bill conservation programs and ensuring that locally led decisions are resource driven and not program driven. The group also expressed their expectations of being full partners in the decision making process regarding field service center closings, e-government opportunities and other management initiatives.

Also during the conference, USDA Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley, the department's second-in-charge and point person for homeland security, acknowledged the great challenges our nation is currently facing, but impressed on the group the significant opportunities that lie ahead for conservation and the important role of conservation in protecting the homeland.

The conference also featured sessions on state budget issues, the 2003 agricultural budget, key issues of drought, water quantity and bioenergy and a congressional Farm Bill update.

Issue papers addressing key legislative and programmatic concerns of the nation's conservation districts were distributed to congressional
representatives by conference participants. These issue papers are available on the NACD website, http://www.nacdnet.org/govtaff/
issuepapers/.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) awarded a District Outreach Award to Westmoreland County Conservation District at the recent 57th annual NACD meeting in Orlando.

Westmoreland County won the award for Landmarks, a quarterly, 16-page newsletter that took first place in the Newsletter category. Each issue is full of informative articles aimed at more than 4000 readers made up of technicians, youth, community leaders and cooperators. A creative design team makes the newsletter stand out, but what makes it successful is the district teamwork that goes into reporting and writing about truly important stories to inform the public. The district's information staff report their overall goal is to show that their staff is accessible, knowledgeable, and can get things done for readers.

Congratulations, Westmoreland County directors and staff, for winning this national award.

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