Inside Agroforestry

So, What’s This Talk About Carbon Anyway? ........Page 2

Conservation Buffers Work .....................................Page 3

Over 150 RC&D’s Involved in Agroforestry......Pages 4-5

Take A Look At What Events Are Coming Up........Page 8

Spring, 2000 Forest Service

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Inside This Issue

“Dead Zone” in The Gulf of Mexico is a

National Problem; Agroforestry Can

Help

Report on the

Status of Our

Nation’s Water

Mississippi River Basin and its major tributary rivers (after Meade, 1995). Calculated nitrogen sources of the

Mississippi River Basin.

by Kimberly Stuhr, Technology Transfer Specialist, NAC, Lincoln, Nebraska

It’s called Hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs

when the dissolved oxygen level in

water is too low to sustain life. During

the last decade, up to 7,000 square

miles of the Gulf of Mexico, near the

mouth of the Mississippi River,

become oxygen-depleted each year.

“The Dead Zone,” as it is often

referred to by fisherman, unable to

sustain animal life during the summer

and fall. 

As the Mississippi River dumps

excess nutrients from its basin, into the

Gulf, (See Figure), algae are produced. As this organic matter dies, it

settles to the bottom and oxygen is

consumed as it decomposes. This creates a hypoxic condition.

Human-caused hypoxia elsewhere

in the world has had serious economic

impacts on fisheries. Costs impact

commercial fishing, consumers of

seafood, tourism, recreational fishing,

and non-users discouraged by perceived pollution. Commercial and

recreational fisheries in the Gulf currently generate $2.8 billion annually. 

In late 1999 the National WaterQuality Assessment Program

(NAWQA) published its first report in

the series, The Quality of Our Nation's

Waters. The report, based on sampling

20 large watersheds, presents insights

on nutrients, herbicides, and insecticides found in surface and groundwater. Differences in land use, chemical

use, land management practices and

natural processes were examined to

help explain results. High levels of

nitrogen and phosporous were detected in agricultural areas and at least one

pesticide was detected in almost every

water and fish sample collected from

streams. For more information on this

U.S. Geologic Survey Circular # 1225

visit: www.usgs.gov

“At least one pesticide 

was detected 

in almost every 

water and fish sample 

collected from streams.”

(See Dead Zone on page 6)

Hypoxia is not unique to the gulf

of Mexico. It is also found in the

North, Baltic, Adriatic, and Black

Seas, Long Island Sound, and Japan’s

Seto Island, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Dozens of the worlds hypoxic zones

have already lost benthic, or bottomdwelling, organisms needed to support fish populations and fishing

industries.

The Gulf of Mexico’s hypoxia

problem is the largest human-caused,

coastal problem in the Western

Hemisphere. The hypoxia begins in

late spring, reaches a maximum in

Leguminous 

Crop N 

Fixation

25%

Human 

Sewage

2%

Precipitation

Deposition

15%

Non Agr.

Fertilizer

3%

Agricultura

l

Fertilizer

Dead Zone

NAC
NAC Director’s Corner

2 Inside Agroforestry

A commentary on the status of agroforestry

by Center Director, Dr. Greg Ruark

Forested Buffers Needed in Agriculture

concentrations. The greatest concentrations were often

associated with storm events.

Each year 1 billion pounds of pesticides are applied

nationally, with about 75 percent of this application

occurring on agricultural lands. Most agricultural pesticides are in the form of herbicides, since insecticides are

applied more selectively and at lower rates. The most

commonly detected herbicide in streams and groundwater was atrazine and its various breakdown products. At

least one pesticide was found in almost every water and

fish sample collected from streams, and more than half of

the streams contained five or more pesticides.

Groundwater was also affected, with nearly one-quarter

of the samples registering two or more pesticides.

The report concludes that... "the reduction of nutrients

and pesticides concentrations in streams and ground

water clearly require management strategies that focus on

reducing chemical use and subsequent transport in the

hydrologic system."

Agroforestry practices, like forested upland and forested riparian buffers, have been shown to reduce water pollution when they are located in strategic positions on the

landscape. These buffers can slow and reduce the transport of runoff to streams, thereby allowing more time for

the environment to degrade pesticides and animal waste

products and increase the infiltration of water and contaminants into the soil.

On the front cover of this issue we mention the recently published USGS report, The Quality of Our Nation's

Water. This report examines the condition of our Nation's

waterways and groundwater. Unfortunately, the progress

in cleaning up contamination from point sources has not

been matched by the control of runoff from non-point

sources, especially fertilizers and pesticides applied in

agricultural and urban areas and nutrients from animal

wastes. States found that 40 percent of the surface waters

they surveyed were too contaminated for basic human

uses, such as fishing and swimming. Concerns for aquatic life were also expressed.

Annually, in the United States 12 million tons of nitrogen (N) and 2 million tons of phosphorus (P) are added

as commercial fertilizers, while an additional 7 million

tons of N and 2 million tons of P are applied as manure.

Each year, much of this fertilizer finds its ways into surface waters and groundwater. The USGS report estimated

that 90 percent of N and 75 percent of P in surface waters

originates from non-point sources.

The study evaluated samples taken since 1991 from

twenty large watersheds distributed across the U.S.

Nutrient concentrations varied seasonally in response to

changes in precipitation, streamflow, and fertilizer or

manure applications. The highest levels of N in both

streams and groundwater were associated with agriculture. High P levels were found near areas of livestock NAC

by Kimberly Stuhr, Technology Transfer Specialist, NAC, Lincoln, NE

surface. Others are not convinced

there is a cause and effect relationship.

The one fact that both sides agree

on is that atmospheric carbon dioxide

levels have risen 30 percent since the

beginning of the industrial revolution,

primarily from burning fossil fuels. 

The good news is that agroforestry

can help! Adominant consideration

for rebalancing the global carbon

cycle is to find ways to promote the

Carbon, carbon, carbon! Are you

wondering what carbon really is and

how agroforestry can help “capture”

it? 

Basically, carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere traps heat that is leaving

the Earth and radiates it back. This

keeps the average Earth temperature

livable. Too much carbon dioxide is

believed by many scientists to result

in an overall warming of the Earth’s

What’s All This Talk About Carbon?

increased growth of trees and shrubs.

Much of this opportunity will occur

on farms and ranches. 

Windbreaks, Riparian Forest

Buffers, Silvopasture systems, and

Short Rotation Woody Crops practices can help help reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels while at the

same time,protecting crops, livestock,

soils, and water resources and provides additional on-farm income. NAC
Inside Agroforestry 3

Conservation Buffers Work...Environmentally and

Economically

Just three years ago, Secretary of

Agriculture Dan Glickman committed

the U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) to the National Conservation

Buffer Initiative as a means of

increasing farmers', ranchers', and

woodlot owners' awareness of conservation buffers and helping those

landowners install 2 million miles of

buffers by the year 2002. That's a lot

of buffers, the equivalent of about

four trips to the moon and back.

Landowners, many of whom want

to do the right thing environmentally,

have responded. To date, they've used

federal and state land retirement, costshare, easement, and private programs

to add 753,000 miles of buffers to the

American landscape. And even more

buffers are likely now that USDA has

announced several new incentives that

should make a key federal programthe Conservation Reserve Program

(CRP) continuous sign-up-even more

economically attractive.

The CRP continuous sign-up was

added to the 1996 farm bill to entice

landowners to use buffers more widely in addressing water quality and

other conservation challenges. The

continuous CRP is distinctly different

from the general CRP in three ways:

1) landowners can offer land for

enrollment at any time, 2) enrollment

is non-competitive; and 3) eligible

land need not be classified as highly

erodible land.

From the outset, the buffer initiative has had the support of most agricultural and conservation organizations. Agricultural groups see buffers

as a way for landowners to meet their

environmental stewardship responsibilities voluntarily and perhaps avoid

more onerous regulatory programs.

Conservation interests view buffers as

a means of achieving multiple enviby Max Schnepf, USDA NRCS Public Affairs Liaison, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, Iowa

ronmental goals, including soil erosion control, air and water quality

improvement, fish and wildlife habitat

enhancement, flood control, carbon

sequestration, and conservation of

biodiversity.

Buffers come in all kinds, shapes,

and sizes. Their applications vary,

depending on a landowner's goals.

New York City, for example, is paying farmers in the Catskill Mountains

to install filter strips and other buffers

to protect the city's drinking water

supply. Landowners in the Pacific

Northwest and New England are

being encouraged to install riparian

forest buffers as a means of protecting

the habitat of endangered salmon

species. In Missouri, researchers and

farmers continue to experiment with

tree-based buffers, including alley

cropping and windbreaks, not only to

protect the environment, but also to

diversify farming operations and create new profit potential through the

production of forest commodities.

Elsewhere, landowners are applying

buffers to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, minimize nutrient and

pesticide pollution, and even manage

odor pollution from confined livestock production facilities.

Buffers work economically

because of the incentives provided by

government agencies, like USDA,

and, in some cases, private-sector

partners. A growing body of scientific

knowledge also demonstrates that

buffers work environmentally. Recent

research at Iowa State University, for

example, shows that grass filter strips

can remove up to 90 percent of sediment in sheet flow in the first 20 feet

of the filter strip. 

Work at the same central Iowa

research site also shows that buffers

with trees are capable of significantly

reducing the nitrate in subsurface

flow. Removal rates, however, appear

to be influenced significantly by an

area's subsurface geology.

ANational Academy of Sciences

study completed in 1993 suggested

that conservation buffers were among

the important practices that could be

used by landowners to reduce nonpoint-source water pollution. Given

the many other conservation benefits

of buffers and the potential for incorporating profitable forest crops into

buffers, such as timber, fruit and nut

trees, and ornamental shrubs, conservationists should take note of

Secretary Glickman's recent admonishment in Conservation Voices magazine:

After acknowledging that landowners must assume ultimate responsibility for taking advantage of the opportunity to install buffers offered by the

continuous CRP sign-up and other

programs, the Secretary suggested

that USDA conservationists and their

many partners also assume some

responsibility for advising farmers,

ranchers, and woodlot owners about

the opportunity they have to use

buffers for environmental improvement. If that advisory role is indeed

accepted, the environmental quality

enjoyed by all Americans will certainly be the better for it. NAC

“USDA conservationists 

and their many partners 

also assume some responsibility 

for advising farmers, ranchers, 

and woodlot owners 

about the opportunity they have 

to use buffers for 

environmental improvement.”
4 Inside Agroforestry

National RC&D Survey of Agroforestry

The National Association of Resource Conservation and

Development Councils (NARC&DC) worked with NAC to

design and administer a national survey of RC&D on agroforestry during the summer of 1999. The survey was

designed to determine the extent and geographic location

of agroforestry practice throughout the United States. The

NARC&DC analyzed the survey and will publish a report

by early summer. Maps and graphs are used to illustrate

where agroforestry practices are being used, where RC&D

Councils are involved in agroforestry projects, and where

there are opportunities to apply more agroforestry practices. It also suggests what types of assistance will be needed to enable landowners and support agencies to better

advance the adoption of agroforestry technology.

Summary. Of the 315 RC&Ds, 222 completed the agroforestry survey (71 percent return). Of these, 2/3 have had

direct involvement in agroforestry projects. The survey

showed that the use of, interest in, and demand for agroforestry is extremely high in all regions of the country. The

report provides details on the six major agroforestry practices of: 1) alley cropping, 2) forest farming, 3) windbreaks, 4) riparian forest buffers, 5) silvopasture, 6) special

applications. 

Alley Cropping. Thirteen percent of the RC&Ds from 22

states responded that alley cropping is utilized in their

areas, while many others indicated a potential for expanding the use of this practice. Eight RC&Ds have actively

promoted the practice. Two, used seminars and conferences, while others were involved with helping to grow

by Greg Ruark, Director, NAC, Lincoln, Nebraska

herbs and medicinals, planting hazelnuts in contour strips,

and cropping between rows of black walnuts. Single and

multiple-row hardwoods are most frequently used for alley

cropping, but single or multiple-row softwoods are also

used. Alley cropping is generally found in the eastern half

of the country with three exceptions: Oregon, Washington,

and Texas. Minnesota and Kentucky reported the use of

short rotation hardwoods species, such as hybrid poplar, in

alley cropping systems. 

Forest Farming. Thirty-four percent of the RC&Ds from

34 states reported forest farming practices in their areas,

with the Midwest and Southeast encompassing 70 percent

of the activity. Mushrooms and ginseng are the most frequently grown. Twenty-one RC&Ds are directly involved

in projects ranging from seminars, conferences, tours, and

demonstrations. Three have helped develop cooperatives

and associations to help market products. The application

of forest farming has a great variety of opportunities, but a

Percentage of RC&D Councils reporting an agroforestry practice being used in their area.

In Need Of Attention...

• Markets

Markets need to be developed or expanded to 

increase the adoption of some agroforestry 

practices. Some RC&Ds are already working with 

partners to identify or create niche markets, but 

greater involvement by USDAagencies, like the 

Agricultural Marketing Service and Rural 

Development is needed. 

• Landowner Information and Education

There is a need to demonstrate the economic 

benefits of many agroforestry applications. RC&D 

areas can help local partners reach the landowner, 

but need support to develop educational material. 

• General Public Education

There is a need for increased efforts to inform the 

public about the benefits they receive from 

agroforestry. RC&Ds can incorporate this 

information into many of their education programs. 

• Assistance to RC&D

RC&Ds need more financial resources to allow 

them to bring together landowners and communities

with relevant local, state, and federal partners.

Over 150 RC&Ds Involved in Agroforestry Projects!

Alley Cropping

Forest Farming

Riparian Buffers

Silvopasture

Special Applications

Windbreaks
Approximately the same number of

forested riparian buffers were planted

as were naturally regenerated. These

buffers are commonly used to address

more than one issue at a time, with the

dominant intent being controlling

stream bank erosion, followed by controlling non-point source pollution, and

enhancing wildlife habitat. In addition,

restoration, aquatic habitat, and aesthetics were all addressed more than

half of the time. There were 104

RC&Ds directly involved in forested

riparian buffer projects. Most worked

in partnership with others like Soil and

Water Conservation Districts, NRCS,

FS and EPA. They are also working

with various watershed organizations,

The Nature Conservancy, and Future

Farmers of America chapters. 

Silvopasture. Thirty percent of the

RC&Ds reporting, or 67 Councils in 32

states, observed silvopasture systems

being used. About 60 percent of the activity was in the

Southeast and occurred most often in southern pine stands.

Improved farm economics was the primary motivation for

trying silvopasture systems. Other issues that were

addressed to a lesser extent by silvopasture included erosion control, water quality, and wildlife habitat.

Silvopasture systems are being promoted by RC&D’s using

tours, meetings, brochures, and grazing trials. One RC&D

area holds an annual forestry awareness week for youth,

while another helps with grant writing to encourage the

practice. 

Special Applications. Fifty-two percent reported special

agroforestry applications in their RC&D areas.This included 28 states, of which more than a third are located in the

Southeast. Visual screening of unsightly areas is the most

common special application and was listed by 58 percent of

the RC&Ds in 31 states. The need for interface buffers,

such as greenbelts, between agricultural activities and communities was identified by 51 percent in 29 states. Thirty

four percent used agroforestry to control noise in 21 states.

The disposal of municipal waste was cited by 23 percent of

the RC&Ds, while the disposal of animal waste was 22 percent. Trees were used to control dust in 21 percent of the

RC&D areas, while application for odor control was 19

percent. Woody biomass production was reported in only

nine percent of the RC&Ds and occurred in nine states. To

order a free report: www.rcdnet.org or www.unl.edu/nac.

Inside Agroforestry 5

need for market development was identified by 10 percent

of the RC&Ds. 

Windbreaks. Windbreak usage was reported by 68 percent of the RC&D areas in forty-three states. Of the

RC&Ds reporting windbreaks, 82 percent had

farmstead/community windbreaks, 68 percent had field

windbreaks, and 56 percent reported livestock windbreaks.The issues most often addressed by windbreaks

were reducing wind velocity, lowering energy costs, habitat for wildlife, livestock protection, and reducing soil erosion. Some opportunities for expanded adoption were mentioned such as, living snow fences along roadways and

screen plantings in the interface between agriculture and

communities. Windbreaks have been planted in many

areas since the 1930s and many have reached maturity. 

Anumber of RC&D areas observed that many windbreak

trees are deteriorating and dying. Also, many windbreaks

have been removed due to changes in farm machinery and

the adoption of center pivot irrigation. The availability of

cost share programs was viewed as essential to increase the

adoption of some windbreak practices.

Riparian Forest Buffers. This was the most frequently

used agroforestry practice and was reported by 81 percent

of the RC&Ds. Opportunities for installing additional

buffers are recognized by 93 percent of the RC&Ds. NAC

There were 151 RC&D Councils that directly promoted one or more agroforestry projects.

Projects include:

Riparian Buffers 104

Special Applications 60 

Silvopasture 12

Windbreaks 65 

Forest Farming 44

Alley Cropping 8 

Survey returned — RC&D Promoting one or more practice

Survey returned — RC&D Not promoting agroforestry projects
6 Inside Agroforestry

(Dead Zone from page 1)

New Living Snowfence Brochure Available

Visit NAC’s web site at: www.unl.edu/nac to

preview a new full-color brochure on living

snowfences. This brochure discusses the benefits, planning, plant selection, and design of

living snowfences. It applies throughout most

of the United States, but is especially applicable to the Northwestern U.S. If you aren’t able

to view a copy and order from the web site,

fax a request to 402-437-5712.

midsummer, and then used to disappear in the fall. Today, when autumn

rolls around, it only shrinks.

The Gulf’s hypoxia was first

recorded in the early 1970s, but persistent hypoxia began being observed

during the 1990s. In 1993, the severe

floods which flushed nutrients from

midwest soils caused the hypoxic

zone to double in size. 

Although the source of the problem

via the Mississippi river is varied, present-day usage of fertilizer, especially

nitrogen, is considered the primary

problem. Nitrogen export from the

Mississippi River Basin has increased

up to seven-fold over the last century.

Other nutrients play a role and can

drastically affect marine food chains. 

The good news is that agroforestry

can help. Mike Dosskey, Research

Ecologist for NAC says, “riparian

forests have been shown to filter out a

majority of the nitrogen from runoff

that passes through them.” He added,

“Hypoxia is a non-point source problem, so part of the solution will require

a wide-spread installation of buffers.” 

Hypoxia has been found in the

Chesapeake Bay. In 1983 an agreement, led by the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) was signed

by the bay states, to cooperate to solve

the bay’s water quality problems.

According to Al Todd, Chesapeake

Bay Program Liaison, “riparian forest

buffers have presented a very promising and useful tool in terms of nutrient

removal. They provide multiple benefits by also helping to restore fisheries

and stream systems, as well as provide

wildlife corridors.” Todd adds, “I like

to describe the Chesapeake Bay as a

heart, and the stream systems and

riparian areas as the circulatory system connected to the heart. The health

of the circulatory system plays a big

role in the health of the heart itself.”

Adapted from “Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia: Land

and Sea Interactions” by the Council for

Agricultural Science and Technology Task

Force Report. June, 1999.

Farming the Forest for Specialty Products

Proceedings Now Available

Held in Minneapolis, MN in October, 1998, copies of these proceedings

from this conference are for sale while supplies last (US $25.00, includes

shipping). To order call CINRAM at (612) 624-4296 or mail your order

and payment (checks payable to the University of Minnesota) to: 

CINRAM Proceedings • University of Minnesota • 115 Green Hall • 1530

Cleveland Avenue North• St. Paul, MN 55108 

For more information: www.cnr.umn.edu/FR/cinram/

Carbon: Exploring the Benefits

to Farmers and Society

August 29-31, 2000 • Des Moines, Iowa

Attend this international conference and find out:

What carbon is worth environmentally, economically, and agronomically What is known about carbon management, sequestration, and other

greenhouse gas mitigation measures How to manage carbon on agricultural land How carbon credit trading might work What’s over the hill

and on the horizon

Take advantage of roundtables, panel discussions, and poster presentations, offer opinions of what carbon policies and practices might work

best, and express concerns with policy makers, scientists, and others.

Conference information: www.cvrcd.org/carbon

NAC
Inside Agroforestry 7

by Sally Eugair, Soil Conservation Technician, USDA NRCS, Rutland County, Vermont

Editors Note: Sally Eugair, Soil

Conservation Technician with the USDA

Natural Resources Conservation Service in

Rutland County, Vermont has been successful

with getting riparian forest buffers established

in her area. Following are some of her

thoughts.

I don't want to see our nation's

water supply ruined. Having lived

overseas for several years, I have

first-hand knowledge of how serious

polluted waters can be. I am strongly

opinionated regarding water quality,

and working with farmers can be really gratifying when I see the measures

they take to help protect our waters.

On-farm conservation practices

that help prevent water pollution are

growing in Rutland County. Over the

last three years, I have installed and

contracted 140 acres of riparian

buffers. Since January 2000, alone, 43

acres went in to buffers to exclude

livestock from the waterways. And

more landowners are waiting for

assistance.

Many landowners can see the benefits of fencing their livestock away

from streams, but the cost can be prohibitive. As a farmer myself, I understand how difficult it is to take 70 feet

(35 feet on each side of the river,

times the distance of land along the

river) out of production. Installing a

pipeline for alternate water supplies,

building a crossing area for livestock,

planting trees and shrubs, and

Riparian Forest Buffers and Livestock

in Vermont

Stream Corridor

Restoration

Technology

-An IntroductionSunday, July 9 and

Tuesday, July 11, 2000

Two one-day workshops will be

offered during the Soil and

Water Conservation Society

Annual Meeting in St. Louis,

Missouri. Each workshop will

introduce the principles,

processes, and practices of

stream corridor restoration. 

For more information:

www.swcs.org

Spotlight On Success Vermont

installing electric fencing and charger,

in addition to maintenance can be a

serious financial burden. I feel that

this awareness allows me to talk with

landowners on a common level when

it comes to encouraging them to protect streambanks and ultimately the

water quality of the entire watershed. I

believe that riparian buffers and use

exclusion are the least expensive practices available to protect water quality.

Landowners are doing their share for

the environment. The financial investments they make towards water quality benefit everyone. With obvious

installation costs aside, the landowner

still has to pay taxes for land that is

taken out of production each year to

accommodate the buffers. Also, the

landowner is responsible for maintenance of the buffer, which can require

replacement costs and hours of fence

mending .

Lots of one-on-one contacts, partnerships, and incentive programs provide the means by which I am able to

help landowners achieve water pollution prevention."What is impressive in

all of this is that all of our goals are

being reached - improved water quality and wildlife habitat is being preserved for the next generation."

Through the USDA's Environmental

Quality Incentives Program (EQIP),

Conservation Reserve Program 

(CRP) and strong partners such as

U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service

(Partners for Fish and Wildlife

Program) ,The Nature Conservancy

,Vermont State License Plate Grant,

and assistance from the Green

Mountain College Students and the

Vermont State Community Work

Crew I have been able to fully implement most projects. 

Plains & Prairie

Forestry Association

(PPFA) Annual

Conference

Las Vegas, NM 

August 8-10, 2000

The Conference topics include:

Protecting and Restoring Rio

Grande Bosque; Corrizo

Demonstration - restoring

Pinyon and Juniper ecosystems;

and Pecans in the Desert -

using small diameter trees.

For more information contact:

New Mexico Energy, Minerals &

Natural Resources Department

505-425-7472

“As a farmer myself, 

I understand how difficult 

it is to take 

70 feet of land along the river 

out of production.”

NAC
Upcoming Events

June 18-21, 2000 

RC&D National Conference, Ogden, 

UT. Contact: www.rcdnet.org.

July 8-11, 2000

Soil and Water Conservation Society 

Annual Conference. “Gateway to the 

Future - Conserving Private Land.” St 

Louis, MO. Contact, Pat Mulligan, 

515-289-2331, ext. 17 

(patm@swcs.org)

August 8-10, 2000 

Plains and Prairie Forestry 

Association Meeting, Las Vegas, NM. 

Contact: Paul Lyons 505-425-7472.

August 29-31, 2000

Carbon: Exploring the Benefits to 

Farmers and Society. Contact: 

www.cvrcd.org/carbon.

September 8-10, 2000

American Ginseng Production in the 

Inside Agroforestry is published quarterly by the

USDA National Agroforestry Center. 

Phone: 402-437-5178; Fax: 402-437-5712.

Greg Ruark, Center Director ext. 27

Michele Schoeneberger, 

FS Research Leader ext. 21

Rich Straight, FS Lead Agroforester ext. 24

Bruce Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester ext. 36

Kimberly Stuhr, TT Specialist/IA Editor ext. 13

Mike Majeski, FS Agroforester

St. Paul, MN phone: 651-649-5240

Jim Robinson, NRCS Agroforester 

Fort Worth, TX phone: 817-509-3215

Gary Kuhn, NRCS Agroforester 

Spokane, WA phone: 509-358-7946

Web Site: www.unl.edu/nac

Mission

The National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of the USDA Forest Service,

Research & Development (Rocky Mountain Research Station) and State & Private Forestry and

the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Center’s purpose is to accelerate the

development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain more economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable land-use systems. To accomplish its mission, the Center interacts with a national network of partners and cooperators to conduct research, develop technologies and tools, establish demonstrations, and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.

USDA policy prohibits discrimination because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, or handicapping condition.

Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should immediately contact the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Opinions expressed in Inside Agroforestry are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the policy of the USDA Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

21st Century. Leeds, NY. Contact: Bob

Beyfuss, 518-622-9820;

www.cce.cornell.edu/greene.

October 10-13, 2000

Third Biennial Conference: Short 

Rotation Woody Crops Operations 

Group. Syracuse, NY. Contact: 315-

470-6891, ce@esf.edu, 

www.esf.edu/willow