April 2006

675 U. S. Courthouse

Nashville, Tennessee 37203

Telephone: 615/277-2531

FAX: 615/277-2577

From the office of the State Conservationist

Current

Inside This Issue....

 Page

Bear Creek in NBII Database 4

Chickamauga Creek EWP 6

 Project

Cumberland Beef Day 3

FWPM Update 5

Goat Conference 4

Meeting Assessibility for People

 with Disabilities 6

NRCS Employees in the News 2

Upcoming Events

Developments

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Helping People Help the Land

S

pring is finally here, and with the change of seasons, I think it is appropriate to

reflect on an idea that Chief Knight shared with NRCS employees last month. He

referred to the agency as having recently experienced “a season of change.” He

pointed out that with all the changes we have experienced in recent years, we now have

a chance to consolidate those gains.

This year of “Consolidating the Gains” is an opportunity to catch up and clear away work

items that have been piling up. It is our chance to assess where we are, how we got

here, and where we are going next.

I want each one of us to take full advantage of the time to consolidate our own gains in

Tennessee. We want to move ahead, serving more customers and putting more

conservation practices on the ground. But if we are to do that, we must finish clearing

the path we are on. That means completing old contracts and wrapping up unfinished

business with customers.

Our unfinished business slows us down and keeps us from looking forward. We are

consolidating our gains so we do not have to keep glancing backward. If we are all able

to do a little Spring Cleaning and set our work affairs in order, we can all face a new

season in which we are ready to move ahead!

Enjoy the new season, and thank you again for the important and meaningful work you

do to promote and increase conservation in Tennessee.

James Ford

8th Annual Cumberland Beef Day April 13, 2006

White County Fair Complex 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Sparta, TN
Employees in the News

- 2 -

J

eff Sanders, HulI-York Lakeland

RC&D Coordinator, was

presented the “Commander’s

Award for Civilian Service” by Colonel

Owens, Commander of the 173rd

Airborne Brigade, the fourth highest

award that a civilian can receive from

the army. The fact that the army rarely

presents this award, especially in a

war zone, shows the significance of

the work Jeff did in Afghanistan.

Jeff said, “This award is a reflection of

the program that sent me there and

supported me. I wish NRCS, FSA,

and USDA could have all received

recognition. There was a coordinated effort behind the scenes that allowed me

to go and supported me for six months and I thank everyone who made this

possible. I consider this our award for a job well done by the USDA team.”

Paul Fulks, Area Conservationist, stated, “I want everyone to know that we

have a true patriot that works for NRCS in Middle Tennessee. We have so

many good people in this agency and this is just an example of the great work

of one of our employees. Each of us in Middle Tennessee had a tiny part in this

award. Remember:

Nobody can do everything

But everybody can do something

And if everybody does something,

Everything will get done.

We can all be proud of the work Jeff did in Afghanistan and the recognition he

received.”

Jeff Sanders Receives the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service

Current Developments

Photo above: Jeff Sanders with the

Commander's Award for Civilian Service

On March 9, Fred Walker and

Jim Bedford left the

Madisonville NRCS office in

separate vehicles to go a SCD

Board of Director’s meeting in Blount

County. Jim, who was traveling

separately a few minutes behind

Fred, was involved in an automobile

accident in Maryville. Upon arrival at

Blount Memorial Hospital, Jim asked

the nurse on duty to call the Blount

County SCD.

In the meantime, Fred Walker and

Sandy Gregory, Blount County SCD

Office Administrator, were wondering

why Jim hadn’t arrived at the

meeting.

“As soon as they received the call,

Fred came to the emergency room

while Sandy called my wife and told

her how to get to the hospital,” said

Jim. “It was sure good to see a coworker and friend standing over me

and asking if I was alright. Fred and

Sandy deserve a big thank you.

NRCS and soil conservation districts

have the best people with big

hearts.”

Madisonville Employees to the

Rescue

NRCS employees Allen Morrow, Terry Horne, Carol Chandler, Richard Bryan, Joe Zimmerman, and Randy

Franks, along with Eva Goodwin, Cocke County District Secretary, were all recognized by Jim Graham, Cocke

County SCD Board Chairman, for their role in getting the Waterville Road EWP project in Cocke County

completed. The EWP project took two years and nearly $1 million to complete.

The EWP project stabilized almost one mile of the riverbank along the Pigeon River. I-beams were placed in the

ground by drilling about six feet deep and then pouring concrete around the I-beams to stabilize them. “After the Ibeams were in place, steel guard rails were stacked on top of each other and then the roadway edges were backfilled

to the retaining walls,” said Allen Morrow, who was the Supervisory Civil Engineer on this project. “The repairs should

help minimize damage during future flooding, and by backfilling to the walls, the road is now wider than it originally was

which will allow easy passage for two lanes of traffic.”

NRCS Employees Recognized for Work on Waterville Road EWP Project
Current Developments

2006 Cumberland Beef Day

The eighth annual Cumberland Beef Day will be held on April 13, 2006 at the

White County Fair Complex in Sparta, TN, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The

event will again be co-sponsored by the White/Van Buren Cattlemen’s

Association, University of Tennessee Extension, and area Extension Agents.

The 2006 Cumberland Beef Day’s theme will be Competing in a Global Cattle

Economy, and will feature Troy Applehans of Cattle-Fax from Centennial,

Colorado. “Perspectives on the Effects of Globalization on Beef Production

and Marketing in the US” will be the title of Applehans presentation.

Troy Applehans is a native of Colorado and a graduate of Oklahoma State

University. He is well-versed in the cattle business and has worked

extensively with the cow/calf and seedstock segments of the industry.

Applehans was previously employed by Cargill Animal Nutrition as a cattle

mineral specialist, Future Beef Operations as a member of the cattle

procurement team, and as a regional manager for the American Gelbvieh

Association. His primary responsibility with Cattle-Fax is serving as a market

analyst working with cow/calf and stocker operations.

Other topics will include: Comments on The Tennessee Beef Industry, Ken

Givens, Commissioner of Agriculture; Using EID to Expand Opportunities –

Dr Emmit Rawls, UT; Trace-back and Related Issues on EID – Dr Charles

Hatcher, TN Department of Ag; Argentina, Our Growing Competitor - Dr.

David Kirkpatrick, UT. In addition, there will be demonstrations on new

innovations, practical applications, and answers to your concerns on EID.

Live demonstrations will include: Conducting a Beef Cow-Calf Herd

Evaluation – Kevin Thompson, TN Livestock Producers. Kevin will use

heifers and cows from a local herd to demonstrate what he looks for as he

conducts an evaluation and how he determines the needs for improving the

Scott and Cher Woolfolk of

Jackson, Tennessee won the

Excellence in Agriculture

Award recently. The Excellence in

Agriculture award recognizes young

farmers and

ranchers who derive the majority of

their income from their agricultural

operation, and who actively

contribute and grow through their

involvement in Farm Bureau and the

agriculture community.

Participants were judged on their

involvement in agriculture,their

leadership ability and participation in

Farm Bureau and other organizations. The Woolfolks received a

2006 Dodge Quad Cab 4x4 pickup

truck plus free registration to the

2006 YF&R Leadership Conference.

Scott and Cher have three active

EQIP contracts which consist of

sowing permanent grasses for hay,

livestock water trough’s, fencing, and

heavy use area’s. They have also

participated in the CRP filter strip

program.

Jackson Farm Family Receives

Excellence in Agriculture Award

productivity of that herd. This

program will assist anyone who

wants to make progress in their

breeding program, but is perfect for

cattle producers participating in the

Tennessee Agricultural

Enhancement Program.

The beef day will also feature an

extensive trade show of products,

equipment, services and beef cattle.

A sponsored meal will be provided at

noon.

For Information contact Scott

Swoape (931-946-2435) or Bill

Adcock 931-836-3348.

- 3 -
Current Developments

- 4 -

NRCS-TN partnered with Tennessee State

University and the University of Tennessee

for the first Tennessee College of Small

Ruminants (better known as the Goat

Conference.) Goat producers and

agricultural educators from throughout

Tennessee and the surrounding states

participated in the March 30-31, 2006

workshop at the UT Research and Education

Center at Spring Hill.

Tennessee has recently become the nation’s

second largest goat producer, following only

Texas. While goats are used for meat, milk,

and cheese, they are increasingly being

recognized as an important conservation

tool. Goats eat invasive species that cattle

and other grazing animals won’t touch.

Rotational grazing that includes both goats

and cattle can increase overall pasture

utilization by up to 70-percent.

Tennessee's first College

of Small Ruminants held

at Spring Hill

Photo at left: Greg

Brann gives a demonstration on proper

fencing at the Goat

Conference.

Photo below: Attendees

at the Goat Conference

included goat farmers

and producers and

agricultural educators

who will assist goat

producers.

NRCS in TN has been asked to provide information on the Bear Creek Watershed

Project in Scott County for inclusion in the National Biological Information

Infrastructure (NBII) web-based searchable database of Best Sustainability Practices in

the southern Appalachians. This website is a resource designed for those involved in studying

and managing the complex interactions between life forms - including human populations -

and the environment. The website containing the current list of case studies can be found at:

http://www.nbii.gov/datainfo/bestpractices/appalachia/environrestoration.html

The Bear Creek plan continues to attract attention from across the US especially coal mine

regions. NRCS continues to get calls and requests for copies of the plan, which has been

reprinted three times to date.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) and CSA, a leading bibliographic

database provider, have developed a web-based searchable database of Best Sustainability

Practices in the southern Appalachians. This project is a government/private industry project.

Examples of environmental stewardship, growth management and sustainable development

are provided in order to highlight key growth and environmental sustainability management

strategies, foster collaboration among non-government organizations, and private companies

dedicated to various dimensions of sustainable practices, and educate groups and individuals

about possible solutions to their own growth management difficulties and ways to conserve

and protect the environment. Partners in NBII include numerous federal agencies (including

NRCS), state agencies, international, non-government, academic, and private industry

partners.

Bear Creek Project in NBII Web Database
Current Developments

I

n honor of Women's History Month, Month, I

 want to share the conference highlights from

Sharyn C. Alvarez, National FWPM, on the

Executive Women in Government's 2006

Summit & Training Conference.

Mary Fillmore, Founder & Director of Changing

Work, talked to the group about showing appreciation for yourself, the people you work with

and who work for you. She discussed the

positive impact you can have on others when

you make the effort to show appreciation often

and sincerely. She is author of Women MBAs:

A Foot in the Door.

Linda Combs, Comptroller, Office of Federal

Financial Management, OMB, gave tips on good

leadership: people are the most important asset

to an organization, treat them well. You manage

through leading people--respect them. Good

leaders are humble, keep your ego in check.

Have a sense of purpose, know where you want

to go. Keep your eye on the ball and know

where it’s going. Have the courage to do the

mundane, routine things that need to be done

day after day, this is a part of leadership. Be

consistent with your employees and consistently

explain your decisions and the process you used

to make them. Be candid, straightforward and

direct without being cunning, cutting or spiteful.

Use your intuition, ignoring it will only bring

problems. Choose wisely the few things you

want to accomplish, choose the right people to

help you and let them do their jobs.

Anna Escobedo Cabral, U.S. Treasurer, was

inspiring as she shared her background and

career path. She credited her family and a few

key people in helping her change her destiny.

She asked the audience, "What would you do if

you knew you could not fail?" She believes that

everyone can harness the power to make someone else’s day good. She also spoke about the

President’s agenda as it relates to the economy.

Torie Clarke, Author, CNN Commentator, talked

about her jobs with Sen. McCain and working at

the Pentagon during and after September 11.

She spoke of the voracity of the information era

we now live in and its impact to society. She

suggested that no matter how busy life is, it is

important to find time everyday to be aware of

what is happening in the world and become

engaged in the issues of today. She is the author

of Lipstick on a Pig: Winning in the No-Spin Era

by Someone Who Knows the Game.

Keynote speaker Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of

Labor, shared labor statistics on women in the

workforce, noting that women are taking advantage of education opportunities which is having a

positive impact on their earning potential. She

talked about our knowledge-based economy.

She talked about leadership qualities and how

important it is to know the business of your

organization. Understand the special culture of

your agency, know and acknowledge who the

movers and shakers are, understand the people

in your organization because you work through

people. Your ability to motivate, communicate,

inspire and influence them will impact your ability

to lead. Conduct your business with honesty,

integrity and accountability. She challenged the

senior women present to be good, positive role

models and to mentor women.

Dr. Mary Catherine Bateson, Cultural Anthropologist, Author and founder of GrannyVoter.org,

shared topics for policy development because of

the extended life span of people. Policy makers

need to create policies that inspire people who

are approaching retirement and are able and

have the energy to re-commit to their organization. She suggested leaders offer sabbaticals,

Federal Women's Program

FWP Manager News

Karen Evans, Administrator, E-Government &

Information Technology, OMB, shared her life

and career path story. She told women they

cannot have it all at one time. She encouraged

them to think, make decisions and then not feel

guilty about them. When planning career

moves, she never focused on the reason why

she couldn’t do something, only on if she would

make a difference, how it would impact her

family and if she could have fun. She ended with

her mother’s favorite statement to her: “You

should be nice to the people you meet and work

with on the way up because those are the same

ones you could meet on the way down.”

- 5 -

California has created a very useful tool--a guide to KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

which has been posted on the California NRCS website (under the Employment link).The

guide contains helpful tips and examples to make writing KSAs easier. You may access Know

You KSAs at http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/about/employment.html.

Women’s History Month Poster Contest winner,

2006

by Debbie Brasfield

 Federal Women's Program Manager

training to learn new skills and encourage

senior workers to stay on the job, perhaps in

other areas of the organization, thus enabling

the organization to continue using the

experience and skills of their senior

employees. She encouraged those present

to begin viewing aging in new ways and to

understand and appreciate the second stage

of adulthood that takes advantage of the good

health, energy and extended life expectancy

many people will have. She is author of

Culture and Generation

 in Transition: Full circles, Overlapping Lives.
Current Developments

- 6 -

Making Meetings Accessible

to People With Disabilities

When setting up a public meeting or training

session, there are a few accessibility

requirements that need to consider. Not only is

it the right thing to do but it is also the law.

Public meeting announcements should include

instructions for people who need accommodations, wheelchair accessibilities, interpreters,

or materials in Braille. And remember that some

facilities will say they are accessible, meaning

they are accessible in certain areas only.

Imagine being in a wheelchair and trying to get

to a second floor meeting room only to discover

that you cannot get to that floor or you cannot

go inside the room.

Experts advise that meeting planners visit the

facility being used and look at the physical and

architectural accessibility of the meeting site.

Ask yourself if the site is usable and navigable

for someone who uses mobility devices or

wheelchairs, or someone who is sight impaired.

Use your registration form to ask potential

attendees about any access problems. If you

have several people in wheelchairs attending,

you should ensure there is plenty of space for

them and especially at tables.

You need to determine if interpreters are needed

or if materials need to be on tape, disk, or in

Braille. A good meeting practice recommended

is to have presenters read their overhead text

first and then begin their explanations, so

people who are visually impaired can obtain the

information. Materials handed out should also

be available in disk version so people can

review them later with a screen reader or other

assistive technology. Although sign language

interpreting and Brailling are probably the most

cost prohibitive expenses, there are other ways

to accommodate people. Have materials

created in large print or provide computer disk

versions of presentations.

Based on a task force recommendation from a

national organization, real-time captioning on a

large screen behind its speakers was used at

large organization meetings. The feedback from

More than 100 people recently attended the

Robertson County Soil Conservation District’s

48th annual awards banquet. Following the

meal, Phil Cherry, NRCS Agronomist,

entertained the group with his music. Jack

McCall, speaker/humorist, then amused the

group by recalling childhood memories and

relating them to life today.

The SCD then recognized the land judging

winners from ERHS, the Bryant Family for

Conservation Farmer of the Year award, and

Josh Cook from ERHS received the

Achievement Award. 

the audience was that many people in the

audience who were not hearing impaired

enjoyed both listening to and reading the

speeches. Most things you would do will

benefit people without disabilities who do

have human limitations that make it easier

when people go out of their way to simplify a

message, repeat things, and go at a pace

that is easier to follow.

Recognize that the population of people with

disabilities is quite diverse, and that even for

those who are blind, deaf, or hard of hearing,

what works for one person may not work for

someone else.

For additional information regarding disability

and employment issues, please contact Laura

Lee Walrath, Tennessee Disability Employment Program Manager, at 615/277-2541 or

by email at laura.walrath@tn.usda.gov.

Robertson County SCD holds 48th Annual Banquet

 Photo above: Robertson County SCD Board of

Supervisors. (Below left) Land judging winners

recognized, (below right) Bryant family receives the

Conservation Farmer of the Year award.

EWP work along the banks of North Chickamauga Creek in northern Hamilton County was

recently completed. The project, consisting of

950 feet of 12’ high gabion wall and more than

7900 tons of riprap, is one of the largest gabion

structures designed and built by NRCS in

Tennessee. Construction began in October

2005 and was completed in January 2006.

The EWP project actually consisted of two

subprojects: construction of a low-flow channel

and construction of the gabion wall/placement

of riprap. The low flow channel was installed

with hopes of diverting water from the

construction area while at the same time

establishing a "pilot" channel which was

designed to carry the rain from a two year

storm event. The gabion retaining wall was

designed using an approach that considered

different storm events and the “worse case” for

stability. For more information on this project

go to: https://web-review.sc.egov.usda.gov/

TN/technical/engineering/eng-index.html

EWP Project on Chickamauga Creek Completed

by Laura Lee Walrath,

Disability Employment Program Manager