AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES NEWS
July 17, 2008

 

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

US Department of Agriculture

 

Meryl Broussard, Deputy Administrator, Plant and Animal Systems

mbroussard@csreesusdagov or 202-401-4329

 

Dan Kugler, Deputy Administrator, Natural Resources and Environment

dkugler@csreesusdagov or 202-401-4555

 

ANR News Forum is electronically published each month with additional issues and

special alerts available as events warrant  News you can use since June 1998

 

CONTENT PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES USDA NEWS RESOURCES MARK YOUR CALENDAR CONTACT THE FORUM

 

IN THIS ISSUE –

 

 

…CSREES Vacancy: Deputy Administrator for Science and Education

         Resources Development

         September 3, 2008 Closing Date

...REMINDER: CSREES Specialty Crop Research Initiative RFA

          August 14, 2008 Application Deadline

 

...PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES

    EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Document

    NOAA U.S. Climate Change Science Program Draft Unified Synthesis 
          Product Report: Global Climate Change in the United States

  EPA Global Change Research Program Interim Report

    NOAA Climate Change Science Report: Aerosol properties and impacts

    NOAA Education Strategic Plan
    EPA Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Information Concerning the Destruction
          of Ozone-Depleting Substances in the U.S.

    EPA Proposed rule on long-term underground storage of industrial carbon

          dioxide emissions

 

USDA NEWS

……NASS nominations for Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics

……Additional conservation program funding for Environmental Quality

        Incentives Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance

…....Buy-in waiver for supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs-

        new Farm Bill

……USDA increases 2007 crop year sugar marketing allotments

RESOURCES

……GAO Report on Food Safety: Ensuring Import Safety and Responding to

        Foodborne Illness 

……ERS profile of hired farmworkers, a 2008 update

……EPA new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides

……EPA Ecological Research Program

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

…. Building Sustainable Communities for the 21st Century

…. Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development

       Impacts

..... Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World:  9th National Conference for

      Science, Policy, and the Environment

 

CONTACT THE FORUM

   

CONTENT

 

CSREES Vacancy:  Deputy Administrator for Science and Education

Resources Development

September 3, 2008 Closing Date

 

CSREES vacancy announcement number CSREES:SES:08-13 for the position

of Deputy Administrator for Science and Education Resources Development

(SERD) opened today.  Application and supplemental information must arrive at

the address shown in the announcement by the September 3, 2008, closing date.

The direct url for this announcement is

 http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=73939050&AVSDM=2008%2D07%2D17+00%3A03%3A02&Logo=0&sort=rv&lid=17514&FedEmp=N&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&jbf565=1&FedPub=Y&caller=ses.asp&tm=3d&rad=5&zip=20250

 

If this link does not work for you, use http://www.usajobs.gov/ and enter CSREES

in the search window.  The SERD Deputy Administrator announcement is listed

fourth. 

 

REMINDER:  CSREES Specialty Crop Research Initiative RFA

August 14 Application Deadline

 

CSREES is requesting applications for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to

solve critical industry issues through research and extension activities. Specialty

crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops

including floriculture.

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/specialtycropresearchinitiative.cfm

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2008news/07111_specialty_crop_rfa.html

 

PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES

 

EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Document

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

 

EPA has released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking soliciting public

input on effects of climate change and potential ramifications of the Clean Air Act

in relation to greenhouse gas emissions. This action is in response to the April 2,

2007, Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which found that

greenhouse gas emissions could be regulated if EPA determines they cause or

contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public

health or welfare.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/anpr.html

http://www.epa.gov/epahome/anprfs.htm

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/CE6311A041013ACE85257483005CDD68

 

NOAA U.S. Climate Change Science Program Draft Unified Synthesis 
Product Report: Global Climate Change in the United States
August 14, 2008 Deadline
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a public
comment period for the draft report titled, U.S. Climate Change Science Program
Unified Synthesis Product. Comment deadline is August 14, 2008.
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/usp/default.php
 
EPA Global Change Research Program Interim Report
August 25, 2008 Deadline
 
EPA has announced a public comment period for the draft document titled, “2007 
Interim Report of the U.S. EPA Global Change Research Program Assessment of
the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Preliminary 
Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on O3.”  Comment deadline is August 25, 
2008.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-15727.htm 
http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=158665

 

NOAA Climate Change Science Report: Aerosol properties and impacts

August 25, 2008 Deadline

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced a public 
comment period for the draft report titled, U.S. Climate Change Science Program
Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.3 ``Aerosol properties and their impacts on 
climate.''  Comment deadline is August 25, 2008.  
http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap2-3/default.php

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-15800.htm

 

NOAA Education Strategic Plan
August 29, 2008 Deadline
 
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is revising its Education 
Strategic Plan.  NOAA recently received broad legislative authority from Congress
through the America COMPETES Act to develop, support, promote, and 
coordinate education activities to enhance public awareness and understanding of
the ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science. The draft Plan 
establishes goals for NOAA education for the next twenty years.  Comment 
deadline is August 29, 2008.
http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/draft_ed_plan.html

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-16039.htm

 

EPA Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Information Concerning the Destruction of 
Ozone-Depleting Substances in the U.S.
September 15, 2008 Deadline 
 
EPA has announced a public comment period on the draft report, Destruction of 
Ozone-Depleting Substance in the United States.  EPA plans to use the technical
information when developing regulations.  Comment deadline is September 15, 
2008.
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/destruction.html

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-16384.htm

 

EPA Proposed Rule on Long-term Underground Storage of Industrial Carbon

Dioxide Emissions

 

EPA is proposing a rule that supports technologies to prevent industrial emissions

of carbon dioxide, i.e. secure, long-term underground storage to lessen effects of

climate change. A 120 day public comment opportunity began July 15, 2008.

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/bd4379a92ceceeac8525735900400c27/d35b72dfe481043b85257487005e47cd!OpenDocument

 

 

 

USDA NEWS

 

 

NASS Nominations for Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics

 

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service is soliciting nominations for the 
Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics.  The Committee represents a broad
range of disciplines and interests, including producers, national farm organizations
representatives, agricultural economists, rural sociologists, farm policy analysts,
educators, State agriculture representatives, and agriculture-related business and
marketing experts.  Nominations must be received by August 8, 2008.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-16190.htm

 

Additional conservation program funding for Environmental Quality Incentives

Program (EQIP) and Agricultural Management Assistance

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/07/0186.xml

 

Buy-in waiver for supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs-

new Farm Bill

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1RD?printable=true&contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/07/0182.xml

 

USDA increases 2007 crop year sugar marketing allotments

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1RD?printable=true&contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/07/0180.xml

 

 

RESOURCES

 

 

GAO Report on Food Safety: Ensuring Import Safety and Responding to

Foodborne Illness  (summary and full report)

http://www.gao.gov/docsearch/abstract.php?rptno=GAO-08-794

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08794.pdf

 

ERS profile of hired farmworkers, a 2008 update

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR60/

 

EPA new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides

http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/soil_fumigants/

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/e57c36fc0df8f7238525748200510254!OpenDocument

 

EPA Ecological Research Program

http://www.epa.gov/ord/erp

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

 

 

Building Sustainable Communities for the 21st Century

Charleston, SC, August 12-14, 2008

http://www.southeastwaterforum.org/roundtables/default.asp

 

Transition to a Bioeconomy: Environmental and Rural Development Impacts

St. Louis, Mo, October 15-16, 2008

Call for Papers:  http://i-cares.wustl.edu/Callforpapers5-12-08.pdf

http://www.farmfoundation.org/news/templates/template.aspx?articleid=401&zoneid=34

 

Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World:  9th National Conference for Science,

Policy, and the Environment

Washington, DC, December 8-10, 2008   (Note: CSREES supports

and is a sponsor of this conference)
http://ncseonline.org/Conference/Biodiversity/

 

CONTACT THE FORUM

 

Send content, comments, questions, subscription-related requests, and email

address changes to jdodds@csreesusdagov

 

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