Senator Boxer: USDA to hold listening sessions

[paineinthearse]

Received by email.

Senator Boxer: USDA to hold listening sessions
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 16:46:21 -0800

I thought you would be interested in the following message.

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Dear Friend:

The Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking comments from California’s landowners, agricultural organizations, environmental groups, commodity organizations, and others on the national priorities used to implement the 2002 Farm Bill. To gain public comment, NRCS is holding “listening sessions” in California. You will find the details for these sessions listed below.

NRCS will be seeking comments on its conservation cost-share program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS must periodically review and update the priorities utilizing input from the public and affected stakeholders to ensure that the program continues to address the most important resource needs.

Among EQIP's national priorities on which NRCS seeks comment are:

1. Water Quality: Reductions of non-point-source pollution, such as nutrients, sediment, pesticides, or excess salinity in impaired watersheds consistent with Total Maximum Daily Loads where available, as well as the reduction of groundwater contamination and the conservation of ground and surface water resources;

2. Air Quality: Reduction of emissions, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds, and ozone precursors and depleters that contribute to air quality impairment violations of National Ambient Air Quality Standards;

3. Soil Erosion: Reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation from unacceptable levels on agricultural land; and

4. Wildlife Habitat: Promotion of at-risk species habitat conservation.

In California, listening sessions will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the following locations:

- Anderson, California, on March 16, 2005, in the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District building, 6270 Parallel Road, Anderson, CA (former Sunset Plastic site)

- Fresno, California, on March 17, 2005, in the Agriculture Building at the Fresno County Fairgrounds, 1121 South Chance Ave., Fresno, CA

The culmination of the State listening sessions will be a national public listening session scheduled for the spring of 2005.

Comments can emailed to [e-mail] or sent by U.S. mail to Reina O’Beck, Public Affairs Assistant, USDA-NRCS, 430 G Street #4164, Davis, CA 95616.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

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For more information on Senator Boxer's record and other information, please go to: http://www.boxer.senate.gov

If you would like to make a comment regarding this or any other federal matter, please feel free to do so at:
http://www.boxer.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm