Spring 2003

What's In this Issue:

• President’s Report
• Newly Revised Website
• 2004 ANREP Conference
• Fish and Wildlife Specialists Meet
• Galaxy II
• News from Sea Grant Extension
• PILD Conference
• News from ANREP Committees
• Reports, Meetings
• Spotlight on the Nation’s Capitol

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” (Peter Drucker)

Your professional association is hard at work implementing your Strategic Plan. A State Chapter Guidelines Committee (chaired by Ken Gioeli of Florida) is ready to help those who want to start a state chapter. Other committees will soon be providing leadership opportunities for many of you. Proposed activities of these committees include:

• Mentoring new members;
• Identifying technologies that will be used to facilitate networking, program sharing, and professional and leadership development;
• Developing a marketing plan that uses impact statements for natural resource extension programs and ANREP; and
• Identifying disciplinary and interdisciplinary natural resource emerging issues and programs addressing them.

We will keep you informed of our progress and let you know when opportunities to get involved will be available.

Many ANREP members have degenerated from good intentions into the hard work involved in making all of these great things happen. I am truly impressed by the altruistic commitment and dedication of those who invest their time so that all members can receive the benefits of a strong and vibrant association.

Joe Schaefer

Check out the newly revised ANREP Website for all the latest in meetings, conferences, job openings, the strategic plan, awards, etc. The next major event is the Public Issues Leadership Conference to be held in Washington, DC, May 3-7, 2003.

ANREP’s national conference, held every other year, is for Extension professionals working in natural resources, including fisheries, wildlife, forestry, wood science, range, sea-grant and land-use planning. The next conference will be held May 15-19, 2004 at Olglebay Resort http://www.oglebay-resort.com/ in Wheeling, WV.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/extension/fiw/little_rock_conference_2003.htm

Thirty-seven extension specialists met last week for their 10th national meeting and discussed a variety of topics, including their future relationship with ANREP. They decided to collectively and individually submit more presentation abstracts as a means to build a stronger presence within ANREP, and recommend that future conferences schedule presentations to enhance greater cross-discipline interaction. They will continue to hold their national meeting separate from the ANREP. Extension’s role in human-wildlife disease interactions figured prominently in their seminar agenda.

This is the national conference http://www.cnr.usu.edu/galaxy2/default.asp for all Extension professionals, including ANREP, 4-H and FCS. It will be held September 21–25, 2003 in Salt Lake City, Utah. ANREP members can help the galaxy by making checks payable to Utah State University and including a short note that indicates a donation. Mail to: galaxy ii conference, c/o USU Conference Services, 5005 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5005.

Papers from a team of USDA and Sea Grant extension staff have been accepted for the annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society http://www.fisheries.org/ in Quebec City. Papers represent Extension programs at county, state, and national levels. The team is also exploring a reception at the August meeting.

Future Directions for Extension

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) is conducting a survey to identify discussion themes for their Advisory Council. To view the on-going results, see http://www.zoomerang.com/reports/public_report.zgi?ID=LCR9J707N91Y

The finance committee is drafting guidelines to help us survive today and into the future. Major investments in travel/scholarships for members have been proposed as a way to encourage strong leadership within ANREP. The membership committee is recruiting in British Columbia and making plans for Galaxy II. Regional JCEP meetings were attended in Northeast and Northwest regions. Attendees agree that it was a good thing that ANREP was represented, but question the value to ANREP as a new and still small professional organization. Some positives were the opportunity to meet people with regional leadership responsibilities, and learn what is expected of ANREP when it hosts future JCEP meetings.

Selected effects of the Conservation Reserve Program on program participants: A report to survey respondents. Full text http://www.fort.usgs.gov/products/pubs/10023/10023-A.pdf

North Carolina workshop, Oct. 2-3, focuses on southern Appalachian forest resources. www.ncsu.edu/feop/symposium

Wildland-Urban Interface Assessment released by USDA Forest Service http://www.interfacesouth.usda.gov/assessment

National 4-H GIS/GPS Integration Team

provides a learning space where new technologies will lead to social, economic, and environmental improvements in our communities, states, and nation. Recently announced: GPS kits for sale, international GIS contest for youth, national 4-H ESRI user conference, and collaboration with Orton Family Foundation. See http://www.4-h.org/tech/gisgps/.

Effects of Livestock Operations

on air and water quality, and curriculum for livestock owners seeking to protect the environment are the subject of two web sites with recent scientific updates. The National Center for Manure and Waste Management http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/center.htm is supported by 16 universities and seeks a holistic understanding of animal waste. The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum www.lpes.org is a national curriculum for livestock and poultry industry advisors.

The Renewable Resources Extension Act

(RREA) furthers stewardship efforts on private forest and rangeland. CSREES Administrator, Dr. Colien Hefferan, seeks to grow RREA using a 5-year strategic plan. To date 43 natural resource and organizational issues have been identified and Cooperative Extension responses are being drafted. The draft plan will be presented to CSREES in time for consideration in the FY 2005 budget process. Success stories from states that describe impacts are needed!

Who is CSREES?

Extension's federal partner is USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES). The agency's FY2003 budget is $1.060 billion; all but 4% (federal administration) is distributed to the land grant university system through competitive and formula programs to support research, higher education and extension work. There are ten National Program Leaders within CSREES who cover natural resources, and they love to hear from the states!

Endangered Species Prevention

policy is being development by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts (PECE) http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/r3/6120F5C2-EFE9-49A1-B7B95275ECF82A8C.html will help guide state, local, tribal, and foreign governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals in restoring populations of declining species before they require the protection of the Endangered Species Act.