Laserfiche WebLink
<br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />~1 <br />j)lIJtp ~ ~ <br />.;2) ~~~ <br />J) (!~~~ <br /> <br />a-..../ o,e~~,..,...' . ,,"At ,~ " <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />OOO't03 <br /> <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />DATE: <br />RE: <br /> <br />Peter Evans and Randy Seaho~m. f) () <br />Steve Miller ~ ~ <br />August 14, 1998 <br />USDA-NRCS State Technical Committee and draft Unified Watershed Assessment <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Randy asked for a short memo on some materials I received from the USDA Natural Resources <br />Conservation Service [NRCS] this week. The materials pertain to the NRCS State Technical <br />Committee [Tech. Comm.] which will be meeting on August 26 and a draft "Unified Watershed <br />Assessment" which will be one ofthe items discussed there. <br /> <br />Overview oeNRCS Tech. Comm, <br /> <br />The Tech. Comm. is a voluntary group of water users and government agency personnel convened <br />by the NRCS to give advice to the State Conservationist and review proposed NRCS actions related <br />to local conservation programs. While the Tech. Comm. apparently has existed for some time its <br />role became formalized under the 1996 Farm Bill which created the Environmental Quality <br />Incentives Program [EQIP] and required the State Conservationist to consult with a statewide group <br />on project priorities and how EQIP dollars would be allocated. Because the on-farm portion of the <br />Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program [CRBSCP] was merged into EQIP I became <br />involved with the Tech. Comm. in an attempt to maintain funding for on-farm salinity control in <br />Colorado and throughout the Basin, as well as to participate in the development of rules and <br />regulations to guide implementation of EQIP. I attended several meetings and soon realized that as <br />a state employee it would not be appropriate to advocate too strenuously for EQIP funding of salinity <br />control, as it might appear that the CWCB was taking sides in favoring funding of some areas of the <br />state to the disadvantage of other areas. I did not believe that the CWCB should place salinity <br />control in the Colorado Basin at a higher priority than the serious water quality problems in the <br />Arkansas Basin or anywhere else in Colorado. I discussed my feelings with Randy and Gene <br />Jencsok as well as Jack Bamett ofthe CRBSCP Forum and the Forum has since authorized Jack to <br />become a member of the Tech. Comm. for the purpose of advocating on behalf of the CRBSCP. <br />Jack also now serves on the State Tech. Comm. in Wyoming and Utah for similar reasons. <br /> <br />I have remained on the Tech. Comm. maillist and occasionally attend their meetings to keep abreast <br />ofUSDA-NRCS issues and to support NRCS officials in their efforts to make sure salinity control <br />is at least treated fairly and gets recognition for the non-federal cost-share dollars the Basin States <br />make available to the EQIP projects that address salinity control in the Colorado River Basin. I plan <br />on attending the upcoming Aug. 26, 1998 meeting with Jack Barnett since items related to EQIP <br />funding are on the agenda. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />":IS~\WATEJlQ-.I'.cWAPUWAI.MI'M <br />"".IoolA..... 11. I... <br />