State Conservationist Christine Clarke announced the
launch of a new National Water Quality
Initiative committed to improving the Palmer River, an impaired waterway in
southeastern Massachusetts, one of 157 targeted watersheds nationwide. USDA’s
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will manage the initiative by
making funds available to farmers and forest landowners in the selected
watersheds. Farmers located in the Palmer River watershed in southeastern
Mass. should apply by June 15.
NRCS has prepared a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended, and
gives notice that an environmental impact statement is not being prepared for
the Taunton State Hospital dam removal project.
The Massachusetts NRCS State Technical Committee will meet on Wednesday,
May 23, 2012, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, at the Doyle Center, 464 Abbott Avenue,
Leominster, MA. This committee serves in an advisory capacity on technical
matters related to NRCS programs. The meeting is open to the public.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
in partnership with the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service
have announced funding for a new Working Lands for Wildlife partnership, which
allows farmers and forest landowners to use innovative approaches to restore and
protect habitat for at-risk wildlife species such as the New England cottontail
rabbit.
NRCS has announced three rounds of funding for four conservation program in
Massachusetts. These federal programs, authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill,
provide financial and technical help to farmers and forest land owners to
protect soil, water and other natural resources. The next ranking cut-off
date is June 1st.
Outreach is part of NRCS' daily business. We work to ensure that programs
and services are made accessible to all customers, while placing special emphasis on those
who may be underserved. Historically, underserved audiences have included minorities,
tribes, women, the disabled, new farmers, limited resource farmers and
small-scale farmers. Underserved audiences can also include other groups of
customers, such as new immigrant or refugee farmers or organic producers. We'd
like to reach you too.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership
in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural
resources and environment.