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North American Prairie Coalition: how do we organize?

Is there discussion on how we should conduct our coalition from our desktops? Do we need a chairperson, or can we act individually and still be effective?

I suggest that we get going individually on Farm Bill issues. Lee Stone sent out two excellent emails - one with a web site of Farm Bill information http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/OPA/FB96OPA/MiscFB.html 

and the other a synopsis of the problem this bill causes to native prairies as discussed by Cindy Hildebrand at the N. American Prairie Conference this summer in Mason City, IA. (see at end of this message).

Read up on these and someone take the initiative to send out the names and addresses of pertinent people to which we can send our comments. I believe regular postal mail is more effective than email.

R, Tina Lorentzen


******Begin Message*********
Iowa's Cindy Hildebrand stated in a recent email that it's been apparent
for
several years, to her and many other prairie enthusiasts, that some
United
States Department of Agriculture conservation programs are causing
unintended but serious problems for prairie remnants.  She provided some
background information which was forwarded to this listserve for
discussion.

To recount the problem as she laid it out:
1.  In some  cases, landowners are reportedly putting cropland into CRP,
and then plowing native prairie to put into row crops.     Bastards.

2.  There is a federal requirement that woody species be planted on
marginal
riparian pastures enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program.   This
requirement is causing the destruction of native prairie remnants and is

creating unnecessary costs for landowners and agencies.

3.  On some CRP land, invasive exotic plant species are being planted,
including
exotics that invade native prairie areas.   Some agency staff are
recommending exotics.

4.  There is concern that the planting of commercial prairie cultivars
near  native prairie remnants, and near source-identified prairie
nursery  plantings, may cause the genetic contamination of those
remnants and  plantings.

5.  Some program requirements make local-origin plantings difficult,
including high grass/forb seed ratios, all-at-once planting
requirements, and lack of incentives and program flexibility.

6.  In some cases, fertilizer was required for native plantings on sites
where the fertilizer helped only weeds

7.  In some cases, new plantings were required on already-vegetated
areas where  soil conservation, water quality, and wildlife habitat
already existed.

So, my question to you folks is, do any of you have examples you can
share about of prairies being harmed by Farm Bill rules?  And, what do
you think of all this?

lee stone
Austin, TX
******************End message

***++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++***
 TINA J. LORENTZEN, Natural Resources Program Manager
 Environmental Division, PWD
 U.S. Naval Academy
 181 Wainwright Road    phone: 410-293-1027
 Annapolis, MD                email: loren@novell.nadn.navy.mil


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