The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Southern Plains and Southwest Climate Hubs are pleased to announce the release of a new resource – the Dust Mitigation Handbook.
The Handbook was authored by Steve Smarik, NRCS State Resource Conservationist for Arizona and Liaison to the USDA Southern Plains and Southwest Climate Hubs in 2018-2019. The Handbook represents a “OneUSDA” vision for conservation management under varying and changing environmental conditions and is intended for resource managers in USDA and other land management agencies who are struggling with dust challenges and working with producers to craft solutions.
The genesis of the Handbook was born from Smarik’s nearly 40 years of work in agricultural conservation, and in recognition of a widespread challenge without an obvious solution. Dust emission from cropland and rangeland is problematic in many areas, particularly where dry conditions and high wind velocities exist. It is a problem with solutions, but, as Smarik notes, “It’s not a five-minute hallway conversation.” Smarik realized that producers and specialists both needed a resource with in-depth solutions to specific dust and wind erosion problems. For a changing future, where uncertain climate and water supply conditions may prompt farmers to fallow increasing acreage of once-actively planted cropland, this Handbook is coming as a timely resource.
Join us for the webinar on
September 20, 2019, 10:00 am US/Mountian.
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