Director Ecological Sciences Division · Marcus Miller. Agronomy. Mike Kucera. A National Soil Ecology Brach Team has been established at the National Soil Survey Center. This team
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Terrell Erickson Director Ecological Sciences Division Society For Range Management Conference February 10, 2011 Billings, Montana TE photo
Ecological Sciences DivisionSociety For Range Management
ConferenceFebruary 10, 2011Billings, Montana
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Importance and History of ESDs
Support, inclusion, acceleration
Marcus Miller Photo
ESDsESDs
are Important for:are Important for:
1.1.
Decision Support for Ecological Decision Support for Ecological Restoration and ManagementRestoration and Management
2.2.Risk Analysis and AssessmentRisk Analysis and Assessment
3.3.Performance Criteria Performance Criteria ‐‐
OutcomesOutcomes
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MOU ‐
May 2005 Interagency –supports
developing common ecological site descriptions for rangeland.
Forest Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Bureau of Land Management
Manual
‐
Rangeland Interagency Ecological Site
Manual BLM, USFS and NRCS (June, 2010). To identify and define rangeland ecological sites for inventory,
monitoring, evaluation, and management of the Nation’s rangelands.
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
The first two slides focus on where NRCS is today as we lead the ESD effort forward with interagency partnerships and support.
Finalized by an Interagency team: Rangeland
Interagency Ecological Site Handbook.
Draft Handbook available for interagency and
public comment within weeks
Training Sessions –
SRM, NRCS, BLM and
USFS are funding and co‐sponsoring 4 regional ESD training sessions. The first: Nov
2010. Three more sessions planned FY 2011TE photo
Ecological Sciences Division –
responsible for
policy and interagency coordination.
Grazing Lands Technology Development
Team – responsible for technology development, ESD database, and training.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Prior to the Chief accelerating the ESD effort the Rangeland discipline through the Ecological Sciences Division, Institutes, National Technology Support Centers, Grazing Team and the State Office provide the leadership and support to implement Ecological Site Descriptions. Ecological Sciences Division staff provided national leadership for the Ecological Site Description effort by establishing for policy, leading interagency coordination and working to establish partner support (SRM, NACD, NCBA, GLCI all developed policy in support of Ecological Site Descriptions). Staff from the Grazinglands Technology Development Team have provided support for development of site descriptions, Ecological Site Information System database upgrades, and have provided state training on a request basis.
National Technology Support Centers –
responsible for technology development and transfer, training, and assisting with
interstate coordination.
States – State Resource Conservationist staff
responsible for Ecological Site Description development and certification
Presenter
Presentation Notes
NTSC specialist have supported the development effort and have assisted with interstate correlations as requested. States, through the SRC, have always been responsible for development and certification. Certification has been often been delegated to an appropriate state discipline specialist such as a forester, or a rangeland management specialist.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
NTSC structure. Interdisciplinary team of specialist have been providing support for development and use of ESD’s, Biologist, Foresters, and Rangeland Management Specialist have worked together to develop that represents land types and uses in support of the need to support conservation planning.
Chief White Decision Memo November 2009 and in January 2010 by teleconference to State
Conservationists “Agency is accelerating ESD Development”
National Bulletin by Deputy Chiefs for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment (SSRA) and Science and
Technology (S&T) provided additional guidance that ESD efforts will be a cooperative effort between
SSRA and S&T
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
NOW, we move from the past to a discussion of the ACCELERATION effort. What led to the emphasis…a belief that a partnership between the Science and Technology Division and the SOILS Division (SSRA) could result in the completion of more products and better products. As we move this direction we will not forget the value of our partners BLM, FS,….
Acceleration is not so much a change of direction
or starting over
Acceleration means adding to the current efforts
Acceleration means doing more, doing ESDs
together, and doing them comprehensively
Acceleration on Landscape scale
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Nationwide, a small percentage of the ESDs have been completed. There is a need to increase the rate of completion and improve the quality of ecological site products. Completion of ESDs on a national scale requires the commitment of multiple disciplines, staff, and appropriate funding.
Acceleration still means:
• ESDs
are works in progress• ESDs
are Peer Reviewed
• ESDs
vary among states
• ESDs
are released for use when basic data collection is completed.
Increase S&T support to
Develop Policy and Standards
Develop Technology
Provide Training
Increase SSRA staffing to support ESD effort
Establish a National, multi‐discipline Soil Ecology Branch –
Lincoln, NE
Establish MO – Region Ecological Site Inventory Specialists (QA)
Establish MO‐MLRA level Ecological Site Inventory Specialists (QC)
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Soil Survey and Resource Assessment (SSRA) Deputy area is increasing support for the inventory and organization of ESDs. The Deputy Chief SSRA has establish 8 dedicated positions to function as a National Soil Ecology Branch. This team will be located at the National Soil Survey Center (NSSC). This team, in cooperation with National discipline specialists in the Science and Technology Deputy (S&T) area, will develop policy and provide support and guidance for ecological site inventory activities. In addition, there will be positions to provide quality assurance support at the MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices and quality control at the MLRA Soil Survey Offices. This effort supplements the on-going development of ecological sites through funding of new positions, streamlining processes, quality control and quality assurance.
Evaluating ESD Support Needs
Staffing (Current vs. Needed)
Tools
Policy
Technology Development
NHQ – Ecological Sciences Discipline Leaders will
continue to provide national ESD policy, guidance and interagency coordination.
Marcus Miller Photo
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Ecological Sciences Division is evaluating alternatives to increase support for successful acceleration of ESD development. We know we need to increase our support and are working on development of strategies that will allow us to do that.
NTSC –
Discipline specialists will provide technology transfer and training support for
ESDs
and coordinate activities with SSRA.
States –
State Resource Conservationists
Coordinate state ESD activities through
participation as member of MLRA Management Team
Certify correlated ESDs
for use in their State
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
While the range management discipline specialist at the technology center responsibilities remain essentially the same we expect other discipins will be providing additional support to this effort in the near future Perhaps on of the biggest changes is that the State Resource Conservationist will now be front and center in the acceleration efforts. They will work as a member of the Management Team to develop and cordinate Ecological Site development and certify correlated ESD.
DirectorSoil Survey
Division
DirectorNational Soil
Survey Center
Susan AndrewsNational
Leader
National Soil
Ecology Branch
(NSEB)
Rangeland SpecialistCurtis Talbot
Soil ScientistFaustine Iyamuremye
Soil ScientistCharles Kome
Soil ScientistSkye Wills
Team
Members
ForesterCraig Busskohl
Wildlife Habitat Biologist
Marcus Miller
AgronomyMike Kucera
Presenter
Presentation Notes
A National Soil Ecology Brach Team has been established at the National Soil Survey Center. This team will consist of an National Leader, Agronomist, Forester, Rangeland Specialist, Biologist and two Soil Scientist. These specialists are intended to serve as guidance for the MO and SSO level positions as well. The intent is to establish interdisciplinary teams that combine skills and expertise from a variety of sources that can provide a product and a system unparalleled in their ability to deliver quality information for land management decisions.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
7 Vegetation Specialist positions (new) have been established and filled. These positions are located on the MO Staff. These positions will provide quality assurance support at the MLRA Soil Survey Regional Offices and support the quality control at the MLRA Soil Survey Offices.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
New ESI Specialist positions have been established and filled at the MLRA Office level. These positions will be dedicated to soil/ecological site correlation and ecological site description development and will work in cooperation with Management and Technical teams at the local level. Training is a critical element to getting this group of specialist productive.
Complete an overall Ecological Site Description
Implementation Plan (Action Plan ‐
Who, What, Where, When)
Finalize Workflow Plan
Develop National Workload Analysis
Develop a communication plan
Start with teleconferences/webinars with states
Develop one National Standard for ecological sites
Manual
Handbook
Taxonomy
Interim Guidance, and
Forage Suitability Group and Cropland Working Groups
Interagency coordination of activities
identified in Action Plan
Rangeland Interagency Ecological Site Manual
identifies the establishment of an interagency workgroup to develop and recommend policy, procedures, and data management.
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Presenter
Presentation Notes
SharePoint Sites have been established where updates will be posted. The sites will also have a Q&A feature to address important developments. The sites web address are shown on the slide. This effort represents a commitment to bringing together two divisions with a long history of providing leadership in the application of science to land management and will require support and involvement from the entire agency to achieve our goals.
