Government Affairs

USDA Continues Conservation Planning and Programs for America’s Farmers and Ranchers NRCS Services Available by Phone Appointment Only WASHINGTON, D.C., March 26, 2020 – USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field offices are open by phone appointment only until further notice, and NRCS staff are available to continue to provide one-on-one, customer-specific advice to producers to help them meet their unique conservation and business goals.

Accepting Public Input Online Contact(s): Larry Bonde, Wis.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Centers are encouraging visitors to take proactive protective measures to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Government Service Center agencies such as Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any others, are now requiring all visitors to CALL the agency first to set up a phone appointment.  You can find your local service center phone numbers by clicking here.

Release Date: March 3, 2020 Media Contacts: Stephanie Jentz, Gypsy Moth Public Information Officer (608)-347-1082. Leeann Duwe, DATCP Public Information Officer, (608)-224-5130   MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) will present this year’s gypsy moth treatment plan at several open house meetings March 16-19. The gypsy moth is a non-native insect with a destructive appetite for hundreds of species of trees and shrubs.

Contact: Steve Kircher at lcc@co.forest.wi.us   CRANDON, WI– The Forest County Land and Water Conservation Department in Crandon announced that it would be awarded funding through a 2019 NACD technical assistant (TA) grant, made possible through a partnership with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the USDA NRCS to build and strengthen technical capacity nationwide.

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 5, 2019 – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing.

WI Assembly EXECUTIVE SESSION – Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation The committee will hold an executive session on the following items at the time specified below: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 12:30 PM 328 Northwest Assembly Bill 856 Relating to: the managed forest land program. By Representative Mursau.

Release Date: December 26, 2019 Media Contact: Brian Kuhn, Director, Bureau of Plant Industry, (608) 224-4590 High-resolution photo: Evergreen with EHS  MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) advises consumers who purchased evergreens this holiday season to check for an invasive pest called elongate hemlock scale (EHS) and properly dispose of any holiday greenery that may show signs of infestation.

Contact: FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov   WASHINGTON, D.C., December 16, 2019 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) seeks public comments on its interim rule for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), USDA’s flagship program that helps producers plan and implement 150-plus conservation practices on working lands. The rule – now available on the Federal Register – takes effect upon publication and includes changes to the program prescribed by the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Wausau and Marathon County Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department is beginning the process of updating its Fifteen-Year Forest Plan which will guide the management of our 30,195-acre Marathon County Forest from 2021 – 2035. Please help us with this important process. We want to hear from you about issues to address with plan revisions. Please submit feedback by September 25, 2019.