... ...
Reorganization of the Natural Resource~ Conse~ation Servic~ · ·
I
The tighks:.J,g al Federal
twig,t .._md the med for
a dowsaizia.g al the gowm-
ha seaalll:'1
IOllle sig-
llll1Call~ reorganwttiOn efforts.
National Performance Re-
was completed in 1993for
all
Deputmen!5 ~d
~ , and reorgaruzation
VleW
objectives were established.
Thne objectives are cutting red
tape, putting customers first,
empowering employees, and
cutting back to basics. With
these objectives, the U.S . De-
partment of Agriculture
(USDA) ltarted its reorganiza-
tion, which is said to be the
''11109t .weeping change in the
..
130 ye• old Departmmt in
many decades."
One the USDA agencies that
has had significant changes is
the Natural Resource Conser-
vatiol1 Service (NRCS). NRCS
Chief, Paul johnaon, explained
how the reorganization would
impact the agency. He said,
"llle USDA Reorganization of
1994 brings a new name and
added responsibilitie to the
former Soil Conservation Ser-
vice. The vision remains the
same: 'A productive nation in
harmony with a quality envir-
on.m ent.' In creating the new
Natural Resoun:es Conserva-
lion Service, we will build on
the strength:, of our past 60
year history of strong partner-
ships with Federal, State and
local people delivering conser-
vation assistance. We will ex-
pand our horizons, building
new partnerships and looking
at our work more holistically
and on an ecosystem basis. We
will also be good stewards of
the taxpayer dollars and we will
create an NRCS that not only
works better, but costs less.
This is the essence of what our
reorganization/reinvention
plan is all about. "
Specific reorganimion goals
are targeted at each ~vel
thoughout the NRCS. The
overall goal is to have 80 per-
cent of the NRCS workforce at
the field'level working directly
with customers. This has ini-
tiated an array of changes
through elimination and reduc-
lion of positions. In Washing-
ton D.C., the four Assistant
Chief positions have been eli-
minated and Oivison Directors
are reduced from four to three.
Regionally, the reorganiza-
lion has eliminated four Tech-
nical Centers, which had staffs
of over 300. At the state level,
Mon - Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm
120 NE 3rd St. • Hermiston • 567-2008
each state office is to reduce
their staff by 20 percent. These
reductions have spurred the
delegation of authority to be
closer to the field levels.
However, some of the re-
sponsibilities at the national
and regional levels remain
necessary. Instead of eliminat-
ing the positions, they were
reorganized for efficiency. Five
new National Resource In-
stitutes were created to ensure
that the NRCS keeps up with
technology. These institutes are
a National Soil Survey Institute
(located in Portland), a Carto-
graphic Institute, a Snow Sur-
vey Institute, a N.ttional Em-
ployee Development Institute
a National Plant Materials In:
stitute and a Soil Mechanics
lab.
Administratively, six new re-
gional offices were created
throughout the nation. These
regional offices assist the in-
dividual state offices with ad-
ministrative responsibilities.
Although these new institutes
~nd offices involve new posi-
tions replacing some of the
eliminated positions, the
streamlining and delegation of
responsibilities and authority is
having an impact. The esti-
mates are that the number of
NRCS employees above the
field level will be reduced by at
least 50 percent.
The Oregon State NRCS has
been a national leader in its re-
organization efforts within the
state. Overall, the reduction of
personnel will be from almost
200 employees in 1990 to 175 in
1996. The distribution of the
workforce is also becoming
closer to the field. ln 1990, there
were almost 60 employees at
the State Office in Portland
which represented over 25 per:
• Shade Trees
• Pansies
•Annual,
• Bulbs
567-0166
• Evergreen Trees
• Floweri111 Shrubs
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Spring is Here!
• Fruit Trees
cent of the workforce. In 1996, "Basin Team" . Within the
there will only be 36 employ- basin team, each employee has
ees, which will be down to the responsibilities throughout the
20 percent goal of the employ- whole basin, instead o£just the
one county where their Field
ees within Oregon .
Oregon NRCS has also eli- Office is located. Then all the
minated a middle management employees thoughout the state
level by eliminating its three of Oregon are considered as
Area Offices and dispersed the part of "Team Oregon", with
staff from these to field offices some of the basin employees
to aid in their responsibilities. having multi-basin or Oregon-
Another management level wide responsibilities. Along
was eliminated when Oregon with these wider responsibili-
NRCS eliminated the 32 District ties, Oregon NRCS is delegat-
Conservationist positions . ing expanded authority, so
Then Oregon divided the state employees closer to the field
into eight Watershed Basins. and customers are able to make
Morrow County is in the John more timely and specific de-
Day/Umatilla Basin, along with cisions.
Reorganization has motivat-
Umatilla, Grant, Gilliam and
Wheeler counties. Basin Team ed many changes throughout
Leader positions were created USDA, and specifically within
to fill the necessary manage- Oregon NRCS. Changes have
ment responsibilities left from included reduced budgets,
the Area and District Conserva- reduced personnel and new
· ways of conducting business.
tionist positions.
Oregon NRCS is also chang- By applying the objectives of
ing the way they conduct cutting red tape, putting cus-
business. Instead of a strict line- tomers first, empowering em-
and-staff delegation of authori- ployees and cutting back to
ty, the staff is being reorganiz- basics, NRCS_is becoming more
ed into the "Team Concept" . efficient while maintaining a
high level of quality service.
Each basin is designated as a
Colonel Jordan Rd .
He.rmiston
FEATHERLITE ALUMINUM
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1-800-167-7235
#5015
800-831-0875
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NORntWESTS LARGEST DEALER-SINCE 1977
MSWCD Supplemental to the Heppner Gazette-Times, April 24, 1996-Page 7
Don't, top trees
•
The sight of topped trees is
all too common in the com-
munities and along the road-
ways of America-trunks with
stubby limbs standing naked in
the landscape, trees stripped of
all dignity and grace. Topping
is more than an assault on
beauty; it causes unnecessary
stress and increased risk to the
tree's health. It is also a self-
defeating exercise usually not
worth the expense, and the re-
sults pose a danger from rot
and weakly attached regrowth.
Greenup
new District
Whnn • dnr.lt1lo11 111 ,11ad., to
,,_111c:., lh., 111r . ., of an old"r frnt,,
II can 1,., h•ps-d , or II c: an 1,.,
prun"d pro1,.,rly. /\IHuou,ch 1t,.,
"l"'"d and 11ah1r., of rfl,Crowlh
wlll d"t"'nd on "l"":l.,11 and
loc~al lac:lor11, any c:01n1••rl11on
or lrn,9po1111lhl., ... ,,.,111,c 1111.
r.ompc,lc,nl prunln,C wlll t,.,
:-ton1nli11u•t1 l"H'utlo ,,,.,. ,, "P'"'l'1fl lu,.,
•••tf••r--.•nt lr1111• lur 1hr •u•ltH•c~IH n of
......... . 1( tlr'"f• 18 a n111111•·• 111nllr,y of
Myuouyuu1
• Swhhu•,c
• 11,.,,-,., 11111111
• llr•1llnl(
•
•
drama lie.
11,•11111111( '"'' k
• Stuhhinl( olT
· Topping
r)
I "1'1""111 ufl
• , ....... , .... ,111
• •~•1'1'"'111
Pruning
Year 1
manager
On May 1, 1994, Janet Green-
up became the new Morrow
Soil & Water Conservation Dis-
trict manager. She replaced
former manager, Jerry Ander-
son, who moved to Colorado.
Greenup is no stranger to the
duties and responsibilities of
the job. She came to the Mor-
row ~WCD in 1980, working
half-time as district clerk. In
1989, she became office manag-
er and went to full-time.
As district manager, Janet
will work with other federal
and s~ate agencies in planning
and implementing resource
conservation programs for agri-
cultural, recreational, commer-
cial, residential and communi-
ty purposes. She also searches
out and located additional fun-
ding sources to help cover the
cost of local conservation pro-
jects. She keeps the SWCD
Board apprised of these pro-
jects and keeps all pertinent
records. Beginning in 1995, she
began W<.'rking closely with the
Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service (formally SCS) in
determining eligibility calcula-
tions for CRP.
Greenup is right at home in
Morrow County. The daughter
of Bill and Pat Gentry, she
gr~w up in Heppner and grad-
uated from Heppner High
During the fall of 1994, the
School. Janet and her husband
Oregon
Department of Fish
Greg have four daughters:
and
Wildlife
initiated a new ac-
Amy, 22, Sara, 19, Kathleen, 14
cess
program
that allows public
and Kelsey, 11.
access to private lands for the
purpose of hunting upland
gamebirds.
Under the guidelines of the
HUNTING SIGNS cooperative access program
(CAP), the landowners sign a
agreement with ODFW, their
property is posted prior to the
Gazette-Times
season, the property is patroll-
676-9228
ed during the season and at the
11,e topped tree is an Uf!ly s•ut, and a
rcnuuon• or a onr.t- lovely tree If .,.·un.-,1
properly, Biz.e i8 reduced l,ut fonn and
beauty are retained
Year 3
Vlgoroue eprouta hawe aprung out or
the topped tree In larp numbere and
are growll\8 with abnonnal npkllty.
TIMI pruned tree adde pwth more
elowly and mon, nonnaUy dlatributed.
Year6
In • relatively at-1 tl111e, llwi tQflllfld
tree ie H tall - and far buehier and
mo.-.: d•nf'emue - than it wH to begin
w11h. The pro,~rly IJf'Unefi ,,_ ie 11arer.
m<•nt hc,n11til11l, an,1 It•.;,..., 1 ... ttr.r
,:c,111 n,11.,cl
ODFW-Cooperative Access Program
Get Your
HERE
,.
conclusion of the hunting
season, the landowners receive
a payment of .50/acre for lands
that provide upland gamebird
hunting. The .SO/acre payment
can be used to improve upland
gamebird habitat or may be
taken as a direct cash payment.
Last year, six landowners
were involved in the program
and approximately 19,000 acres
of private land were opened for
public hunting.
The CAP was expanded this
past fall and now involves 13 and/or phone numbers are not
landowners and approximate- given to the public. The hunt-
ly 43,000 acres in Morrow and ers are expected to locate the
Gilliam counties. Landowners . areas and then 9eelc permission
have opted to use either a or use the Welcome to Hunt
" Hunting by Permission,., or a areas. Landowners that allow
" Welcome to Hunt" program public access do receive liabili-
to accommodate public access ty protection under ORS
for the hunting of upland 105.655.
gamebirds.
If you are interested in the
Due to the concerns of over- program, contact Bob Krein o.-
use and overcrowding, maps of Russ Morgan in Heppner at
the various areas are not distri- 676-5230.
buted and landowners' names
-