Bringing More Conservation to Tribal Lands

Remarks by Bruce I. Knight, Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service,
at the National Tribal SWCD/NRCD Conference
Las Vegas, NV
December 12, 2003

Thank you. It really is exciting to see so many people here for the First National Conference for Tribal Conservation Districts. I want to thank Thomas Begay for inviting me.

Before I begin my remarks, I would like to take a minute to introduce myself. I am first and foremost a family man. My immediate family consists of my wife, Julie; my daughter, Katherine, who is 7; and my son, Denton, who is 5.

I have a ranch in South Dakota, in reservation country. So I thought when I became Chief that I new and understood something about Indian issues. But the more I learn, the more I learn. During my time as Chief, I have visited various tribal groups, including the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community in Michigan, the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, and the Navajo Nation in Arizona. And each time, I learn many new things.

Thomas, I also want to thank your District, the Little Colorado River Soil and Water Conservation District, for hosting this conference. Putting on a meeting such is this is not an easy task, and I know it took a lot of hard work by many people. I know I speak for all the NRCS representatives here today when I tell you how much we appreciate the work you have put in to make this conference a success.

I would also like to recognize the Intertribal Agriculture Council, and your executive director, Ross Racine, for your hard work on behalf of Conservation on Tribal Lands, and the Indian Nations Conservation Alliance, and your executive director, Dick Gooby, for your support of Tribal Conservation Districts.

I would like to take a minute to congratulate the three new Districts that my friend Annabelle Romero recognized on Tuesday: the Hualapai Nation Soil and Water Conservation District, the Colville Tribal Natural Resource Conservation District, and the Tiichám Soil and Water Conservation District. It took patience and persistence on the part of the Hualpai Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to bring these three new conservation districts into being.

I was happy to learn that the English words for the name that the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation gave to their district – Tiichám – are “The Earth and all that is on it.” That really does capture the spirit of conservation as it is done by conservation districts all across the United States, and by the 26 Tribal districts.

I am also happy to see the strong interest in conservation among Tribes in the East, West, North, and South.

If you didn’t know it before, you have probably heard it this week, that the first tribal district was formed 26 years ago. The next 25 years saw new Tribal districts created at an average of just under one a year, reaching the total of 23 districts in 9 states by 2002. This year, we have just added three new districts in two additional States. And – we are here at the First National Conference of Tribal Conservation Districts.

This morning, I would like to begin with a few words about the role of conservation districts in locally-led conservation, move on to a summary of what we have been doing to implement the 2002 farm bill, and conclude with some thoughts on the bright future for Tribal conservation districts.


The Role of Conservation Districts

The role of conservation districts in helping people conserve, maintain, and improve our natural resources and environment is a unique and special role. The conservation districts are right at the center of things.

At one end of the conservation process is the individual producer the person who runs the livestock, plants the crops, and who takes care of the land. No one else can do the job of taking care of the land. No matter how much assistance and cooperation is available, nothing happens without the individual producer. The one who benefits from the productivity of the earth and who suffers when that productivity is damaged.

At the other end of the conservation process, is the government agencies and nongovernmental organizations that offer assistance to help producers implement good conservation systems. We are fortunate that our National, State, and Tribal leaders, and people all across the country recognize the importance of conservation and are willing to help defray the costs of conservation.

The conservation districts, as I said, are at the center of the conservation process. The members of the district board, as elected representatives, are the focal point of local conservation leadership. They are the link that helps keep government agencies and nongovernmental organizations informed of the needs of individual producers. They are an important source of information about local conditions, local values, and local needs. They help set State priorities. They are an important part of making sure that the outside investments in conservation are applied to the most pressing needs in the local area.

Conservation districts also have important responsibilities in the area of accountability. Districts, like everyone else involved in allocating public funding, are responsible for providing equal access and equal treatment in every program.


Farm Bill Implementation

Now, I would like to talk for a few minutes about what we have been doing to implement the 2002 farm bill. Four activities have dominated our efforts over the last year or so to implement the farm bill: getting the word out, getting the conservation on the ground – first for 2002, and now for 2003, writing the rules for farm bill programs, and implementing the Technical Service Provider process.


Getting the Word Out

We must continue our efforts to get the word out, so we are sure we have reached the underserved groups in the producer community. That is particularly important in Indian Country.

USDA is being held increasingly responsible for delivering Agriculture programs to all citizens in this country, and that responsibility flows through agreements and contracts everywhere Federal dollars are involved.

In May, we held a Partnership Diversity Summit in Washington, DC, to bring together the leaders of several major partner organizations: NACD, NARC&DC, NASCA, and NCDEA, along with the presidents of most of the NRCS employee organizations, including Herb Webb, president of the American Indian / Alaska Native Association for NRCS.


Getting the Conservation on the Ground

Our second major task has been putting the conservation on the ground.

In the summer of 2002, before the 2002 fiscal year ended, we released nearly $750 million for EQIP, WRP, WHIP, FPP, (which is now called the FRPP) and Ground and Surface Water Conservation. This year, we picked up the pace a bit, although we were still later than anyone wanted. Secretary Veneman allocated 1.8 billion to the States on Earth Day – April 22. The total allocation for fiscal year 2003 was $2.4 billion.

Last year, we designated money for Tribal lands on an acreage basis to make sure tribal lands received their fair share of the farm bill investment. We will do so again his year.


Writing the Rules

We have also been working hard to write the rules necessary to implement the conservation provisions of the farm bill. While rules may seem mundane, they are vitally important to ensuring the effectiveness of the programs.


Implementing the Technical Service Provider Process

Our other major activity during the past year has been to design and implement the Technical Service Provider process.

The huge farm bill investment for conservation creates a tremendous workload for NRCS, and the temptation would be to hire hundreds or even thousands of additional employees to get the job done. The Technical Service Provider process gives us another way – a way that is consistent with keeping government small and keeping functions that are available commercially from becoming part of the Federal government.

The Technical Service Provider process presents a great opportunity for Tribes. The Technical Service Provider process should actually strengthen the partnership between NRCS and conservation districts, States, professional associations, Tribes, and others who will be providing the service.


Accomplishments

We – NRCS and the partners – had many accomplishments in FY 2003.

– Providing conservation technical assistance.
– Completing plans for resource management systems on more than 17 million acres.
– Developing and applying more than 8,000 comprehensive nutrient management plans.
– Serving nearly 3.8 million customers around the country.
– Completing or updating soil survey mapping on 22.5 million acres. This mappings especially important in Indian Country.
– Gathering employee suggestions to streamline program delivery, and
– Working toward implementing the President’s management initiatives.

For the second year in a row, our Earth Team volunteers contributed more than a million hours of their time.


Our Strategic Plan

We still have a lot to do to implement the farm bill over the next few years. In addition to reaching out to all producers, including underserved groups within the agriculture community, we must also make sure the applications we approve meet local and national priorities and invest the conservation dollar wisely to get the most conservation done.


Focusing On Conservation Goals

In setting and meeting priorities, we have to focus more on conservation goals and less on programs. We must get as much good, priority-based conservation done on the ground as we can. One thing Tribal districts should consider is how to match your grazing needs with our conservation tools.


Getting More Conservation Done

We need to look carefully at applications in a number of ways to be sure we are getting the most for the taxpayer dollar. We also need to look at other sources of funds to see how to leverage the Federal dollar. The Federal government and the producers can get more conservation done when the cost is shared several ways.

To summarize, let me say that we have made a strong start toward implementing the new farm bill, with its tremendous investment in conservation on working lands. But to be successful in the long run, we need to be more strategic.

We need to make sure every producer knows about the farm bill and has a chance to participate. We depend on the continued efforts of conservation districts to help get the word out.

We need to focus more on overall conservation goals and less on program implementation. I mentioned that NRCS needs to focus on accepting applications that meet local and national priorities. Conservation districts can help spread the word on these priorities.

And finally, we need to get the most conservation done that we can for the money. We need to use incentives properly, and we need to leverage the Federal funding. Conservation districts can help by developing new partnerships. As we add more partners, NRCS will increasingly serve as a conservation catalyst, an enabler of good conservation.

Working together, we can make the right choices, get more conservation on the ground, and make the farm bill live up to its potential. Together we can all help producers achieve excellence in conservation.


The Future of Tribal Conservation Districts

The present 26 tribal conservation districts grew out of the recognition that Tribes and Tribal members in many locations have unique needs that can be best served through tribal conservation districts. The success over the past 26 years of the first Tribal district and those that followed, has gradually attracted the attention of other Tribes around the country.

The activities of the Intertribal Agriculture Council and the Indian Nations Conservation Alliance are proof that more people are becoming aware of the value of Tribal districts. We at NRCS support IAC, INCA and the Tribes in creating additional Tribal conservation districts wherever such districts would improve the delivery of conservation to tribal producers.

The NRCS State Conservationists will ensure that, wherever Tribal districts are created, the districts and the producers within them receive the same high-quality support and services that are available to producers everywhere.

The leaders of IAC and INCA are doing valuable work in outreach, organization, and capacity building. These organizations are valuable sources of advice. They can help us chart our direction by identifying barriers and seeking solutions that will help tribes participate more in natural resource programs. Organizations such as IAC and INCA, and conferences such this, provide forums for tribal conservation districts and tribal conservation advisory councils to showcase their needs and successes.

I know there are instances where existing laws and policies prevent government programs from functioning at optimum level in Indian Country. We at NRCS will work closely with the Tribes, IAC, INCA, and the Tribal conservation districts to find ways to accommodate your
special needs.

One example of flexibility was across the border in Arizona, where the State Conservationist and the Tribal districts have been using individual grazing districts, rather than the tribe, as the “entity” for the purpose of awarding EQIP contracts. That makes each grazing district eligible for up to $450,000 in contracts, rather than limiting the entire tribe to $450,000 in eligibility.

We’ve also found a way to get program funds to particular groups of producers to accomplish particular projects – for example, to a farm board for irrigation work – by having the Tribal Chairman sign a statement designating the specific group that will implement the project. The farm board then uses its own tax number for USDA and IRS records. This process has potential in Tribal conservation districts around the country.

This kind of flexibility and cooperation, both within the Federal government and within the Tribes, will help us get more conservation done. But where flexibility is not enough, we must look for change.


Conclusion

In conclusion, let me congratulate you again on coming together for this important conference, and on the formation of these three new Tribal conservation districts. I look forward to working with all of you to make the next golden age of conservation a reality.

Thank you.