Staying the Course

Opening Remarks by Bruce I. Knight, Chief
Natural Resources Conservation Service, at
National Leadership Team Meeting
St. Louis, MO
July 20, 2006


We’ve talked about 2006 being the year to consolidate the gains, fully realizing our progress over the past four years. This is the year to refine our tools and complete the work we’ve begun.

When it comes to getting the job done, I like what Teddy Roosevelt said,
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Most of you have spent the past several days here brainstorming and sharing your thoughts about how we can operate more efficiently—doing what we can with what we have, where we are—but better!

We want to maximize our time and our budgets to get the most conservation on the ground. I know that some of your innovative and creative strategies are going to pay off big time. I can’t wait.

We’ll get more bang for the buck, and the taxpayers and our customers will be the winners. Anything we can automate, any unnecessary tasks we can skip will give us that much more time to spend in the field helping our customers. And that’s a win for our employees as well.

Personnel Changes

This morning, let’s talk first about personnel changes. I hope we’ve captured them all.

Retirements

Our only retiree is Deputy Chief for Management Dwight Holman.

At headquarters:

We have a number of changes at headquarters. Kevin Brown has taken Dwight’s place as Deputy Chief for Management. And Bill Hunt is Acting Associate Deputy Chief.

John Glover begins next week as Acting Director of the Human Resources Management Division, and Chris Tippie takes over as Director of the National Employee Development Center beginning next month. Eloris Speight is the new program manager for the Performance Management and Workforce Planning Programs.

In our Programs area, we have a number of new staff: Beginning next month, Ronald Williams will be serving as Acting Associate Deputy Chief for Programs,
and Sheryl Kunickis will be acting in his place as director of the Central National Technology Support Center.

Ron Harris is the new Community and Rural Assistance Team Leader, Tessa Chadwick has come to NHQ as Grants Program Manager and Dwayne Howard is the Stewardship Programs Branch Chief. Astor Boozer is coming in as CRP Program Manager, and Robert McAfee and Laura Haynes have come on board as Presidential Management Fellows.

Febe Ortiz is now a management analyst in the Strategic and Performance Planning Division with one of the most important jobs in the agency—keeping us on track for the strategic plan.

Acting:

Special thanks to all those serving in an acting capacity: Jackie Davis-Slay is acting State Conservationist in New Hampshire, and Judy Doerner, State Conservationist in Vermont who helped out in New Hampshire before Jackie.

Jane Hardesty for her work as acting director of the National Employee Development Center.

Transition

There is one other personnel change that we need to discuss—and that’s my own.
As you all know, three weeks ago President Bush nominated me to serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. This position requires Senate confirmation, and my hearing before the Senate Ag Committee has been scheduled for next Wednesday.

If the Committee approves my nomination, things could move quickly toward possible confirmation or like the last USDA nominee could take a month or more.

I’m sure some of you have wondered what this potential move means and how it fits with my background and commitment to conservation on working agricultural lands. You all know that my heart lies with conservation, with helping people help the land. That hasn’t changed.

If confirmed, I will simply be working toward the best and highest use of our resources from a different perspective. Those of you who’ve read Collapse by Jared Diamond may find this possible change easier to understand. Diamond draws a very clear picture linking conservation and safeguarding the environment
with the health of the animals, plants and humans who share the land. All of these concerns are interrelated and interdependent. In that sense, healthy animals and plants are an integral aspect of conservation—as we’ve noted in one of our foundation goals under our new strategic plan.

At the same time, as a rancher I understand the vital importance of open, orderly markets. Encouraging trade, promoting fairness and reducing barriers are essential to agriculture. Success in agriculture depends on access to markets—domestic and international.

It’s not news to anyone in this room that sound, profitable farming and conservation go hand in hand. Productivity and conservation are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Those who make their living from the land recognize that sustainability is critical.

So, although conservation is my first passion, I believe I can effectively pursue the commitment to help people help the land through another role, which emphasizes marketing for agricultural products and protection of the environment by preserving the health of plants and animals and assuring that products reach consumers in top condition.

However, as long as I’m Chief of NRCS, I will be doing everything I can, working with you, to get conservation on the ground. As the fiscal year winds down, it’s essential that we keep that objective in mind and focus on getting our work—contracts—commitments—plans—old and new—completed.

2002 Farm Bill Accomplishments

Last month, the Senate Agriculture Committee held oversight hearings on implementation of the 2002 farm bill, and we shared a long list of our achievements over the past four years. I mentioned a few of these on Monday at the beginning of the efficiency workshop.

I’m really proud of all we’ve been able to accomplish. I think the highlights are worth repeating.

Over the past four years, we have:

• Assisted one million farmers and ranchers,

• Applied conservation on more than 130 million acres of working farm and ranchland under EQIP alone,

• Helped farmers apply more than 14,000 Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans, and

I hope when you’re wrestling with a challenge or wondering how to make things work more smoothly that you’ll remember how much we’ve done—and be encouraged—and proud.

Next week, in addition to my trip to Capitol Hill, Sara Braasch will testify at a Senate hearing on Technical Service Providers. There will also be hearings on general commodity programs, and Under Secretary Mark Rey will testify before the House Ag Committee on oversight of the conservation title of the 2002 farm bill.

2007 Farm Bill

By now I hope that you’ve all taken the time to read the Secretary’s theme paper issued June 8 on conservation issues and alternatives for the next farm bill. If you haven’t, you need to.

The paper presents options, not specific policies, for conservation programs and policies of the future. It’s posted on my.NRCS so it’s easy to find. I consider it required reading for all senior managers in this agency!

Strategic Plan Implementation

Since we last met, we’ve rolled out our strategic plan, including briefings for employees, partners and USDA and Administration staff. We’ve been getting good reviews on the plan.

The next step is to put it into practice. Febe Ortiz is heading a Strategic Plan Implementation Team—to keep us on track in following through and executing the plan.

Human Capital Strategic Plan

Thanks to Kevin Brown and his team, our new Human Capital Strategic Plan—Conservation First, People Always—is now final.

The key focus areas include:

• leadership,
• recruitment and retention,
• performance culture,
• talent development/knowledge management, and
• human capital effectiveness.

The overarching goal is to have the right people in the right place doing the right jobs with the right tools at the right time. It is already helping make a difference with OPM on issues such as the 457 series. You’ll be hearing more about our plan from Kevin this afternoon.

National Headquarters of the Future Initiative

Another project we’ve just begun is the National Headquarters of the Future Initiative. I think most of you know my philosophy on the purpose of headquarters—it exists solely to serve the needs of the NRCS state and local offices. And the state offices are there to support our field staff.

The folks in the field—the soil technicians, the district conservationists and others who work directly with producers and partners—are the most important members of our staff. We’re all here to do whatever we can to help our colleagues get conservation on the ground, to support those who are helping people help the land.

The goal of NHQ of the Future is to find ways to serve the field—and each other—more effectively and efficiently. Participating in the employee survey is a first step. We’ll move forward from there with the best ideas to clarify roles and functions, improve business processes and eliminate unnecessary workload.

Conclusion

We’ve got a full agenda shoehorned into just one day. We’ll jump from this year’s budget to next year’s appropriations, and Bill Puckett’s on the schedule twice to talk about the Major Land Resource Area reorganization as well as Continuity of Operations.

But first, there are several individuals and teams that I want to recognize with a Circle of Excellence award. Will Rich Sims, Don Gohmert, Janet Oertly, Tony Kramer, Walt Douglas and Ed Burton please come forward. Each of these State Conservationists has served on the Chief’s Advisory Team. And you’ve all been a tremendous help to me. Thanks so much!

Now would Bill Puckett please come forward. Bill is representing all those on the team that implemented the Web Soil Survey. We will be posting a framed Circle of Excellence certificate in the Chief’s conference room commemorating this achievement. Congratulations!

Finally, Kathy Gugulis and Dick Coombe. Again, Kathy and Dick are coming forward to receive the Circle of Excellence on behalf of all those who worked on the NRCS Strategic Plan. The Circle of Excellence certificate recognizing the hard work of this team will also hang in the Chief’s conference room. Thank you all!