Since 1998, NRCS and 6,000 agricultural producers in California’s San Joaquin Valley have prevented over 13,000 tons of emissions from entering area skies through investment of $56 million in air quality conservation practices.  Leading this collaborative effort was Soil Conservationist and State Air Quality Coordinator John Beyer, a 35-yr. agency employee and recent recipient of the Secretary’s 2007 Department of Agriculture Honor Award.

Only a small number of honor awards are presented each year for notable contributions to the Department’s mission, the Nation, or public service. Although the award recognizes John’s unique personal achievements in protecting and enhancing the Nation’s natural resources base and environment, he is the first to acknowledge others’ role in the partnering process that has led to cleaner air in the Golden State. “I’d like to thank all of the NRCS employees and our many agricultural partners in the San Joaquin Valley,” he said recently. “I couldn’t have accomplished what I did without their help.”

According to State Conservationist Ed Burton, John “was called upon to do something new for NRCS: find ways for California’s agricultural community to improve air quality in a way that would satisfy federal and state regulators and was acceptable to producers.”  In addition to developing conservation measures and technical and policy models now being adopted nationwide, he spearheaded a public information campaign that included outreach to growers at more than 35 meetings across eight counties.

As a result of his pioneering work, NRCS now offers expanded technical assistance controlling wind erosion and odors, reducing rural road dust, converting agricultural diesel engines to cleaner models, increasing the use of conservation tillage, reducing smoke from orchards by chipping rather than burning, and using high-tech chemical sprayers to curb release of volatile organic compounds.

A true breath of fresh air, John Beyer’s dedication and leadership will be missed when he retires from the agency later this month.
Your contact is Fred Jacobs, NRCS public affairs specialist, at 202-720-4772.