Three NRCS Texas employees receive 2023 Chief's Conservation Stewardship Awards
Three NRCS Texas employees were recognized for their substantial efforts to advance conservation during the Chief's Conservation Stewardship Awards on Dec. 13, 2023.
Story by: Wade Day, Public Affairs Specialist, San Angelo, Texas
Three U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Texas employees were recently recognized for their substantial efforts to advance conservation in Texas through vision, innovation and partnership during the Chief’s Conservation Stewardship Awards (CCSA) held virtually on Dec. 13, 2023.
NRCS Texas State Conservationist Kristy Oates said, “I’m very proud to have three employees in Texas recognized for their efforts this year. NRCS Texas has employees all over the state working hard to advance the mission of NRCS and I know this will not be the last time a member of the NRCS Texas team is recognized nationally.”
The CCSA were developed to recognize those employees that have significantly contributed to the mission of NRCS. The CCSA program recognizes individual and team categories based on the Agency’s and Department’s strategic goals and objectives. The categories are:
- Community Service Award – Recognizes significant contributions that benefit local customers and communities.
- Innovation and Process Improvement Award – Recognizes proven innovative actions and processes that enhance the agency’s mission or vision.
- New Employee of the Year Award – Recognizes individuals who have three years or less of either NRCS service or in their current position, that have excelled at contributing to the improvement, quality and service of the agency.
- Mentor of the Year – Recognizes those who exemplify the highest quality of hands-on learning and instruction to accelerate another employee or partners conservation development.
- Emergency Response Award – Recognizes efforts that have gone above and beyond in internal and external responses in respect to a natural disaster.
- Outreach & Communication Award – Recognizes communication and outreach efforts that support NRCS mission delivery.
The 2023 Community Service Award was given to East Texas Plant Materials Center (PMC) Manager Alan Shadow and East Texas PMC Agronomist Dawn Stover. From 2022 to 2023, Alan and Dawn worked with the City of Nacogdoches and Texas Native Seeds to establish a conservation corridor in the median of Highway 59 coming into the city. The native plants that were used from all three PMCs in Texas, not only beautified the city, but also decreased Texas Department of Transportation mowing requirements, provided sustainable conservation and conservation outreach to the public.
This project meets the guidelines for NRCS conservation practices and Climate Smart-Agriculture mitigation activities by reducing the amount of mowing on highway right-of-way medians and establishing pollinator habitat. The native grasses and forbs used in these plantings have very deep roots which sequester carbon from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and lock it away deep below ground. While this planting was small, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of medians in Texas alone, and when done on a large scale, can provide a significant conservation effect.
Read more about this in “‘Garden capital of Texas’ blooms with pride with help from NRCS” on the NRCS Texas Website and in “Native Plants in Urban Landscapes” on the NRCS Website.
State Outreach Coordinator, State Tribal Liaison and Texas Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coordinator Floyd Nauls, Jr. received the Outreach and Communication Award. Floyd tirelessly pursues excellence in customer service. He has promoted NRCS’ strategic goal of equitable assistance as evident by his accomplishments. He facilitated a Texas Community Based Organization Round Table discussion where he conducted four meetings to review current NRCS operations and activities and solicited input on needs to improve equitable assistance. Floyd also created and trained a statewide outreach cadre consisting of 76 field staff and five zone staff to serve as historically underserved (HU) outreach points of contact. This cadre provides dedicated, direct assistance and follow-up ensuring HU customers get their needs and concerns addressed through conservation planning and program funding.
Floyd is committed to serving the tribal community of Texas. He coordinated two in-person tribal meetings and provided direct technical assistance to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. The partnership NRCS Texas has with the Tribe was highlighted during the National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in 2023.
Floyd participated in 20 outreach events across the state to promote natural resources conservation and reach new agricultural producers. He is committed to recruiting the Agency’s next generation of motivated workforce. He organized NRCS attendance at 12 career fairs at colleges and universities across Texas and participated in six of those. He organized two hands-on agriculture ranch tours showcasing NRCS work to 40 high school students and 23 students from Prairie View A&M.
Congratulations to all three of these exceptional individuals!