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Financial Assistance
Conservation Innovation Grants
/ FY 2013 Conservation Innovation Grant National Awardees
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Below is a list of the Fiscal Year 2013 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) National awardees. The information includes the project location, the amount of funding, the project title and a brief description of activities and anticipated outcomes.
For more information on how the program works, please visit the CIG Program page.
A PDF copy of the 2013 National awardees is available (PDF, 81 KB)
American Rivers (CA) $561,438
The Central Valley Exchange: A Market-based Approach to Integrate Agriculture and Habitat
Increasing the area of frequently inundated floodplains is an important element in state and federal plans to restore endangered species and reduce flood risk in the Central Valley of California. Restoring some 100,000 acres of floodplain habitat is a major focus of these efforts because of the demonstrated benefit for juvenile salmon and the other ecosystem services that floodplains provide, including flood attenuation, nutrient cycling, groundwater recharge, and habitat for other fish species. Collaboration with private landowners is essential to achieving the massive restoration goals of these state and federal plans. Establishment of a market, called the Central Valley Habitat Exchange, will provide a mechanism to compensate growers and ranchers for land stewardship activities that create quantifiable floodplain habitat benefits. The model and practices developed by this Exchange will be broadly applicable to floodplains and agricultural lands across the United States.
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation (AR) $453,570
Outreach to Underserved Farmers and Landowners in Arkansas
Efforts to engage minority and limited resource farmers in conservation efforts often face unique challenges. These landowners and farm operators tend to be older and operate smaller farms with restricted earning capacity. These operators are often less aware of technical assistance opportunities and technical information on new developments, and they often have limited financial ability to invest in new practices that may have conservation benefits. To help surmount these challenges, this project aims to demonstrate the use of a case management model to design and deliver conservation services to enrolled participants. Under this model, the regional Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation Field Agent and farmer participants will assess current on-site operations and conditions and identify opportunities and priorities for improved resource conservation practices. Staff can then assist the farmer in developing and obtaining the needed management skills training as well as the required technical and financial resources to plan and implement identified actions. The project aims to help 300 limited resource and socially disadvantaged farmers and landowners develop and adopt a plan to conserve soil and water resources and to reduce, control and trap nutrient runoff.
Bat Conservation International, Inc. (CA, NV, CO, AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR) $139,495
Connecting Farmers and Ranchers to Innovative Technology in Bat Conservation
Bats are one of the most ecologically and economically important wildlife taxa worldwide, and also one of the most threatened. Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, consuming countless agricultural and forest pests nightly and directly reducing pesticide use, while preventing North American agricultural losses estimated at more than $3.7 billion per year. Project activities will bring bat conservation technologies, skills, and knowledge to partners and producers, simultaneously improving outcomes for pollinating and pest-consuming bat species in the United States with specific benefits to agricultural production. Comprehensive outreach will be conducted in eight targeted states with a collection of sound, tested, innovative bat conservation best practices for wind energy development, biofuel crop production, mine/well closures, wildlife habitat monitoring, water for wildlife, and integrated pest management.
Cape Atlantic Soil Conservation District (NJ) $91,705
Expanding Pollinator Species Habitat Sites Utilizing Compost Filter Socks
Decline of pollinator species such as the honeybee can have far reaching impacts on plant pollination and crop production. Often, farmers have a difficult time finding a plot of land on their farm suitable for creation of pollinator habitat without losing valuable agricultural production land. The time and energy cost it takes to prepare a field to plant a wildflower seed mix can also be prohibitive. The Cape Atlantic Soil Conservation District will expand or enhance pollinator species habitat areas by taking the technology of establishing a grass cover with vegetated compost filter socks and adapting it to establish on-farm pollinator habitat areas with native wildflowers.
Colorado State University (CO, NE, OK) $326,710
The 4R Nutrient Stewardship with Proven Techniques and Technologies to Enhance Nutrient Use Efficiency, Productivity and Environmental Sustainability
This project will demonstrate, educate and empower producers to achieve 4R nutrient stewardship using tested and proven techniques of quantifying and managing variability in soil and crop properties. The overall goal of this is to integrate site-specific management zone and active remote sensing approaches to increase nitrogen use efficiency. The proposed technologies and techniques will be compatible with farming practices in the Western Great Plains region and will enhance nutrient use efficiency, improve water quality, and improve sustainability, productivity and profitability of irrigated crop production systems in the region.
Conservation Technology Information Center (IA, IL, IN, MI, OH, MN, SD) $482,000
Economic, Agronomic and Environmental Benefits of Cover Crops for New and Established Users
Producers plant grasses, legumes, brassicas and/or small grains between regular primary crop production periods to gain multiple conservation and sustainability benefits, including the protection and improvement of soil and water quality and improvement of wildlife and pollinator habitat. These cover crops offer many potential benefits to farming operations and the communities that surround them. Incorporating cover crops into farming systems incurs economic and management costs that may discourage some producers from adopting the conservation practice. Farmers must evaluate any practice for its contributions to the productivity, profitability and sustainability of their operations. This project will draw on data from a wide variety of cover crops planted in seven Midwest states – Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, southern Minnesota and South Dakota – and draw upon the insight of growers with a range of experience with cover crop management. The costs and benefits of cover crops will be assessed with proven tools, from mathematical models and cost/benefit assessments to nitrogen rate strip trials, documentation of pollinators in project fields, and extensive communications with participating producers on their choices and decision-making processes. At least 1,000 acres of cover crops will be planted on farms with no previous cover crops. Results and insight from the project will be shared throughout the Midwest via an annual workshop, detailed articles in leading farm magazines reaching more than 350,000 Midwest producers, and printed and online resources, including a Best Practices booklet and fact sheets.
Cornell University (NY) $530,043
Managing Subsurface Drain Discharge Effluents with Bioreactors
Nutrient pollution from agriculture, a by-product of excess chemical fertilizer and manure applications transported off-site from crop and livestock production operations, may impair the quality of many local and downstream receiving waters. These excess nutrients may also cause substantial direct or indirect drinking and recreational water quality impairments. One specific innovative tool to address nutrient loss from agricultural row crop operations is to "Require or provide heavy incentives to place constructed wetlands or bioreactors at tile drain outlets" (Nutrient Innovations Task Group 2009). Since many factors influence the rate of nutrient removal, the goal of this project is to demonstrate and optimize treatment effectiveness and efficiency for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus off-farm loss from tile drain discharges to sensitive receiving watersheds using bioreactor technology.
The Curators of the University of Missouri (MO) $98,737
Using Precision Planting Techniques with Selected Cover Crops in Corn and Soybeans Planted in Three Tillage Production Systems
Conservation tillage is defined as a system that leaves enough crop residue on the soil surface after planting to provide 30 percent soil cover, the amount needed to reduce erosion below tolerance levels. Today, however, many farmers aim for greater soil cover because of additional benefits of crop residue. Cover crops are critical to producing this residue and have the potential to maximize conservation tillage benefits. The objectives of this project are to: 1) evaluate the benefits and shortcomings of existing methods of cover crop seeding such as broadcast seeding (a common method for cover crop establishment) compared with innovative techniques using precision planting equipment; 2) demonstrate the potential of cover crop use and establishment over a range of tillage practices; 3) quantify the impact of cover crop placement relative to subsequent row crop growth and yield by measuring biomass production of the corn and soybean crops and final grain yield; 4) quantify the impact of cover crop placement on nutrient and moisture availability; and 5) provide producer information on available cover crop establishment methods and specific benefits via newsletters, guides, videos and other media. A cost benefit analysis of seeding techniques will also be developed.
Dogwood Alliance, Inc. (WV) $45,000
Carbon Canopy Project of Dogwood Alliance
The purpose of this project is to implement a market-based approach to funding forestland conservation and stewardship practices through the creation and sale of high quality forest carbon offsets and Forest Stewardship Council certified timber management. This 2,000 acre pilot is an improved forest management project wherein the landowner commits to conserve and enhance existing forest carbon stocks on the property while planning to bring additional offsets to market as carbon stocks continue to accumulate through net growth supported by responsible forest management and ecological restoration efforts. This new, innovative model of forest conservation and management has the potential to provide a viable funding mechanism from revenue produced from forest-based carbon offsets under the California carbon cap and trade program that enables landowners to expand protection, restoration and conservation of their forests.
Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (NV) $75,964
Nevada Biochar Field Demonstration Trials: Treatment within Agricultural Pivots and Rehabilitation of Pivot Corners
Expansion and encroachment of pinyon-juniper woodlands into sagebrush steppe ecosystems can have negative impacts, including loss of wildlife habitat, increased erosion, and loss of herbaceous species. Field demonstration activities carried out through this project will assess the impact of applying biochar in production agriculture and rangeland restoration settings near pinyon-juniper encroachment areas. Turning woody biomass into biochar, and then returning biochar to the soil may be an effective method for maintaining or improving soil moisture and vegetative productivity, improve sage grouse habitat, and return soil carbon to historic levels. This technique is expected to reduce the overall cost of invasive pinyon-juniper treatment (by creating a value for invasive species woody biomass), helping stimulate the local economy.
Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. (MN, IA, IN) $992,022
The Watershed Approach: Demonstration of the Effectiveness of a Systemic and Strategic Approach to Nutrient Management in Priority HUC-12 Watersheds
Nutrient exports from agricultural landscapes are contributors to hypoxic zones in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Lake Erie Basin and elsewhere. The goal of this project is demonstrate and document how NRCS and partners can design and implement a systems approach to agricultural conservation that builds upon and connects current efforts to achieve greater water quality improvements. The value of organizing conservation efforts at a watershed scale will be demonstrated, as it bridges the field and farm scale of traditional conservation efforts with the community and/or regional scales at which drinking water impairments and downstream hypoxia must be solved. This is a systemic and strategic approach at a larger scale, which is better suited to addressing larger water quality challenges. In addition, by incorporating downstream practices that can improve the storage and management of water, such an approach creates increased resiliency to drought and flood, helping producers cope with climatic variability.
Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District (GA) $725,000
Mobilizing Access to Low-Cost Irrigation Scheduling Technology and Tools in the Lower Flint River Basin of Georgia
With GPS-guided variable rate irrigation systems that are able to adapt application rates to field conditions in real-time, and new advanced irrigation scheduling tools that are cost-effective and built for both conservation and crop performance, irrigation management on the modern farm is set to make a quantum leap forward in water use efficiency. The next step in the evolution of on-farm irrigation water management is to reduce the cost of advanced irrigation scheduling from thousands of dollars to hundreds of dollars per site to make the approach accessible to all producers. The goals of the project are to develop and deploy a new low-cost tool, help up to 50 agricultural producers optimize irrigation scheduling, and build a conservation model for the future of agricultural water use in the United States.
Heidelberg University (OH) $591,655
Verification and Enhancement of NRCS-USDA Nutrient Tracking Tool with a Suite of Best Management Practices (BMPs)
The National Center for Water Quality Research's Heidelberg Tributary Loading Program has one of the most detailed and long-term water quality data sets available in the United States, particularly for agriculture-dominated watersheds. The data show that sediment and particulate phosphorus runoff to Lake Erie has been reduced since the 1970's and is still decreasing while total phosphorus load has remained relatively constant. However, from the mid-1990's the dissolved reactive phosphorus loads have been rapidly increasing in the monitored tributaries. The overall goal of this project is to improve soil health and reduce nutrient and sediment exports from agricultural farms. The specific objectives are to: 1) demonstrate and quantify the economic and environmental benefits of a suite of best management practices (BMPs) through edge-of-field studies; 2) calibrate and verify the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and scale-up the BMP effects at different spatial scales in Northwest Ohio; 3) calibrate and verify the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) for the Great Lakes basin; and 4) promote and train the producers and stakeholders of NTT to estimate farm yield and nutrient loss. An innovative way to entice producers to adopt and implement BMPs is to make available user-friendly models (e.g., the web-based NTT) that help producers verify the effectiveness of BMPs and estimate the corresponding farm yields in their own fields and demonstration farms.
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (IA) $485,850
Demonstrating Cover Crop Mixtures on Iowa Farmland: Management, Soil Health, and Water Quality Benefits
Research shows that Iowa contributes 10 to 17 percent of nitrogen and 5 to 10 percent of phosphorus delivery to the Gulf of Mexico. The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy's science assessment has indicated cover crops have the potential to mitigate nitrate-nitrogen losses by up to 31 percent as the living cover crops will readily take up residual fertilizer nitrogen and mineralized soil nitrogen between maturity and planting of cash crops. Cover crops also have the potential to reduce phosphorus export by up to 29 percent through reduced soil erosion. This project will demonstrate and evaluate cover crop mixtures using emerging technologies and implement on 15 demonstration sites throughout Iowa; identify and address cover crop establishment and management challenges to help farmers achieve concurrent goals of a healthy ecosystem and maintaining top-end cash grain crop yields and profitability; and educate extension and outreach specialists, state and federal agency field staff, crop consultants and farmers about the soil and water quality benefits of cover crops.
Mississippi State University (MS) $120,530
Demonstrating and Enhancing Risk Assessment Tools to Determine Efficiency and Cost-effectiveness of Innovative Nutrient Reduction Strategies in the Mississippi Delta
Nutrient and sediment runoff from agricultural lands is associated with impairment of waterbodies in the Mississippi River Basin. There is a need to identify the most suitable practices and improve nutrient management plans to avoid, control or trap sediment and nutrients before they leave farm fields. The major objective of the project is to test and validate existing risk assessment tools and newly developed components on risk assessment tools, to demonstrate their accuracy in assessing the magnitude, extent and risk of soil and nutrient losses, and their utility in facilitating decision support for water quality and quantity improvement and cost-effectiveness of conservation practices at both field and watershed scales in the Mississippi Delta. The performance of the most representative quantitative and qualitative risk assessment tools used to help producers apply conservation practices, or evaluate other action plans to perform nutrient management, will be evaluated under similar scenario conditions in the Mississippi Delta. The evaluation of the group of risk assessment tools under similar scenario conditions has never been performed, and will generate important insights about the level of precision inherent to each individual tool.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (MD, PA, NY, DE, VA) $821,384
SAM Initiative: Achieving Subsurface Application of Manures in the Chesapeake Bay Basin
This project will build on efforts by researchers, cooperative extension specialists and Bay area farmers to advance the deployment of both liquid and solid manure injection technologies in high-density animal production regions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Manure injection technology- including the subsurface application of both solid and liquid manures - couples enhanced soil health and fertility with water quality improvements through reduced emissions of valuable nutrients to the environment. The project will also seek to engage the private sector to expand adoption of manure injection systems through collaboration with nutrient management planners and custom manure applicators. Partners will build on previous successes and base next steps on lessons learned to address technical barriers in a promising solid manure injection technology and expand demonstration and producer outreach for liquid manure injection systems that have been successfully reengineered for use in rocky soils characteristic of upland areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
National Network of Forest Practitioners (MS, AL, GA) $399,200
Peer-Based Outreach to Underserved Landowners in the Black Belt for Longleaf Restoration and Prescribed Fire
Historically underserved landowners have not participated in USDA programs at the same rates as their counterparts. Current efforts by USDA to improve outreach to historically underserved producers will be complemented by this project. Community-based outreach techniques will be used to engage underserved landowners in Longleaf Pine restoration and management, including use of controlled burning. Project methods include development of 18 Woodland Advocates with intensive training on longleaf production and management, including controlled burning. Two educational videos will be produced as motivational and educational tools for use in workshops, and made available online for absentee landowners. One hundred twenty landowners will be supported in applying for EQIP, forest management plans, or other tangible steps to improve their forest management. In addition, a landowner targeting approach focused on Longleaf restoration related activities and opportunities will be piloted.
The Nature Conservancy (MD) $184,560
Demonstrating the Efficacy of Floodplain Restorations Identified as Optimal for Enhancing Hydrology and Improving Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Floodplain forests provide critical water quality and sediment/nutrient storage functions when hydrologically connected to adjacent streams and rivers. Floodplain reconnections provide ideal opportunities to store floodwaters, and enhance instream water quality and habitat conditions. This project will demonstrate and quantify the efficacy of reconnected bottomland hardwood floodplains to improve water quality by trapping nutrients and sediment and also to enhance habitat and flood water storage by restoring wetland hydrology. An innovative targeting tool, which predicts 1) where floodplain functions can be restored throughout a watershed; and 2) the mass of sediment and nutrients potentially captured or retained in candidate restoration sites, will be evaluated. This analysis of the ability of restored wetlands to provide targeted ecosystem functions will inform recommendations for targeting and designing floodplain reconnections, providing decision support tools for implementing the most cost-effective practices to improve flood protection, water quality, and wildlife habitat benefits while maximizing crop production.
The Nature Conservancy (OR, NV, ID) $324,851
Sage-Grouse Conservation: Linking Practices to Habitat Metrics
Land managers in the Interior West's sagebrush landscape have made significant efforts to improve habitat for the greater sage-grouse and all sagebrush-obligate species. However, there is a serious lack of information about the best conservation practices to implement in sagebrush ecosystems, due to their complexity in terms of factors such as soil, microclimate, invasive species, fire regimes, current habitat state, historical impacts, and more. All of these factors play a role in determining which conservation practices should be implemented at each site. Yet land managers often have no tools to determine which actions at each site would provide the most benefits to sagebrush habitat at the least cost. This project will develop new tools for land managers to more effectively and efficiently conserve and restore sagebrush habitat in the Interior West by merging and refining existing models linked to important ecological sites; reviewing and summarizing existing literature about the effectiveness and benefits of key conservation practices for sage-steppe ecosystems and sage-grouse habitat; and incorporating findings into existing models. The literature review will also identify knowledge gaps to be addressed in future work.
North Carolina Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, Inc. (NC) $207,267
Determine Certainty Program Framework of a Market Based Conservation Initiative for Longleaf Pine Habitat Improvements in Eastern North Carolina
This project will focus on the development of a habitat exchange system framework for wildlife species mitigation at an ecosystem level with an emphasis on market-based conservation and Certainty Program models within the traditional range of the longleaf pine ecosystem in eastern North Carolina. The integration of these approaches will present a substantial innovation in the delivery of wildlife habitat conservation on a landscape scale and provide a pilot model approach that can be expanded and replicated regionally within the ecosystem and nationally to address other ecosystem needs.
North Carolina State University (NC) $450,750
Refining Nitrogen Rates for Corn in North Carolina using Producer-based Tools: Adapt-N and Yield Database
Nitrogen management on corn silage and grain acres is costly and risky for producers. Inefficient crop nitrogen use limits yield and results in increased water and air pollution. Nitrogen application is generally the largest fossil fuel input on corn grain acres. Excessive nitrate levels in groundwater and nitrogen-induced hypoxia in estuarine areas from agricultural sources are persistent concerns for human and ecosystem health. Nitrous oxide lost from soil, which traps about 300 times more heat per molecule than CO2, constitutes agriculture's largest global warming source. As the largest user of nitrogen fertilizer, corn production is the principal contributor to these problems from cropping systems. The primary project objectives are threefold: 1) to improve the accuracy and value of NRCS nutrient management investments through the 590 Standard in NC by updating the data upon which recommendations for nitrogen (N) rates are made--the realistic yield expectation (RYE) table for corn; 2) to determine whether Adapt-N, an in-season tool developed in the Northeast United States, can be used to make improved corn N-rate recommendations in the South and thereby reduce N loss to the environment; 3) to provide expanded corn N-rate information to the Multistate Coordination Committee and Information Exchange Group, NEERA-1002 (Adaptive Management for Improved Nutrient Management), as the group moves towards its vision of developing a national database that will use meta-data analysis to increase the reliability of N-rate recommendations for corn.
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project (OK) $600,000
Enhancing Agricultural Production for Native American and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers
Native American and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (NA&SDFR) in Oklahoma face many challenges including: high costs of production with poor economies of scale due to their small sizes; difficulty accessing government programs, such as field crop/commodity programs; and less access to farm credit both public and private. USDA has introduced a number of programs to address these farmers needs, and is working to raise awareness of the USDA and its programs by sharing information. This project has a dual purpose: to further enhance NA&SDFR access to USDA programs; and to improve NA&SDFR's agricultural production capacity and drought resilience. Project methods include enhancing networks and collaborations with NA&SDFR in Oklahoma; identifying NA&SDFR needs; identifying NA&SDFRs obstacles to participation in USDA programs; developing culturally sensitive outreach and training programs to enhance NA&SDFR awareness of and participation in USDA programs; developing a culturally appropriate protocol for building trust and enhancing NA&SDFR access to USDA programs; and enhancing NA&SDFR adoption of solar water pumps and other green technology to help improve drought resilience.
Pacific Gateway Center (HI) $180,922
Sustainable Solar for Beginning Farmers (SSBF) with Limited Resources
Sustainable Solar for Beginning Farmers (SSBF) with Limited Resources, in collaboration with Solar Wave (SW), will design and build an affordable solar-powered refrigeration container system. This project utilizes technology created by NASA that has been successfully applied especially in the military context but SSBF has re-engineered the concept using affordable components and it now has potential applications for agricultural operations. These units are designed for disadvantaged farmers who lack effective refrigeration systems on site because of the exorbitant start-up costs of solar powered energy systems. Solar panel installation on storage containers will provide not only essential lighting for predawn hours access but also sufficient power for a drip irrigation monitoring system. For smaller farm operations lacking access to on site refrigeration, sunlight can wilt produce and degrade cardboard boxes used for produce storage. With on-site refrigeration, product competitiveness is enhanced vis-à-vis comparable mainland products and post-harvest crop losses reduced. A demonstration model that consists of a 24' long x 8' wide x 8'6" tall used, recycled shipping container and a DC cooling system that will be powered by 8-12 solar panels and/or rechargeable battery will be created. Four additional containers will be assembled by the farmers themselves, with assistance, so that they become invested and stakeholders in this process. Education and training on the technology and understanding of energy conservation by the farmers will be provided, reducing agricultural fossil fuel dependency, enhancing financial viability of beginning farmers with limited resources, and introducing innovative, cost-saving measures.
Pheasants Forever, Inc. (VA) $631,218
Integrating Pollinators into Bioenergy Crops
The dramatic decline of native and managed pollinator populations has been well documented in the past decade. Population declines are attributed to several factors, but chief among them is the continued loss of specific pollinator habitat needs. The establishment of pollinator field borders associated with dedicated energy crops is not a common practice that is currently used or promoted. This project will help determine the pollinator habitat value differences between placing the habitat on unharvested field edges vs. incorporating throughout a field that will be harvested for dedicated energy crops. This project will begin to address the critical pollinator habitat needs by integrating pollinator habitat into bioenergy production fields. Pollinator habitat will be designed and established using seeding mixtures designed to produce: 1) a diversity of flowering species throughout the entire growing season; 2) species with different size, shape and color of flowering parts; and 3) habitat structures that provide access to bare ground for native pollinator nesting sites.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research (TX, OK) $275,108
The Impacts of Soil Health Management Systems Including Residue Management, Cover Crops, Diverse Crop Rotation, and Increased Soil Microbiology and their Relationships with Nutrient Cycling, Soil Water Availability, and Plant Growth
This project will demonstrate effectiveness and incorporation into local farming systems of management practices that have been shown to work in other parts of the country but have not been widely adopted in sub-tropical, semi-arid regions of Texas and Oklahoma. Cover crops will be used to enhance nutrient deficient soils and suppress weeds to the point where productive perennial forages can be established. In addition the use of cover crops sown into established perennial Bermuda grass pastures to enhance soil organic content, soil water holding capacity and soil fertility will be explored.
U. S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (US) $100,000
Assessing CIG Source Water Protection in Forested Watersheds: Synthesizing Lessons Learned to Improve the Effectiveness of Future Projects
Recognizing that conserving forests is a cost-effective, common-sense strategy for securing clean drinking water and other watershed services, stakeholders nationwide seek to harness the power of incentives to promote conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of forests and other working lands. A comparative assessment is essential for developing a collective understanding of best practices in the use of incentives for source water protection. This project will meet a strong demand from watershed stakeholders nationwide for tools and guidance to improve the success and financial sustainability of incentive-based approaches to forested watershed conservation. This will, in turn, increase the likelihood of positive engagement in such programs by EQIP-eligible landowners. Project results will also be useful for NRCS grantmaking and technical assistance programs. Improving the success of source water protection projects will provide new revenue streams for landowners, protect drinking water sources, and conserve important wildlife habitat. Results from this analysis of previously-funded NRCS projects will enhance the success of future efforts, saving time and money and accelerating conservation outcomes.
U. S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (SC, AL, NC) $700,000
Demonstrating Transferable Sustainable Forestry Technologies, Outreach, Landowner Support Systems, Capital, and Market Access to Conserve Land for Socially Disadvantaged and Limited Resource Landowners in the Southeast
Forestland in the Southeastern U.S. is threatened by alternative land uses and historically underserved landowners are in some cases losing ownership of historic rural family land. Through introduction of new forestry technologies, creation of comprehensive systems of land owner outreach and support, increased access to Farm Bill programs such as those administered by NRCS, and increased access to traditional and emerging forest products markets, the project will restore, enhance, and conserve privately-owned African American forestland in the southern U. S. Well-managed forests increase income, asset value, and long-term land retention. Land returned to healthy forests will also have beneficial conservation and environmental impacts.
University of Georgia (GA) $132,764
Improving Nutrient Management by Beginning Farmers by Predicting Nitrogen Release from Cover Crops
The current inability to develop credible, accurate nutrient budgets when using cover crops in a rotation limits adoption and use of cover crops, resulting in continued soil health degradation and excessive fertilization/water quality impacts. This project will demonstrate the effectiveness of a new tool (MinImob) to manage nitrogen from cover crops. MinImob calculates how much nitrogen should be available based on soil type and other localized parameters. Demonstrations will be established at five farms over two years. The benefits of using MinImob will be transferred and communicated to producers using factsheets, field days, workshops, newsletters, and websites.
University of Tennessee (TN) $634,107
Long-Term Impacts of Cover Crops, Crop Rotations, and Conservation Tillage Systems on Soil Properties, Nutrient Cycling, Soil Water Availability, and Crop Productivity
Cotton, soybean, and corn are the major crops in Tennessee and the Mid-South region. Increasing the competitiveness of these crops in global markets and minimizing the adverse impacts of their production on natural resources and environment remains a big challenge. The objectives of this project are to: 1) demonstrate and quantify the long-term impacts of cover crops, crop rotations, and no-tillage systems and their interactions on soil chemical, physical, and biological properties; 2) demonstrate and quantify cover crop relationships with nutrient cycling, soil water availability, and cotton, soybean, and corn productivity; 3) demonstrate and quantify the differences in nutrient and available water holding capacity of soil systems under long-term no-tillage with cover crops compared with systems using tillage with no cover crop; and 4) disseminate the results of this project to NRCS, farmers, university extension agents, private consultants, and other interested groups and individuals in Tennessee and other mid-southern states. The long-term goal is to encourage the adoption of conservation management practices and systems to improve soil health, environmental quality, crop productivity, and grower profitability.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (DE, VA, MD) $748,648
Decreasing Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Drainage Waters using a Comprehensive Drainage Management Approach
The Chesapeake Bay and its watershed have been the focus of much public attention and substantial conservation efforts. However, despite four decades of efforts to reduce non-point source nutrient pollution, excess nutrient delivery continues to persist in many parts of the watershed. Controlling nutrient loss from artificially drained agricultural lands on the Atlantic Coastal Plain requires a comprehensive approach that includes field and drainage management practices to address production and water quality concerns. This project seeks to integrate field and drainage management practices to develop, demonstrate and test a comprehensive approach to drainage management that can be readily adopted by producers on the Coastal Plain. Working closely with conservation personnel and producers, comprehensive drainage/ditch management systems will be installed and effectiveness demonstrated on the Coastal Plain of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. Technologies to be incorporated include gypsum curtains, biofilter curtains, biofilter reactors, active drainage management, and low-disturbance ditch maintenance practices. These field activities will be closely coupled with educational activities aimed at producers, drainage districts and conservation personnel. Feedback from producers, drainage districts and conservation personnel will be used to adjust the practice development and implementation.
Wes-Mon-Ty RC&D (WV) $48,728
Historically Underserved Specialty Crop Farmer Demonstration of Scale Appropriate Winter Cover Crop Rolling/Crimping Technologies for Improved Soil Health
Killing a cover crop can provide a mulch on the soil surface, helping retain soil moisture and making soils more resilient to drought conditions. Farmers can kill cover crops using herbicides, but they can also kill them by "rolling and crimping" the plants. However, most "roller/crimper" implements are designed for medium to larger scale farmers. Furthermore, many beginning farmers and limited resource farmers lack capital for simple machinery. Many such farmers may only own hand tools and/or simple garden tillers. The lack of access to appropriate technology to enhance soil health will be addressed by demonstrating and transferring innovative, scaled down cover crop crimping alternatives such as foot powered crimpers, and providing a blueprint for the on-farm construction of this technology. This project may have wide-spread application to promote adoption of cover cropping on small-scale specialty crop operations.
White River Irrigation District (AR, MO, MS, LA) $663,500
Adopting Emerging Conservation Practices for Rice Production in the Mississippi River Basin Rice Growing Region
About 2.5 million acres of rice is produced in the lower portion of the Mississippi River Basin. This represents approximately 75 percent of the Nation's rice production. 100 percent of these acres utilize flood irrigation methods to manage nutrients, control weeds, and provide water to meet plant requirements. Production practices, irrigation water management methods, drainage water management practices, and nutrient management methods are similar across the region. Researchers have been testing alternative rice-growing practices that are common in the Far East but have so far seen limited adoption in the lower Mississippi Valley rice growing region. The goals of this project are to: 1) implement the new rice production practices on 10 percent (200,000 acres) of the rice production acres by 2016; 2) develop an analysis tool that assesses rice production practice options and economic risks; 3) develop a record keeping tool that tracks farmer decisions and is acceptable for carbon trading; and 4) develop an automated mapping capability using satellite imagery to map soil moisture, water use, and track rice practice adoption across the region.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network (IA, NE, MN, WI, IL, IN, MO) $525,043
Women Caring for the Land: Engaging Midwest Women Farmland Owners in Improving Conservation and Soil Health
Women now own or co-own 50 percent of the farmland in Iowa, and the percentage of those who are sole landowners is rising as they inherit land from spouses and fathers. Comparable data are not available in neighboring states, but similar demographics and agricultural systems are present. A typical Midwestern female farmland owner is 65 and older, leases farmland to a tenant, and is highly interested in conservation and preserving her farm for the next generation. Women, Food and Agriculture Network has been working with Midwest women farmland owners for 16 years. The project goal is to improve soil health across seven states in the upper Midwest by increasing soil health literacy among area women farmland owners, and supporting their efforts to improve soil health on the land they own and lease. The women landowners will learn the basics of what constitutes healthy soil, some simple soil testing methods, , and best management practices to support healthy soil that they can discuss and adopt with their tenants. A set of publications for women farmland owners about managing for healthy soil will also be developed in consultation with an advisory group of women farmland owners.
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Issue Brief #3720 on Health Care
September 7, 2012
September 7, 2012 | Issue Brief on Health Care
In its opinion on the Obamacare case, the Supreme Court found Congress exceeded its Constitutional authority by conditioning existing Medicaid funding on state adoption of the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare. The ruling effectively made the expansion optional.
Supporters of Obamacare, as well as some health care stakeholders—particularly hospitals and clinics—have since contended that states should voluntarily adopt Obamacare's Medicaid expansion. They claim that expanding Medicaid will entail little to no cost to state governments, since the federal government will fund the vast majority of the additional costs. Indeed, some analyses project states achieving savings from adopting the expansion. However, state lawmakers should be wary of accepting such analyses at face value.
Setting aside that Obamacare's unnecessary and unaffordable Medicaid expansion will negatively affect their constituents as federal taxpayers; state lawmakers have other reasons to be wary of "free money" arguments. They should closely scrutinize the assumptions behind studies that project favorable state fiscal effects from expanding Medicaid, especially:
Projected Savings from Reduced State Spending on the Uninsured. Hospitals and clinics have proven adept at blocking or reversing cuts to state "supplemental" funding for treating the uninsured. For example, the 2006 Massachusetts health reform legislation, which transformed supplemental payments going to "safety net hospitals" into premium support for the low-income uninsured, achieved near-universal coverage. However, Massachusetts's safety-net hospitals have successfully lobbied to continue receiving over $200 million a year in supplemental payments from state taxpayers.[1]
Under Obamacare, it is even more implausible to assume state savings from cutting uncompensated care payments, since any state payment cuts would have to be imposed in addition to Obamacare's federal payment cuts. Obamacare cuts federal Medicaid "Disproportionate Share Hospital" (DSH) funding by $18.1 billion and Medicare DSH funding by $22.1 billion over the years 2014–2020.[2] Furthermore, the President's Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposed an additional $8.25 billion in Medicaid DSH cuts for 2021 and 2022.[3] Consequently, governors and state legislators should expect their state's hospitals and clinics to lobby them for more—not less—state funding to replace reduced federal supplemental payments.
Estimated Costs Due to the "Woodwork" Effect. The Obamacare exchanges will systematically identify and enroll millions of individuals in either Medicaid or subsidized exchanges. Even if a state does not expand Medicaid, it can expect enrollment and spending to increase in 2014 as a result of what Medicaid officials refer to as the "woodwork" effect: Individuals who qualify under current law for Medicaid, but are not enrolled, coming "out of the woodwork" to enroll. For those individuals, the normal federal Medicaid match rates will still apply.
Any state that adopts the Obamacare Medicaid expansion will likely reinforce and exacerbate this effect. State lawmakers should probe whether the woodwork effect is fully accounted for in the analyses they are given.
Administrative Cost Estimates. Obamacare's "enhanced" federal match rates for the Medicaid expansion population (100 percent in the first three years; 90 percent in 2020 and thereafter) apply only to benefit spending. Medicaid's existing, separate administrative cost match rates will still apply to any additional administrative spending. Nationally, on average, administrative expenses add 5.5 percent on top of total (federal and state) benefit costs, with states paying about 45 percent of those costs.[4] Thus, every $100 of new Medicaid benefit spending generates about $5.50 in additional administrative costs, of which states pay around $2.48.
States will still have to pay their share of the added administrative costs even during the initial three years of the expansion, when the federal government funds all benefit costs. State lawmakers should ensure the additional administrative costs their state would incur from expanding Medicaid are included in any analysis of state fiscal effects.
Cost to States for Covering Individuals Who Would Otherwise Be Eligible for Exchange Subsidies. The Obamacare Medicaid expansion will enroll all individuals with incomes below 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). If a state does not adopt the expansion, then individuals with incomes at or above 100 percent of FPL will instead qualify for the new federal exchange subsidies. This applies to not only new enrollees that would otherwise be added to the Medicaid rolls by the expansion, but also to existing enrollees with incomes at or above 100 percent of FPL.
Thus, a state adopting the expansion will not only incur Medicaid costs for a portion of the expansion population that would otherwise receive subsidized exchange coverage (at no cost to the state), it will also be unable to reduce state Medicaid costs by shifting current enrollees with incomes between 100 and 138 percent of FPL into the exchanges. State lawmakers should check that any fiscal projections accurately account for these alternative coverage scenarios.
Projected Increases in State Tax Revenue. In theory, new federal spending from the Obamacare Medicaid expansion will be income to someone (e.g., various health care providers) who will then pay state taxes on that income. Economists calculate such effects by applying what is called an "economic multiplier" to the new spending.
If an analysis uses a multiplier of 1, then the study's author is assuming that every dollar of new spending will generate a dollar of new taxable income. Some believe new government spending produces a multiplier greater than 1, as the recipients in turn spend some of that additional income, generating more economic activity. Others point out that the taxes to pay for the new government spending reduce economic activity, meaning the multiplier should be reduced to reflect that offsetting economic "drag."
Government spending multipliers are highly uncertain. A recent survey of the economic literature found multipliers ranging from 0.5 to 2.0, but concluded that justification was strongest for multipliers of between 0.8 and 1.2.[5]
State lawmakers should question the appropriateness of any economic multiplier assumed in a fiscal analysis. It is highly unlikely that all of the additional federal Medicaid spending will translate into new taxable income or spending within the state. For example, federal Medicaid funds paid to out-of-state providers will not be subject to the state's income tax. Similarly, if some of the additional income is spent outside the state, it will not generate in-state sales or excise tax revenue. Furthermore, any additional state spending associated with the expansion will come from increased taxation, creating an economic "drag."
Uncertainty of Future Federal Medicaid Match Rates. Although Obamacare stipulates the federal government will pay at least 90 percent of the benefit costs of the Medicaid expansion, state lawmakers have no guarantee future Congresses will keep that promise. Indeed, the Obama Administration has already foreshadowed that possibility in the President's FY2013 budget by proposing to combine the various existing and new Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) match rates (including those in Obamacare, which have not taken effect), into a single "blended" match rate for each state.[6] Depending on how a "blended" rate is calculated, the change could result in significant shifts in program costs from the federal government to states.[7]
There is an old adage that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. When it comes to studies purporting to show positive state fiscal effects from adopting Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, state lawmakers should keep that folk wisdom in mind. They should closely scrutinize the assumptions behind the numbers and decide for themselves whether those assumptions, and the estimates produced using them, are in fact realistic.
Edmund F. Haislmaier is Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Health Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. Drew Gonshorowski is Policy Analyst in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation.
Show references in this report
[1]For more information, including state-level data tables, see U.S. Government Accountability Office, Medicaid: States Reported Billions More in Supplemental Payments in Recent Years, GAO-12-694, July 2012.
[2]Congressional Budget Office, "Selected CBO Publications Related to Health Care Legislation, 2009–2010," December 2010.
[3]U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Fiscal Year 2013: Cuts, Consolidations, and Savings, Budget of the U.S. Government (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2012), p. 169, http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/ccs.pdf (accessed August 30, 2012).
[4]April Grady, "State Medicaid Program Administration: A Brief Overview," Congressional Research Service, Report for Congress, updated May 14, 2008.
[5]Valerie Ramey, "Government Spending and Private Activity," National Bureau of Economic Research, January 2012, http://www.nber.org/papers/w17787 (accessed August 29, 2012).
[6]U.S. Office of Management and Budget, "Fiscal Year 2013: Cuts, Consolidations, and Savings," p. 169.
[7]Drew Gonshorowski, "Medicaid Expansion Will Become More Costly to States," Heritage Foundation Issue Brief No. 3709, August 30, 2012, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/08/medicaid-expansion-will-become-more-costly-to-states (accessed September 7, 2012).

subset: commoncrawl


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Rank: 12202
Not recently active
My Life: Hardcore Vegitarian, Animal Activist, Pet Sitter, Rocker Chick nerd, hippie... while Married & Raising two sons and 3 very large dogs! I had a accident 5 years ago and blew out 5 disc's in my neck & my left shoulder... I'm deemed disabled & have to suffer through many surgeries. It causes daily pain & takes me away from my pt job as a pet sitter, but on the bright side it gives me time to help animals and be a good mother to my sons!


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Friday, May 3 at 11am and 1pm
Delta College room K-109 (see map)
Get help filling out your FAFSA from our financial aid experts. No appointment is necessary, but seating capacity is limited. Students will be served on a first come, first served basis.
What you will need to bring:
1961 Delta Road, University Center MI 48710 |
989-686-9000 | firstname.lastname@example.com
Delta College is an Equal Opportunity Organization, committed
to excellence through inclusiveness and diversity.
Copyright © 2013


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He had his jersey – an offense that I particularly dislike. He hid it well but it was still interference. Packers got a huge break there. Shocking though that Cutler didn't throw that to Marshall.
Actually – on the replay that was interference on Shields
2 Responses to "Actually – on the replay that was interference on Shields"
u156coop Says:
December 16, 2012 at 2:58 pm |
As man6 calls that went against the PACK this year they deserve a couple
Schaefer Says:
December 16, 2012 at 3:01 pm |
hell yeah! I hate the bears


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So I'm just going to straight out admit that besides reading all the reviews and information about puerh I really know nothing about it. I'm a complete beginner, but I dearly want to jump into it.
Really I'm looking for any help/advice/insight/etc. on where to start, what I should first give a try, basically any knowledge you can fill my brain with would be much appreciated.


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Beer-chucking Chicago Cubs fan Johnny Macchione is now guilty of two misdemeanors after dousing Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino with a cold Bud Light. However, Macchione is even more guilty of being a coward after making an acquaintance originally take the fall for him.
The Bartlett native turned himself into police on Thursday after he couldn't run away from the large collections of videos plastered all over the Internet identifying him as the despicable culprit.
Read More →
"It was a big mistake. I'd like to apologize to Shane Victorino," said the 21-year-old, who described himself as a lifelong Cubs fan. "It really is nothing against him. It was a mistake like I said." …


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The Seattle Police Department cautions against using crime and/or other police data to make decisions/comparisons regarding the safety of an area or the amount of crime.
Crime statistics represent only police services where a report was made and do not include other calls for police service.
The data do not reflect or certify "safe" or "unsafe" areas. When looking at crime statistics it is important to consider geography (business vs. residential), and major institutions that exist within the boundaries (i.e. hospitals, schools, parks, etc.) of the reporting areas.
Data will sometimes reflect where the crime was reported versus where the crime occurred.
Areas with a high volume of foot traffic or that are more densely populated may have more reported crime. This does not necessarily mean more crime occurs there, but that more crime is reported there.
Crime statistics 2010
Through December, Major Crimes were down citywide by 6% when compared with the 2009. The citywide crime trend in 2010 was different from that in 2009. By the end of 2009, there had been citywide increases in both Violent Crimes and Property Crimes. As of the end of 2010, Violent Crimes were down by 9% compared with 2009, led by a 20% decrease in robberies. Property Crimes were down by 5% across the City, with a slight increase only in vehicle thefts.
Adjusted for population, the crime rate per 1000 in 2010 was the lowest since 1967. The City also had the fewest homicides since 1956.
The table below shows the Major Crimes totals for the last ten years, along with a comparison of the 2010 totals with the ten-year average. As indicated in the table, the totals for all Major Crimes in 2010 were below the ten-year averages. Overall total number of Major Crimes was 15% lower than the ten-year average.
Citywide Major Crimes Trends ( PDF )
Citywide Major Crimes Trends ( XLS )
Through December, four precincts posted decreases in Violent Crimes, when compared with 2009, with one precinct showing a single-digit increase. Also through December, four of the five precincts showed decreases in Property Crimes, while one posted a single-digit increase when compared with 2009. As of the end of 2010, burglaries were down in three precincts and up by single-digits in two precincts. Vehicle thefts, which had been up markedly earlier in the year, ended the year down in two precincts and up by single-digits in two others.
The files below provide precinct-level Major Crime statistics at the precinct, sector and beat levels.
(Links to PDF )
(Links to XLS )


text:
Blake Grimwood, 20, Dallas
2) Years of paintball experience:
3) Are you familiar with IP Board:
4) What other message boards have you moderated, started, or assisted with:
I'm helping start up Shocker Owners with Sweet V
5) What sections would you like to help the TechPB community out with?
6) Have you ever worked at a paintball store, field, or within the industry?
Yes, I have reffed and worked at a store
7) Have you played in any major events? Scenario Games, National Tournaments, etc?
8) Any other forums you currently moderate at?
Shocker Owners
9) Fill out an employment application, send us a copy of your valid drivers license and consent to background check.
I would be happy to
Edited by LV Backpacker, 20 February 2013 - 07:44 PM.


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I'm sorry you find it offensive, but NO I do not agree with any of your statements.
The power of that song is that it makes a number of statements...of course it speaks to the feminist perspective about the horrors that women undergo in a world of out of control patriarchy, but it also uses a word, that speaks to another historical disenfranchisement...that of African Americans. It should be noted that while I'm sure that there were individual people , like yourself (and you have every right to be) who were taken aback or offended, that not only were there no groups at all, not one, ever who spoke at at being offended by it, but quite the opposite, many women's & Black groups came out in huge vocal support of the song, noting the power & grace & intelligence with which it made it's many points.
A friend of mine on FB, recently picked the 5 greatest songs he knew, he himself is a lifelong songwriter with a Master's in English with concentrations in the areas of litreature of the disenfranchised/outsiders, and he, quite literally, specializes in women's & American Black literature...he chose this song as one his 5 greatest songs ever. He is also VERY left of center, to say the least politically. If that doesn't speak volumes about both the intent, and effectiveness of the song. I don't know what does.
You have every right to your opinion, and while the severity of the method Lennon chooses, is powerful...it is so by choice...he did it to mirror the severity of the conditions about which he wrote. Sometimes John dropped the F bomb to make a point, because he felt so strongly, here he dropped the N bomb...in any such cases most people got that he wasn't being lewd, or making any slurs...quite the opposite, he was being eloquent, extreme maybe, but eloquent, in the interest of advancing the truth about justice that was needed somewhere it was lacking.
Maybe you might think about the song from the perspective I've outlined...you may still find it noxious...as I said taht is your right, but after thinking about how the majority of people encounter it, maybe you'll reconsider your request to have it banned. If not then all I can say is that I not only don't support your request here, but I am very opposed to what you are requesting. It is an important song, that needs to be heard, and banning it would an ironic, and unfortunate choice, to the extreme.
Here is John handling answering criticisms such as yours...I hope this helps...


text:
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text:
The Power of Independent Thinking
This presentation is from our 2012 Challenge of Liberty Summer Seminar for high school students, which was held from June 18 to 22, 2012, at the Independent Institute Conference Center, Oakland, California.
View videos and more information about the Summer Seminars.
Recorded: Wed. June 20, 2012Experts: Benjamin PowellType: Challenge of Liberty SeminarsIssues: Antitrust, Competition, and Monopoly, Business, Economic History and Development (U.S.), Free Market Economics


text:
Tag the Weather
September 25, 2013
In order to increase sales among women in Sweden, Gillette Venus launched an Instagram-centric campaign that gave participants the chance to win a trip to Miami.
Members Only Content
This content is available to ANA Members only. Please login below or create an account.
You may already be a member. Find out if your company is already an ANA member.


text:
Members of Harrisburg Kiwanis Club gathered with the Harrisburg High School Band Wednesday to present a $1,000 check to the band in order to further the high school's music program.
The money was raised through the sale of a DVD and CD documenting the city's recovery from the Leap Day Tornado of 2012.
The club has been selling the DVD documentary and CD containing a song written, composed and performed by club member Rhonda Belford. There are a few copies of the CD and DVD left.
The Harrisburg Kiwanis also remembered the storm victims of Ridgway by presenting Tuesday a $500 check to the Gallatin County schools for their arts and music programs. Gallatin currently has no band.
Location, ST | website.com


text: Put together an elegant look for any special occasion with a stunning designer dress by Terani. This impressive collection of dresses features sexy cocktail dresses, short prom dresses, glamorous evening gowns, and super cute semi formal dresses. Little black dresses, fun holiday dresses in red, or unique dresses with colorful patterns and prints for homecoming or graduation. No matter what the occasion a designer dress by Terani is sure to make you feel special.


text:
Skip Navigation
At the 2008 Annual IES Research Conference held in Washington, DC, NCPR staff presented two poster sessions: 1) "The Impact of Postsecondary Remediation Using a Regression Discontinuity Approach: Addressing Endogenous Sorting and Compliance" and 2) "Learning Communities Demonstration." In addition to the posters, there was a panel presentation "Improving Access to and Completion of Postsecondary Education" by Juan Carlos Calcagno. Materials about NCPR's research were also distributed.
PDF versions of the posters can be downloaded by clicking on the following links: Postsecondary Remediation | Learning Communities
Type: Lectures & Talks
Location: Washington, DC
Date & Time: From 6/10/2008, 12:00:00 AM To 6/12/2008, 12:00:00 AM
Website: http://ies.ed.gov/director/conferences/08ies_conference/


text:
area Police Reports
Donald J. Apperson, 29, was charged with driving while intoxicated. Officers on Wednesday at 9:49 p.m. stopped a 2000 Jeep traveling north on Winsor Street for having only one taillight. Apperson was allegedly found to be intoxicated and was transported to Jamestown City Jail where he refused a chemical test to determine his blood alcohol level.
Brandy N. Burley 28, was charged with petit larceny. Officers on Wednesday at 6:28 p.m. were dispatched to Family Dollar on South Main Street for a female attempting to steal merchandise from the store. Police learned Burley allegedly passed all points of purchase with $27 worth of merchandise. She was transported to City Jail without incident.
Jimi J. Sobczak, 37, and Maurita L. Shaver, 27, both of Jamestown were charged with petit larceny. Police said both subjects were seen by Wal-Mart employees allegedly taking $257.85 worth of merchandise without paying. They were issued appearance tickets and will be in Busti Court at a later date.
SHERMAN – Mark Reynolds, 47, was charged with driving while intoxicated. Troopers on Tuesday pulled a vehicle over on Kipp Street. Reynolds allegedly failed several field sobriety tests and was transported to barracks where he provided a blood alcohol content of .10 percent. A recent DWI conviction within the last 10 years upgraded the charge to a felony. Reynolds was processed, issued tickets and turned over to a sober individual.
LEON – Mahlon D. Gingrich, 18, of Eldredge Road was charged with petit larceny and third-degree burglary. Police said Gingrich broke into Adams Lumber Mill and took five cans of pop. He was arraigned and committed to Cattaraugus County Jail. Gingrich will be in court at a later date.
MANSFIELD – Robert W. Crosby, 45, was charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. Crosby was taken into custody without incident for allegedly causing injury to a victim at a state disability home. He was arraigned and committed to County Jail.


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About the Author: Justin Tang is an intern on the "Green Team" in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Last month, the Department of State celebrated America Recycles Day by raising awareness of our recycling achievements and highlighting the latest "greening" initiatives by our domestic and overseas facilities. The event resulted in the recycling of hundreds of pairs of shoes, eyeglasses, batteries, and cell phones in several domestic facilities. This year's theme, "Greening Your Footprint," played off the Department's America Recycles Day partnership with "Soles4Souls," an organization that recycles and distributes footwear to needy adults and children around the world.
America Recycles Day also allowed the Greening Council Working Group to highlight some embassies' and consulates' recycling efforts. For instance, Embassy Dushanbe in Tajikistan partners with a Tajik company to recycle paper from the embassy into egg cartons for use in Tajik markets. Meanwhile, Consulate Surabaya in Indonesia works with a local NGO to teach children arts and crafts using recyclable materials. Embassy Asunción in Paraguay recycles yard waste into wood chips and fertilizer, which reduces water consumption and saves money. And not to be outdone, Embassy Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo recycles its construction waste to build thirty houses for the local community.
This event reinforces Secretary Clinton's Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI), launched in 2009, which requires the Department to find ways to reduce its carbon footprint. The Department has committed to a 50 percent diversion recycling rate by 2015.
Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy congratulated colleagues on their recycling efforts and encouraged employees to step up these activities, saying: "The Department is an active recycler of everything from soda cans to construction materials, but we can do more…this America Recycles Day celebration is a significant opportunity for the Department and a significant day for all to be mindful of all that we need to accomplish together."
For additional information on Soles4Souls, please visit their website.
Padam B. in Nepal writes:
I believe on Democratic law and order, I always respect on Human Rights and peace, I suppoort to the freedom rights of Media and journalists all around the World.
As it is, I am , my self and encourage to all peoples to participate to make our World a peaceful, clean and healthy, save our natural resources to prevent unwanted disasters.
As an Educational Consultant and owner of OPERA Educational Consulting (P) Ltd, I really interested to share my visions and thoughts to Human from the World. "Say Human, Be Human Think Human and World Human"
My Name is Padam H.


text:
Buying new shoes for your child doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. At Walmart, you'll find a wide variety of baby and toddler shoes, girls' shoes and boys' shoes in a range of sizes, all at Every Day Low Prices.
If you're buying shoes for a baby or toddler just learning to walk, it's important for them to be flexible enough to move with your child's feet but sturdy enough to offer protection from debris or sharp objects. Soft leather and cloth are great materials for baby shoes, since they're flexible, lightweight and breathable. Soft-soled shoes, which mimic being barefoot, will let your child learn to walk and run naturally. Rubber soles with non-slip ridges can help prevent slipping on smooth surfaces such as hardwood or tile floors.
For older kids, consider how and where the shoes will be worn. Most children are naturally active and will get a lot of use from athletic shoes. Depending on the climate where you live, your child may also need rain boots or snow boots as well as sandals. For summertime visits to the beach or pool, look for water shoes with non-slip outsoles. And for formal occasions, you may want dress shoes, such as Mary Janes for girls or Oxford shoes for boys.
With a great selection of affordable baby and kids' shoes, Walmart has you covered. Save money. Live better.


text:
English learners (ELs) are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. K–12 public school population. Numbering more than 5.5 million and representing 11 percent of all K–12 students, ELs must develop proficiency in English and knowledge of academic content to succeed in school, in the workforce and in society.
Most ELs speak Spanish, but collectively ELs speak more than 400 home languages. ELs have varying degrees of English-language proficiency, prior formal schooling, academic background, knowledge and literacy — in both their native language and in English. Yet too few of these students' teachers are adequately prepared to meet the unique challenges of having ELs in their classrooms, despite the requirements of federal, state and local laws, regulations, policies and court decisions.
The academic achievement of ELs is a pressing national concern, and if we fail to educate this growing population, our nation's prosperity, our global competitiveness and our very democracy will be at risk.
Our Commitment to EL Research
ETS has been conducting research on the effectiveness, fairness and validity of assessments for more than 60 years. We have been on the forefront of English language learning and assessment for worldwide English learners (ELs) for more than 40 years and for ELs in the United States for more than a decade.
Our recent research focuses on the needs of K–12 educators in U.S. schools and encompasses three major areas:
- Assessing English-language proficiency (ELP) — reviewing current practices, identifying the essential language skills needed to meet the Common Core State Standards, and developing an academic reading comprehension assessment.
- Assessing content knowledge — identifying item difficulty for ELs (e.g., cultural references and unnecessary complexity) and implications for testing accommodations, lowering language barriers, and modifying test items.
- Teaching of ELs — identifying content and pedagogical knowledge required and developing technology-enhanced professional development materials.
Our Commitment to EL Academic Success
ETS is committed to working with educators, administrators and policymakers to confront these challenges and ensure quality and equity of education for our nation's ELs. The extensive research we have done and continue to do will allow us to adapt current assessments and design new assessments to better serve ELs in U.S. schools and ensure their academic success.
ETS has many recent and newly launched research projects that specifically focus on creating sound assessments to improve the teaching and learning of ELs in grades K–12.
Find out more about our English Language Learning and Assessment Research.
See also:
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ETS works closely with states and the consortia to bring technological innovations to K–12 assessment.
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ETS has assisted the NAEP program in introducing numerous psychometric and assessment design innovations over the years.
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Explore the big ideas in educational assessment. Sign up for K–12 Trends and Innovations, our new enewsletter at our ETS Email Preference Center.


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Models For Lid Catch
Lid Catch by Indesit
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text:
Price - $
Tying the Barricade shoe and apparel collection together with the Band-of-Power, the Fall Adipower Barricade Crew is an essential piece for any adidas fan. It features a two-piece crew neck with contrast insert, mesh upper back for increased ventilation, colorblocking Band-of-Power across chest, rubberized 3-Stripes on sleeves, and a heat transfer adidas logo at chest.
Your son can get the same look! Get this top in youth sizing.


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[edit] 950 MHz UHF RFID system
This RFID reader is installed near the entry door of Noisebridge (at the top of the stairs). If it can be made to work properly, we can put RFID tags in any items we want (private or public) and program our computer systems to react if and when those items go near or through the door (or elevator room). This could be useful in deterring or preventing theft, so that Noisebridge CAN Have Nice Things.
current state of things: the reader works, we talk to it through serial, and it detects tags, but all the tags we have result in the same line of text from the reader. We need to figure out what command to send to the reader to get it to tell us the full data of the tags, or at least their unique serial number. We have over 100 tags, but they aren't readable until a piece of wire is soldered onto them as an antenna, which can be tailor made for the article they are being fixed onto. The PDF for the tags we have is linked to below, uploaded to the wiki as rfid.pdf If you want to help with this project, contact me. -jake
- We got this reader: SAMSys MP9320 2.8
Various files related to this device: http://techsupweb.satoamerica.com/public/06_RFID/Software/RF%20Command%20Suite/
the protocol the reader talks is detailed at: CHUMP Protocol Reference Guide v7.0
The MP9320 cannot be made to work on ethernet, even though it has a port.
The reader is connected to Minotaur through a USB to Serial adaptor which comes up as /dev/ttyUSB2 (this time) BUT
you should talk to it through its reliable pathname which is:
try the following command (as root on minotaur)
# screen /dev/serial/by-path/pci-0000:02:02.3-usb-0:1.1.4:1.0-port0 57600
(press control-A and then k to "kill" or exit screen when you're done)
the reader is now configured and it works. when it detects a tag, the windows software tells you
Tag ID,Tag Name,Tag Type, Total Reads, Rate, Antenna, Date/Time
this is what the serial data looks like, 57600 baud: (it repeats constantly while the tag is nearby)
this reader has four antenna ports. The windows software seems to tell you which antenna the tag was seen on, but we will need to find that information in the serial data, which should be easy. The reason this matters is because we will end up having antennas in different locations (door at the top of the stairs, elevator room door, bottom of the steps) and we will want to react differently depending on where a tag is detected.
- Getting status of the beep
- }Cr,d:PCW!
- Enabling the audio beep
- }Cw,d:PCW,b:00000300!
- Disabling the audio beep
- }Cw,d:PCW,b:00000200!
- Permanently disable the beep
- }Cw,d:PCW,b:00000200,F:01!
- Tags:
File:Rfid-SL3ICS1002 1202.pdf finally! we have the PDF for these tags.
File:AN173211.pdf frequently asked questions about these RFID tags.
we got these 900mhz band RFID tags available from mouser.com as part number SL3S1202AC0,118 they cost 7.4 cents each.
mouser.com link to buy these tags
(the picture on the mouser site is wrong for these parts, they do not look anything like a 1206 capacitor)
zipfile containing many PDFs relating to these RFID tags including the NXP app notes
these tags do not have an antenna - they are a grain of sand in the middle of a 3mm x 9mm piece of plastic. On either side of the grain of sand is a copper contact that you can solder to if you're careful. don't melt the plastic backing! the whole thing will probably stick to whatever it was resting on when you soldered it, so prepare. Make your antenna (a loop of wire probably, we are trying to figure out what works best) and solder it to the two contacts and then protect the thing with some hard (hitemp) hotglue or epoxy or something.
the PDF for the RFID tags above File:Rfid.pdf
similar to this from TI: http://elcodis.com/parts/1758620/RI-UHF-STRAP-08.html#datasheet
- Antennas: From the NXP app notes:
- AN1523 has a reference design for a mid-range less than one meter read distance antenna. The antenna is 34 mm x 15 mm.
- [AN0972|http://www.nxp.com/documents/application_note/097211.zip] has a reference design for a "general purpose" antenna with an optimal read range of 2.5 meters. The antenna is 1.25" x 0.875"
- AN0969 has a 98 mm long antenna design, with a read range of 1 m to 6 m depending on the substrate you use. Teflon and polystyrene are best; Rogers TMM6 is the worst but has the least variation across the frequency range.
- AN1615 has a short range ring antenna design. 8.3mm diameter ring. Read range of 2 cm.
- AN1685 has an 80mm x 35mm antenna design, with a 6 meter read range.
- we did not get this reader:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/572423327/RFID_reader_900MHz.html?s=p http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/608914064/long_range_900mhz_rfid_reader_from.html?s=p
- if we can figure out the protocol or find a driver, these PC card-based 900Mhz RFID readers are very inexpensive
[edit] Some General Commands
Show reader and software version info: }:01,Rv,f:0! Show config: }Cr! Quiet a given tag from the output: }Ht,d:[ID]! Read any tag in field }Ra,a:[block],s:[offset](,l:[length])!
[edit] Setting Tag EPCs
GEN2 (aka ISO 18000-6C) tags contain a unique, factory set tag ID (TID) and a user configurable EPC. Per the datasheet the EPC is the same for all our tags until configured otherwise
The ICs are delivered by NXP with a default 96 bit EPC number: UCODE G2XM: 3005 FB63 AC1F 3681 EC88 0468 UCODE G2XL: 3005 FB63 AC1F 3841 EC88 0467
Our reader appears to display some form of the EPC when a tag is in range. It's possible the query tags in the field for TID, but I'm not sure if we can display TID by default when a tag is in range (the EPC appears to be read by default) -- but we can reprogram the EPC to some arbitrary value!
- Chump Reference Guide
- User Guide - Though for a different model, pg 52-56 provide some good examples on writing to gen2 tags
- code - script to read/write to a serial port, to filter out duplicate output]
Some example commands (note: wa command will write to any unlocked tag in the field):
To write an EPC ID value of 332233445566778899aabbcc onto a tag with the Protocol Control field set for a 96 bit tag, enter: }wa,a:01,s:02,b:332233445566778899aabbcc! To add the length field, enter: }wa,a:01,s:02,b:332233445566778899aabbcc,l:6! To request a read/verify cycle following the write operation, enter: }wa,a:01,s:02,b:332233445566778899aabbcc,l:6,f:1! In order to write an EPC ID to a blank tag, the Protocol Control bits must also be set. This can be accomplished in a single write command since the Protocol Control bits are contained in the same memory bank as the EPC ID. Following the previous example, the command would include setting the Protocol Control to 3000 as follows: }wa,a:01,s:01,b:3000332233445566778899aabbcc!
[edit] Changing Registers
This reader has a number of config registers we can modify. Use the following CHUMP command to read the current registers:
To make changes to a setting you'll need to generate a hex value for the 32 bit register. Refer to section 4 and 5 in the CHUMP reference guide for bit positions and usage. This calculator can make the process easier. Of particular interest is P2I, the GEN2 identification layer control register, which maybe will allow us to change the default memory read location (from EPC to TID).
When you're done you can write your register as follows:
add ",f:1" to save to NVM, otherwise the setting will revert upon restart.
[edit] 125KHz and 13.56MHz card-style and fob-style and implant-style RFID systems
Please bring RFID tags and readers to Noisebridge! We currently have very few tag samples. We're also looking for readers and ways to interface with RFID.
The current tag types (as detected by RFIDIOt) we have are:
* MASTERCARD - a0 00 00 00 04 10 10 (HSBC MASTERCARD)
The current readers we have are:
* Jake A. has a CardMan 5321 in his backpack, Noisebridge could use one if someone wants to donate one. * chris paget brought a small stack of parallax (grand idea studios) units to the 2009-04-11 talk.
[edit] Software
We're using RFIDIOt.


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Privacy Attestation and Assurance Services
Professional Standard That Provides the Framework for the Engagement
Interpretive Attestation and Assurance Guidance for Performing and Reporting on the Engagement
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