July 30-Chief Matt Lohr
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2019 SWCS International Annual Conference July 28-31, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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July 30-Chief Matt Lohr
- 1. Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Matt Lohr Soil & Water Conservation Society Annual Conference July 30, 2019
- 3. Where my story begins…. 1880’s
- 4. Heritage Those enduring qualities and achievements that are celebrated and handed down to future generations
- 5. *National FFA Officer *State Legislator *VA Ag Commissioner
- 6. Valley Pike Farm, Inc.
- 7. Valley Pike Farm, Inc.
- 9. This is why I believe in conservation
- 10. Our Smallest Actions can have the Biggest Impact!
- 11. Financial + Technical Assistance Financial + Technical assistance working together = More conservation on the ground More than 33 million acres treated to improve water quality
- 12. Financial + Technical Assistance Financial + Technical assistance working together = More conservation on the ground 9 million acres of wildlife habitat improvement
- 13. 22 CIG projects to develop new tools, technologies and strategies to support conservation efforts
- 14. NRCS Priorities: Implement the new Farm Bill, streamline our processes and program delivery, and improve customer service.
- 15. Farm Bill shows strong congressional support for private lands conservation
- 16. 15 percent of the world’s food is grown in urban areas
- 17. Financial + Technical Assistance Financial + Technical assistance working together = More conservation on the ground A record $1.3 billion investment in EQIP helped put conservation on more than 13 million acres.
- 18. Financial + Technical Assistance Financial + Technical assistance working together = More conservation on the ground
- 19. We must remain focused on our Guiding Values *Loving the land *Serving our farmers *Working hard *Doing the right thing *Partnering *Caring *Being an example for others *Leaving a legacy
- 20. Thanks for the chance to be a part of the team!
Editor's Notes
- Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today. I am thrilled to see such an exciting line-up of sessions. The research and innovation happening across the country is impressive and I’m looking forward to learning a lot (if you’re attending any sessions…).
- It’s so fitting that we’re coming together here in the City of Bridges. Bridges connect people – and here at the SWCS conference we come together to build connections and relationships. Conservation at scale happens by sharing our knowledge, research and ideas… building bridges from one discovery to the next. And we’re seeing our breakthroughs make a difference for conservation and for our communities. By coming together like this, we can organically find opportunities to further our collective missions. Everyone in this room brings something different to the table. And through collaboration we’re able to achieve results that could never have been realized on our own. Our most successful programs and most noteworthy accomplishments have only been possible because of partnerships – with SWCS and others across the country. At NRCS, we’re working with private landowners to help them implement conservation practices on their lands to keep their soils healthy and keep sediment and nutrients out of our rivers and streams. What’s at stake is not just the health of the soil and water – but for the farmer – it means making their operations more resilient and improving production. Helping their operations means boosting rural economies and making a difference in the lives of people across America.
- Intro to you – Where my story begins and intro slides…
- Private Lands Conservation Works Voluntary, private lands conservation works. With the hard work of our employees, our partners and our customers -- who are our heroes making the changes on their lands -- in FY18 we treated 33.3 million acres with conservation practices to improve water quality, which meant estimated reductions of nutrient loss of 47,732 tons of nitrogen and 7,821 tons of phosphorus on cropland.
- 9 million acres of wildlife habitat were improved. Over the years our wildlife habitat restoration work has led to the delisting of species from the endangered species list or has kept them from being added to the list altogether.
- Secretary Perdue talks about the importance of USDA’s efforts being fact-based and data-driven. Science, research, data and innovation will continue to propel our work forward. In FY18, more than $10.6 million funded 22 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) projects to develop tools, technologies, and strategies to support conservation efforts on working lands and develop market-based solutions to resource challenges.
- Your Priorities My goal is to ensure NRCS is as effective as possible in getting conservation on the ground – for producers and everyone who depends on the long-term sustainability of American agriculture. Holding them and their needs at the forefront of our work, day in and day out. We have a new Farm Bill and I will work to implement it as quickly as possible. I also want to streamline our agency’s processes and program delivery and improve our customer service. This will all help us meet our mission to help people help the land.
- Farm Bill I’m happy to say the new Farm Bill is right in line with helping us accomplish these priorities. It shows strong congressional support for private lands conservation – including conservation practices that improve soil health, water quality, water quantity and other natural resource benefits. Funding for the Conservation Title was maintained from the 2014 Bill, and funding for our bread-and-butter programs, EQIP and ACEP, increased. Our steadfast partnership with SWCS and committed partners across the country will be crucial in helping us deliver for natural resource conservation into the future.
- Bridging the Divide: Uniting Rural and Urban Landscapes for Conservation I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about this year’s conference theme: Bridging the Divide: Uniting Rural and Urban Landscapes for Conservation. I’m happy to say the 2018 Farm Bill also encourages entry into farming, through increased access to land and capital for young, beginning, veteran and underrepresented farmers. Some of these farmers are in our nation’s cities. Right now, 15 percent of the world’s food is grown in urban areas. By bringing farms to the city people are changing the way we look at food. Urban farms are empowering communities to address food deserts, bringing fresh, healthy produce to places that may otherwise not have access. They’re saving energy costs that would otherwise be used for long-distance transportation of food and creating more green space in the heart of the city. Through community gardens, produce is being grown and donated to those who need it. People learning about agriculture and where their food comes from first-hand. Farmer’s markets are offering easy-access to fresh foods in areas where grocery stores are miles away. They’re also opening an avenue to new income streams for local residents.
- Photo: Homewood Historical Community Farm in Pittsburgh NRCS can help urban farmers see success. One of the stops for tomorrow’s tour is the Homewood Historical Community Farm. This is where the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh started a few years ago – their goal was to make fresh food available to the community while also teaching students at local schools about farming and conservation. This community farm is providing greens, peppers, tomatoes and okra to local residents. We worked with them to install a high tunnel on site, to help protect their crops from weather extremes and pests and extend the growing season. This year’s Conservation Innovation Grants program, where so many incredible research and ideas arise, includes a focus on urban, indoor and emerging agricultural practices. We’re in search of new innovations that will help support urban farmers and others looking to grow in their communities.
- Close Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your contribution to soil and water conservation and your continued dedication to this important work. Your support will continue to be critical going forward as we tackle ever-increasing global challenges, like a growing global population, smaller agricultural land base and extreme weather events. We are committed to this partnership and working towards our common goals in the coming years…
- Guiding values…