UC Blog
Natural Resources conference to focus on initiative
The UC ANR Natural Resources Coordinating Conference is set for June 28-30. ANR academics and members of selected workgroups should plan to attend and discuss how the Sustainable Natural Ecosystem Initiative can best implement its part of the ANR Strategic Vision.
The conference will be held at the Lion's Gate Hotel at 3410 Westover in McClellan (just northwest of Sacramento).
Here is the tentative agenda:
- Monday, June 28: Overview of current understanding and key priorities of major environmental issues affecting California (e.g. demography, water supply, energy availability, transportation infrastructure, climate change, habitat fragmentation, diversity loss, land use change). Panels will comment on a draft of the Sustainable Natural Ecosystem initiative policy statement. In the evening, there will be a poster session and social.
- Tuesday, June 29: Breakout sessions will focus on workgroup suggestions and contributions to the SNE initiative statement. Facilitated breakout sessions will focus on developing strategies for achieving new Sustainable Natural Ecosystem initiative goals (e.g. internal funding programs, outreach and communications, academic positions, outside funding). On Tuesday morning and evening, meeting space will be available for workgroups to conduct their business meetings.
- Wednesday, June 30: Morning plenary session will review key outcomes of the meeting and future actions needed. ANR initiative leaders will discuss integration across initiatives.
Registration and more information will be posted at http://ucanr.org/sites/NRCC_2010.
Chronicle op-ed questions fire prevention tactics
Stripping plants from swaths of land to create fire breaks may not be the best way to prevent wildfire damage, according to an op-ed article published in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday. Writer Ben Preston said the long-practiced fire management strategy opens space for invasive weed invasion, which could burn even hotter.
Research by fire scientists at universities all over the Western United States has found that, despite extensive efforts to prevent large fires with prescribed burns and brush removal, fires continue to be a regular occurrence. And modifying the landscape, research indicates, has unintended impacts.
UC Berkeley wildfire researcher Max Moritz told the writer that in Nothern California, scotch broom, pampas grass and other more flammable nonnatives tend to move into cleared areas where some variety of chaparral once stood.
Preston suggests the best fire management alternatives are:
- Creating defensible space around homes and other buildings. UC Cooperative Extension has a publication, Home Landscaping for Fire, with guidelines for creating defensible space that doesn't suggest eliminating all plants on the land.
- Investing in roof sprinklers and fire-retardant gels.
- Organizing citizen emergency response teams to deal with spot fires.
For more information, see UC's two-page publication Invasive Plants and Wildfires in Southern California.
Wildfire threatening a California subdivision.
NRCS announces $15 million grant program
The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service distributed a news release on PR Newsire today that says the agency will fund conservation projects around the nation to the tune of $15 million.
The release featured comments from the California State Conservationist, Ed Burton, who encouraged California farmers and researchers to apply.
"This is a real opportunity for our University of California, California State University and Cooperative Extension offices to help expand our knowledge in key issues facing farmers and ranchers," Burton was quoted in the release.
The competitive Conservation Innovation Grants will fund projects related to:
- Farms and ranches with emerging and traditional ag and natural resource issues
- Market-based approaches to energy conservation
- Methods of tackling climate change
- Solutions to improve water, soil and air quality
- Nutrient management
- Wildlife habitat enhancement
- Pollinator population enhancement
Ten percent of the funding is being set aside for beginning farmers and ranchers, limited resource farmers or ranchers, Indian tribes or community-based organizations that serve these groups, the release said.
Applicants must submit pre-proposals to NRCS national headquarters in Washington, D.C., by April 26.
For details and eligibility requirements, see the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program Web site.
NRCS Web site.
Hatch Act celebrated in Western Farm Press
The act of Congress that created agricultural experiment stations at universities across the nation, known as the Hatch Act of 1887, was memorialized in a Western Farm Press article published today.
Many stations founded under the Hatch Act later became the foundation for state cooperative extension services under the Smith-Lever Act of 1914. In the Hatch Act, Agricultural Experiment Stations were charged with conducting original research on plants and animals, diseases to which they are subject, feed composition, potential new crops, soil and water analysis and more.
According to a Oklahoma State Web site, quoted in the story, "Breakthroughs resulting directly from Hatch Act funding have literally benefited every man, woman, and child in the United States and much of the world.”
In the article, reporter Ron Smith profiled four land-grant universities; one is UC Davis.
Dean of the UC Davis College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Neal Van Alfen told the reporter that one of the great success stories of the 20th century was the ability of agriculture to keep ahead of the food needs of the world's growing population.
"Much of the credit for this success must be given to the land-grant system of higher education," he was quoted. "The agricultural experiment stations of each state were the key drivers of the research that served as the foundation of this amazing success story."
The Farm Press story, titled "150 years of ag innovations," seemed to be pegged to an anniversary, but 2010 marks 123 years since the Hatch Act's passage. (Perhaps the writer was referring to the Morrill Act of 1862 - 148 years ago.) Nevertheless, the article is a welcome remembrance of U.S. agricultural history, and an early reminder about the upcoming 100th anniversary of cooperative extension. (Established by the Smith-Lever Act of 1914.)
For more information on UC Cooperative Extension, visit the Web sites of the local offices that serve every county in California.
Neal Van Alfen signs ag research agreement with Chilean and California leaders.
Small strawberry industry makes a big splash
Strawberries aren't a large industry in the San Joaquin Valley. Only about one percent of the state's crop is grown on the valley floor. But strawberries' annual arrival on primarily small-scale farms and sale from roadside stands is hailed annually by the local news media.Yesterday, Fresno's ABC Action News ran a report on the effect of recent rain storms on strawberry production. The story featured Southeast Asian grower Nelson Yang, who expressed relief that the rain seems to have stopped before damaging his crop.
Reporter Dale Yurong also interviewed UC Cooperative Extension agricultural assistant Michael Yang (no relation to Nelson Yang) about the fate of Fresno County's 2010 strawberry crop.
"When you have rain like this, most of the time the fruit will rot," Yang said. However, because the majority of the crop is not ripe yet, the fruit is firm and less susceptible to damage.
Warmer weather forecast for the end of this week is sure to open up the strawberry stands, according to a story in today's Fresno Bee.
"It never really feels like spring until local strawberries arrive," Fresno Bee food reporter Joan Obra wrote.
Obra published her annual rundown on local strawberry production, a report that includes a map to local farm stands. She talked to UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar about the varieties buyers can expect to find.
Chandler is a longtime favorite, but has a short shelf life. Albion has large, firm berries that are very sweet. Other popular varieties are Camarosa and Seascape.
Conventional wisdom says the newer varieties are not as sweet at Chandlers, but “we’re talking about minute differences,” Molinar was quoted.
Rural Madera County.