Bits and Pieces

2007 Golden Auger Award Stephen Carpenter

The 2007 Golden Auger Award was presented to Stephen Carpenter (center), NRCS State Soil Scientist for West Virginia and MO-13 Leader. The award was presented by West Virginia Association of Professional Soil Scientists (WVAPSS) vice-president Rob Pate (left) and president Dave Kingsbury (right). This award is given jointly by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and WVAPSS and recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the field of soil science and to the soil survey program in West Virginia.

Forages for Horses Workshop

Submitted by Katie Fitzsimmons

Twenty three WV NRCS employees attended a Forages for Horses Workshop sponsored by the WV Soil and Water Conservation Society on October 15 & 16. Bob Hendershot, Ohio NRCS GRASSLAND SPECIALIST, presented the program.
Bob covered a variety of topics including pasture management and paddock design, tall fescue management, soils and soil fertility, plant growth physiology, forage species selection, pasture renovation procedures, poisonous plants and hay quality and storage. The second day of the workshop the group visited the Valerie McDonald farm for a tour and to talk about waste management, resource concerns, and various other aspects of horse production.

Thanks to you. . . the World is stronger

Generous WV NRCS State Office, MLRA Soil Survey Region 13 Office, and National Geospatial Development Center employees contributed  $5,162 for the 2007-2008 Monongalia and Preston Counties Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).

The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost–efficient, and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. Pledges support eligible non–profit organizations that provide benefits throughout the world.

If You Work For USDA, A "LincPass" Is About To Be A Part Of Your Future

By October 27, 2008 virtually all USDA employees are to be issued new USDA employee ID cards, called the "LincPass."

The USDA version of this government wide "smart card," with its variety of new features, is called "LincPass" in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, who founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862.

The cards will be 2" x 3.5", will be multicolored, will include the USDA employee's name, plus his/her identification as an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will include identifying data including height, color of hair, and color of eyes, will include the card's expiration date, and will include the official USDA logo. In addition, a contact computer chip will be imbedded in the card that will hold the following items of data to verify the cardholder's identity: a fingerprint 'algorithm;' a digital head shot of the cardholder; the cardholder's unique ID--which is not the cardholder's Social Security number; and information--called "PKI Certificates"--which provides authentication, encryption, and a digital signature, all of which are unique to that employee.

USDA employees will insert their LincPass to automatically access their office computer, and scan their LincPass to automatically access their USDA facility. USDA's plan is to complete implementation of LincPass access to USDA office laptops by September 2008. All other USDA employees will be required to use their LincPass, to access their office desktop computers, by October 2009. Finally, by October 2011 all USDA employees will be required to use the "scan" feature of their LincPass in order to enter applicable USDA facilities.

For more information, go to http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=Vol66_No5_Article1.xml

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