Colorado NRCS Leadership Team Teleconference Minutes
March 6, 2007

Attendees:

Ila Binard
Jeff Burwell
Tim Carney
Dave Doty
Mike Gillespie
Allen Green
Roy Hall
John Knapp
Ted Lucero
Ray Marine
Steve Park
Randy Randall
Frank Riggle
Petra Walker
Mike Wall
Jon Wicke

Notetaker: Debra Molinaro

Ila B. & Allen G. – District Conservationist Training
• March 8 agenda will be finalized; trainers need to be present.
• 13 DC’s participating; can accommodate more.
• Allen encourages participation from both students and others from other areas.

Ila B. – NEDS Training
• From 4/1 to 9/30 all NEDC classes nationwide will be cancelled except for Managing for Excellence and Supervising for Excellence being held for Colorado employees.
• After discussion it was decided to go ahead with the two scheduled courses.

Randy R. – Financial Management Update
Direct charge
• Please continue to watch 01T
• 67R (CRP) – Please encourage employees to charge when appropriate
• 76T in deficit 27K
• 78T (GSWC) – Please encourage employees to charge when appropriate

Accruals over $100,000
• Bethany’s watching closely with Lynn Hahn
• We are in good shape on accruals.
• Reports due quarterly until obligation is under 100,000

March Open Obligation Agreement Review - Reports due by March 27 to Marta V.

Tim C. – Program Review
• There is an on-going program obligation review.
• Significant amount of work.
• Make sure the various contract rules are followed to make the process as streamline as possible

Mike G. – Web Clean-up and Review Sites
• Sent out a message to update our current webpage.
• Some items are old with expired deadlines.
• Items on webpage need to be updated and current.
• Content on the webpage will still be there, but the old links will be deleted.

Tim C. – Program Deadlines and Update
• Funding General EQIP proposals.
• Trying to fund GSWC projects particularly in the San Luis Valley.
• CIG currently open and runs through the end of March. 800k available, 75k max per agreement.
• No current signup for CSP, but Mike Wall is working on a GIS tool to aid in future signups.
• WRP has 15 applications.
• FRPP request for proposals out any day, due around July 1st.
• Quality Assurance field office reviews for programs are upcoming for Akron, Franktown Hugo, Steamboat Springs, Pueblo, Montrose, Gunnison, and Glenwood Springs.
• ARC-P coming to state office 4/16 or 4/23 to review FY 2007 and FY 2008 programs and processes.

Randy R. – ABC Update and Plan to Pull Comparisons
• National level data available now, state level data will be available this week.
• 100% sample of all field offices, examined all CWP, tasks, etc.
• Snapshot for 2006, cost of completing key NRCS activities.
• Some multi-year activities (i.e. soils, watershed).

AC Updates
• Dave Doty - Conducting second salinity EQIP sign up in area one.
• John Knapp - Allen G. attended a meeting with the Baca Conservation District regarding concerns of the ranching community’s situation.
• Ted Lucero for Cathee Wilson

o Preparing for National Civil Rights review 4/30 to 5/4; visiting Areas 2, 3, and 4
o Second signup for salinity and GSWC.
 

Allen G. – Open Forum / Closing Comments
• Two items regarding the Advisory Committees:

o Make sure ACs and committee members understand that they represent everybody at the field level.
o Let committee members see the drafts before they get to the field.
 

• Travel guidelines/estimates: Principal staff has the responsibility of keeping track of travel and informing us if you are going to be short or expect to have extra travel money.
• Sara Braasch and Patricia Kelley (FNM) are coming to visit Colorado the first week of April.

Meeting Adjourned at 10:00 am

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