Cropland erosion is on the decline, according to an announcement Monday from Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. He said that according to USDA's National Resources Inventory (NRI), total soil erosion on cultivated and non-cultivated cropland in the U.S. decreased 43% between 1982 and 2003, sheet and rill erosion decreased 42%, and wind erosion decreased 44%.

The NRI is a statistical survey of natural resource conditions and trends on non-Federal land in the United States that provides nationally consistent statistical data on erosion resulting from water (sheet and rill) and wind processes on cropland for the period 1982 – 2003.

For a summary of the major findings, as well as a link to the full report:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/land/nri03/nri03eros-mrb.html

In the almost 30 years I have been privileged to work on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with Members of Congress, Congressional staffs, cabinet agencies, and professional lobbyists, I have been compiling helpful tips picked up from a number of sources. Those sources are as varied as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Portland Cement Association (PCA), and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). With IECA now more involved with government relations, these tips are worth sharing. They are important not only for IECA’s Government Relations Committee members, but also for individual IECA members who may have reason to contact legislators at any level, federal, state, or local. While they are specific to the U.S. Congress, they are probably just as useful with governments throughout the world. (more…)

With IECA’s Government Relations Committee involving more members and becoming more active, the current U.S. Lobbying scandal could cause IECA members to worry about our more active role. This article is intended to answer questions and eliminate any fears that IECA, being a not-for-profit organization, is at risk of doing something improper.The emphasis placed on political fundraising in the US by lobbyists such as the scandal-plagued Jack Abramoff is a growing problem in Washington. A growing number of lobbyists see channeling campaign funds as the main entrée to the political arena in which their client’s interests will be determined. This fixation on campaign funds has dramatically changed the tenor on Capitol Hill. (more…)

This year’s hurricane season taught us one lesson, and that is the need for flood insurance. In late August, Hurricane Katrina caused billions of dollars in damage to thousands of homes. Homes were damaged not just along the Gulf Coast but for miles inland. Hurricane Rita followed causing billions of dollars more damage.

After this, the costliest storm season on record, the US federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is broke—out of money. While the federal program will be continued, many experts say a major overhaul is needed, including increasing the insurance premiums and ensuring that coverage is made mandatory. At the same time, building continues along storm-prone areas and many owners in high-risk areas simply don’t buy flood insurance. (more…)

As the world deals with the Indian Ocean tsunami, the US hurricanes, the Indian and Pakistan earthquakes and other terrible natural disasters, there are some steps we can take to better prepare and protect people. (more…)