Partnership and External Relations Subcommittee

1. Partnership and External RelationsSubcommittee Proposed Mission, Purpose And Organization Tom Simpson January 13, 2003 Tucson, AZ

2. Mission To enhance communication, coordination and partnerships with appropriate national agencies and organizations.

3. Purpose • To assure that CSREES, CSL and Land Grant University (LGU) programs (and capacity) are • understood by • coordinated with • knowledgeable of roles and responsibilities of • responsive to the needs of and • valued and used by National Water Quality Agencies and Organizations

4. Responsibilities of Subcommittee • Establish and support an External Partnership Committee (EPC), initially focused on federal agencies • Serve as liaison between CSL and agencies • Recommend role and interaction of EPC with CSL and involve them, as appropriate, in CSL meetings • Arrange meetings between CSL representatives and senior staff of agencies and organizations to • learn about their programs and responsibilities • explain our relevant programs and capacity • seek input on opportunities for coordination and joint efforts • offer access to programs and expertise • invite them to participate in External Partnership Committee

5. Membership of Partnership and External Relations Subcommittee • Three members of CSL-WQ (Jennings, Potent and Simpson) • Liaisons from Regions I, IV, V, VIII, X (Jeffrey, McKinley, Neiswender, Walker, Freeman) • One National Facilitation Project Subcommittee representative (Chet Arnold) • One CSREES representative (Rozum) • One 1890 representative (Emily) • Others?

6. External Partnership Committee • Initially, mid- to upper- level staff from federal water quality agencies • Meet infrequently (annually?); invite selected members when CSL topics relevant to their agency are being discussed • Use e-mail and internet discussions for regular communications and updates

7. Roles of External Partnership Committee • Serve as conduit to their agencies on programmatic, scientific and educational support available from CSL and LGUs • Identify education/training needs for agency staff and stakeholders • Provide information on new programs, policies and emerging issues in their agency

8. Roles of External Partnership Committee (cont’d) • Help identify opportunities for joint educational and/or funding programs. • Review/comment on CSL planned activities and new regional or national programs. • Help CSL assure coordination/integration of LGU science-education activities with their agencies programs, policies and regulations • Promote the programs and activities of CSL, CSREES and LGUs within their agencies

9. External Partnership CommitteePotential EPA Members • Office of Asst Admin for Water • Office of Counselor to Admin for Agriculture • Agricultural Sector Workgroup • Office of Waste Management • Office of Research and Development • Office of Pesticides • Office of Water, Oceans and Watersheds • TMDL Program • Nonpoint Source Program

10. External Partnership CommitteePotential USDA Members • Forest Service • Agricultural Research Service • Farm Service Agency • Natural Resources Conservation Service • Animal husbandry and clean water programs • Conservation operations (EQIP and FOTG) • Science and technology • Resource economics and social sciences • Conservation engineering • Ecological sciences

11. External Partnership CommitteeOther Potential Members • US Geologic Survey • Sea Grant • NASA • USDI- Water Resource Research Center Programs • Others?

12. Federal Agencies to Contact for Future Involvement • USDA Risk Management Agency • USDA Economic Research Service • NOAA • US Fish and Wildlife Service • National Park Service • Army Corps of Engineers • Department of Defense • Bureau of Land Management • White House Council on Environmental Quality • Others?

13. “Beginnings”NRCS Meeting 11/19/02 • McFarland, O’Neill and Simpson met with Director/Asst from Conservation Operations, Resource Economics, Animal Husbandry and Clean Water, Conservation Engineering and Ecological Sciences • Explained CSL, regional coordination, science support for other agencies and External Partnership Committee • Good discussion of Farm Bill, EQIP, Conservation Innovation, etc • Recommendations on links with State/ Regional Conservationists, Regional Technology Staff, Science Centers • Suggested earlier list of Division Directors as External Partnership Committee contacts

14. Planned Meetings • Meetings with EPA (planned for 2-3/03): • Special Counselor to Administrator for Agriculture (Zygmunt met with CSL on 11/20) • Meet with staff from AA for Water (2-3/03) • Meet with new Director of OWOW and TMDL and NPS Program Managers • Forest Service: Work with Eric Norland to arrange meeting

15. Possible CSL-Regional Project Partnership Opportunities • CAFO education for EPA and states • Training and science support for Technical Service Providers • Watershed “TMDL Rule”and planning support • Science and policy support for trading and other market-based approaches, particularly for nutrients • Science, training and education support for agricultural atmospheric emissions

16. Partnership and External Relations: Your Role • Tell us about relevant programs/successes for agencies identified • Help us identify programs,expertise and capacity • Identify key contacts/friends you know • Spread the word with federal agency personnel locally and regionally • Send us electronic “tidbits”and images we can use during visits • Volunteer to be “on call” for visits with agencies in Washington, if you do any of above • Give us your support,feed back and good ideas

17. Partnership and External Relations Subcommittee Send ideas, “tidbits” and images to Tom Simpson 301-405-5696 ts82@umail.umd.edu