Local Coalitions Can Now Apply for Funding to Improve Soil Health, Preserve Clean Water, Combat Drought, Protect Wildlife Habitat

DENVER, Colo., May 4, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today an investment of up to $235 million to improve the nation's water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The funding is being made available through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), the newest conservation tool of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

RCPP, created by the 2014 Farm Bill, empowers local leaders to work with multiple partners?such as private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, non-profit groups and other non-government partners?along with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners to design solutions that work best for their region. Local partners and the federal government both invest funding and manpower to projects to maximize their impact. This will be the second round of projects funded through RCPP. The RCPP program helps USDA build on already-record enrollment in conservation programs, with over 500,000 producers participating to protect land and water on over 400 million acres nationwide.

"This is a new, innovative approach to conservation," said Vilsack. "This initiative allows local partners the opportunity to design and invest in conservation projects specifically tailored for their communities. These public-private partnerships can have an impact that's well beyond what the Federal government could accomplish on its own. These efforts keep our land and water clean, and promote tremendous economic growth in agriculture, construction, tourism, and other industries."

Vilsack continued, "We had tremendous interest from local partners when we first launched this program last year. In this new round of applications, we'll be looking for even greater emphasis on expanding partnerships that break down barriers, work across boundaries, leverage resources and create new opportunities for innovation."

Secretary Vilsack made the announcement at a signing ceremony in Denver for the Colorado Pressurized Small Hydropower Partnership Project, a 2015-funded project that focuses on water quantity resource concerns in Colorado. The project, which will receive $1.8 million in NRCS support alongside local partner investments, will facilitate the conversion of flood irrigation systems to more resource-efficient pressurized irrigation systems with integrated hydropower.

"USDA continues to look for new opportunities to address drought across the West. RCPP projects like this one in Colorado highlight the work the NRCS is doing with partners to increase efficiency while supporting production," Vilsack said.

In January, USDA delivered first round funding to 115 high-impact projects, including the Colorado project, across all 50 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

One of these projects, "Securing Private Working Forests to Benefit Longleaf Pine, Threatened and Endangered Species, and Military Readiness," will restore approximately 20,000 acres of longleaf near as many as seven military installations across the country through the purchase of conservation easements. The project will enhance longleaf forests while also increasing the forested buffer around military bases. Longleaf forests produce valuable products, such as high quality wood and pulpwood for paper, that are important to rural economies. Also, these forests are home to many rare species, and by restoring the habitat on which they depend, their populations will grow.

Another project, "The Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorous Reduction Initiative" brings together more than 40 partnering organizations from Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to reduce the runoff of phosphorous to waterways in the western basin of Lake Erie. The lake has suffered from nutrient pollution for years, including last year's water crisis that left 400,000 residents in the Toledo, Ohio area without water to drink, bathe or cook. From providing clean drinking water to employing thousands of people in the tourism industry, the health of Lake Erie affects nearly every aspect of life in the region. This project will target funding to the streams and rivers that have the largest impact on water quality in the lake.

In January, USDA announced $394 million in awards in the first round of RCPP applications (which represented two years' worth of funding for fiscal years 2014 and 2015).

Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life.

USDA is now accepting proposals for RCPP. Pre-proposals are due July 8, 2015. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website.

ITHACA, NY (05/04/2015)(readMedia)-- Caitlin Walton, a junior music education major in the School of Music at Ithaca College, has been selected to serve on the 2016 Senior Class Gift Committee.

By contributing to the Ithaca College Annual Fund through the Senior Class Gift Campaign, seniors continue the college's tradition of providing a foundation for a lifetime of learning that fosters intellect, creativity and character in an active, student-centered learning community.

For over 30 years graduates have left their legacy at Ithaca College by participating in one of the oldest traditions on South Hill: the Senior Class Gift Campaign. Each year, members of the graduating class join together in honor of their graduation to help support, enrich and enhance the IC experience for current and future students.

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From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 460 graduate students.

Churches United of the Quad City Area has received a $5,000.00 grant from The Harold R. Bechtel Charitable Trust, in support of its Hunger Programs in the Quad City Area.

Churches United has a 53-year history of reaching out to our community.  Its 136 member churches represent 50,000 people from the Quad City Area.  As well as 26 food pantries and 3 hot meal sites, Churches United also operates Winnie's Place, a shelter for women (with or without children) who are homeless and/or victims of domestic violence.  For information about services offered, or ways to support Churches United, call 563-332-5002, or visit our website at www.CUQCA.org.

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America has fully embraced craft beer.

• On average, a new brewery opens its doors every single day in the U.S., according to NPR.

• Craft brewers now account for one out of every 10 beers sold in the U.S.

• Higher learning institutions are adding brewing minors, certificates and even four-year programs.

"Craft beer completely disrupted what was once believed to be a very traditional business," says Steven Earles, CEO of Portland-based Eastside Distilling (www.EastsideDistilling.com). 

"We believe craft spirits will follow the same path as craft beer. It's basically a slam dunk, according to the data... and our overall hunch."

In 2008, when Earles' distillery launched, there were only 210 craft distillers in America. Now, there are more than 700. Whiskey and bourbon continues its rapid growth. Helping to fuel this recent growth, women now represent 37 percent of the whiskey drinkers in the U.S., compared to just 15 percent in the 1990s.

And stories continue to unfold regarding possible bourbon shortages due to high demand. Innovations in distilling methods to create new flavor profiles are taking charge. Earles' distillery uses locally sourced barrels and ingredients for their infused whiskeys and rums.

"Some states like Washington and Oregon - where we are based - have strict laws regarding quality control on distilled spirits," Earles says. "We're proud to be from the northwest and that we use locally sourced ingredients."

Earles discusses America's growing taste for quality spirits, and what craft may mean for the future of the liquor industry.

•  Bourbon and whiskey will continue in popularity. In the past decade, there has been a nearly 40 percent growth in sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey in the United States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Bourbon is now the hottest distilled spirit in the world. In the U.S., bourbon and Tennessee whiskey revenue has leapt 47 percent throughout the past five years to a total of $2.68 billion in 2014. An International Wines and Spirits Record (IWSR) survey commission by Vinexpo predicts that global bourbon sales will increase by nearly 20 percent more in the next five years, and the Aristocrat Group Corp. (ASCC) is making plans to capitalize on that growth.

•  New flavor profiles will be sought by consumers, especially millennials and women. While consumers look to craft liquor for authenticity, women and 20-somethings are especially open to expanding their palates. Recently, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky has blazed quite a trail in the industry. The brand exploded in just a few short years, from just shy of $2 million in 2011 to $63 million in 2013 to $130 million last year, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. Those numbers do not include drinks sold in bars. Fireball is the fastest-growing major brand of liquor in America. Major industry players, including Jack Daniels and Jim Beam, have since come out with their own versions of the flavor.

"While Fireball has proven to be more than just a flavor of the month, we're counting on consumers seeking out still more twists in their liquor," Earles says.
"Our locally sourced Oregon Marionberry Whiskey, for example, is a popular choice."

•  Lifestyle imaging will likely expand. While bourbon and whiskey have skyrocketed in popularity, advertisements have delved into the lure of what those spirits have meant to the popular imagination: earthy, direct, real. That will likely continue, but it will expand, too. Bacardi, which owns brands including Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire and Martini, has hired a new Vice president of fashion. The idea is to create an image/alliance with the fashion world.

"Perhaps Bacardi is ceding whiskey and bourbon to one image - the salt of the earth - whereas Bacardi's efforts for their clear liquors are now meant to be aligned with a more glamorous lifestyle," he says.

About Steven Earles

Steven Earles is the CEO of Portland-based Eastside Distilling, (www.EastsideDistilling.com), a producer of master-crafted spirits created from local ingredients and focused in small batches to ensure unparalleled quality. He is responsible for Eastside's day-to-day operations as well as overseeing the company's brand development and financial strategy. Earles, who joined Eastside in 2009, has more than two decades of executive experience and orchestrated the development and building of one of the largest land-development companies in southern California.