The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the USDA Southern Plains and Southwest Climate Hubs developed of a new resource – the Dust Mitigation Handbook. Please see two page handout here.
The Handbook was authored by a team of NRCS and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, including Steve Smarik, NRCS State Resource Conservationist for Arizona and Liaison to the USDA Southern Plains and Southwest Climate Hubs in 2018-2019. The Handbook represents a “OneUSDA” vision for conservation management under varying and changing environmental conditions, and is intended for resource managers in USDA and other land management agencies who are struggling with dust challenges and working with producers to craft solutions.
Dust emission from cropland and rangeland is problematic in many areas, particularly where dry conditions and high wind velocities exist. Producers and specialists need a resource with in-depth solutions to specific dust and wind erosion problems. For a changing future, where uncertain climate and water supply conditions may prompt farmers to fallow increasing acreage of once-actively planted cropland, this Handbook is comes as a timely resource.
To download the manual click here
To view the website please click here
A one-hour webinar on the Handbook is available here: http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/introducing-a-one-stop-resource-for-wind-erosion-air-quality-and-dust-mitigation
Contributors to this handbook:
Lead Author: Stephen G. Smarik, NRCS State Resource Conservationist for Arizona and Liaison to the USDA Southern Plains and Southwest Climate Hubs.
Project Manager and Contributor: Emile Elias, Ph.D., Director (Acting), USDA Southwest Climate Hub, Research Hydrologist, Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Las Cruces, NM.
Contributor: Alison Boes, NRCS State Agronomist for Arizona.
Contributor: David Brown, Ph.D., Udall Foundation Executive Director, formerly Director, USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub, Grazinglands Research Laboratory, USDA Agricultural Research Service, El Reno, OK.
Contributor: Dave DuBois, Ph.D., New Mexico State Climatologist, Associate College Professor, CoCoRaHS State Coordinator, Director of the NM Climate Center, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM.
Contributor: Brandon L. Edwards, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM.
Contributor: Marlen D. Eve, Ph.D, Deputy Administrator, Natural Resources and Sustainable Agricultural Systems, USDA ARS Office of National Programs, Beltsville MD.
Contributor: Nicholas Webb, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM.
Contributor: Mike Wilson, Ph.D., Senior Scientist - Climate Change, USDA- NRCS, Lincoln, NE.
Contributor: Greg Zwicke, Air Quality Engineer - NRCS National Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team, Fort Collins, CO.
Contributor/Technical Editor: Skye Aney, Graduate Research Assistant, USDA Southwest Climate Hub, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM.
Webmaster: Ericha Courtright, Information Technology Specialist (Data Management), Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Las Cruces, NM.
Graphic Design: Reanna Burnett, USDA Southwest Climate Hub, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM.