1/24/97

Contacts:
Jerry Hatfield, National Soil Tilth Lab (515)231-7209 (Monday and Tuesday)
Karen Bolluyt, Agriculture Information, (515) 294-5616

COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS SOUGHT

AMES -- On Thursday, January 30, members of the public are encouraged to participate in a discussion of environmental assessments of livestock and cropping systems at the watershed scale. Jerry L. Hatfield, acting associate deputy administrator for natural resources and sustainable agricultural systems, USDA Agricultural Research Service, will lead a three-hour sesssion beginning at 9 a.m. in the National Soil Tilth Building, Room 109, on the Iowa State University campus.

Hatfield will open with a description of a draft USDA-ARS proposal for conducting environmental assessments. He noted that studies at the watershed scale will produce a new level of understanding of the complex interactions between livestock and crop production.

"The first step is to build consensus that we have identified all of the factors that influence groundwater, surface water, air and soil quality; and then we must include those in environmental assessments," Hatfield said.

"We need public input to help outline the questions these assessments must address," he said."

The ultimate goal, Hatfield added, is improved management of whole farming systems.

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