*  Extension operations and travel budgets for 1999-2000 will be distributed this week  These support dollars are allocated to Unit Heads based upon a formula of $4000 per agent FTE and $5000 per specialist FTE, plus $500 per area agent position. Unit Heads may use the allocation as they deem appropriate to meet needs within the unit.  Note that the per-FTE allocations to counties are lower than those for departments and schools because counties also receive an allocation of county funds for support of programs.  When new hires occur after initial budgets have been loaded, a prorated share of support funds is transferred to the unit based upon the Extension FTE of the new faculty member and the number of workdays left in the fiscal year. 

*  The first ever Master Science Teacher Volunteer Training was held April 28-29, 1999.  Twenty-two participants (teachers, youth, and adult volunteers) from five different counties were involved with this pilot project that resulted from the Moving To Higher Ground Science and Technology priority. This day and a half training included two tracks representing aerospace and biotechnology. The aerospace track included participating in a mission in the new Challenger Center at the Pima Air Museum, presentations from Lunar Planetary Lab, The Flandrau, and using the 4-H Aerospace curriculum. The Biotechnology track had presentations by Dr. Randy Ryan, Robin Roche from the Center of Insect Science, and using the 4-H Field of Genes curriculum. Evening activities included hands-on activities with every day science and the Star Lab. Co-planners included: Kim Gressley, Pinal County; Bob Peterson, Pima County; Julie Adamcin, Pima County; Emily Morrison, Deputy Director for Education, The Arizona Aerospace Foundation; and  Lisa Lauxman, 4-H Curriculum Coordinator.  Plans are formulating to continue this training opportunity as there was great enthusiasm.  Congratulations on a very successful event. 

* The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Maricopa and Pinal Counties are hosting the 5th Annual Melon Field Day, Wednesday, June 2, 1999, 9:00 to Noon, UA Maricopa Agricultural Center, Maricopa, Arizona. Various presentations, symposia, and a tour are planned.  Please contact Kai Umeda, (602) 470-8086, Ext. 314 for more detailed information. 

*  Yuma County Cooperative Extension will be relocating to a brand new facility on June 5, 1999.  Their new address will be 2200 W. 28th Street, Suite 102, Yuma, AZ 85364 but their  phone number will remain the same. They anticipate being out of commission for a few days surrounding that time frame but it will be minimal since the actual move day is a Saturday. The new facilities will include a small conference room and a shared auditorium that will hold 150 and can be divided 3 ways.  They will let everyone know at a later date when they plan to have an open house.  Don Howell said he wouldn’t shave until a move was made into a new facility, so they are going to make that part of the ceremony. 

*  The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is designed to help agriculture and natural resource personnel in Cooperative Extension, NRCS, and other agencies as well as non-government agencies, producers and others to develop or attend projects and programs that will build the sustainability of food and fiber production systems. To help Cooperative Extension and NRCS personnel stay up to date with current sustainable technologies, each western state, including Arizona, receives grant funds to help defray costs. I would like to again invite you to help use those funds. The requirements are: 1) The funds must be expended to help ACE and NRCS personnel to learn sustainable agriculture techniques, 2) They must be used to support the development or presentation of workshops or field days where professionals can learn sustainable agriculture techniques or to support the attendance of professionals to these functions.  If you are sponsoring a field day or workshop that demonstrates or teaches sustainable techniques, or if you would like to attend a function that presents definite sustainable curricula, please contact Rick Gibson for further information. 

*  The International Arid Lands Consortium is sponsoring the IALC Land Management Workshop: A Tenth Anniversary Celebration of USFS, CSREES, Israeli, and IALC Partnerships. The Workshop will held in Reno, Nevada on November 4-5, 1999.  The purpose of this workshop is to inform government land managers and other interested persons about the work of the IALC.  The target audience includes the: USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, US military personnel (who oversee installations in the arid regions of the US), and other interested agencies.  The main topics include panel presentations and discussion on:  Water/Watersheds; Seed Banks & Crusts; Wildlife/Grazing/Ecology; and Decision Support Systems.  The Workshop schedule, registration form, and further information, are available on the IALC Web site at: http://ialcworld.org 

*  On behalf of the School of Renewable Natural Resources and Cooperative Extension, you are invited to a program planning retreat.  The goals of this retreat are:  1) to identify priority issues in Arizona which Extension faculty will address, and 2) encourage partnerships between on-campus and off-campus faculty.  The retreat will be held on June 28-29 from Noon-Noon in Tucson.  If you would like to participate, contact Patti B. (621-5308 or pattib@cals.arizona.edu). 
 

James A. Christenson, Director 
jimc@cals.arizona.edu 

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