BUDGET CUTS SET:
The UA President has finalized the budget cuts to be made next year to colleges and other units. His letter can be found at http://www.president.arizona.edu/presforum_more.cfm?f_ID=29. A preliminary county budget cut plan was presented to CEDS at their meeting in February in the formula allocation for 2007-08 and the final plan is being sent to them by email today to share with their units. It is a bit tighter than the preliminary plan because of all the positions we are in the process of filling and accompanying staff support.
FOCUS ON OUTREACH:
- Project BudBurst is an annual campaign designed for the public; it represents the combined efforts of scientists and educators interested in encouraging citizen scientists to record flowering times in nearby natural areas and neighborhoods. With your help, and that of kids you work with, we will compile phenological information that will be compared to historical records to see how our backyards, parks, and forests are changing. You can do your part by participating in Project Budburst! Please pass this on to teachers and kids across Arizona. UA, the new home of the National Phenology Network, is one of the partners in this fabulous citizen science opportunity. To learn more, check out this Earth And Sky clip or contact Barron Orr.
- The Spirit of the Sun (S.O.S) project successfully trained 30 young people on key concepts relating to civic engagement. This project is a partnership between the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences (Lynne Borden and Joyce Serido), Cochise Cooperative Extension (Darcy Tessman, Rossana Contreras) and SEABHS (Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, Alex Boneo), Pima County Extension (Cynthia Flynn, Manuel Abril) and Skrappy's (Kathy Wooldridge). The young people involved in this project are currently addressing critical issues in their communities, including teen homelessness and drug and alcohol use. For more information or questions, contact the program at spiritofthesun@cals.arizona.edu.
WEBCASTING PRESENTATIONS AVAILABLE:
The Web casting presentation for the Area Assistant/Associate Agent, Agriculture (for Maricopa, Pima & Pinal Counties) titled Building A Successful Extension Program for Agricultural Crop Production in Central Arizona from last Friday is available for viewing at http://cals.arizona.edu/extension/webcasts.html. To view the Web cast, you must use Internet Explorer (NOT Netscape) and have Windows Media Player installed on your computer. Candidates were Scott White, Erin Taylor, and Kevin Rice. For more information or questions, contact Glenda Thompson (520.621.3621).
POSTAGE RATE INCREASE:
As follow up to some earlier articles, USPS postage rates will increase on May 14 from 39 cents to 41 cents for first class mail. Other rates are also affected. Some handy online tools on the USPS web site are the Postage Calculator (for domestic, international and business rates), Mailing & Shipping Guidelines, Postage Services and Rates and the FAQ page. Keep in mind that these sites will still reflect current rates until the change on May 14.
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
- The 29th Annual Arizona/Nevada/Utah Range Livestock Workshop will take place in several locations from April 10-12 : April 10 Fairgrounds, St. George, Utah; April 11 Red Hills Best Western, Kanab, Utah; April 12 Field Tour leaving the USDA Forest Service Office in Fredonia at 9:00am Utah time. The workshop is hosted by the University of Arizona, Utah State University, Bureau of Land Management-AZ Strip District, USDA U.S. Forest Service, University of Nevada-Reno and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. For more information, contact Vicki Coombs, Mohave County Extension (928.753.3788).
- NEW: CYSDV Spring Workshop, April 11 , 8:00-12:00, Yuma County Extension, 2200 W. 28th Street, Yuma. As the introduction of CYSDV threatens cucurbit production in the Desert Southwest, learn the latest CYSDV developments, the volunteer host-free program and the UA spring CYSDV monitoring program. Four AZ, CA and CCA CEUs have been approved.
- The "Climate and Riparian Areas Workshop: Connecting the Dots- Climate Change/Variability and Ecosystem Impacts in Southwestern Riparian Areas" will occur on April 11-13 at the Hotel Casa Grande (777 N. Pinal Avenue, Casa Grande. A full agenda and registration information are available at http://cals.arizona.edu/gila/naturalresources/Riparianpage.html.
- NEW: An Endangered Species Workshop will be held on April 13 at Besh Ba Gowah, 150 Jesse Hayes Road, Globe. The cost is $20 per person (which includes lunch) and the registration deadline is April 10. For more information and a map with driving directions, go to http://cals.arizona.edu/gila/whats_new/#animalsciences.
- NEW: Arizona Project Wet offers training in water education across the state. Workshops are FREE. Tucson workshops are scheduled for April 14 , June 18 & 19 . Phoenix workshops are scheduled for May 5 & 12, June 5 & 6, and June 13 & 14. For specific information on each workshop and to register, go to www.ag.arizona.edu/azwater/wet.
- NEW: 2007 Organic Certification Workshop, May 9 , 8:00-12:00, Yuma County Extension, 2200 W. 28th Street, Yuma. Applications for 3 AZ, CA and CCA CEUs will be submitted.
- The 16th Annual Desert Horticulture Conference will be held on May 18 at the Tucson Convention Center. The conference presents information for green industry professionals and will focus on distributing timely, research-based information relevant to urban landscapes in the arid Southwest. Program and registration information can be found at http://ag.arizona.edu/deserthort/.
- NEW: 20th Anniversary of the Environmental Quality Act and ADEQ: Assessing and Protecting Arizonas Water Quality, Hyatt Regency, Phoenix at Civic Plaza, June 5 . Together with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona Water Institute, the Water Resources Research Center has planned a one-day conference featuring a roster of distinguished speakers and will include panels on the History of the Environmental Quality Act and ADEQ, the Water Quality Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF), Emerged and Emerging Contaminants, Emerging Policy Challenges, and the Future of ADEQ. Director Steve Owens will deliver the State of ADEQ address at the luncheon, Governor Napolitano has been invited to kick-off the program, and the day will end with a celebratory reception. The agenda, registration and hotel information can be found at http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/conf2007/index.html. Early bird registration (before May 1) is $115. Beginning May 1, registration will be $135 (with reduced rates available for students).