FOCUS ON FACULTY:
I would like to welcome Doug Tolleson , the new rangeland specialist at the V Bar V Ranch in Cottonwood. Dougs primary appointment is with the School of Natural Resources but he'll be located at the V Bar V Ranch. The new Groseta Learning Center is still in the planning stage, but we hope to have it built within the year and Doug will relocate to the Center at that time.
FOCUS ON PROGRAMS:
The Water Resources Research Center ( WRRC ) received good news from Washington D.C. with passage of the FY 08 omnibus appropriations bill: the budget for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) included $500,000 in start-up funding for the new United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program. The Program, authorized in Public Law 109-448 at the end of 2006, directs the USGS and the water resources institutes in the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to develop and carry out a systematic assessment of priority transboundary aquifers, in collaboration with Mexican partners. The program is authorized for a total of 10 years, with a funding authorization of $50 million. The two priority transboundary aquifers specified for Arizona in the Act are the Santa Cruz River Valley aquifers and the San Pedro aquifers, underlying Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. The WRRC is currently coordinating bi-national discussions to plan an integrated scientific approach for assessments of these priority aquifers, so as to make effective use of the federal dollars.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
The Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) announces the call for 2008 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) proposals. This intramural program supports applied research and education to move IPM knowledge and technologies from researchers into the hands of diverse clientele. Proposals are due to Al Fournier by Thursday, January 31 . Approximately $50,000 is available and funds will be distributed shortly after decisions are made by the IPM Coordinating Committee in February. Funds should be expended by September 30, 2008. The full Request for Proposals (RFP) is available on the Arizona Pest Management Center website at http://cals.arizona.edu/apmc/. Funded projects from previous years can be viewed on the IPM projects page at http://cals.arizona.edu/apmc/projects.html. Contact Al Fournier (520.381.2240) if you have any questions.
MARICOPA COUNTY OFFICE:
The Maricopa County office will be closed all day on Friday, February 1, so all faculty and staff can attend an off-site strategic planning day.
NATIONAL EPSILON SIGMA PHI DUES:
Epsilon Sigma Phi dues must be submitted by Bob Peterson, Pima County Extension, to the National ESP by Friday, February 1 . Dues are $35 per year or $40.00 if it is your first time as an ESP member. Checks should be made payable to the 4-H Youth Foundation with a note in the memo section reading "ESP dues". Send your dues check to Bob Peterson, 4210 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, 85719. The check must be received by Bob no later than Monday, January 28. If you have any questions, contact Bob (520.626.5161).
UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES:
Arizona NEMO, in cooperation with the Upper Agua Fria Watershed, Friends of the Agua Fria National Monument, Arconsanti, and the Bureau of Land Management, is presenting on opportunity for citizen scientists to learn more about the flows of the Agua Fria River. On February 5 , in Mayer, NEMO will conduct training to teach interested land owners and neighbors how to do the mapping. For more information go to www.ArizonaNEMO.org.