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1-29-2004 |
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February 2, 2004, will be the annual Agriculture/Conservation Day at the West Virginia Legislature, which provides a wonderful public information opportunity for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) and the W.Va. Conservation Agency (WVCA). Along with these two agencies, the state’s 14 Conservation Districts will be out in force to meet with their Legislators and the general public to inform them of the great amount of work they have done this past year for the people of West Virginia and to show what they want to do in 2004 for the state. The event will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass had this to say about what the day means to all involved: “Too few people have an appreciation of everything that is involved in producing the world’s safest and most plentiful food supply,” he said. “Ag and Conservation Day is intended as a reminder to our leaders and to the public that lots of people are still involved in the production and safety of the food we eat, and that agriculture is an issue that touches every person, every day.” WVDA will feature education booths by most of its divisions, including Animal Health, Plant Industries, Regulatory and Environmental, Meat and Poultry Inspection and Marketing and Development. • Animal Health Division – The division will highlight the mad cow outbreak, but will also have information on poultry diseases, such as Exotic Newcastle Disease, found last year in California, and a variety of avian influenzas, one of which is running rampant through Thailand right now. • Regulatory and Environmental Affairs Division (READ) and the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division (MPID) – These booths will also focus BSE and the latest information on steps being taken by these divisions to protect human and animal health. • Marketing and Development Division – Information will be geared toward grant programs and work with farmers’ markets over the past year, how livestock market news helps state producers cope with the ups and downs of the cattle market and a bevy of new specialty food producers. • Plant Industries Division – PID’s booth will provide a complete overview of invasive species that threaten our forests and farms. Panels will feature an historical perspective on invasive species in the Mountain State, the present extent of invasive species and a look at the future threat posed by plant pests and diseases. “The Conservation Movement is alive and kicking in West Virginia,” said Truman R. Wolfe, Executive Director of the WVCA. “Our districts and agency staff continue to bring innovative programs and practices to our landowners and farmers and, more importantly, continue to provide timely disaster relief work for the state, as was evident during the flooding seen in 2003.” Wolfe added that continuing both conservation education and work with the state’s many watershed groups will be major goals for the agency. “Working with our state’s watershed groups is a rewarding aspect of the agency,” said Wolfe. “We are constantly inspired by the work of our local citizens coming together with our Conservation Districts to ensure that their homes, surrounding communities and our state are safer, cleaner and better places to live.” The West Virginia Conservation Agency will have displays and information focusing on the many subjects including: • Flooding in West Virginia – With four major flood events, including the remnants of Hurricane Isabel, the WVCA was highly active in removing debris and blockages from streams and rivers all across the Mountain State. Over $500,000 was used in removing blockages from flooding last February, June, September and November. Working on the belief that with future flooding it's not a question of if but when, the WVCA continues to work on stream restoration and stabilization projects across the state in the hopes of alleviating potential flood-related disasters. • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/Global Positioning
Systems (GPS) – This innovative technology continues to aid
the WVCA in keeping tabs on areas hit during natural disasters,
areas where work must be done and completed and in developing maps
that allow for the agency to show information about a particular
area or region of the state. This technology is the same technology
used by our United States Military forces in Iraq for similar purposes
and was even in the news recently when fishermen stranded on Lake
Erie were rescued thanks to their GPS (Global Positioning System)
receivers allowing rescuers to pinpoint their exact location. GIS
technology allows WVCA employees to be at a disaster site and immediately
take pictures and send location data to a database for instant mapping
and plotting capabilities. For more information on Ag/Conservation Day, or for any of the aforementioned topics, contact Buddy Davidson (WVDA) at 558-3708 or Kevin Pauley (WVCA) at 558-2204. Contact: Buddy Davidson The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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©2001, 2002 West Virginia Department of Agriculture, All Rights Reserved |
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