ational February 2008 Issue 42 N ooperative oil C urvey SS Newsletter

In This Issue— Partnering to Map undifferentiated groups and complexes. Accurate soils data in this zone are Subaqueous Soils needed to help with restoration Partnering to Map Subaqueous projects. In 2006, alone Soils ...... 1 By Maggie Payne, Soil Scientist, Natural spent well over 10 million dollars on Mapping from East to West ...... 4 Resources Conservation Service, Warwick, Rhode Island. coastal restoration projects. By Spanish Translation of the Keys addressing the soil resource in the to Soil Taxonomy...... 5 he definition of soils has Coastal Zone, the Soil Survey Program Review of The Worst Hard Time ...... 5 recently been extended to T can provide valuable soil data and A Note About The Worst Hard include subaqueous soils, or soils that interpretations. Time ...... 9 are permanently submerged under less Understanding the need for such North Central Region Work than about 2.5 meters of salt water or information in the “Ocean State,” Planning Conference ...... 9 fresh water. Soil survey efforts along NRCS staff members in Rhode Island Southern Regional Cooperative Soil the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts took the lead in establishing the Survey Conference ...... 9 (Delaware, Florida, , , institutional framework needed for Northeast NCSS Conference ...... 10 Maryland, Connecticut, New mapping coastal and subaqueous soils West Regional Cooperative Soil Hampshire, and Rhode Island) now and coastal and marine habitats in the Survey and Western Society of include the mapping of sub-tidal State. This framework, now known as Soil Science Conferences ...... 10 environments in shallow water bodies. the Mapping Partnership for Coastal Almost two-thirds of the worldwide Soils and Sediment, or MapCoast population currently lives in coastal Editor’s Note (www.mapcoast.org), is made up of the areas, and recent demographic studies Rhode Island NRCS, URI researchers Issues of this newsletter are suggest that in the next 25 years, 75 and scientists, and other State and available on the World Wide Web percent of the U.S. population will be Federal agencies. This partnership (http://soils.usda.gov/). Under Quick living within 50 miles of a coastline. incorporates multiple disciplines, Access, click on NCSS, then on With increased use and pressure, there integrating soil survey techniques and Newsletters, and then on the desired is increased demand to document the terminology with the technology issue number. condition of shallow waters, such as typically used in marine mapping. You are invited to submit stories for coastal lagoons, shallow bays, and Along with classifying benthic habitats this newsletter to Stanley Anderson, estuaries. An account of the soils in according to the NOAA Coastal Marine National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, these areas would provide valuable Ecological Classification System Nebraska. Phone—402-437-5357; information to coastal regulators and (CMECS), one of the goals of this FAX—402-437-5336; email— others about areas important for partnership is to create a seamless soil [email protected]. eelgrass or shellfish habitat, areas of survey that includes the mapping of sedimentation and shoreline change, coastal soils and shallow waters and potential dredge sites. according to NCSS standards. Soil survey data within the Coastal Zone (which includes the beaches, duneland, and marshes along with the Mapping and Analysis landscapes submerged by shallow water) have been shown to be missing The techniques used in mapping (subaqueous soils), outdated and subaqueous soils are similar to those inaccurate because of shoreline used in a traditional survey of deposition and erosion, or related to terrestrial soils. Mapping the soils that are inadequately mapped in subaqueous soils involves a few

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additional obstacles. Because water value. The formation of sulfides is a various soils in order to create cover keeps mappers from easily major soil-forming factor in these soils. interpretations for those soils. identifying landforms, vegetation, and Sulfides accumulate in the form of Additional research on carbon surface stoniness, the MapCoast pyrite and monosulfides from the sequestration, eelgrass suitability, and Partnership employs such technology anaerobic reduction of sulfate from shellfish growth rates also is underway. as side-scan sonar, sediment profile seawater. MapCoast partners have These studies will result in a better imaging, and underwater cameras to studied the rate of sulfide oxidation in understanding of the interpretations determine landscape units. Instead of that can be made on the basis of a using topographic maps to determine subaqueous soil map of the region. landscape position, subaqueous soil One of the major benefits of mapping uses bathymetric maps to mapping these areas under the Soil identify landscapes and landforms. Survey Program is the use of the Digging soil pits to observe classification system in Soil Taxonomy, subaqueous soils within these units is which provides a standard all but impossible, so instead of methodology for describing and shovels, scientists use augers and other communicating information about tools, such as peat samplers and these soils. Initially, subaqueous soils vibracores, to obtain the samples. were classified dominantly as Aquents. Complete soil descriptions are A proposed new suborder defines all made for each sample taken, and lab submerged and subaqueous soils as data analysis is performed on all Wassents, from the term “wasser” vibracore samples. Two very important (German for water). Wassents would be characteristics of subaqueous soils that the first suborder to classify out under are not typically described in terrestrial Entisols and would enable more soils are incubation pH (an indication succinct naming conventions for these of sulfide content) and fluidity or n- The tools used in mapping soils in shallow soils. water commonly are the same as those Shallow water and intertidal areas used in mapping terrestrial soils, such as are vital to the ecologic and economic augers. well-being of our coasts, but soils in these locations have been largely ignored by soil and marine scientists alike. As aquaculture, recreation, and development pressures increase, there is a vital need to provide information about these areas in order to best manage the nation’s coastal zones. To date, the MapCoast Partnership has mapped over 8,000 acres of coastal lagoons and bays in Rhode Island, collected 275 soil cores and pedon descriptions, conducted three end-user conferences, and provided outreach of our work in national conferences, news articles, features, and publications. It is actively working to improve our mapping protocol and establish a Jim Turenne, Rhode Island Assistant State Soil Scientist, demonstrates the use of a shallow water mapping center in the vibracore to collect a subaqueous soil State. Utilizing funding from NOAA, core. A soil sample showing a buried marsh horizon. the partnership just completed its first

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year of a 2-year study to develop a this publication, contact Jim Turenne at vol4no1. Video news features of mapping protocol for subaqueous soils. 401-822-8830 or view the online copy MapCoast in action can be viewed at In September of 2007, Craig Ditzler at http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/41N/ http://nesoil.com/Video.htm. (a former Rhode Island resident), Karl Hipple, Philip Schonenberg, and Bob Dobos from the National Soil Survey Center toured the subaqueous soils mapping effort underway in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The crew spent some time aboard the NRCS research boats, collected and described a soil vibracore from a washover fan slope, toured the URI Pedology Laboratory, and discussed data needs and interpretations. The results of the tour include several proposals involving taxonomy and some new data elements that need to be added to NASIS. The MapCoast Partnership was recently featured in 41 °N, a publication of RI Sea Grant and URI Coastal Institute. To receive a copy of

Bob Dobos and Don Parizek observing an eelgrass bed in Little Narragansett Bay.

Mark Stolt (URI), Al Averill (MO 12), and Karl Hipple (NSSC) describing a soil NRCS staff from the National Soil Survey Center and from Connecticut and Rhode Island cutting core. a vibracore open at Ninigret Pond.

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Mapping from East to scientist in a real-life, hands-on Since leaving , I have experience in which I had no choice mapped more than 16,000 acres in West but to sink or swim. The solution was Lamar County, , and more Arkansas soil scientist expands to take a year and do nothing but map. than 11,000 acres in Sevier County, experience on new horizons. Only because of the detail Utah. I am currently on a detail in the By D’andre L. Yancey, Soil Scientist, USDA, opportunities around the country could Mojave Desert in California. Natural Resources Conservation Service. this plan come to realization. Even though some people may I proposed this idea to Luis consider the frequent moves a sacrifice, hen I was a young Hernandez, State Soil Scientist in I would not change any part of this W professional, new to the Arkansas, and he agreed that this detail experience. The experience has helped discipline of soil science, the first could be beneficial to me and to me to grow personally and observation I made was to realize the Arkansas and the Natural Resources professionally. More importantly, I now expertise and high standard of Conservation Service. actually feel like a soil scientist. excellence set by my predecessors. As a person trained in a similar but different field of science, I was intimidated to find out what kind of profession had chosen me. In order to improve my knowledge base and be competitive, I started to read, but there was still a major piece of the puzzle missing. I asked myself, “What is the most efficient way for me to become the best soil scientist I can be?” Simultaneous with these thoughts, there was a change in the priorities of the National Cooperative Soil Survey, with emphasis being placed on the completion of all initial soil surveys within the country. I realized this was the perfect solution to the problem at hand: how to accelerate my education as a soil

D’andre L. Yancey. Areas of Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, California. .

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Review of The Worst Hard Egan begins his story by discussing the era of homesteading in the early Time 1900s, when the U.S. Government and By Karl W. Hipple, National Leader, Soil private real estate companies, such as Survey Interpretations, NRCS, National Soil the Southwestern Immigration and Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Development Company, took The Worst Hard Time: The Untold extraordinary measures to enhance and Story of Those Who Survived the Great guide land settlement. The U.S. American , which was Government used the Homestead Act published by Houghton Mifflin while the Southwestern Immigration Company in 2006, was written by and Development Company ran Timothy Egan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning advertisements in newspapers author and journalist for the New York nationwide offering free train rides for Times. The author details the early potential nesters to look over the land. years of settlement when homesteaders The early settlement years were were drawn to the lush green characterized by adequate rainfall, the where rainfall was adequate to produce introduction of machinery, good wheat wheat, corn, and grass to feed herds of prices, the efforts of the Bureau of Spanish Translation of the cattle. The U.S. economy was strong, Soils to complete a national soil survey, and machinery was replacing more increased pressure on the land by Keys to Soil Taxonomy time-consuming labor methods. Egan ramped-up food production to supply By Stanley P. Anderson, Editor, NRCS, paints a vivid word picture of the food to the Allied Powers during National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. government-enhanced abuse of the World War I (1914-1918), and natural resources of the , boundless enthusiasm for living the he tenth edition of the Keys to the perseverance, heart, and heartache good life. TSoil Taxonomy (2006) has been of its people, and the fears and Land speculation was part of this translated into Spanish. This translation frustrations of homesteaders trying to enthusiasm. In 1908, the Southwestern was made by Dr. Carlos A. Ortiz, survive during some of the darkest Immigration and Development Professor of Soil Sciences at "Colegio years in American history. Company fraudulently sold 3,000 lots de Postgraduados," Montecillo, As Egan develops this story, he in Boise City, Oklahoma, for forty-five Mexico. The translation was weaves the hearts, minds, and dreams dollars each despite the phantom coordinated by Luis Hernandez, of the “nesters” and the communities existence of the city, its trees, its Arkansas State Soil Scientist/MLRA they established into a heartbreaking artesian well, and its paved streets. Leader. Technical review was provided story of the dynamics of government- Rather than finding the advertised by the following NRCS employees: sponsored homesteading, severe “fully stocked” paradise, people who Milton Cortes, Edwin Muniz, Astrid drought, America’s Great Depression, arrived to view their newly purchased Martinez, Milton Martinez, Alvin severe cyclic dust storms, human and share of Boise City found no railroads, Perez, Manuel Matos, and Diana animal sicknesses (such as dust no houses, no businesses, and a stock Angelo. pneumonia), and a new type of mental watering tank instead of an artesian The translation is available for illness called “dust madness.” Battling well. These new settlers had no idea downloading on the Soils Web site these factors ultimately drove many that the Southwestern Immigration and (http://soils.usda.gov/technical/ settlers to utter despair or in later years Development Company did not even classification/tax_keys/). It also is prompted many to relocate to own the land in the Oklahoma available on CD. For a copy of CD, California, as chronicled in Grapes of Panhandle that the settlers had just contact the National Soil Survey Wrath by John Steinbeck. The Worst purchased. Hope for a better life, Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. A limited Hard Time encompasses about 40 years however, continued to drive families to number of copies will be printed and separated into three periods: a) 1901- the plains. available by late winter through 1930 Promise: The Great Plowup, b) The author introduces the American LANDCARE, the NRCS online 1931-1933 Betrayal, and c) 1934-1939 Dust Bowl by masterfully humanizing ordering and distribution system. Blowup. the airborne dust. He emphasizes that

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the Dust Bowl encompassed much stupendous ignorance.” This time hopelessness. Wisdom inherited from more than just epic land degradation period is characterized by human the Comanche was passed on to the caused, according to Hugh Hammond inventiveness, stubbornness, nesters in an aphorism that the early Bennett, by mankind’s “sinister” frustration, horror, suffering, cowboys of the XIT Ranch stressed treatment of the land and “our entrepreneurship, and in some cases, repeatedly in conversations, “Miles to water, miles to wood and only six inches to hell.” The story’s human side is developed by descriptions of ordinary people involved with the plow out and subsequent “blowout” of the . These people include Bam White, Ike Osteen, Jeanne Clark, Fred Folkers, Louise Watson, Doc John Dawson, and others living in small prairie towns, such as Dalhart, Texas; Boise City, Oklahoma; Liberal, Kansas; and Lamar, Colorado. Egan characterizes the “Dirty Thirties” by the following examples: folks cleaning dust from houses with scoop shovels; cars stuck in waves of sand on roads; folks watching their livestock go blind and/or suffocate because of the dust; invading grasshoppers that destroyed crops and denuded trees; static electricity contained in recurring dust clouds that knocked people down when they tried to shake hands; stores selling five- hundred-foot rolls of house-sealing tape for thirty-five cents; and times during storms when “one could not see his or her hand in front of their face.” Egan also describes the extra, often futile, efforts of the nesters and sodbusters to combat or reduce the health effects of the dust. These efforts include placing Vaseline in their nostrils to trap dust, the Red Cross issuing respiratory masks to school children, and women placing wet towels beneath doors or damp sheets over windows at night in an attempt to keep out the dust or at least filter the air. These simple measures were intended to treat the symptoms of an enormous calamity—a combination of the use of plows to turn the prairie sod (the glue that held the soil in place), the extreme drought of the 1930s, and the

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Images of the Dust Bowl from the photo gallery of USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. economic factors of the Great million hogs to stabilize prices in 1933. moved when the Panama Canal was Depression, which began in 1929. The Soil Erosion Service in the dug. Digging the canal took 7 years, The increasing number of dust Department of the Interior was formed and the storm lasted only an afternoon. storms in the “Dirty Thirties” (14 in in 1933 with “Big Hugh” Bennett as This extreme storm (a black roller) had 1932 and 38 in 1933) that were Director. Bennett had already co- a colossal impact on the lives of people overwhelming the nesters soon authored his greatest work, a USDA across the nation. It was an event that impacted other parts of the country. As Bulletin entitled “Soil Erosion: A Hugh Bennett used to his advantage. the dust clouds blew east and carried National Menace,” which was Many describe Bennett as a mixture “black air” and misery to people in published in 1928. With the severe of scientist and actor who was a tireless , D.C., newly elected drought, however, many of his ideas on advocate of land stewardship and of President Franklin Roosevelt and his how to control erosion were not placing control of conservation government had to do more. President working. Bennett became increasingly initiatives in local hands. Egan Hoover (President from 1929 through frustrated with the government for describes the scenario in which Bennett 1932) had been unsuccessful in encouraging exploitative farming skillfully used the afternoon darkness combating the Depression and the during the years of the wheat boom. In generated by the infamous “Black “dusters” that continued, now with the late 1920s, and long before others Sunday” dust that swept over increasing frequency. The stock market advocated for soil conservation, Washington, D.C., to his advantage as crash of 1929 was over, but the Bennett condemned the government for he lobbied Congress to create a Depression was still at full throttle, its notion that “the soil is one resource permanent agency to heal the land. One food was scarce, the drought was that cannot be exhausted.” famous quote from that lobbying worsening, and banks were failing. The The worst dust event, labeled “Black speech deals with his response to a nesters fully expected the Federal Sunday,” occurred on April 14, 1935. It senator who loudly asked about the Government to help. removed and transported 300,000 tons daytime darkness. Bennett simply The Federal Government was active of topsoil in a single afternoon. Egan responded, “This, gentlemen, is what in the early 1930s, trying to correct the indicates that the Black Sunday storm I’m talking about. There goes economy by buying more than 6 moved twice as much soil as was Oklahoma.” Congress passed the Soil

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Hugh Hammond Bennett, the first Chief of the Soil Conservation Service. Picture from the gallery of USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Conservation Act the following day. help by buying cattle to provide seed the early history of the agencies that This act provided permanent funding to money for the nesters and others to eventually became the Natural restore and sustain the health of the help restart the economy and for use by Resources Conservation Service nation’s soil. the Federal Surplus Relief Program in (NRCS), early U.S. Government social The 1934 Yearbook of Agriculture the distribution of food to families programs, and the impacts of climatic stated that “approximately 35 million nationwide. Egan says that the events in the 1930s. The book is well acres of formerly cultivated land have government purchased “wretched researched and documented with old essentially been destroyed for crop looking cattle stumbling over the written records and in-person production…and 100 million acres, prairie, many of them blind, their ribs interviews with a few remaining now in crops, have lost all or most of outlined through their skin, scabby nesters. For employees of the Natural the topsoil” ( Department with sores, and their insides bound up Resources Conservation Service, this of Agriculture, Yearbook of Agriculture, by dust.” He indicates that 50 percent book is a must read. For others, the 1934.) One of Bennett’s favorite and or more of the cattle had to be book provides a look at a tough period often repeated sayings is, “An inch of destroyed. in U.S. history through the eyes of topsoil can blow away in an hour, but it The Worst Hard Time tells an strong, stubborn, and often colorful takes a thousand years to restore it.” In interesting and rich story of the lives of people whose lives illustrate the 1935, the U.S. Government tried to the early nesters who settled the prairie, meaning of the word “persevere.”

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A Note About The Worst own. When the dust fell, it (KPBS). The KPBS is a native penetrated everything: hair, grassland owned by the Nature Hard Time nose, throat, kitchen, Conservancy. From “Friday Message” (7/27/2007) by Steve bedroom, well. A scoop There are four committees for this Chick, State Conservationist, NRCS, Lincoln, shovel was needed just to meeting. These are Taxonomy, Nebraska. The message is to all NRCS employees clean the house in the Interpretations, New Research, and and conservation partners in Nebraska. morning. The eeriest thing Research Needs. was the darkness. People tied For more information, contact John hen it was recommended to themselves to ropes before Warner at 785-823-4559 or e-mail him me that I read the book The W going to a barn just a few at [email protected]. Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan, I hundred feet away, like a walk had no clue that it would grab my in space, tethered to the life attention like it has. I often hear folks support center. Chickens describe books that “they cannot put Southern Regional roosted in mid-afternoon. down,” but I have rarely had that Cooperative Soil Survey experience. I am not exaggerating by …Oklahoma had lost 440 Conference describing this book in that way. million tons of topsoil, and Anyone connected to agriculture and another survey out of Texas, By Deanna (Anderson) Peterson, State Soil conservation, especially in the Plains which said 16.5 million acres Scientist, NRCS, Gainesville, Florida. States, should read this book. It vividly had been eroded to a thin he Southern Regional describes how early successful wheat veneer… Cooperative Soil Survey crops on large expanses of sod-busted T The book relives the lives of many (SRCSS) Conference will be held July prairie resulted in an unsustainable families that suffered through the hard 14-17, 2008, in Gainesville, Florida. bubble that burst when the rains ceased times, including the loss of family The theme for the conference is and drought persisted for several years. members due to dust pneumonia. Out "Innovative Technologies for the New Suffice it to say that it is almost of this tragic time was born the Soil Soil Survey." unimaginable what these resilient folks Conservation Service and Soil Located in north-central Florida, endured, except that this book uncovers Conservation Districts, which led to Gainesville is home to Florida's largest the reality of those times. Here are just the most successful natural resources and oldest university, the University of a couple of excerpts, but the only way restoration and management effort Florida, and the "Gator nation." In the to do it justice is to read the book. through the Federal/state/local/ midst of north Florida's rolling sandy …For the next nine years, Ike landowner partnership. Please consider terrain and ecological communities, would see Baca County (CO) reading this book. karst geological formations are evident go mad. Earlier, the land had throughout the Gainesville natural been overturned in a great North Central Region Work areas (Paynes Prairie State Preserve speculative frenzy to make Planning Conference and Devil's Millhopper State Park). money in an unsustainable Monday's field trip will combine wheat market. After a big run- By John C. Warner, Soil Data Quality soil-ecological sites at Austin Cary up, the prices crashed. The Specialist, MO 5, NRCS, Salina Kansas. Memorial Forest and GIS rains disappeared—not just demonstrations at the University of for a season but for years on he North Central Region Work Florida. Beginning on Tuesday, the end. With no sod to hold the TPlanning (NCRWP) Conference conference sessions will include but earth in place, the soil will be held June 23-26, 2008, in will not be limited to information calcified and started to blow. Manhattan, Kansas. Manhattan is sharing from national leadership and Dust clouds boiled up, ten located in the heart of the beautiful partners, breakout groups, poster thousand feet or more in the Flints Hills of Kansas. This year the sessions, and reports from the SRCSSC sky, and rolled like moving field trip will be an exciting tour of the committees. The standing committees mountains—a force of their Konza Prairie Biological Station are Soil Taxonomy and Standards,

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Research Priorities, New Technology agriculture. Expect an authentic clam the Western Society of Soil Science Committee, and Soil Interpretations. bake, scenic coastline, and plenty of (WSSS) will be held in Spokane, The Subaqueous Soil Ad Hoc New England charm! Washington, at the Red Lion Hotel at Committee also will be meeting. There will be six committees for this the Park, June 16-20. The conferences For more information, including meeting. These are Taxonomy, are being co-located so that they can information about how to register, see Subaqueous Soils, Hydric Soils, provide many opportunities for http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ssc or Research Needs, New Technology, and participants share knowledge and contact Deanna (Anderson) Peterson at Bylaws. information and to build partnerships (352) 338-9535. Her email is currently More detailed information will soon between organizations with interests in [email protected] but will be be posted on the Rhode Island and soil resources. changing to [email protected]. Connecticut NRCS Web sites. The WRCSS theme is "Soil Survey Otherwise, contact Kip Kolesinskas at and Ecological Site Classification." 860-871-4047 or email him at This theme will be well represented in Northeast NCSS Conference [email protected]. oral presentations during the conference and during an all-day field By Kip Kolesinskas, State Soil Scientist for trip on Tuesday, June 17, in the Connecticut and Rhode Island, NRCS, Tolland, surrounding area. WRCSS participants Connecticut. West Regional include representatives from he Northeast NCSS Conference Cooperative Soil Survey universities, NRCS, USFS, BLM, BIA, T will be held June 2-5, 2008, at and Western Society of NPS, the Washington Society of Soil the University of Rhode Island Coastal Soil Science Conferences Scientists (WSPSS), the National Institute in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Society of Consulting Soil Scientists The field trip will highlight By Ron F. Myhrum, Natural Resources (NSCSS), and Canadian Soil Scientists. anthropogenic soils (with a mysterious Assessment Team Leader, NRCS, Spokane, WSSS conference members will Washington. archeological twist), subaqueous soils, join the WRCSS members for the loess and carboniferous soils, and he 2008 conferences of the general meetings, joint technical current research about soil-related TWest Regional National sessions, a poster session, a banquet, impacts from turf and nursery Cooperative Soil Survey (WRCSS) and and the field trip.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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