Earth Team Anniversary & Stewardship Week

Earth Team Anniversary & Stewardship Week plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. A top volunteer conservation program celebrates a quarter of a century of achievement as its parent government agency turns 75 years old. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Ann Mills explains how efforts like the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Earth Team has seen an increase in volunteers over the last twenty-five years. MILLS: The Earth Team parallels the growth of volunteerism across the nation. Today, 23-million more American's are volunteering each year as they did back then. Baby Boomers, older American's are 40% more likely to volunteer than those that did in that same age group 25 years ago. And more than twice as many youth are volunteering which is great news for the future. The National Association of Conservation Districts and its three-thousand member conservation districts are joining forces this week to celebrate Stewardship Week. NACD began this national program in 1955 to encourage Americans to focus on stewardship. Today, it is one of the nation's largest conservation-related observances. The Stewardship Week program relies on locally-led conservation districts sharing and promoting stewardship and conservation activities through field days, programs, workshops and other outreach efforts throughout their respective communities. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. Arizona isn't the only state feeling a mounting frustration over the tense subject of illegal immigrants, they're just the only ones so far that have had the courage to do something about it. Granted, it may not be the wisest, or most popular law, but for the people of Arizona it seemed to be a necessary law. The lack of any congressional action on the subject of immigration reform has made a "push comes to shove" attitude for many across the United States. The frustration factor is way off the charts on both sides of the immigration debate. Those that oppose the new law sight possible civil rights violations; supporters are quick to point out it is no different for Americans on foreign soil where legal papers are often requested and required. What everyone does agree on is the simple fact that legislators need to address the mounting problem of illigal immigrants before it becomes insurrmountable. Even the highest office in the land admits to dismal failure on the federal level regarding the subject of immigration reform. We all wish our legislators would step up to the plate and deal with this issue, but as with health care reform, should we be careful what we wish for. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.