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“RETIREMENT OF PAUL W. JOHNSON AS CHIEF OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S12041 on Nov. 7, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RETIREMENT OF PAUL W. JOHNSON AS CHIEF OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES
CONSERVATION SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, this week marks the end of Iowa native Paul Johnson's remarkable 4-year tenure as Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service at the Department of Agriculture. As a long-time farmer and conservationist, Paul brought to NRCS a bold vision of private lands as a national resource to be managed in harmony with the environment.
During the past 4 years, Paul guided his agency through a major reorganization, from the Soil Conservation Service to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and has shaped the agency's programs and policies to reflect this new emphasis on the conservation of all natural resources. Paul's leadership has inspired a new commitment to conservation both within USDA and across the country.
Paul's influence was obvious in the development of the landmark conservation title of the 1996 Farm Bill, which included among many important provisions the new Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. The creation and implementation of these programs under Paul's direction are hallmarks of the energy, creativity, and commitment that he brought to NRCS, and of the legacy he leaves behind.
The agency's eloquent publication, ``A Geography of Hope,'' is a visionary statement of the NRCS mission and testimony to Paul's farm roots and passion for the land. For 23 years on his farm in Decorah, IA, Paul has raised corn, hay, and Christmas trees, and had a dairy herd and sheep.
In our home State Paul is highly regarded as an architect of environmental legislation. As a representative in the Iowa General Assembly from 1984 to 1990, he authored the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, the Iowa Resource Enhancement and Protection Program, the Iowa Energy Efficiency Act and the Iowa Integrated Farm Management Program. For his leadership in the State he was named conservation legislator of the year by several organizations in Iowa and was named to the Iowa Conservation Hall of Fame by the Wildlife Society.
Paul holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in forestry from the University of Michigan, where he also pursued doctoral studies in forestry. He taught forestry in Ghana for two years, and has been visiting professor of environmental policy at Luther College. Paul worked for the USDA Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest and also has studied and consulted on forestry, agriculture, environment, and energy issues in Honduras, Costa Rica, Sweden, and the former Soviet Union.
Paul served on the Board of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences from 1988 to 1994, where he was involved in major studies in agriculture, forestry, and conservation. He also has served as an assistant commissioner for his local soil conservation district.
Paul brings both a global perspective and a local sensibility to conservation. While I am sorry to see him leave NRCS, I look forward to his return to Iowa, where he will continue to enrich our State. I would like to extend congratulations on a job well done, and wish Paul and his wife Pat the best on their return home.
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