|
US Department of Agriculture
Program Support Services (2003 – Ongoing)
Since 2003, MACTEC has been providing program support services for several US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies, including the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Office of Energy Policy and New Uses.
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program
In August 2003, MACTEC began assisting USDA’s Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) in developing regulations for the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Grant and Loan Program, which was authorized under Title IX, Section 9006 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill). The program provides grants and loans to farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses for the purchase of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements.
The renewable energy programs mandated by the Farm Bill were unique in nature, scope and complexity to RBS, so a Rural Energy Workgroup was established to develop, implement, and manage the programs. The group consisted of RBS employees, officials from other federal departments, and additional USDA personnel who were subject-matter experts. MACTEC’s role was to help assist in developing the grant and loan program with services that included…
- Researching renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements
- Developing regulatory impact and cost benefit analyses
- Developing and designing the Federal Register proposed rule and final rule documents, and related agency instructions
- Developing a paperwork burden package
- Developing forms for pubic and agency use
Click here to learn more about the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program. Click here to learn more about the Farm Bill and its various provisions.
Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program
In June 2005, MACTEC began assisting USDA’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses in designating the first set of biobased products for preferred procurement by federal agencies and their contractors under the Farm Bill. Biobased products are commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that are wholly or significantly composed of biological products, forestry materials, or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials). Approximately 140 items (generic groupings of products) are anticipated to be designated for preferred procurement under this program.
In addition, MACTEC is assisting in the development of a voluntary labeling program to allow manufacturers to use a “USDA Certified Biobased Product” label on products that meet specified criteria.
Click here to learn more about the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program. Click here to learn more about biobased products in general.
Red Lick Creek Restoration for In-Lieu Fee Program
Under a five-year, Indefinite Delivery contract, MACTEC assisted USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service with reconstruction and restoration of 1,800 linear feet of Red Lick Creek in Estill County, Kentucky. The project was part of the statewide In-Lieu Fee Program funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Red Lick Creek had been impacted by farming and grazing for decades. As a result, the braided stream had no riparian/vegetation zones, rapidly eroding banks, a disturbed plan and profile, poorly developed riffles, and large gravel bars. Channel shaping, in-stream structures, and bank stabilization were required to restore the stream to an appropriate planform, profile, and cross-section. This included reconstructing bends to a more stable radius of curvature, reconstructing floodplain terraces, flattening bank slopes, and stabilizing erosion by using double wing deflectors, toe rock, J-hook vanes, riffles, and bank vegetation.
During restoration, the MACTEC team collected pre- and post-construction stream morphology data including bedload size, habitat development, and vegetative success. Field measurements included reference reach identification, regional curve development, bankful determination, and Wolman pebble counts.
Although the restoration is complete, MACTEC will continue to monitor the integrity of structures and improvements at Red Lick Creek by conducting routine site visits until 2007. Related projects under this program include designing a bioengineered wall for stream bank stabilization at Quicks Run of the Ohio River in Lewis County and another twelve projects located throughout Eastern Kentucky.
|
