Georgia Dept of Human Resources Program for WIC wants to hear from you

The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) is pleased to announce that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) will hold its annual public comment beginning June 20. This is an opportunity for Georgians to provide feedback on the program and suggest ways to improve WIC services through web access. The web page was developed to give the public a more efficient and private way to comment on the program.

“We encourage Georgians to take part in this comment period so they can have an impact on the WIC program,” said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director of the Division of Public Health. “We count on our customers’ feedback every year to make the WIC program better. For example, based on customer suggestions, our October food package will include fruits and vegetables, milk with lower fat content, less juice, more whole grain cereals and more support for breastfeeding mothers.”

To make comments or provide suggestions, participants should visit the WIC website at http://health.state.ga.us/programs/wic/. Once there, individuals should click on the “public comment” link provided on the left under “Women, Infants and Children (WIC)” and complete the appropriate survey.

The Georgia WIC program, the fifth largest WIC program in the U.S., provides monthly vouchers for supplemental foods such as cereal, eggs, juice, milk, peanut butter and infant formula to more than 324,000 participants. Women enrolled in the program also receive nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support and referrals for other health and social services.

WIC benefits are available to eligible pregnant women and women who have recently given birth, as well as infants and children up to five years of age. Eligible participants must have an income at or below 185 percent of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines (i.e., about $32,560 for a family of three). Participants must also be state residents who are at nutritional or medical risk as determined by a health professional.

There are more than 1,600 authorized food retailers that participate in the WIC food delivery system. WIC is 100-percent federally funded and administered by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health.

For more information about Georgia’s WIC program, please call (800) 228-9173 or visit: http://health.state.ga.us/programs/wic/index.asp.

2008 WIC Eligibility Guidelines for Georgia

Size of family
(includes unborn children) Yearly income*
1 $19,240
2 25,900
3 32,560
4 39,220
5 45,880
6 52,540
7 59,200
8 65,860
*Add $6,660 for each additional family member. Also, new federal income guidelines will become effective 7/1/09.

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DHR invites public comment on 'Babies Can't Wait' early intervention grant application

The Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) Division of Public Health (DPH) invites the public to participate in a 60-day review period of Babies Can't Wait (BCW), a statewide early intervention system for infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. DHR has developed a new federal grant application for Babies Can't Wait that will be effective July 1, pending approval. The review period is scheduled to run from March 20 to May 20. Those who are interested may view the grant application online (http://health.state.ga.us) or at Babies Can't Wait offices throughout the state.

The public can provide feedback from March 20th to April 21st in three ways:

(1) Written comments should be mailed to:

Babies Can't Wait
Attn: Phyllis Turner, Acting Part C Coordinator
2 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 11203
Atlanta, GA 30303-3186;

(2) Email comments should be sent to:

Phyllis Turner at: pturner@dhr.state.ga.us;

(3) Facsimile comments:

State BCW Office Fax: (404-657-2763)

More information about Georgia's BCW early intervention program is available at http://health.state.ga.us/programs/bcw. A list of BCW early intervention programs throughout the state where the grant may be reviewed is available at: http://www.health.state.ga.us/pdfs/familyhealth/csncoordinator.pdf.

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Comment Sought on New Invasives Species Plan

A draft plan that targets more than 180 invasive species threatening Georgia’s rich variety of native wildlife is available for public comment.

The Georgia Invasive Species Strategy describes the complex scope of problems posed by non-native plants, animals and disease-causing organisms and proposes ways to lessen the impacts in a state ranked sixth in the nation in biological diversity.

Jon Ambrose, assistant chief of the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section, said the strategy provides a framework that will help communicate and coordinate invasive species management priorities.

“There are a lot of organizations that are active in this area. The Invasive Species Strategy is intended to provide a picture of where we are now and where we want to go in the future,” Ambrose said.

Copies are available at www.georgiawildlife.com (click the “Conservation” tab to reach the link) or from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division office in Social Circle (770-761-3035). A public comment meeting is set for 5:30-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Wildlife Resources Division’s Conservation Center in Social Circle. For directions, go to www.georgiawildlife.com.

The deadline to submit comments is Feb. 16. Send written comments to jon.ambrose@gadnr.org or Jon Ambrose, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, 2070 U.S. Highway 278 S.E., Social Circle, Ga.30025.

Invasives are plants and animals accidentally or intentionally introduced outside their natural ranges and which cause harm to the environment, economy or even human health. For example, laurel wilt, a fungal disease spread by an ambrosia beetle that is not native to the U.S., is killing redbay trees and related species in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Redbays are a food source for birds and deer, and a critical host plant for the Palamedes swallowtail butterfly.

Cogongrass, another priority invasive species, is an aggressive, colony-forming grass that chokes out native plants and is spreading across the region. The Georgia Forestry Commission has established a statewide Cooperative Weed Management Area and Task Force to help control cogongrass.

The draft Invasive Species Strategy, compiled by an advisory committee representing about 30 public agencies and non-governmental organizations, summarizes what is being done to combat invaders, identifies gaps in current programs, and recommends improvements. Objectives are aimed at guarding against the influx of more non-native species and minimizing the threat of those already here.

The Georgia Invasive Species Advisory Committee listed 51 invasive or potentially invasive plant species, 107 animals and 30 disease-causing organisms.

Next steps could include funding for an invasive species coordinator, development of new educational materials and formation of a rapid response plan for priority species.

The overriding goal of the work started in August 2007 is enhancing collaboration among invasive species efforts statewide, which will increase effectiveness and options for funding.

The Invasive Species Strategy follows on the heels of a related document that deals with aquatic exotics and was also compiled by the advisory committee. The Georgia Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan is being reviewed by a federal task force before being finalized.

Both plans build on current efforts of groups such as the Georgia Invasive Species Task Force to identify high-priority species, assess impacts and threats, implement control methods, and educate the public about the environmental and economic impacts of invasive species.

Georgia’s Wildlife Action Plan, the conservation blueprint for the state Department of Natural Resources, rates invasive species a major threat to biodiversity and lists development of a statewide plan to monitor and control them as a high priority. On a national scale, the economic losses and environmental damage caused by exotic species total approximately $120 billion a year.

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USDA's Interim Final Rule Amends Environmental Quality Incentives Program

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer January 15 announced changes to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture's largest conservation program for working agricultural lands.

USDA published an interim final rule containing the statutory changes to EQIP in the Federal Register today. USDA is seeking public comment on the rule through March 16, 2009.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, or 2008 Farm Bill, includes non-industrial private forestland as an eligible land use and provides payments for conservation practices related to organic production or the transition to organic production. It also provides for increased payment rates to historically underserved producers, including limited resource, beginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

The EQIP interim final rule can be viewed at the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service's (USDA-NRCS) Web site; at the official government regulation Web Site; and at the Federal Register.

The public comments will be used to finalize the interim final rule. USDA will publish a final rule, which will incorporate statutory changes and establish the program's policy for the life of the 2008 Farm Bill.

USDA-NRCS administers EQIP, a voluntary conservation program that provides technical assistance and payments to help crop and livestock producers address environmental concerns through conservation improvements on agricultural and non-industrial private forest lands. Farmers and ranchers can use EQIP to farm in an environmentally friendly manner and still meet their agricultural production goals. It is designed to produce significant environmental benefits to the public, such as improved soil, water and air quality; and enhanced wildlife habitat. In addition, farmers and ranchers use EQIP to meet federal, state, tribal and local environmental regulations.

Under the amended EQIP, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as well as beginning and limited resource producers are authorized to receive payments of up to 90 percent of the costs of installing or implementing a conservation practice. These producers also can receive advance payments of up to 30 percent of the anticipated costs incurred to purchase materials or to contract services to implement a conservation practice.

EQIP will offer financial and technical assistance for conservation practices to certified organic farmers and ranchers as well as producers interested in transitioning to organic farming. Organic producers must develop and carry out an organic system plan. These producers can receive a maximum payment of $20,000 annually, or $80,000 over six years to apply or carry out approved conservation practices contained in that plan.

EQIP will offer financial assistance to forest landowners to develop a forest management plan, along with carrying out the conservation practices contained in the plan. The 2008 Farm Bill also encourages producers to use innovative technologies and cost-effective methods under approved conservation practices to address air quality.

The 2008 Farm Bill reduced the overall payment limitation from $450,000 to $300,000 for a six-year period, except for environmentally significant projects.

The new farm bill also established the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) as a component of EQIP. AWEP provides technical and financial assistance to help producers carry out water enhancement activities on private agricultural land for the purpose of conserving surface and ground water and improving water quality. USDA published a Request for Proposals for AWEP in the Federal Register on Jan. 14, 2009.

For additional information about EQIP, please visit http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/EQIP/ or call (202) 720-1845 during business hours.

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