[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S12041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    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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