<div dir="ltr"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">FOR YOU PLANT CONSERVATION MEDIA FOLKS! See Media Advisory, below.</span></p><p>Of particular interest is the June 12 announcement of the Department of the Interior's $10 million for 10 Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes Projects. Native plants and their restoration are common themes throughout these projects.</p><p>Currently in its first year of funding from Congress, selected projects emphasize collaborative landscape-scale planning across multiple jurisdictions in order to lessen the risk from catastrophic wildfire and enhance the protection of critical natural resources and watersheds. The President’s FY 2016 Budget proposes $30 million for the program to provide multi-year support for landscape-scale projects and expand the program to new partnerships.<br></p><p><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">FACT SHEET: <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/12/fact-sheet-supporting-workers-farmers-and-communities-suffering-drought">https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/12/fact-sheet-supporting-workers-farmers-and-communities-suffering-drought</a></span><br></p><p>2015 PILOT PROJECTS: <a href="http://www.doi.gov/pmb/owf/upload/2015_06_16_Final-FY-2015-WFRL-Awarded-Proposals.pdf">http://www.doi.gov/pmb/owf/upload/2015_06_16_Final-FY-2015-WFRL-Awarded-Proposals.pdf</a><br></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">Media Advisory No. 0062.15</span><br></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;text-align:right"></p><div style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">Contact:</span><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"> </span></div><div style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623</span></div><p></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and California Secretary for Natural Resources Laird to Announce New Support for Producers Affected by Drought</span></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">WASHINGTON, June 19, 2015 -- On <span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015</span></span>, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird will hold a media conference call to outline new federal and state efforts to support Californians impacted by drought, including large-scale landscape management, conservation efforts, and water infrastructure support.</p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px">USDA and the Obama Administration are committed to working with producers, communities, affected states and other agencies to help address the current West Coast drought. Last week, <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTUwNjE5LjQ2MjU0NTMxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE1MDYxOS40NjI1NDUzMSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3MzYxODI3JmVtYWlsaWQ9UGF0cmljaWFfRGVBbmdlbGlzQGZ3cy5nb3YmdXNlcmlkPVBhdHJpY2lhX0RlQW5nZWxpc0Bmd3MuZ292JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/12/fact-sheet-supporting-workers-farmers-and-communities-suffering-drought" target="_blank">several federal agencies including USDA announced</a> actions and investments of more than $110 million to support workers, farmers and rural communities suffering from drought and to combat wildfires, building on the more than $190 million that agencies across the federal government have invested to support drought-stricken communities so far this year.</p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><br></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b><i>PRESS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT ACCESS:</i></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b>DATE:  </b><span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">June 24, 2015</span></span> (<span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">WEDNESDAY</span></span>)<b></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b>TIME:  </b><span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">1:15-1:45 p.m.</span></span> Pacific time, <span class="" tabindex="0"><span class="">4:15-4:45 p.m.</span></span> Eastern time<b></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b>PARTICIPANT NUMBER: </b>888-996-4915<b></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b>PASSCODE: </b>CALIFORNIA (Given Verbally)<b></b></p><p style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><b>Trouble number - </b>202-720-8560</p></div></div></div></div>
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