Due to concerns with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) and limitations placed on people visiting Capitol Hill, NACD's 2020 Spring Fly-In has been cancelled. However, NACD encourages state and conservation districts to conduct a virtual advocacy day
this Wednesday, March 25.
At this time, Congress is still operating and considering policies that affect conservation. It is just as important as ever for your Members of Congress to know what locally-led conservation needs so you can continue protecting our nation’s natural resources.
In order to help you conduct a virtual advocacy day effectively, NACD has information included on our
Fly-In webpage
that explains the issues we were planning on focusing on during the Fly-In, and you can use these one pagers and letters during your virtual meetings. If you do not already have a contact within a Congressional office, information on how to set up a meeting is also included on that webpage. Although our goal is to have those who were planning on being in Washington, D.C. set up these replacement meetings, we certainly encourage all states, territories and conservation districts, even those who weren’t planning on attending, to set up new meetings and participate in this virtual advocacy day.
If you have any questions, please contact NACD Director of Government Affairs
Coleman Garrison.
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NACD OFFERS VIRTUAL EVENT IDEAS FOR STEWARDSHIP WEEK
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This year, NACD is celebrating its 65th Annual Stewardship Week from April 26-May 3, 2020, focusing on the theme,
“Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?” In preparation of likely event cancellations due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns, NACD suggests holding a virtual event instead of in-person.
Stewardship Week gives conservation districts the opportunity to extend the reach of their education programs and educate future leaders on the significance of natural resource conservation. Despite not being able to hold an in-person event, you can still raise awareness on the importance of pollinators by hosting a webinar, sharing a press release with local media, delivering PowerPoint presentations for online education purposes and more.
Looking for activities to do at home? Consult NACD's new
Pollinator Field Day Guide for ideas on how you can conduct an interactive pollinator education experience in your own backyard.
Be sure to visit
NACD’s Stewardship Week webpage to learn more about this year’s Stewardship Week and find resources to help you plan a successful virtual event online. If your conservation district is making virtual plans for Stewardship Week, please share them with NACD by
emailing us with details.
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AN UPDATE FROM
NCF-ENVIROTHON
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The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the NCF-Envirothon are closely monitoring the latest developments regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak and its impacts on the 2020 Envirothon competition season. Most state and provincial Envirothon competitions were set to begin this month through mid-June, which would determine the winning teams that would represent them at this summer’s 2020 NCF-Envirothon. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, most of those events have been cancelled, postponed or put on hold to see if the quarantine will be lifted later this spring. Many of these Envirothon programs are exploring alternative testing options, such as online tests, to see if these possibilities are feasible for their teams. As such, NCF-Envirothon has provided some suggestions for alternative testing that can be
viewed on the Envirothon's website
.
At this time, the 2020 NCF-Envirothon annual international competition is still scheduled as planned for July 26-Aug. 1, 2020 in Lincoln, Neb. The Nebraska host committee and NCF-Envirothon are closely monitoring the situation in Nebraska and across the globe to determine the effect COVID-19 might have on the event in July. The health and safety of our students, advisors, guests and volunteers are of utmost importance to us as we decide how to proceed. If changes to the scheduled event are made, an announcement will be posted
online
.
Additionally, NCF has decided to extend the 2020 team registration fee deadline to
Thursday, Apr. 23, 2020
. This extension will hopefully give state programs more time to decide how they are going to proceed with their 2020 competition season. The 2020 team member and guest online registration is temporarily on hold. When it goes live on the NCF-Envirothon website, we will make an announcement in eResource.
Please know NCF and the NCF-Envirothon want everyone to stay safe and healthy during this time and to do what is best for your local programs, students, teachers and volunteers. We encourage state and provincial Envirothon programs to be on the lookout for additional updates and messages from NCF regarding COVID-19 and to respond to any inquiries from NCF-Envirothon staff as soon as possible. Information on the plans for your state or provincial Envirothon program is very important in helping us determine next steps.
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A GRASSROOTS APPROACH IN MANAGING WILD HORSES ON WESTERN RANGELANDS
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For years, there has been conflict between wild horse advocacy groups and federal agencies and land managers and ranchers over proper wild horse and burro herd size and impacts on federal lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) estimates that there are over 89,000 free-roaming equids on BLM-administered lands. This is more than three times the carrying capacity, and the ecological balance has been compromised.
Last May, delegates from over 90 different organizations convened at a summit (pictured above) in Reno, Nev., in search of common ground to achieve the goal of “healthy herds on healthy rangelands.” The group is a non-political grassroots movement known as the Free Roaming Equids and Ecosystem Sustainability (FREES) network.
FREES seeks to enhance communication and engage diverse stakeholder groups to work together in realizing a common goal of healthy wild horse and burro populations and healthy rangelands. Participation is open to all individuals and organizations regardless of perspectives. The group seeks to integrate sound science with local knowledge, human perceptions and values into a collaborative national network of information sharing, planning and action. Participants agree to be guided by shared principles and respectful conduct, seeking to understand and respect individual opinions, while striving to develop meaningful, actionable objectives to be implemented judiciously, compassionately and expeditiously.
FREES operates effectively by recognizing there is no single solution in managing herd sizes and protecting rangeland resources. FREES strives to create innovative and practical strategies that are scientifically sound and are within the purview and management authority of BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, Native American tribes and states.
After the 2019 summit, three working groups were created to provide the forum for discussion and development of actionable points: population management; rangeland conditions and habitat; and outreach and communication. The issues and solutions derived from each of these workgroups will be presented at the 2020 FREES Summit in Cody, Wyo. During the 2020 Summit, these items will be further refined and then directed to various entities for programmatic action. The working groups have monthly facilitated teleconferences. If you are interested in participating, visit the
FREES website
.
The next summit was planned for May 2020 in Cody, Wyo., however due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, organizers have chosen to delay this summit until September at the same location. For more information, please contact
Gary McCuin
or visit the
FREES network website
.
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Q&A: MIKE ZUPKO, WFLC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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NACD recently sat down to chat about wildfire management with
Michael Zupko
(pictured right)
,
the executive director of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC), an intergovernmental committee of federal, state, tribal and local officials convened by the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense and Homeland Security dedicated to consistent implementation of wildland fire policies, goals and management activities.
"Wildfire touches all corners of this great nation,"
Zupko said
. "I work nationally, but am able to live in the southeast where I was raised. Although the southeast usually doesn’t have the large fires that media captures during the western fire season, throughout the fire year the southeast experiences many fires."
During the interview, Zupko talked about the many wildfire management resources the southeast has, especially in the state of Georgia where he resides.
"We are fortunate in the southeast to have both a strong network of roads, as well as many local and volunteer fire departments scattered throughout the landscape that are often very effective at catching a wildfire quick,"
he said
.
Zupko also discussed the vital role partnerships have in wildfire management, as well as how conservation districts can help with the effort.
"
Conservation districts can serve a unique role, as they have strong relationships at the local level, and the challenges to reducing wildfire risk are often inherently known by locals,"
Zupko said
. "Additionally, as conservation districts have a broad understanding of natural resources, they often are great at developing projects and approaches that meet several needs, such as considering wildfire risk reduction while also enhancing water quality."
"I would challenge conservation districts to serve as that local leader and sparkplug in a community to coalesce around in bringing a diverse group of stakeholders together to design methods to work collaboratively on wildfire risk reduction while meeting other needs,"
he said
.
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NACD Welcomes
Mary Scott
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On Wednesday, March 18,
Mary Scott joined NACD as the national association's natural resource policy specialist.
Growing up on a cow-calf operation in southern Idaho, Scott cultivated a strong appreciation for agriculture and natural resources. She attended the University of Idaho, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science.
Her professional career has focused on working on behalf of the agricultural community. Moving to Washington, D.C. in 2019, she advanced agriculture internationally at the American Seed Trade Association. Prior to that role, she served as director of consumer affairs for the Missouri Beef Industry Council and worked in animal health and livestock traceability at the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.
Scott is based in Washington, D.C., and can be reached at
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NACD Offers COVID-19 Resource Webpage
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With the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) global pandemic, NACD wants to help keep you informed.
NACD has
created a COVID-19 webpage, containing resources and guidance for conservation districts and their associations for determining protocol and response in the wake of COVID-19. You can find updates on national resources and guidance, as well as tips on how you can help others during this time.
Want to share guidance and resources pertaining to COVID-19? Please email NACD Director of Communications
Sara Kangas at
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GACD Annual Meeting Postponed to
January 2021
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The
Georgia Association of Conservation Districts
(GACD) has announced that its annual meeting, scheduled for April 5-7, 2020, will now be held
Jan. 15-17, 2021
at Callaway Resort and Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga.
GACD looks forward to the speakers, presenters and special guests originally scheduled for the April meeting to join the event in January 2021.
Registration payments and hotel reservations for attendees will be automatically moved to the new dates in January. Please contact
GACD
for more questions or information.
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OCEAN Postpones CONNECT Conference
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The Oregon Conservation Education and Assistance Network (OCEAN) has postponed the annual CONNECT Conference to
Dec. 1-3, 2020, due to concerns related to COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Current registrations will be moved to the new date. For additional refund and scheduling information, visit the
CONNECT 2020 website.
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In Memoriam:
NACD Remembers
Pat Sueck
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On March 13,
Pat Sueck from Airville,
Pa., passed away at the age of 86.
Sueck, born and raised in Washington, D.C., moved to Airville to farm with her late husband
Elmer
. Sueck and her five children were active members with 4-H, where she held several leadership roles throughout the years.
Sueck also worked with the York County Farm Bureau, where she developed a passion in agriculture education and in teaching community members where their food comes from.
Sueck also served on the board of directors of
York County Conservation District
and previously served as past president of the
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts
as of last October.
NACD recognizes Sueck's life, her dedication to agricultural education, and her service to NACD.
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NACD Celebrates Ag Day This Tuesday
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This week, NACD is celebrating the farmers and producers who help feed our nation by recognizing National Agriculture Week.
Today marks National Ag Day. You can find a variety of background material and other information and resources available to view on
www.agday.org, including a
social media toolkit, infographics, press release templates and more to celebrate and spread awareness online.
While an event may not be possible due to current COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns, you can still promote the importance of Ag Week online and through your social media channels. Learn more
online
.
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's
Calendar of Events
!
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