In the spring of 2016, NACD partnered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to pilot a much-needed service across the country: conservation technical assistance for the vastly growing industry of urban agriculture. This service was provided through an urban agriculture conservation (UAC) grant program for conservation districts.
In 2017, NACD and NRCS again partnered to provide urban agriculture conservation funding to districts. The NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group (RPG), composed of district officials and partners, embraced the continued opportunity to help districts enhance their services.
The grant awards to 19 districts in 14 states were announced at the 2017 NACD Summer Board Meeting in Altoona, Iowa. The work completed over the next 12-15 months was as varied as the first year, including assisting and creating gardens for food banks, homeless shelters, schools, senior living facilities; evaluating and enhancing soils for urban agriculture in communities, wellfields, utility easements, front yards; and reaching out with education and resource tools through advisory committees, partner organizations and businesses.
A final report summarizing each of the projects, along with individual success stories and photos, is now available on
NACD's website. Click the map above to be redirected to the interactive 2017 projects map and to read the final report.
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NACD COMMENTS ON REVISED WOTUS DEFINITION
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On Monday, Apr. 15, NACD
submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the agencies' proposed rule redefining waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
“NACD appreciates the certainty provided by this definition,”
NACD President Tim Palmer said. “America’s farmers and ranchers are stewards of the land. This clarified definition reduces the complexity of the rule, enabling landowners and operators to responsibly manage their resources and prioritize production of the nation’s food, fuel and fiber.”
Consistent with comments submitted in previous rulemakings to define WOTUS, NACD’s comments emphasize the need for the agencies to enhance coordination with local conservation districts when making local determinations for which waters may be jurisdictional. Conservation districts have worked for decades with landowners in their communities and can provide valuable insight during the development of maps and implementation of the proposed rule.
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NACD ATTENDS
OCEAN CONNECT 2019
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Attendees at CONNECT represented conservation districts,
watershed councils
, state-level government agencies, federal government agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NRCS and many others.
These groups had access to six training tracks at OCEAN, covering education and outreach, management and administration, wildfire, technology, vegetation and water. Each training track included topics as diverse as prairie restoration, promoting cover crops, and meeting the needs of Oregon’s burgeoning hemp industry.
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During CONNECT, Salzer and NACD
Pacific Region
Representative
Ariel Rivers
highlighted the partnership between NCDEA and NACD and provided an update on NACD’s programs and opportunities for district employees and others.
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SHERBURNE SWCD EXPANDS EAB DETECTION PARTNERSHIPS
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The
Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is partnering with new agencies and using the power of volunteers to ensure forest health in Minnesota.
Sherburne SWCD held two volunteer training sessions this year to recruit community members to assist in pruning trees and observing woodpeckers for early emerald ash borer (EAB) detection, the fifth year for each of the programs.
The volunteer pruning program is done in partnership with the University of Minnesota Tree Care Advocate Program. This year, nearly a dozen volunteers assisted with pruning more than 300 trees, focusing on newly planted trees (on the landscape less than 20 years) and eliminating defective branch attachments to prevent failure and potential mortality.
“Administering these volunteer opportunities has grown from a vision to a privilege for me,”
Sherburne SWCD Forest Resource Specialist Gina Hugo said. “I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to the volunteers being willing to give of their time and increase their skill set for the greater good.”
“The folks that have stepped forward are fabulous to work with, enthusiastic about learning and energized to be a part of stewarding our natural resources,”
she said. “This service to our communities has strengthened the district’s partnership with community decision-makers and staff. It’s amazing.”
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NACD PARTICIPATES IN OKLAHOMA TRADESHOW
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On Apr. 11, nearly 200 producers and over 30 vendors gathered for the Northeast Oklahoma Agriculture Tradeshow and Conference.
Organized by the Craig County Conservation District, the NRCS Oklahoma Eastern Region Technical Service Office and the NRCS-Oklahoma Team #15, the event featured Oklahoma State University Extension Northeast Area Agronomist
Brian Pugh as a keynote speaker, presenting on the effective management of broom-sedge bluestem on Oklahoma grazing lands.
The tradeshow featured local agriculture suppliers, equipment dealers, service providers and other vendors. NACD South Central Region Representative
Keith Owen represented the conservation partnership and answered questions from attendees about conservation programs.
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Check Your Conservation District's Contact Information
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New CSP Sign-Ups Through May
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Producers have until
May 10
to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year.
CSP is a whole-farm conservation program that awards contracts to farmers that have undertaken some conservation measures and commit to implementing additional conservation practices to address multiple resource concerns.
New this year, producers will be eligible for higher payment rates for cover crops and resource-conserving crop rotations. For more information on CSP, visit your local NRCS service center.
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NACD Announces
2020 Annual Meeting Theme Contest
The 74th NACD Annual Meeting will be held Feb. 8-12, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nev.
NACD is
now accepting submissions
to the annual meeting theme contest, through the end of the month. This year's theme should focus on the concept of innovation.
The person who submits the winning theme will receive
one complimentary registration
to the 2020 Annual Meeting and a ticket to the 2020 NACD Appreciation Banquet.
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NACD Celebrates
Hugh Hammond Bennett
On Monday, Apr. 15, NACD celebrated the birth and life of
Dr. Hugh Hammond Bennett, born April 15, 1881.
Dr. Bennett, known as the father of the soil conservation movement, was an integral figure in raising awareness about the value of soil health and conservation practices.
Learn more about Dr. Bennett's life and legacy in
this documentary from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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SUFC Launches
New Website
The Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition (SUFC) recently launched a
new website. The site provides urban forestry news and resources, as well as information on relevant policy.
NACD is one of nearly 40 national organizations that make up the coalition. For more information, visit
sufc.org.
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Celebrate Stewardship Week with NACD
NACD’s 64th annual Stewardship Week is only two weeks away!
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If your district has an activity planned for Stewardship Week, please let us know! Email
stewardship@nacdnet.org with event details.
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NRCS Request for Comment on Farm Bill
On Mar. 11, NRCS published a request for comment on a required review of conservation practice standards since passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.
According to the notice, “NRCS will evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in the conservation practice standards in a manner that ensures equivalent natural resource benefits.” Comments are open until
Thursday, Apr. 25, 2019.
Background information and details of how to comment can be found on
Regulations.gov
.
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NACD Analyzes
2017 Ag Census
The USDA Census of Agriculture is conducted every five years. As a complete count of every farm in America, it is unique from other USDA data sets and includes a few questions relevant to conservation.
- 50 percent increase in number of acres under cover crops over the last five years
- No-till production increased about 8 percent
- Reduced tillage increased about 27.5 percent
- About half of all cropland was in no-till or reduced tillage
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