Conservation INsight
December 18, 2019
|
|
Districts: Register your SWCD Delegates for the Annual Business Meeting - Due by 1/3/20
|
New Staff and Supervisor Training Provided at the 2020 Annual Conference of Indiana SWCDs
Dates: January 12-14, 2020
Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
Breakout sessions, registration link, delegate registration link, hotel reservation link, Sponsor and Exhibitor lists and the agenda are now posted online on the
IASWCD website/Annual Conference page.
#INSWCDConf
|
NEW SUPERVISOR AND STAFF TRAINING:
This session will provide a brief history of SWCD's, the basics of district operations, and a review of the partners and their roles.
Sunday, January 12
5 pm - 6 pm
|
|
Districts:
Schedule Your Legislative Visits
in January, February or March
at the Indiana Statehouse
IASWCD is offering to help coordinate visits to the Statehouse during the months of January through March. It is important that Districts meet with their local legislators to make our message of conservation heard, and teach them about your great work. A minimum of at least 3 people from a District must be committed to attend (any combination of Supervisors and/or Staff). The visit will include an overview of the legislative process, a quick tour of the Statehouse, and then meeting with your legislators. Click on the link for times, dates available and registration details.
(photo credit:
Indiana State Capitol Market St.
by
Daniel Schwen
is licensed under
CC-BY
)
|
|
Submit Your Proposal: NACD's 2020 UAC
Grants Initiative
In late October, NACD announced a fourth round of funding through the
Urban Agriculture Conservation (UAC) Grant Program
for Fiscal Year 2020. Since 2016, NACD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have partnered through the UAC Grant Program to enhance conservation districts’ technical assistance activities in developed or developing areas. In this round of funding, NACD and NRCS will award grants of up to $50,000 grants for approximately 18 districts. NACD is accepting project proposals through
Friday, Jan. 10, 2020
.
|
|
2020 Spring Fly-In Date Announced
Every spring, NACD invites its members to join their staff in Washington, D.C., to promote the interests of conservation districts on Capitol Hill.
The event consists of a breakfast briefing and a Congressional reception to celebrate the work of our members on Capitol Hill. Next fly-in will take place on
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
.
|
|
Input & Feedback Requested for Clean Water Indiana (CWI) Grant Process
ICP Partners - ISDA is requesting input for the 2021 CWI round of grants. If you did not submit a grant application this year, but have general CWI feedback, the final question through the link provides space for all general comments.
|
|
|
OP-ED: Stop Soil Erosion, Save Our Future
by Jerry Raynor, Indiana State Conservationist
(December 4, 2019)-According to the United Nations, every five seconds, the equivalent of one soccer field of soil is eroded. Stop and think about that for five seconds. Did you stop and think? Those five seconds cost us nearly 1.6 acres of land – more than 27,600 acres per day. If you’re doing the math with us, that’s over 10 million acres per year. As the earth’s population continues to grow and the demands on our soil increases, we need to continue raising awareness about the importance of healthy soil and advocate for the sustainable management of one of our most precious resources.
|
|
I
ndiana NRCS Newsletter:
Hoosier Headline
|
|
NRCS Now Accepting CSP Public Comments
On Friday, Nov. 8, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released its first major program rule implementing the 2018 Farm Bill. The interim rule implementing the 2018 Farm Bill’s various changes to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
will be open for public comment
until
Monday, Jan. 13, 2020
. NACD encourages all conservation districts and their partners to review the interim rule and provide comments before the deadline to ensure their local voices continue to be prevalent in the implementation of CSP. For a refresher of the changes included to CSP in the farm bill, visit
NACD's blog
.
|
|
|
National Conservation Planning Partnership Debuts New Website
The National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) recently launched
a new website
, full of helpful resources and information on conservation planning. NACD is a partner in NCPP, along with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) and the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (NARC&DC).
|
|
USDA to Open Signup for Conservation Reserve Program on December 9
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 5, 2019
– Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is opening signup for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on December 9, 2019. The deadline for agricultural producers to sign up for general CRP is February 28, 2020, while signup for continuous CRP is ongoing. Farmers and ranchers who enroll in CRP receive a yearly rental payment for voluntarily establishing long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees (known as “covers”) to control soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat on marginally productive agricultural lands.
|
|
|
Indiana Small Farm Conference
The Indiana Small Farm Conference serves as the annual educational and farmer-to-farmer networking event for the Indiana small and diversified farm community. This conference now hosts over 500 attendees, 50 exhibitors, and several national speakers.
March 5-7, 2020
Hendricks County Fairgrounds
Danville, Indiana
|
|
|
AgrIInstitute Announces New Program Offering
We've been busy preparing a new leadership series designed for YOU -- a busy person -- desiring robust training to enhance your leadership performance in the work place, in your industry involvement and in your community roles. Leader Essentials programs are a series of 2-day programs focused on a central leadership skill development theme. You can choose to attend one or both of the two days depending on your availability and need. Attend the day that best suits your needs OR attend both days for even more value. Each program will include a special networking event for those attending both days.
|
|
Dear Friend of Pollinator Partnership,
This report is about YOU – it’s about all that you have made possible through many years of partnership, and it tells the story of our successes together. It also lays out a plan to connect the health of people, plants, pollinators, and the planet through actions that contribute to a sustainable future for us all.
|
|
|
|
Indiana Envirothon
Envirothon booklets have been mailed and the information for 2020 is now available on the Indiana Envirothon webpage. Note the registration page includes the dates of regional competitions.
|
|
|
Job Postings
:
Current list of Conservation Job Opportunities now posted on the
IASWCD website.
Note: Job Postings can be submitted to Amy Work at:
amy-work@iaswcd.org .
Please include job description and deadline to apply in a single PDF file or with a link.
|
|
Upcoming Conservation Events
:
2020:
January 12-14 - Annual Indiana SWCD Conference, Indpls.
February 8-13 - NACD Annual Conference, Las Vegas
March 26 - CISMA Conference
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
