One month from today, NACD is excited to host conservation leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. at our annual Spring Fly-In on Wednesday, March 25.
The Spring Fly-In is our local leaders’ opportunity to engage directly with members of Congress in the nation’s capital about the needs of conservation in your community. All the information you’ll need can be found on
NACD’s Fly-In webpage
, including an agenda of the day’s activities, issue papers and a FAQ document to help you plan your trip.
The 2020 Fly-In will kick off Wednesday morning with a legislative breakfast and briefing, where copies of the issue papers, Congressional directories and reception invites will be distributed. Fly-In participants will then conduct Hill meetings throughout the day, with each state setting up their own meetings with their Congressional delegation. The 2020 Fly-In will conclude with a Congressional Reception, where attendees and members of Congress will come together to discuss and celebrate conservation on Capitol Hill.
NACD requests attendees from each state RSVP as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly. To RSVP or to get more information, please email NACD’s Director of Government Affairs
Coleman Garrison
at
coleman-garrison@nacdnet.org
.
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ICYMI: NACD ON
AGRI-PULSE OPEN MIC
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On Sunday, Feb. 23, Agri-Pulse aired an Open Mic podcast between
NACD President Tim Palmer and host
Jeff Nalley.
Palmer talked about the importance of conservation districts and how they can assist in the face of natural disasters and weather extremes. He discussed the conservation practices and federal programs “that help Mother Nature,” saying, “we’re not doing this for us, we’re doing it for everyone.”
Palmer talked about the upcoming Spring Fly-In and the importance of Congressional representatives hearing from their constituents. “We want to make sure that current funding is maintained through appropriations,"
he said,
"to make sure we have the guidance available and we have the boots on the ground at the local level.”
“Conservation matters because conservation works,”
Palmer said. “The conservation partnerships that were developed in the 1930s work, and still work today. Over the 80 years we’ve been doing this, the results are huge. We’re building resiliency into every square foot of the land.”
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SOUTH CAROLINA
HOLDS SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE
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Last week,
district officials, employees and partners gathered in Charleston, S.C., for the 79th Annual South Carolina Conservation Partnership Conference. Kicking off the conference, Charleston Mayor
John Tecklenburg
welcomed attendees and highlighted the city’s rainwater capture program,
Charleston Rainproof
, which is inspired by a similar program in Amsterdam.
With a focus on coastal conservation, the general session featured remarks by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Director
Robert H. Boyles, Jr.
and a coastal conservation panel. The panel and post-discussion featured speakers from a variety of organizations, including the South Carolina Conservation Bank, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Clemson Extension, the
Berkeley County Soil and Water Conservation District
(SWCD) and SCDNR.
Later in the program, participants learned about the work of the South Carolina Heritage Trust Program, Clemson Extension water programs and the Long Leaf Alliance. Attendees also took a tour of the South Carolina Marine Resources Center, home to multiple federal, state and academic partners, where participants were introduced to the
South Carolina Oyster Shell Recycling Program, aimed at sustaining oyster habitat.
NACD Southeast Region Executive Board Member
Gary Blair
, Southeast Region Chair
Franklin Williams
and Southeast Region Representative
Candice Abinanti
attended the conference, representing the national association and sharing information about NACD's work and services available to districts.
At the conference’s partnership awards dinner, the
Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District
was presented with the Outstanding Conservation District Award (pictured above). The district received a tabletop rainfall simulator in recognition of its leadership, support to landowners, and education and outreach efforts, including the launch of a
Prescribed Fire Trailer, which
landowners can rent to conduct prescribed burning.
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MAINE SWCD IS SPEARHEADING BEECH TREE RESEARCH PROJECT
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Maine’s
Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District
(SWCD) is working with Universities of Maine in Presque Isle and Fort Kent to combat neonectria and repopulate forest beech trees.
“Beech trees play such an important part in Maine’s forest ecosystem,” Central Aroostook SWCD Executive Director
Randy Martin said
. “Aside from the fact that it is a very important hardwood species, the amount of food that beech trees produce for wildlife is critical to Maine.”
Martin and university students are cloning neonectria-resistant beech trees using explants from mature American beeches that show no signs of the deadly fungus, despite growing among disease-infected trees. Tissue collections are cultured and grown in a lab. When the clones reach between 12 and 15 inches tall, they will be planted in trials and monitored for up to 15 years to determine neonectria resistance. Infected regrowth will grow alongside the cultured plants to mimic natural forest conditions.
Seven Islands Land Management Company will provide the steep-sloped, shallow soil trial areas for the 60,000 cloned trees, and Fort Kent University will host a trial in its university forest. Central Aroostook SWCD plans to plant the saplings in 2021.
Neonectria is not a new disease, but changing climate conditions have contributed to the more recent increase in its prevalence and destruction of larger beech trees, Martin said. Martin is a teacher at Presque Isle, where he and his students began collecting tissue in November 2019. Martin is also receiving help from high school students who are interested in the project.
“Since no one has done it before, it’s at that experimental phase where you have to bump your way through it,”
he said
. “We’re really at the infantile stage of this process, but it’s moving fast.”
With no prior research to follow, Martin is learning how the beech tree cultures respond to different growth regulators, and he is tweaking the growth regulator for the optimum result. He plans to publish the work yet this year so the methods will be available for other areas across the country, and potentially into Canada, where beech tree populations are affected by the fungus.
“It’s something near and dear to my heart,”
he said
. “Landowners are interested in this, and it can be applied across borders."
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2020 NACD STEWARDSHIP WEEK RESOURCES
NOW AVAILABLE
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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?”
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. This year’s theme raises awareness on the importance of enhancing native pollinator habitats and protecting against pollinator declines. Pollinators form the foundation of a healthy and sustainable future for food and the environment, but in recent years, they have shown concerning signs of decline.
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 event in your own community.
If your conservation district is making plans for Stewardship Week, please share them with NACD by emailing
stewardship@nacdnet.org with event details and photos.
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NACD Celebrates Anniversary of Pivotal Soil Act
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This Sunday, Feb. 29, marks 84 years since the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of 1936 was signed into law, allowing for federal aid to farmers in order to promote the conservation and protection of soil from erosion.
This act, which was amended from the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, was primarily driven by the severe effects of the Dust Bowl that created devastating drought conditions throughout the Great Plains and widespread crop failure.
Today, NACD supports the act in its effort to enhance federal-state coordination and assist landowners and farmers in protecting and conserving the soil on their land.
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ICYMI: Annual Meeting Videos Now Available
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Catch up on what you may have missed at the 2020 Annual Meeting by
visiting our online hub, where you can find photos, press releases, daily digests and more. Additionally, all recorded videos of the general sessions, luncheon and banquet are now available to watch through NACD’s YouTube channel, as well as presentations from each breakout session.
It’s not too late to take our 2020 Annual Meeting Survey! If you haven’t already, please let us know what you thought of this year’s meeting by
taking the survey here.
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Get It Today:
NACD's Marketplace Partners With Agri Drain
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NACD recently partnered with Agri Drain to offer high-quality water management products on
NACD’s Marketplace.
From flap gates to anti-seep collars, you'll find all the equipment you will ever need! Orders will ship directly, with freight charges paid by Agri Drain. Place your order today by visiting
NACD’s Marketplace.
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Deadline Approaches: CRP Signup Ends
This Week
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The deadline for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 2020 general signup is this
Friday, Feb. 28.
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NACD Recognizes Friend James Ferguson
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NACD would like to thank
James Ferguson with the
Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District in Clyde, N.C., for his recent donation to the Friends of NACD program.
Funds raised through the Friends of NACD program supports grant funding awarded annually to individual conservation districts.
The first grants were awarded at NACD's Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.
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NACD Heads to 2020 Commodity Classic
This Week
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This week, NACD will participate in the 2020 Commodity Classic from Feb. 27-29 in San Antonio, Texas.
The Commodity Classic is America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational event, where thousands of farmers and agricultural innovators convene to discuss the challenges of today's agricultural landscape.
Stop by booth 2158 to chat with
NACD President-elect Michael Crowder
,
Secretary-Treasurer Ian Cunningham
,
CEO Jeremy Peters
and Soil Health Champion
Burlin Findley
to learn more about NACD's work and available resources for landowners and farmers.
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Register Today:
2020 REPI Webinar Series Now Available
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The U.S. Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program recently announced the launch of its 2020 Webinar Series.
This series of six webinars, starting April 8, 2020, will showcase best practices and lessons learned from REPI partnerships nationwide that support military missions and accelerate the pace of conservation. All webinars begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. The first webinar will focus on REPI and the National Defense Strategy.
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Apply Now:
Colorado Districts Offering Job Positions
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Bookcliff, Mount Sopris and South Side Conservation Districts are currently accepting applications for its district manager and district conservation technician positions.
The district manager will be responsible for various administrative and human resource duties and will work internally with conservation district staff and technical staff.
The conservation technician will participate in a variety of GIS work, including data collection, data management, map production and analysis.
Both positions are full-time, based in Glenwood Springs, Colo. Applications will be accepted through March 4 with an April 1 start date.
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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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