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.
On
Wednesday, Nov. 13 at
3:00 p.m. Eastern, NACD will host a free webinar to review the Request for Proposals (RFP) and respond to members' questions.
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To learn more about the initiative and to best prepare for the webinar, please visit
NACD's website, which includes the RFP and Frequently Asked Questions documents. The webinar will also be posted
online for those who are unable to attend. If you have any questions prior to the webinar, please contact NACD Senior Advisor
Deb Bogar at
deb-bogar@nacdnet.org or 303-988-1893 by
Tuesday, Nov. 12.
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NACD AND P2 NAME
GEORGIA FARM WINNERS
OF POLLINATOR
CONSERVATION AWARD
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On Wednesday, Oct. 23, NACD and the Pollinator Partnership (P2) named
Brian
and
Becky Tankersley
of
Double Branches Farm and Produce Market
in Georgia as the 2019 recipients of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) U.S. Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award.
The U.S. Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award annually recognizes an individual or family producer who contributes significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation.
Located 35 miles north of Augusta, Double Branches Farm works cooperatively with the
Lincoln County Conservation District
, grows berries and vegetables, and offers pick-your-own produce. The Tankersleys operate the farm as an outdoor classroom, educating visitors on the importance of pollinator-friendly practices.
“Pollinators are integral to the health of working landscapes,"
NACD CEO Jeremy Peters said
. “It is important that we recognize and champion the producers who provide them with safe habitat and support their populations.”
The Tankersleys were presented the award by Peters and P2 Research Director
Dr. Vicki Wojcik
(pictured above, far right) during the 19th annual NAPPC Conference in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Smithsonian Castle.
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CONSERVATION PARTNERS GATHER AT NRCS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
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Last week,
NACD Secretary-Treasurer Ian Cunningham (pictured center) represented the association at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Leadership Summit in Minneapolis, Minn., which focused on the theme "
Leadership for Service and the Future."
At the Summit, Cunningham served on a panel with representatives from the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA), the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA), and the National Association of Resource Conservation & Development Councils (NARC&DC) to discuss partnerships with conservation districts.
The summit also addressed a range of technical and program topics, including implementation of the new farm bill conservation programs, office security, NRCS of the Future reports, workload analysis, Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) priorities, mentoring, customer service and more.
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NACD HOLDS FINAL LISTENING SESSION IN WEST VIRGINIA
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Last week,
NACD President Tim Palmer and Northeast Region Representative
Eric Hansen hosted NACD's final listening session, in conjunction with the
West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts' (WVACD) quarterly meeting in Flatwoods, W.Va.
The final in a series that has included all seven of NACD’s regions, the listening session gathered feedback on the national association's programs and allowed supervisors to ask questions about NACD’s services and partnerships. It also built important connections between NACD and state leadership in West Virginia.
At the WVACD meeting, the West Virginia Conservation Farmer of the Year award was presented to
Lukas and
Gabby Newcomer of Noble Farms, Inc. The Newcomers were recognized for using rotational grazing to raise livestock on their farm in Mineral County.
At the meeting, Hansen also led an advocacy training for district supervisors, which featured presentations by several state lawmakers.
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DISTRICT LEADERS MEET IN NEVADA FOR NVACD ANNUAL MEETING
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Last week, representatives from Nevada’s conservation districts met at the
Nevada Association of Conservation Districts'
(NVACD) annual meeting in Winnemucca, Nev.
Recently,
Connie Lee joined NVACD as the association's new executive director. With the new addition to its staff, NVACD is looking to expand its support and partnerships related to the promotion and adoption of soil health practices among Nevada’s producers.
The three-day meeting began with a workshop focused on soil health, hosted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Participants learned about the
five principles of soil health and heard from producers regarding their adoption of these practices in their operations.
The second day of the conference focused on various outreach opportunities related to soil health. Several speakers provided updates and successes from various programs across the state, including
NVACD
President Agee Smith; the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR), including the Cooperative Extension; NRCS; Nevada Departments of Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources; the University of California; local producers and conservation districts.
Among the success stories shared by leaders from the conservation districts,
Jarrett DeCorte from the
Conservation District of Southern Nevada and the UNR Cooperative Extension talked about Las Vegas's unique resource concerns, including its limited water, high heat and tourist-focused economy. In 2016, an
NACD Urban and Community (UAC) Grant helped address some of these concerns at
Zion Garden Park. Nevada will host the
2020 NACD Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Feb. 8-12.
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OCTOBER U&C WEBINAR FOCUSES ON
ENGAGING YOUR STATE FORESTRY AGENCY
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The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar scheduled
a week early for
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern, on
Nov. 14, 2019, will focus on engaging your state forestry agency.
Communications Director for the
National Association of State Foresters (NASF)
Whitney Forman-Cook will describe how state forestry agencies across the nation are working with conservation districts on community forestry issues, wildfire mitigation and more. Her presentation will focus on how this work is driven by state forest action plans and how conservation districts can participate in the 10-year revision of these plans, due in every state for federal review in June 2020.
Urban Forestry Coordinator
Rachel Ormseth from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture Resource Conservation and Forestry Division and
Cindy Zenk with the
South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts will share how they work together with local conservation districts to address urban and community forestry concerns and assist implementation of projects in communities throughout the state.
These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. The webinar schedule for Fiscal Year 2020 is
now available on NACD's website.
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Turn Your Clocks Back: Daylight Savings Time Ends This Sunday
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Get ready for an extra hour of sleep this week!
Daylight Savings Time will end this
Sunday, Nov. 3, at
2:00 a.m.
Before going to bed this Saturday, make sure you turn your clocks back one hour.
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2020 S&E Materials Available on
NACD's Marketplace
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NACD’s 2020 Stewardship materials celebrating the theme “
Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?” are available on
NACD’s Marketplace to download for free. Districts are now able to place orders for print-on-demand 2019 materials.
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Pollinators form the foundations of a healthy and sustainable future for food and the environment, but in recent years, they have shown concerning signs of decline. It’s important that we work to help them prosper by enhancing native pollinator habitats and protecting against pollinator declines.
These free, downloadable materials provide educators with the resources to promote stewardship and conservation in the classroom. Education is a critical element of the conservation effort at the local, state and national levels.
Educating young people about the benefits of conservation helps to ensure the next generation will be wise stewards of America’s natural resources.
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NACD Debuts Redesigned SHCN Webpage
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NACD's Soil Health Champion Network (SHCN) webpage has a new look!
The SHCN webpage provides Soil Health Champions with the resources they need as advocates for soil health management systems in their communities.
From quarterly bulletins to educational webinars, the Network supports more than 240 farmers, ranchers and woodland owners nationwide.
NACD is continuously seeking new Soil Health Champions to help tell the story of how soil health practices have improved their operations, from no-till to cover crops and everything in between. Learn more about how you or your district can get involved on the
SHCN webpage
.
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Prince Edward Island Names Winning Team
for NCF-Envirothon Competition
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Congratulations to the
Bluefield High School team
(pictured above) from Prince Edward Island, Canada, for winning the Provincial Forest Envirothon competition, held Oct. 25-26 at the Brookvale Nordic Centre in North Wiltshire.
As the first qualifying team, the winning students will now go on to represent their school and province at the international
NCF-Envirothon
competition in Lincoln, Neb., from
July 26-Aug. 1, 2020
.
Stay tuned to eResource for more team announcements, and please submit any Envirothon news and photos to NCF-Envirothon Program Manager
Jennifer Brooks
at
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NACD Thanks Friend Rebecca Livaudais
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NACD would like to thank
Rebecca Livaudais
for renewing her Friends of NACD membership.
Livaudais is with the
Crescent Soil and Water Conservation District
in Meraux, La.
Friends of NACD are individuals who are committed to the conservation of America’s natural resources. Show your appreciation for our nation’s 3,000 conservation districts by becoming a Friend of NACD. Learn more on
NACD’s website
.
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Last Chance to Vote:
Fall 2019
The Resource
Cover Selection
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It's the last week to vote for the front cover of the 2019 Fall edition of
The Resource
!
NACD still needs your help in picking the feature photo, so cast your vote today!
Above is just one of the photos you can choose, all of which were submitted to NACD's Photo Contest.
Interested in submitting photos for our 2019 contest? Please visit
our website to learn more
. Submissions close
Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019
.
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Ohio District Seeks
Special Project Interns
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The
Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Ohio is currently accepting applications for two paid internship positions, funded by the Richland County Foundation.
One position will assist with the Clean Water Act’s Municipal Stormwater MS4 program, and the second will assist with the 9-Element Plan program. Both internships begin January 2020.
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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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