Today, NACD launched all seven of its region webpages on the website. Monitored and run by each of NACD's region representatives, the region webpages offer resources, contact information for district representatives, upcoming events, the latest news and more for conservation districts in that region.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your region representative or visit NACD's website.

FREE POLLINATOR RESOURCES AVAILABLE

The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund is providing free or reduced cost pollinator seed through their Seed a Legacy program to landowners who are planting plots of two acres or more in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan or Ohio.

The Seed a Legacy program provides superior pollinator habitat through researched and proven seed mixes to sites that are prepped and ready to plant, as well as one-on-one technical guidance to ensure the success of your project. Private, public and corporate lands are all eligible, with free seed mix for up to 25 acres and opportunities for cost-share planting above 25 acres. Visit beeandbutterflyfund.org for program guidelines and the application, seed mixes, habitat establishment guides and other resources.

The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund was a core supporter throughout the development of NACD’s new Pollinator Field Day Guide. Download the free NACD Pollinator Field Day Guide from NACD’s new Conservation Education Hub, where you can also find free downloadable resources for NACD’s upcoming 65th Stewardship Week. This year’s Stewardship Week, held Apr. 26 – May 3, celebrates the theme “Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?”

Consider planting some pollinator landscape during your field day, and let us know what activities your conservation district or state association is planning to celebrate Stewardship Week by emailing stewardship@nacdnet.org.

CALIFORNIA DISTRICTS PARTNER FOR

FOREST HEALTH

Many conservation districts across the nation work on issues broadly related to forest health, and specifically on wildfire-prevention projects in forests, scrublands and grasslands. Recent catastrophic wildfires inspired some resource conservation districts (RCDs) in California to launch new programs and partnerships to advance both conservation and community safety goals.

On a recent field visit, staff from three RCDs in California— Sonoma, Napa and San Mateo—met with colleagues from the Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) to visit Bouverie Preserve. In 2017, the Nuns Fire burned through the preserve, and staff are working to manage for forest health and ecological recovery following the fire. Sonoma RCD Forester Jason Wells has been working with ACR on its “Fire Forward” program, which aims to build fire resilience through education, capacity building and implementation of fuels treatments such as prescribed fire.

Field visits provide an opportunity for shared information and collaborations across the state. Wells works with both Sonoma and Gold Ridge RCDs to provide forestry technical assistance to landowners. He also shares his experience with staff from other RCDs, including Amanda Benton, who was hired through an NACD Technical Assistance Grant as a forestry program manager for Napa County RCD. While Napa RCD has a large staff, forestry is a new program area for this conservation district. Likewise, Sheena Sidhu recently started at San Mateo RCD as the conservation project manager to lead efforts related to forest health and fire resiliency.

Increasingly, conservation district staff are connecting across boundaries to address landscape-level concerns. Such collaborations provide excellent opportunities for districts to support neighboring areas who may lack staff time or technical capacity.

“It was great to go out and learn about prescribed burns with Amanda and Jason, since this is something we are planning to incorporate into our RCD program,” said Sidhu. "I look forward to continuing to share examples of successful projects between our districts, so we can further learn from each other about how to implement conservation on the ground.” 

For more information on NACD’s forestry and wildfire work, and to continue to learn about district activities, subscribe to Forestry Notes. Additionally, stay tuned for details on upcoming wildfire summits in Alabama, Minnesota and Colorado. 

GENESEE CD, MICH.

In 2017, NACD, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), awarded funding to the  Genesee Conservation District (CD) in Michigan to help implement a number of workshops, technical assistance and outreach events that reached over 500 community members. This included the installation of several small-scale agriculture and conservation projects such as community gardens and centers. The following vignettes describe some of the urban technical assistance activities provided through the increased capacity.

Staff worked with residents of an apartment complex struggling with the loss of half of its tomato crop each year. Genesee CD recommended, demonstrated and assisted in the installation of a trellising technique, resulting in a successful harvest.

Genesee CD helped provide technical assistance to a local shelter that served homeless individuals, including military veterans with mobility issues. Addressing their difficulty to crouch or bend while working in the garden, GCD provided a way for them to comfortably maintain their vegetable garden. The solution was to install raised beds for the veterans.

Working with a Flint eastside business owner whose concern was neighborhood blight, Genesee CD collaborated on a “Clean Curb” plan. Conservation district staff assessed and addressed the street tree conditions for safety, and crafted plans to improve the boulevard’s visual appeal. Partnering with the business owner and volunteers, four low-maintenance, brightly colored butterfly gardens were installed. 

 

Two projects occurred in Flint’s historic Civic Park neighborhood. The Urban Renaissance Center was interested in increasing fresh, healthy food availability in the community. To assist, Genesee CD planned and installed pollinator plantings and six vegetable garden beds. The second project was initiated by the neighborhood’s councilperson and his group of dedicated volunteers. They were seeking assistance to further place-making efforts in a reclaimed vacant lot. Together, community garden beds, a butterfly garden, and an “I grew up in Flint” bench that utilized the reclaimed wood from city street trees were developed and installed.

These are just a few examples of community groups, businesses and residents who benefited from Genesee CD’s increased capacity in urban agriculture conservation practice implementation. Additionally, these efforts to conserve natural resources are shifting the community culture, thereby creating a cleaner, greener Michigan. GCD looks forward to continuing these relationships and ongoing urban conservation.

Learn more about the project here .

RSVP Now:

NACD's Spring Fly-In

NACD's annual Spring Fly-In is only two weeks away! Have you sent in your RSVP yet?

We're excited to once again 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 and an FAQ document.

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.

NACD Seeks Director of Development

NACD is currently seeking qualified applicants to join the national association as the director of development.

In this role, the director of development manages a growing resource development portfolio in support of national conservation objectives, providing engagement in and management of a comprehensive fundraising development plan, in close coordination with the CEO and management team, to identify and pursue strategic partnerships and projects; and to coordinate and conduct related outreach to businesses, foundations, NGOs and other stakeholders.

View the position description, including requirements and application details, on  NACD’s Careers and Internships webpage .

Closing date to receive priority for interviews is this  Friday, March 13, 2020 . 

NFWF Announces $31 Million in Grant Funding

On March 4, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $31 million in grant funding available to coastal areas of U.S. states, including the Great Lakes states and U.S. territories, for projects that strengthen natural systems to increase community resiliency to storms and erosion and improve habitat for fish and wildlife.

The funding is available through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), and pre-proposals are due by Wednesday, April 8, 2020. Grant awards are expected to average between $125,000 and $5,000,000. Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations, state and territorial government agencies, local governments, municipal governments, Native American tribal governments, educational institutions and commercial organizations.

To view the 2020 Request for Proposals and register for a pre-proposal webinar on Thursday, March 12 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, visit NCRF's website.

Visit NCPP's 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).

Since its founding in 2015, the partnership has worked to advance conservation efforts on private lands through its support of landowners and managers. On the new website, you can find training and certification guidance, technical guides, conservation planning FAQs and more.

Visit the site today at www.ncpp.info.

Register Today:

Agroforestry Academy

Registration for the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry's (UMCA) 2020 Agroforestry Academy is now open.

The Agroforestry Academy is a week-long training that includes integrated classroom workshops, multiple on-the-farm visits, hands-on demonstrations and content integration into practical on-farm agroforestry planning and design to advance adoption of agroforestry as a cornerstone of productive land use. This year's academy will take place in Colubmia, Mo., from July 26-31, 2020.

Registration is open until Sunday, May 29, 2020. To learn more, visit UMCA's website.

UMCA is offering a limited number of farmer scholarships to attend the 2020 Agroforestry Academy. Scholarships of varying amounts are reserved exclusively for U.S. military veteran farmers. Applications are due Friday, May 29, 2020. To learn more about applying, click here.

Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events !