Welcome to the NACD Southwest Region newsletter, delivering announcements and news to NACD Board Members, conservation districts, state associations and agency leadership across the Southwest. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested - they can subscribe to the mailing list on the Southwest Region Webpage.
Josh Smith, Vice Chair of the Southwest Region, NM
Jim Berlier, Executive Board Member of the Southwest Region, NM
Please reach out to Rachel with questions and newsletter content ideas.
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A year has already gone by since I started with NACD! I have to say, my favorite part of this job is getting out in the SW region and meeting all you great folks who are passionate about conservation. With better weather right around the corner, I hope to hit the road again soon. Don’t forget to let me know of any upcoming meetings or events you’d like me to attend!
The Legislative Fly-In will be virtual again this year, but that doesn't mean it's time to sit back on our heels. While I agree that face-to-face is usually more impactful, meeting virtually often means we can reach even more legislators. In the next section, you'll find links to the fly-in training and the NACD issue papers. Please check them out before any meetings with your elected officials. As always, I'm happy to sit in on your virtual meetings; just let me know when!
I managed to get in a bit of skiing and ice fishing this winter before approaching the 'mud season’ of March and April. I agree with Gibson; fish that are pulled through the ice are always the tastiest.
Wishing you all a happy springtime!
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NACD Spring Fly-In Update |
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NACD had planned for an in-person March 22, 2022 Spring Legislative Fly-In. However, with uncertainty regarding the operating status of federal offices, we have decided to hold the Spring Fly-In as a virtual event again this year.
NACD hosted a Fly-In training and a recording of the training can be viewed here. You can also check out NACD’s 2022 Issue Papers and other resources that are now available on our website. We encourage you to share these with congressional offices as you schedule your fly-in meetings.
The 2022 Virtual Spring Fly-In will kick off on March 22nd, and we encourage members to schedule meetings with their congressional representatives around that date. As you schedule these meetings, we also ask that you keep NACD’s Government Affairs Team in the loop by filling out this form.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to NACD’s Government Affairs Director Chris Young at chris-young@nacdnet.org.
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Share Feedback on the 2022 Annual Meeting |
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Feedback on NACD's 76th Annual Meeting in Orlando can be shared with NACD by completing this online survey.
Your feedback helps us gain insight on what you liked about this year’s meeting and how we can make improvements in the future.
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Congratulations to Josh Smith! |
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Josh Smith, vice-chair of the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts as well as the Southwest Region, has been named the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) participant for the Southwest Region. Please join me in congratulating Josh!
What is NGLI? NGLI was formally launched in August of 2019 as a year-long program to advance conservation leadership. Created in response to a high demand for leadership instruction for conservation district leaders facing the challenges of a changing world, NGLI was established to provide conservation professionals with the tools to become national leaders through personal, civic, and organizational leadership development.
The 2022 NGLI cohort participants were selected through a competitive national application process. This will be the second cohort for the program since its launch in 2019.
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Southwest Region Poster Winner |
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Great work to Abigail Ostrander from Wyoming's Converse County Conservation District. Her poster took first place in grades 4-6.
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Southwest Region Photo Contest Winner |
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Congratulations to Bailee Alger from Wyoming's Powder River Conservation District! Her photo took took first place in the youth division in the Agriculture and Conservation Across America category.
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Friends of NACD Grant Winner |
Valencia Soil and Water District was announced as one of this year's Friends of NACD Grant recipients. The SWCD will lead an experiential, agriculture-focused summer camp for local youth, promoting regenerative agriculture and food security while capturing the lessons of community partners to be shared during the camp and in other widespread community outreach efforts.
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Save the Date for the Next PAC/SW Region Meeting in Maui! |
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More info coming soon! In the meantime, you can learn more about the hotel here.
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Sand County Foundation Offers Mentor Opportunity |
The Sand County Foundation has launched a national mentorship pilot program for underserved farmers and ranchers. Sand County Foundation's network of Leopold Conservation Award-winning farmers and ranchers, who have been recognized for extraordinary conservation achievement, will serve as program mentors.
Help share this free Land Ethic Mentorship opportunity with others.
Learn more and enroll here.
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Register for April's Urban and Community Webinar |
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April 21, 2022
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Eastern
For many conservation districts, managing local water quality and quantity can provide a wealth of opportunities to promote new conservation practices.
In this webinar, we’ll hear from two districts on their strategies and outcomes from their water management projects.
Jeffrey Miller of Cass County Soil Conservation District in North Dakota, will describe their success with xeriscaping and pocket prairies, small native prairie plantings for water filtration of home runoff, which also provide pollinator habitat and beautify homes.
Caitlin Stewart of the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District in New York, will also describe their Stabilizing Marion Brook Project, for which they used bioengineering and natural channel design to stabilize an erosive section of Marion Brook with the support of federal and local partners.
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NACD's 67th Stewardship Week - Healthy Soil: Healthy Life |
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This year's Stewardship Week will be held April 24 – May 1, 2022 with the theme “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life.” Learn more and download the free educational materials here.
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Southwest Agroforestry Action Network Meeting |
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The Southwest Agroforestry Action Network (SWAAN) is hosting it's second annual conference in Moab, Utah, May 10-12, 2022. The conference will include presentations and a field trip.
Anyone is welcome to attend, including agricultural producers, tribes, ranchers, community gardeners and orchardists, permaculturists, representatives of government agencies, cooperative extension, universities, and people interested in community food forests and forest-agricultural activities.
WHO IS SWAAN? The Southwest Agroforestry Action Network (SWAAN) mission: Helping people integrate trees, crops, and animals to regenerate Southwest landscapes. SWAAN’s scope of interest is forest agricultural activities on tribal, state, federal, county, municipal and private lands in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.
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Southwest Districts at Work |
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Soil Health to Boost Ecosystem Resilience in New Mexico |
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The Southwest Region has a new Soil Health Champion! Tomasz Falkowski has been recognized for his work in the Tierra y Montes Soil and Water Conservation District. Falkowski works at New Mexico Highlands University, where he continues researching and teaching soil science. He has also begun working the soil of his own property.
Learn more about Tomasz and his soil health efforts here.
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Press Releases
Letters and Comments
Blog Posts
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Jim Berlier to represent Southwest region On Farm Bill Task Force |
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With the current Farm Bill Authorization set to expire in September 2023, NACD President Michael Crowder has formed NACD's Farm Bill Task Force, which will guide and develop principles, priorities, and recommendations for the upcoming farm bill reauthorization. Jim Berlier of New Mexico, executive member of the Southwest Region, has been named as our representative on this task force. Congratulations, Jim!
Other members and advisors include:
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Michael Crowder, Chair
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Kim LaFleur, Vice Chair
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Sam Cassell, Northeast Region
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Vaughn Poe, Southeast Region
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Ryan Britt, North Central Region
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John McAlpine, South Central Region
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Bill Simshauser, Northern Plains Region
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Jim Berlier, Southwest Region
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Michael Aguon, Pacific Region
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Sam Steiner, Advisor - NGLI
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Melissa Higbee, Advisor - NCDEA
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Chris Pettit, Advisor - NASCA
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Gary Blair, Advisor
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Jimmy Emmons, Advisor
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Theo Garcia, Advisor
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Kevin Norton, Advisor
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Mosca-Hooper CD Hosts Broken Water Cycle - Dust on Snow Summit |
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The Soil and Water Conservation Society - Colorado Chapter and Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies along with the Mosca-Hooper Conservation District hosted an innovative summit to examine the effects and possible solutions regarding the problem of dust on snow. The virtual conversation hosted 170 people from a variety of conservation, science, and agricultural backgrounds. To learn more about the summit please contact Patrick O'Neill at patrick@soilhealthservices.com or Jeff Derry at jderry@snowstudies.org
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Sublette County Conservation District is Hiring |
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The Sublette County Conservation District in Pinedale, Wyo is seeking a Natural Resource Technician. View the full announcement here.
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April 22 - May 1, 2022 - 67th Annual Stewardship Week: "Healthy Soil: Healthy Life"
July 15-17, 2022 - 2022 NACD Summer Meeting | San Juan, P.R.
July 24-30, 2022 - NCF - Envirothon | Oxford, Ohio
Sept. 8-11, 2022 - PAC/SW Region Meeting | Maui, HI
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