Conservation INsight
June 23, 2021
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SWCD Region Meetings Recorded and Posted on the IASWCD website
Four region Meetings were hosted by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) and the Indiana Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) in June. Each meeting was individualized with partner representatives from each quadrant of the state giving updates in their respective meetings - NE, SE, NW and SW. Each meeting's agenda also highlighted a Special Project happening in that region. To view the recordings, click the button below.
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Registration Now Open for
VirTuesdays: Virtual Training for Indiana District Staff and Supervisors
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A series of four Virtual Trainings on Tuesdays at 7 pm (ET). Registration is required and the Zoom link will be provided upon registration.
Each date/topic below will link you to the description and registration site.
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Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative
News and Upcoming Events
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Urban Soil Health Program
Let’s grow this!
In early May, the Urban Program team met up for their first in-person gathering for a tour of urban and small farm sites in Marion County. They got an in-depth look into soil health management systems and conservation practices at Marion County SWCD’s Eagle Creek demonstration soil health garden, The Farm at Butler, and Indy Urban Acres. Other visits were made in Hendricks County and Lafayette. Thanks to the farm managers at each site, it was a great opportunity to see diverse vegetable systems and cover crop mixes and management strategies in action.
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Call for 2021 Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award Nominations
NACD and The Pollinator Partnership are pleased to solicit nominees for the 2021 United States Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award, recognizing an individual or family in the farm and ranch community who has contributed significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation. Due July 16
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Next Generation Leadership Institute
Mark your calendar for the National Conservation Foundation (NCF)'s webinar on Wednesday, July 14 at 10 a.m. Eastern to announce the opening of the application period for our second cohort of next generation leaders. Register for the free webinar here.
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Register Now:
2021 NACD Summer Meeting
Join us for the 2021 NACD Summer Meeting and 75th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled to be held July 24-27 in Chicago, Ill. The agenda includes a full NACD board meeting, a 75h Anniversary Celebration event and a conservation forum full of regional and national leaders in conservation.
NACD's Summer Meeting will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago - Magnificent Mile. Hotel rates are $185 per night. To book your hotel room, click here and use the group name "NACD Conserv Districts". Early-bird registration is $275 and includes access to all meetings and events.
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NACD-NASF 2021 WEBINAR SERIES
The NACD Forestry Resource Policy Group‘s (RPG), in conjunction with the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) Forest Resource Management and Forest Markets Committees, has organized a day-long series of webinars. The four webinars will be held on June 22. Each 50-minute Zoom session will feature guest presenters and a Q&A with attendees. Sessions are open to all conservation district staff and forestry partners interested in attending. Click on te button below for information pertaining to each webinar.
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Register Now through August 6
2021 IDEA Fall Conference
for Indiana District Staff
October 5-7
Muncie, IN
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June 17, 2021 - USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing up to $5 million in the Wetland Mitigation Banking Program (WMBP), a grant program that supports the development of mitigation banks for use by agricultural producers seeking to maintain eligibility for USDA programs. Funds are available to Tribes, government entities, nonprofits and other organizations.
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USDA Announces Dates for Conservation Reserve Program General and Grasslands Signups
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup 56. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for CRP Grasslands from July 12 to August 20. This year, USDA updated both signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase its conservation benefits, including reducing the impacts of climate change. Both signups are competitive and will provide for annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.
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USDA Opens Signup for CLEAR30, Expands Pilot to Be Nationwide
30-Year Option Focuses on Improving Water Quality
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2021 – Landowners and agricultural producers currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) now have a wider opportunity to enroll in a 30-year contract through the Clean Lakes, Estuaries, And Rivers initiative, called CLEAR30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding CLEAR30 – a water-quality focused option available through CRP – to be nationwide now. Interested producers with CRP contracts expiring September 30, 2021, should sign up by August 6, 2021. CLEAR30 provides an opportunity for producers to receive incentives for a 30-year commitment to water quality practices on their CRP land, building on their original 10- to 15-year CRP contracts.
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Fall Gardening – Reaping the Benefits of Cool Weather
July 19, 2021
12:00 PM EST
Presented by: Gina Anderson, Purdue Extension
Register at:
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Turkey Brood Reporting
The wild turkey brood reporting period is July 1 - Aug. 31. Help the DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife monitor summer production of wild turkeys by recording wild turkey sightings during July and August using their online survey tool.
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DNR's Outdoor Educational Resources
The Division of Fish & Wildlife provides professional training and support for educators and volunteers to promote responsible stewardship of our natural resources.
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W4L Survey for District Staff and Supervisors
District Staff and Supervisors - Women4theLand is seeking your input on how best to serve you and the women in your districts. Please participate in this short survey which is open from June 8 to June 22.
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SAVE THE DATE: District Success with Women4theLand (via Zoom)
A Zoom discussion featuring Indiana Districts who have had great success hosting Women4theLand Outreach events with female landowners. July 22 at 12 pm (ET).
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Pollinator Week
This whole week is dedicated to recognizing the unseen heroes of our world—bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, and other insects—and the people who work to protect them. Now is a great time to reaffirm your commitment to conserving these vital invertebrates and here are some tangible ways to help: become a community scientist, sign the Pollinator Protection Pledge, join us for an event, or plant a pollinator garden.
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Save the dates for CTIC's 2021 Virtual Conservation in Action Tour
The 14th annual CTIC Conservation in Action Tour will take visitors around the country in a special virtual series of four "stops" in July and August 2021. The four-part online tour series will be broadcast as part of the American Society of Agronomy's Sustainable Agronomy Conference. Registration is free, and CEUs will be available to CCAs who attend.
Here's the lineup:
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July 20 - Carbon Farming
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August 3 - Phosphorus Management
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August 17 -Pollinator Habitat
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August 24 -Connecting for Conservation
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SWCS Annual Conference
The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) 76th International Annual Conference, to be held virtually July 26-28, 2021, will bring the latest industry research, tools and technical information, from far and wide, right into the offices and homes of attendees. Registration is open through July 16, 2021.
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INPS Biodiversity Grants
The Indiana Native Plant Society will be awarding biodiversity grants ranging from $400-$1,500 this fall for projects to be completed in 2022. INPS supports well-conceived grant projects that are in line with their mission: To promote the appreciation, preservation, scientific study, and use of plants native to Indiana. To teach people about their beauty, diversity, and importance to our environment.
INPS Biodiversity Grants are awarded in three categories:
- Research
- Demonstration Garden
- Land Management and Conservation
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EPA Accepting Applications for $9M in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Funding
CHICAGO (June 16, 2021) – EPA is now accepting applications for a total of $9 million in grants to fund about 24 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative projects to address stormwater runoff pollution from land into water bodies. State agencies, interstate agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations, local governments, institutions of higher learning and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for the GLRI grants in three categories. Click here to apply.
Applicants will have until August 20 to submit their applications on Grants.gov.
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June 28, 2021 – Applicant webinar (12:30 – 1:20 p.m. Eastern Time / 11:30 - 12:30 p.m. Central Time)
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August 20, 2021– Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time / 10:59 p.m. Central Time. See Section IV for further submission information.
The funding is made possible by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which was launched in 2010 as a non-regulatory program to accelerate efforts to protect and restore the largest system of fresh surface water in the world.
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Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation Grants
IFEF grants are competitive grant funds to help educate and inform the public about forests and forest management, with an emphasis this year on young forests. Applications are due by September 13 and awards will be announced in December.
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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.
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Upcoming Conservation Events :
July 20 - VirTuesday: District Insurance Needs and Liability
July 22 - District Success with Women4theLand
July 28 - CWI Networking Session
August 24 - VirTuesday: Human Resource Management 101, Contract Employee vs. District Employee
September 21 - VirTuesday: Records Retention
October 5-7 - IDEA Conference for Indiana SWCD Staff
October 19 - VirTuesday: Turning Data into Action
*Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, events are changing daily. Please check the individual hosting organization's website and/or Facebook page for the latest information on cancellations and reschedule dates. Thank you.
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