Kingsbury Conservation District was recently awarded funding from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Resource Conservation and Forestry Division for an urban forestry project to address the emerald ash borer (EAB).
The insect was confirmed in the southeastern portion of the state in two counties in 2020, killing green ash in boulevards, parks and other public areas. The state is working to get ready for EAB by talking to communities, slowly removing the green ash, and replanting other species of trees.
The Kingsbury funds, received through the Coordinated Natural Resources Conservation Grant Fund, go toward community forestry projects to assist with tree inventories, replacement of ash trees to become prepared for loss due to emerald ash borer, developing community forestry action plans, and providing educational outreach.
Though Kingsbury wrote the grant, neighboring Miner County Conservation District also was able to utilize some of the funding for similar projects.
“We do a lot of projects together because our counties are adjoining and we have very similar communities, soils and conservation practices” Miner Conservation District Manager Tami Moore said. “Our conservation districts promote planting new species of trees to replace green ash that will eventually be affected by the EAB. Emerald ash borer will affect our green ash, maybe next year or maybe 20 years from now.”
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NACD President Michael Crowder manages farming operations in Illinois and Washington state and is actively involved in the management of his family’s third-generation farm in Indiana. For eight years, Crowder taught wetland restoration, wildlife science and ecology as an adjunct professor at Washington State University Tri-Cities. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in natural resources and environmental sciences. Recently, Crowder shared time with NACD Forestry Notes…
NACD has had a long relationship with National Wild Turkey Federation, which has opened the door to other such relationships with hunting groups that have a conservation passion. Talk about how those partnerships have made sense for conservation districts and maybe the potential you see for growth there.
I am a hunter, that’s part of who I am. I very much enjoy bringing food to my table to feed my family and my friends. So, I want to take that love of the outdoors and pair it with our goals.
We work with Ducks Unlimited as habitat partners. Matter of fact, they are part of the Climate Action Task Force because they are big in that space. They’re big on working with landowners for conservation easements, working on Farm Bill programs. Same for the National Wild Turkey Federation. If you’re managing for turkeys properly, you’re also managing for healthy forests. So, if you take those two groups, let’s just say we have 80 percent of our goals in common – I want to focus on that 80 percent where we get along together. We might agree to disagree on an issue or two, but we agree on most of the core values of each organization.
Ultimately, it’s about putting conservation on the ground. When it comes to Farm Bill issues, when you can go in with a letter of support or just go in together to talk to Congressional members, and you have that core value together… It’s really important that we can stand together on Farm Bill issues in helping producers on the ground.
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WATCH: 2021 FALL WEBINAR SERIES
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The NACD Forestry Resource Policy Group‘s (RPG) fall webinar series is now available to view on NACD's YouTube channel.
Fighting forest invasives
Presenters: Dan Shaver, NRCS State Forester (Indiana) and Tyler Ross, Director, Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District (North Carolina)
Forest carbon programs to assist private landowners
Presenters: Elizabeth Vranas, Director of National Implementation for the Family Forest Carbon Program, American Forest Foundation and Kathryn Morse, Landowner Success Manager, Natural Capital Exchange (NCX)
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Alabama
District helps organize forestry and wildlife field days
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This fall, the Coffee County Conservation District and the Coffee County Forestry Advisory Committee hosted three Forestry and Wildlife Field Days at the National Security Recreation property in Elba, Ala. A total of 260 fifth grade students attended this year’s sessions.
Exhibits included a live amphibian and reptile exhibit, Skins and Skulls, an Oh Deer! Activity, rescued animals from the Big Bend Wildlife Sanctuary and general forest management practices.
This event was supported by a grant from the Wiregrass RC&D Council. Other organizations assisting with field days include the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Coffee County Cooperative Extension System, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, Big Bend Wildlife Sanctuary, Alabama Forestry Association and the Alabama Heritage Program.
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California
New plan designed to address forest health, wildfire
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Recent actions by the California Coastal Commission could have long-lasting effects on North Coast forests and nearby communities. In October, commissioners certified a new plan that will make it easier to get permits for “vegetation treatment projects to improve forest health, restore ecosystems and increase wildfire resistance.”
The plan was years in the planning, with research and cooperation between Fire Safe Council, the Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District, Cal Fire, Cal Poly and other agencies.
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Add your conservation district's tree sale, state association meeting, field day or celebration to NACD's calendar!
Click the button above to submit an event. Events will be reviewed by the website administrator and published to NACD's online calendar when approved. |
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