On Monday, April 13, NACD sent a letter to Congress requesting additional funding and legislative support for the nation’s nearly 3,000 conservation districts in the next stimulus bills.

“Conservation districts are the backbone of delivering conservation in America,”  NACD President Tim Palmer said . “Unfortunately, as with many small businesses, many conservation districts are currently struggling to continue supporting their communities given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.”

In the letter , NACD requests Congress expand the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) to include relief for state and local public-sector entities such as conservation districts that are currently ineligible for the refundable tax credit and payroll assistance programs created under these laws.

Given the state of local economies and the ever-present need for customer service to the nation’s farmers and landowners, NACD also requests that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) be authorized to substantially increase the amount of direct hiring authority available to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS receives funding through the annually appropriated Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program, which facilitates conservation planning, farm bill program implementation and partnership agreements. In the letter to Congress, NACD requests an additional $75 million in a future stimulus bill for the CTA program to support field offices in local communities and to boost conservation practices that improve our nation’s resources while mitigating future natural disasters.

The letter also includes requests related to critical infrastructure investments for the Watershed Operations and Flood Prevention, Watershed Rehabilitation and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 319 Nonpoint Source Grants programs.

“Conservation districts stand ready to work with producers to support our nation’s food system and protect our natural resources during this quickly-evolving crisis,”  Palmer said . “It is imperative that Congress provides support to these vital community entities to ensure they can continue to operate in partnership with America’s farmers, ranchers and forestland owners.”

To read the full press release, visit NACD's Newsroom .

NACD STEWARDSHIP WEEK IS ALMOST HERE

NACD’s 65th annual Stewardship Week is less than two weeks away! This year's Stewardship Week will take place April 26-May 3, 2020 and will celebrate the theme " Where Would We BEE Without Pollinators?”

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns, we encourage everyone to find virtual ways to celebrate the importance of pollinators, such as hosting a pollinator webinar or delivering a PowerPoint presentation for your conservation district's poster contest. In order to help you start a Stewardship Week campaign in your own community, visit NACD's website, where you'll find a toolkit, social media graphics and flyer that you can distribute electronically.

Additionally, NACD offers both the Pollinator Field Day Guide and the Conservation Education Hub, which contain all of NACD's Stewardship and Education materials, including free downloadable resources for grades K-8.

For more ideas about how your conservation district can make a difference in your community during Stewardship Week, visit NACD's Stewardship Week webpage.

How will you celebrate Stewardship Week? Please let NACD know how your conservation district or state association is planning to virtually celebrate by emailing us.

LORD FAIRFAX SWCD, VA.

Photo caption: Day one of the Strasburg Community Garden (pictured left), the community garden six months later (pictured right)

In 2017, NACD, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded funding to the  Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Strasburg, Va., to help create a 5,200 square-foot community garden.

The garden had an impressive first year of growth, from a monoculture of bermuda grass to an area filled with a collection of heirloom vegetables and herbs, loaded with native grasses and wildflowers in a raised bed community and partner plots. The garden donated over 450 pounds of produce to two local food pantries and provided 14 educational workshops that were attended by nearly 300 people.

The garden would not have been possible without the public-private partnerships that invested time and expertise via a newly formed urban agriculture working group. Members include Pot Town Organics, a local plant and garden shop; the town of Strasburg; the local master gardeners association and extension agents; Boy Scouts of America; Girl Scouts of America; Rockingham Cooperative; Strasburg United Methodist Church; local high school and middle school FFA chapters; Strasburg Farmers Market; Natural Art Garden Center; Gabalot Gardens; local food pantries; Massanutten Regional Governor’s School; Strasburg Rotary and Kiwanis Club of Strasburg. 

In addition to the many partners, unique aspects of the garden help keep it sustainable. A rainwater harvesting system, which stores up to 1,525 gallons, was installed with the help of Signal Knob Middle School’s FFA. The Strasburg Rotary Club obtained a grant to build a shed for the garden and to provide solar power for the rainwater harvesting pump, making it much more efficient. Additionally, the handicapped raised beds created by a local Eagle Scout and his troop have helped provide space for those who would not have access to a garden otherwise. Finally, a bioswale planted with native grasses, installed by local high school students, will continue to collect and treat stormwater runoff, protecting the garden from flooding.

Volunteers like these have been fundamental to the garden’s success this past year. To date, they have contributed over 1,394 hours to the project–the equivalent of a full-time district employee.

Learn more about the project on NACD's website.

MUSHROOM WORKSHOPS HELP ENGAGE LANDOWNERS

Forester  Nia Becker  (pictured right) with the  Clare Conservation District  (CD) in Harrison, Mich., is using her expertise in cultivating mushrooms to increase landowner interest in land management and district programs in Michigan.

Earlier this year, Becker presented “The Magic of Mushrooms: Engaging Landowners with Their Passions” at the American Forest Foundation (AFF) National Leadership Community Conference, focusing on engaging landowners by using topics they are passionate about and the importance of partnerships to on-the-ground conservation through mushroom workshops.

“One of my goals was to help other forest and Tree Farm community members in building their toolbox of programs and finding ways to get landowners engaged,”  Becker said . “If they’re not going to apply for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and get a forest management plan, maybe we can get them to engage in their property through mushrooms.”

“They might not come to you to sign up for the larger things right away,”  she said . “But if you can get them into a workshop and get them engaged, you can build trust, and it’s a good way to introduce your organization and what you have to offer.”

Becker first conducted a mushroom log workshop in 2018, which received a large response.

“I want to be able to provide a fun workshop and have something valuable that people can take home,”  Becker said . “When we’re teaching people about resources and products, it can be hard to judge or find out if someone changed the way they take care of their land. With a mushroom workshop, it’s easier to see."

To read the rest of this story, visit NACD's blog .

USDA Unveils

COVID-19 Tool

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled a one-stop shop of federal programs that are aimed to help rural communities, organizations and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

The COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide is a first-of-its-kind resource for rural leaders looking for federal funding and partnership opportunities to help address this pandemic.

To learn more about this guide and how USDA is taking actions to assist farmers, ranchers, producers, rural communities and rural-based businesses and organizations, visit USDA's website.

Apply Now:

USDA Seeks Proposals for On-Farm Trials

Last week, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of $25 million in funding to advance the adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation practices on agricultural lands. The funding is for on-farm trials, a sub-program of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program.

On-farm trials provide funding directly to partners, who can then offer technical assistance and payments to producers interested in implementing innovative conservation practices on their land. Out of the $25 million, $10 million will be awarded to entities applying for the Soil Health Demonstration Trail component of the program. Applications must be submitted by Monday, May 11 , 2020 . To learn more and apply, visit  NRCS's website .

USDA ARS Begins Weekly Listening Sessions This Tuesday

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) National Program 212 (NP212) Soil and Air Listening Sessions start today, April 14, and will continue weekly until May 7, 2020.

Participation will now be held via Zoom, instead of Webex, as originally planned. Each session will begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and will run for approximately two hours.

In addition to participation by voice and input in the listening sessions, ARS is also inviting stakeholders to send written statements about their research priorities. To learn more, visit USDA ARS website .

New Carhartt Items Added to

NACD's Marketplace

Just in time for NACD's Stewardship Week, and in appreciation to our members and conservation districts, NACD's Marketplace is having a promotional sales offer.

Pack your gear and lunch with customizable lunch coolers (pictured above) and work packs from Carhartt. Both heavy-duty and water-repellent, these accessories will keep your food cold and personal items safe for a long time. Save big on Carhartt by buying from NACD!

In addition, NACD has added several new apparel items to our catalog. Visit NACD's Marketplace to learn more and start shopping.

Make Sure You're Counted in the

2020 Census

The 2020 U.S. Census is well underway, and you should have received an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone or by mail. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers and many others use to provide daily services, products and support to local communities nationwide.

Participating in the census is required by law, and it is critical in helping your community with future funding decisions, congressional representation and more. To complete the census, click here . To learn more about how you can involved with the 2020 Census, visit their website .

Order Today:

2020 Pollinator Week

T-Shirts

The 2020 Pollinator Week t-shirts are now available to order from Pollinator Partnership's (P2) website.

This year's National Pollinator Week will take place June 22-28, 2020. Join us in celebrating the importance of pollinator conservation and order your shirt today!

To learn more about Pollinator Week and how you can get involved, visit P2's website.

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