Conservation districts and partners in Alabama and throughout the Southeast Region met in Gulf Shores for the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts (AACD) 2021 Annual Meeting on Aug. 6-7, followed by the 2021 NACD Southeast Region Meeting on Aug. 8-10. Both meetings were held at The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a model of environmentally-friendly coastal development on the Gulf Coast.

NACD President Michael Crowder addressed participants at both meetings, sharing updates from NACD. Speakers at the Southeast Region Meeting also included NRCS Chief Terry Cosby and Regional Conservationist James Tillman, who joined virtually; Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Rick Pate and NACD Executive Board Southeast Region Representative Franklin Williams of North Carolina. NACD Soil Health Champion Roy “Shep” Morris and NACD Southeast Region Representative Candice Abinanti led separate breakout sessions focused respectively on soil health and educational resources. John McGuire, from the nonprofit organization Tall Timbers, presented on managing forest ecology in the Southeast with prescribed burns.

On Monday, Aug. 9, conservation leaders were honored at the 2021 Southeast Region Conservation Hall of Fame Luncheon and Induction Ceremony. Presided over by NACD Southeast Region Chair Steven Meeks of Virginia and NACD Board Member Dr. Carol Knight of Alabama, the ceremony honored nine inductees: Frank Trione (Ala.), Burlin Findley (Fla.), Roger Bowman, Jr. (Ga.), David Rowlett (Ky.), Gary A. Blair (Miss.), Bill Yarborough (N.C.), Anastacio Morales Jiménez (P.R.), Sterling W. Sadler (S.C.) and Donna Kitts (Tenn.).

On the last day of the Southeast Region Meeting, attendees had the opportunity to join one of two tours. One tour visited the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, a site with over 6,000 acres of tidal and forested wetlands, including fire-dependent pitcher plant bogs. The other tour showcased the many conservation and hurricane restoration measures implemented throughout Gulf State Park and The Lodge.

The Southeast Region Meeting concluded with a banquet that included a local seafood buffet dinner, entertainment and an auction benefiting the Southeast Conservation District Employees Association scholarships program.

The NACD Annual Prospectus for the 2022 Fiscal Year is available to view here.

This guide has everything a potential partner who shares NACD's passion for locally-led conservation delivery needs to know about a variety of ways to engage with NACD. The prospectus covers our year-round programs, events like the annual meeting and summer conservation forum, and other programmatic areas.

Sponsorship opportunities are not exclusive to the listings in this document. Please reach out to development@nacdnet.org with any questions or ideas of potential collaboration or sponsorships.

The National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) is pleased to be accepting nominations for the 2021 Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence!

NCPP created the award in 2017 to honor the legacy of Hugh Hammond Bennett by recognizing producers and conservation planners from within the NCPP partnership who have exemplified outstanding service through development and implementation of sound conservation planning and other conservation techniques.

Nominations must be submitted by October 1, 2021.

National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Chair Brent Van Dyke announced the opening of the application period for the 2022 cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) on July 24, 2021 at the NACD Summer Meeting in Chicago, Ill. 

“On behalf of the NCF, I’m so proud to announce the opening of the application period for NGLI’s second cohort,” Van Dyke said. “We look forward to learning more about the nation’s conservation leaders who apply and to selecting the seven participants who will ultimately move both NGLI and conservation as a whole forward.”

To learn more, visit this webpage or see this recorded webinar for testimonials from the 2021 cohort.

Applications must be received by Friday, September 24, 2021.

In the August NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation Webinar, scheduled for Thursday, August 19 at 12 p.m. Eastern, learn from three organizations who are working to enhance urban tree canopies at the county, state and national level.

Join in to hear from Jared Bartley of the Cuyahoga SWCD, Cori Dolan at the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, and Ian Leahy from American Forests.

Register here for the upcoming webinar.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Package still awaits its fate in the House. Earlier this month, the Senate passed the package, with Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) initially announcing the House would not take up efforts until a larger, $3.5 trillion dollar spending package was passed by the Senate. Last week, nine moderate House Democrats stated they would not support the larger package until the smaller, bipartisan package becomes law. Speaker Pelosi has since considered tying the two packages together in order to advance them simultaneously. While there are still many unknowns of what the future holds, the House will return on August 23, 2021. Stay tuned for more updates. 

Please contact Mary Scott, NACD Natural Resource Policy Specialist, at mary-scott@nacdnet.org with any questions.

Children's conservation book, EROSION: How Hugh Bennett Saved America's Soil and Stopped the Dust Bowl, has been nominated for Every Child a Reader's annual Children's Choice award in the category of Ages 3-8: Best Picture Book Page. This book explains the beginnings of NRCS and the exciting story of soil scientist Hugh Hammond Bennett.

Encourage your students and children to vote here by September 8, 2021.

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