NACD ANNOUNCES CONSERVATION SYMPOSIA LINEUP |
NACD is excited to announce that this year's Conservation Symposia will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern, during NACD's 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.
The symposia gives conservation districts, businesses and individuals the platform to discuss the complex issues that we face every day. This year includes three exciting sessions:
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Accompany NACD on a Soil Health Journey: Join NACD on a soil health journey to explore various soil health topics, featuring the Soil Health Institute (SHI)'s Cristine Morgan, Ph.D.; NACD Soil Health Champion Jack Boyer from Reinbeck, Iowa; and healthy soil advocate Steven Keleti, Ph.D., from Boston, Mass., who will discuss the development of healthy soil policy and legislation across the country.
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Outreach and Partnerships for Urban Agricultural Programs: During this symposium, you'll hear from the chair of the Urban and Community Resource Policy Group (RPG) Ron Rohall, who will discuss NACD's partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service that has enabled us to provide up to $5 million in grant funding to conservation districts for over 100 urban agriculture conservation projects in 34 states. You'll also hear from several grantees on example projects and how other conservation districts can adapt these projects to their own regions.
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NCPP and Outreach in a Pandemic Time: Hear from the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP), who in February committed to another five-year agreement to reinvigorate conservation planning for clients across the country. This symposium, hosted by the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA), will address key items of interest to conservation planners throughout the partnership, including conservation efforts like the expansion of the Hugh Hammond Bennett Awards and planning for regular monthly newsletters, as well as how conservation districts are adapting to virtual education and opportunities in light of the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
In addition to the conservation symposia, we're excited to also extend free registration opportunities to conservation districts who have paid their dues this year, as part of our membership benefits!
Diamond Level Members ($1,776-$3,000) receive one free registration and Platinum Level Members ($3,001+) receive two free registrations.
For either of these opportunities and any questions about Annual Meeting, please email events@nacdnet.org.
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NACD CANCELS
2021 IN-PERSON
SPRING FLY-IN
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NACD is canceling the in-person 2021 Spring Fly-In that regularly takes place in March due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the subsequent limits on travel and in-person meetings. Stay tuned to eResource in 2021 for announcements and information on NACD’s virtual fly-in!
As the new Congress and Administration get started in January, NACD’s Government Affairs team will send out more information on policy requests and advocacy tips so you, your conservation district and state association can continue to successfully advocate on behalf of locally-led conservation.
For any questions or comments, please contact NACD Director of Government Affairs Coleman Garrison.
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NCF #FUTUREFOCUSED Q&A WITH
ALYSSA D. HAMILL
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Alyssa D. Hamill is the corporate sustainability specialist for Smithfield Foods and is part of their Environmental Affairs Team. In her position, she tracks the company’s progress toward environmental goals and targets.
Hamill recently spoke with NACD about NCF and Envirothon, their goals and their legacy. Below are some of her answers.
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How did you become involved in the Envirothon program?
Smithfield has been a longtime supporter of Envirothon and has donated nearly $500,000 since 2015 to further their mission. Our farms and facilities donate to their local chapters and send volunteers to assist with the competitions. At the national level, our employees serve as volunteer judges, and Smithfield donates the scholarship money for the three top winners at the international competition. When I joined the company, I was excited to become involved with our Envirothon partnership to help support the next generation of environmental stewards.
Why is it important for us to support the next generation of conservation leaders?
Through Envirothon, these students are learning the importance of being an informed and responsible citizen, and that they too have a part to play in the stewardship of this world. They are learning that you don’t have to be an expert to understand the importance of soil health or be a scientist to appreciate the gravity of climate change, invasive species and so on. Every citizen has a part to play in taking care of the environment, and these students are learning that firsthand.
As inspiring as these kids are, they can’t do it alone. They need access to a variety of resources, equipment, coaching and emotional support. We’re going to hand them the reins to the world in the not-so-distant future. The least we can do for these students and young adults is to help prepare them to take on this enormous amount responsibility, to do so successfully and to do it better than we did.
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To read the full interview, visit NACD's blog. Please help support conservation leaders like Alyssa by donating to the #FutureFocused campaign! As we prepare for a new 2021 NGLI cohort and the rescheduled 2021 NCF-Envirothon competition in Lincoln, Nebraska, set to be held in July 2021, your financial support is needed to help keep these programs moving forward. Every contribution matters, and your support will be matched dollar-for-dollar throughout the campaign. |
CCSWCD EXPANDS WEB ACCESS FOR
S.T.A.R. INITIATIVE
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The Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) in Illinois is developing a progressive web application (PWA) for the S.T.A.R. (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) initiative.
Created in 2017 by CCSWCD, S.T.A.R. is a free tool to assist farm operators and landowners in evaluating their nutrient and soil loss management practices. The tool has been a huge success and is utilized by counties across Illinois and other states in helping reach resource concern goals, like the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.
Made possible by grant funding, the PWA will create an even better user experience and more informative tool for farmers and landowners. Additionally, the PWA will offer an interactive experience for farmers, allowing them to select which practices they are interested in learning more about, and provide a direct link to resources to assist in successful implementation.
“We now have the ability to provide farmers and landowners with an easier, more accessible way to track information and access immediate results regarding the progress and improvement of their conservation practices implemented on their land,” S.T.A.R. Steering Committee Chair Steve Stierwalt said. “The app will greatly benefit SWCDs, in that it will ease the burden of data entry on their end and help with scoring. By automating this process, conservation districts will have a one-stop-shop location for providing natural resource guidance in their region.”
“The app will enable us to move toward a more automated process, making it more accessible for farmers to fill out and receive recommendations,” said Erin Gundy, resource conservationist with the Champaign County SWCD. “Overall, it will help improve our technical assistance to the farmer and allow us to expand and offer more educational opportunities.”
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JANUARY U&C WEBINAR FOCUSES ON EMSWCD'S HEADWATERS FARM |
The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern on Jan. 21, 2021, will feature the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District (EMSWCD) in Oregon and their Headwaters Incubator Program, located at the conservation district's Headwaters Farm (pictured above).
EMSWCD uses Headwaters Farm as a launching pad for new farm businesses while demonstrating that financially viable farms can not only co-exist with healthy on-site natural resources but can also prosper.
Since 2013, the Headwaters Incubator Program (HIP) has offered affordable access to farmland, equipment and infrastructure to individuals with farming experience who lacked the financial resources needed to start a farm business. Over the past eight seasons, the program has grown and evolved to provide additional supports that cater to new farm needs, such as a suite of conservation farming trainings and business development services.
In addition to farmer development, the 60-acre property on the outskirts of Gresham also demonstrates a host of conservation improvements, including a 15-acre riparian buffer surrounding the North Fork of Johnson Creek, stormwater management facilities, robust pollinator habitat and greatly improved soil health, among others.
The webinar will include a presentation from Rowan Steele, Headwaters Farm program manager, about Headwaters Farm, the farm incubator program, the site’s conservation investments and future opportunities.
These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.
To register, click here. If you have difficulty, please contact NACD Pacific Region Representative Ariel Rivers.
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Happy Holidays
from NACD!
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In light of the upcoming holidays, NACD's offices will be closed Dec. 24-25, as well as Dec. 31, 2020 and Jan. 1, 2021. Additionally, NACD will not be issuing an edition of eResource next Tuesday, Dec. 29 or Jan. 5, 2021.
As the year comes to a close, we want to wish all of you a Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year! We are so thankful for each and every one of you, and we look forward to carrying out the conservation mission in the new year. From all of us at NACD, we hope you have a safe and happy holiday season, and we'll see you in 2021!
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Congress Passes FY 2021 Omnibus Funding Legislation |
As Congress works to finish remaining work in 2020, top on the list has been finalizing fiscal year 2021 funding.
Tied with a COVID-19 relief bill is omnibus legislation that will fund federal agencies through September 30, including $832 million of conservation funding through NRCS conservation operations. As of press time, both the House and Senate have passed the legislation for the President’s signature.
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NACD President-elect Joins Western Water Listening Session |
Last Thursday, Dec.17, NACD President-elect Michael Crowder participated in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)'s Western Water listening session, where NRCS was soliciting stakeholder feedback on water quantity in the West as it relates to existing NRCS programs.
Crowder was joined by representatives from the Utah Association of Conservation Districts, the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts among other conservation district officials advocating for a locally-led approach to conservation delivery that takes into account the local working group (LWG) process that helps inform NRCS on what priorities should be addressed in conservation program implementation.
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MACD Announces New Executive Director |
On Dec. 18, the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) announced the hiring of Dan Moilanen as the association's new executive director.
Moilanen has held a variety legislative, political and community-focused roles and is a graduate of Albion College. He is the current board chair of the Genesee County Conservation District. As incoming executive director, Moilanen looks forward to advancing MACD's work and improving the natural health and habitat of Michigan's many unique regions.
“As the ‘boots on the ground’ in our communities across the state, Michigan's conservation districts will continue to play a pivotal role in protecting our natural resources by promoting sustainable practices, reforestation efforts and other critical conservation work," Moilanen said.
Lori Phalen, the current executive director, will retire at the end of this year after 14 years of dedicated service to MACD.
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Donate to the NCF Auction Today! |
The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Auction is currently seeking donations! This is a great opportunity to support conservation, and this year, it is even easier to be a part of the excitement, as the 2021 auction will be going completely virtual.
NCF will host their auction during the 2021 NACD Virtual Annual Meeting to support the NCF-Envirothon, the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) and conservation education. The online format will include item descriptions and photos and will allow a bidder to track each item for the duration of the auction. This year, bidders will have an extended period of time to participate. The 2021 NCF Virtual Auction will open at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021 and will close at 1:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday Feb. 10, 2021.
Donate items for the auction today! This year, with the online format, we are asking that contributors hold onto items until after the auction and ship their donations directly to the winning bidder. Any and all items are welcome. For more information, please contact NACD South Central Region Representative Keith Owen at
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2020 DOTP Recognition Applications Now Open |
NACD is now accepting applications for states and territories with conservation district official training programs to be recognized through our District Official Training Program (DOTP).
NACD established the program in 2010 to celebrate statewide programs that provide training to conservation district officials in specific topics necessary for their success.
To qualify, a DOTP must include 15 categories related to the duties of district officials such as basic conservation knowledge, fiduciary concerns and legal responsibilities of conservation district officials.
Within each category, the DOTP must include 50 percent of the recommended training elements identified by NACD and the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA). States and territories may achieve the recommended training through whatever methods are viable for the state: at their annual meetings, through online webinars or through other means.
Last year, NACD recognized programs that went above the minimum requirements to include 75 percent or 100 percent of the recommended training elements. Applications must be submitted online by Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 for recognition during NACD's 2021 Annual Meeting.
For states that have been recognized previously, please visit NACD's website and re-submit your state’s checklist. States are required to re-submit a checklist every two years for recognition. To learn more, visit NACD's DOTP webpage.
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events!
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