On Friday, Oct. 8, the National Association of Conservation Districts and a coalition of 165 leading agriculture, conservation and wildlife groups delivered a letter to Congress urging them to ensure that the proposed $28 billion investment into U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture conservation programs and conservation technical assistance remains in the final budget reconciliation package.

“Increasing funding for USDA’s popular and effective Farm Bill conservation programs is one of the quickest and most practical ways to energize rural economies, improve climate resilience, and ensure that our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and foresters are part of the solution to climate change,” the coalition wrote.

“This would be the largest investment into agriculture conservation in decades and would be transformative for farms, ranches, and forests across the country,” the groups wrote.

Read the full press release here.

Last week, National Association of Conservation District (NACD) leaders participated in the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) annual meeting in Spokane, Wash.

NACD President Michael Crowder provided remarks in a panel presentation along with National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) President Rhonda Kelsch, NASCA President Vernon Cox and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Terry Cosby. Several topics were covered, including the new federal government vaccination requirements. In another session, NACD Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Peters presented a briefing on Field to Market programs. Peters and NACD Senior Advisor Rich Duesterhaus also presented remarks on National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) activities, along with virtual presentations by NRCS Deputy Chief for Programs Jimmy Bramblett and Regional Conservationist and NCPP Leadership Team Co-Chair Astor Boozer. The NCPP panel was moderated by NCPP Leadership Team Co-Chair Mike Brown.

A hybrid meeting of the NCPP Leadership Team was held on Thursday, Oct. 4, following the NASCA Annual Meeting. In addition, NCPP held an evening meeting to discuss upcoming conservation priorities for the coming year. This was their first in-person meeting since the beginning of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

The 81st annual meeting of Texas Soil and Water Conservation District directors was held at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas, October 4-6, 2021. The three-day meeting featured speakers and breakout sessions on eminent domain, emerging technologies for feral pig management, and building policy initiatives for Texas water and soil conservation. A discussion panel also featured speakers on successful soil and water conservation districts.

Keith Owen, NACD South Central Region Representative, provided a national legislative update on Monday to the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD) Legislative Committee and a general NACD update during the ATSWCD business session on Tuesday.

During the awards luncheon, the state winning Texas Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Stewardship Speech winners were announced and provided with their awards. The meeting also hosted a trade show where vendors displayed products and technology such as the newest traps for feral pigs, soil health monitoring equipment and advanced cover crop seed mixtures.

The meeting closed with a tour of the Texas Disposal Systems waste management operation near Creedmore, Texas. Texas Disposal Systems is a leader in conservation through innovative action in recycling and marketing of recycled materials, as well as conservation and breeding of threatened wildlife.

The 82nd annual meeting of Texas Soil and Water Conservation District directors will be held at Moody Gardens on Galveston Island, October 23-26, 2022. 

Through the joint NACD-NRCS Urban Agriculture Conservation (UAC) Initiative, the Palouse Conservation District (PCD) in Washington received a 2020 grant to continue the preservation of the Historic Koppel Farm.

Based along the Washington and Idaho border, PCD worked with a variety of partners on conservation issues along the riparian corridor of South Fork of the Palouse River, which runs alongside the farm. Together with the Pullman Community Gardens and others, PCD developed a long-term conservation plan to provide soil health, water quality and invasive species mitigation.

Through the UAC grant, PCD focused on encouraging and supporting social programs that engage the community in access to healthy, fresh produce regardless of income, while empowering citizens to be active voices in their food production. Meanwhile, the district worked to protect locally rare community green spaces for local environmental health and a sustainable future.

Additionally, PCD provided educational opportunities focused on regenerative small scale agricultural techniques, plant diseases and pathogens, irrigation efficiencies, and beneficial insect and pollinator relationships that promote healthy soil, water and wildlife habitat.

Due to local COVID-19 restrictions, PCD adapted programming to be accessible to a variety of audiences, including interactive presentations and workshops via Zoom in partnership with local experts at Washington State University, Plants of the Wild Native Plant Nursery and the City of Pullman.

Partnering with Pullman School District, PCD developed asynchronous curricula and hands-on activities to engage students in water quality, stormwater runoff, wildlife benefits and water conservation. Conservation outreach opportunities include a pollinator plot with interpretive signage, bird habitat development, and an orientation video to Koppel Farm and the community gardens, including introductory videos from partners with available resources.

Partnering with Washington State Department of Ecology, the next steps of this project will focus on restoration efforts along the riparian corridor next to the community garden. PCD will partner with university students and community volunteers to install plantings. The district is also seeking additional funding to continue efforts on the pollinator plots and future educational opportunities.

Read more about all grantees through NACD’s Urban Agriculture Conservation Initiative online in our ArcGIS Story Map Shortlist.

NACD is excited to announce a new partnership with Mercer to offer the new NACD benefits program. When you renew your membership at the Gold level or above, you become eligible for these important benefits. All Gold level and above membership contributions for fiscal year 2021 will count for eligibility.

Learn more and enroll at nacd.mercerindigo.com.

During the October Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21, at 4 p.m. Eastern, Joe Heller, partnership liaison for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, will highlight successes from the first two years of the office’s activities.

In addition to providing technical resources for urban agriculturalists, the office also supports two grant programs: the Urban Agriculture Planning and Implementation grants and the Compost and Food Waste Reduction grants. Heller will discuss early successes from these programs, and also provide information about the new federal Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee and the new FSA Urban and Suburban Pilot County Committees.

NACD’s Urban and Community Conservation webinar series, sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation, highlights programs related to urban and community conservation, outreach to underrepresented clients, small-scale natural resource concerns, stormwater management and other related themes.

Learn more about this webinar, view recordings of past U&C webinars, and submit a webinar proposal on our website.

Registration for the National Association of Conservation Districts' (NACD) 76th Annual Meeting is open!

Hosted in partnership with the Association of Florida Conservation Districts, this year's annual meeting will be held in Orlando, Fla., from Feb. 12-16, 2022, at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs Resort.

Visit NACD’s Annual Meeting webpage to learn more, view a draft of the agenda, register and reserve your room.

This years' Spirit of Dakota Award was presented to Angela Ehlers of Presho, S.D. The award is given annually to an outstanding South Dakota woman who has demonstrated leadership qualities and has been successful and admired in her community and state.

Ehlers serves as the executive director for the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts, a role she has been dedicated to for 32 years. She has been working and caring for her community and state throughout her life and is a driving force for conservation. Her leadership helps to ensure the people of South Dakota have a healthier environment.

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