Welcome to the NACD Southwest Region newsletter, delivering announcements and news to NACD Board Members, conservation districts, state associations, and agency leaders across the Southwest. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who might be interested - they can subscribe to the mailing list on the Southwest Region Webpage.
Josh Smith, Executive Board Member of the of the Southwest Region, NM
Please reach out to Rachel with questions and newsletter content ideas.
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Ahh! Fall again. Many of you know it’s my favorite time of year. Last year, I was unable to participate in my usual hunting habit as I was extremely pregnant/had a newborn. I consoled myself with the romantic image that this year, I would simply strap my baby to my back and head out into the woods in search of this year's freezer-filler. I appreciate all the parents I shared this plan with for not laughing directly in my face (and to the parents who make this a reality, major kudos to you).
A lot of things are coming around the bend quickly that I want to make sure are on your radar. Firstly, the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) deadline has been extended to October 15! The Southwest Region has had two folks go through the program. Josh Smith, who is currently our Executive Board Member, and Dawn Salcito, who is in the process of completing the program. I’m sure either of them would be glad to chat with you if you want their perspective, or feel free to reach out to the program director, Aubrey Evans (contact info below).
Secondly, the deadline to submit a breakout session is this Friday! Here is your chance to share with the country the great things happening in the Southwest Region. The proposal should be related to one of these four themes: community outreach, climate resilience, conservation capacity and partnerships, and diverse and nontraditional agriculture. More info can be found below. The deadline for the Climate Smart concept papers is also Friday. I highly encourage you to check out this program and submit a concept paper if you have a project you think would fit the bill.
It was great seeing many of you at the SW/PAC Region Meeting in Lake Tahoe this past August! A massive shoutout to the folks in Nevada for putting on a great meeting and truly engaging tours, especially Doug Martin, Adriane Tibbitts, Jake Tibbitts, Kevin Piper, and the folks at the Tahoe Fund. The 2024 SW/PAC Region Meeting will be held in Alaska in August (as a former Alaska-dweller, I must say the mid-August salmon run on the Kenai River is epic, just in case you need a little extra motivation).
As always, I’m here to help! Reach out to me anytime.
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One of our tour stops at the SW/PAC Region Meeting in Tahoe was a state-of-the-art mill on tribal lands that utilizes salvage timber from nearby fires.
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I've been missing my old hunting partner lately, a Llewellin Setter named Hardy. So I thought I'd share a picture of him doing what he did best, looking for birds to scare up.
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Breakout Sessions wanted for 2024 Annual Meeting! |
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NACD is accepting breakout session proposals for NACD’s 2024 Annual Meeting until 11:59 PM on Friday, October 13.
There is still time to submit breakout session proposals for the upcoming Annual meeting in February. These informational breakout sessions focus on the work of conservation districts and their partners across the country. There is amazing work happening in our region, and this is a chance to showcase what has been accomplished. Annual Meeting details are here.
Submit a presentation, sharing session, success story, etc. related to one of four themes:
- Community Outreach;
- Climate Resilience;
- Conservation Capacity & Partnerships; and
- Diverse & Nontraditional Agriculture.
The proposals should be submitted online here.
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Registration Open for Annual Meeting |
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Set sail for NACD's 2024 Annual Meeting! Hosted in partnership with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, the upcoming meeting will take place in San Diego, California from February 10-14, 2024. Learn more on NACD's website.
Save up to $130 on registration with early-bird prices, now through December 22.
Join us for great networking opportunities, speakers, and tours exploring the theme "Operation Conservation!" Registration is now open, and tour options will be added soon. There are already numerous ways to engage, including by submitting a breakout session proposal or becoming a sponsor or exhibitor.
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Conservation Coffee Tomorrow! |
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This Thursday, Oct. 12 at 3 PM EDT, we will have another session of our new Conservation Coffees.
- These half hour sessions are held bi-monthly, and will feature short presentations on CD projects and activities, for the sake of networking, learning and camaraderie.
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This Thursday’s session will feature two past grantees through our Friends of NACD Grant Program.
- Please register for the Conservation Coffee to learn more (registered individuals will also receive a link to the recording after the fact if they can’t make it in real time).
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Next Generation Leadership Institute Deadline Extended
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The Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) is extending the application period for the 2024 cohort to October 15!
This year-long hybrid program hosted by the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) is designed to give district supervisors the skills and experience they need to confidently lead districts into the future. If you have been on the fence about applying, this is your opportunity to become the best version of yourself!
If you are interested in advocacy, communications, leadership styles, delegation, networking, or strategic planning (plus more!), this is the program for you!
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Take a Survey to Help Our Region! |
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Thank you to all who took the time to fill out the Southwest Region survey! For those who haven't yet, please take the time to help the Southwest Region Board understand our region's needs and values. The NACD Southwest Region would like to gather your feedback about what programs NACD provides that are useful to you, and if there are any needs that NACD and/or the Southwest Region could provide. Please complete this survey whether you are a dues-paying member or not. You have the option to remain anonymous. Please complete the survey no later than October 27th, 2023.
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Colorado Featured in the Soil Health Institute's
Economics of Soil Health Study
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This multi-year and data-driven collaboration among the Soil Health Institute (SHI), NACD, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assessed the economics of soil health management systems for a range of crops. Interviews were designed to learn about farmers’ experiences with adopting those systems and to evaluate their economics by comparing the costs and benefits before and after practice adoption.
Check out the factsheet for the John Heermann farm in Northeast Colorado here. Learn more about the overall study here.
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Participate in the Western US
Reforestation Priorities Survey
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Contribute to the first data collection on reforestation needs and trends in the western US. Organized by a consortium of researchers from academic, private, and public institutions. Currently, surveys on reforestation are conducted at the national scale and thus obscure specific trends and stressors that are unique to the West. Given the accelerating rate of changes in forests of the West, they have developed a survey to identify reforestation trends and drivers specific to our region. |
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NCPP Releases Local Workgroup Tools |
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The National Conservation Planning Partnership has released a variety of materials to help districts prepare for and execute their local workgroups in order to gather the best feedback possible. Check them out here.
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Call for Climate-Smart Concept Papers |
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The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is seeking projects that foster private-public partnerships, scale implementation of climate-smart practices, advance Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MMRV), and support producer participation in resulting markets.
Concept papers are due on October 13, 2023 and must be submitted through this online form.
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Applications for the 2023 Perimeter Fencing for
Feral Swine Program Due October 13
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The 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Perimeter Fencing for Feral Swine Program closes in one week. The full RFA and a recording of the informational webinar is available on the program homepage.
On behalf of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, NACD will manage and administer a $7.5 million cost-share program that incentivizes landowners and operators to install or repair perimeter fencing to restrict feral swine access and impacts.
In addition to cost-share offerings, applications may also include the following activities:
- Outreach to landowners and operators, including enrollment into the cost-share program; or
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Technical assistance associated with the design, implementation, and approval of perimeter fencing projects.
Applications must be submitted online by Friday, October 13, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
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Firewood Bank Grants Available |
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The Alliance for Green Heat has opened the application period for the FY 2024 Firewood Bank Grant Program on September 1, 2023. The application period is open until the funds are fully allocated.
Grants up to $20,000 are available for existing firewood banks, and new start-ups across the U.S. Firewood banks are organizations that provide emergency and seasonal wood for heating homes.
Eligible expenses include chain saws, splitters, tarps, moisture meters, conveyor belts, trailers, wheelbarrows, safety equipment, first aid kits, equipment repair, building materials for firewood sheds or tool sheds, educational materials/activities, sales tax, signage, travel, gas money, and miscellaneous supplies like small tools that cost less than $20.
Funding for this program is made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and a partnership with the USDA Forest Service.
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Press Releases
Letters and Comments
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Upcoming Events & Deadlines |
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