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The National Conservation Foundation’s (NCF) Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) is now OPEN for applications for 2024! NGLI is a year-long, comprehensive program specifically designed for conservation district officials.
The goals of NGLI are to:
Equip conservation district officials to become national leaders through personal, civic and organizational leadership development.
Increase the capacity of conservation leaders to navigate and manage complex current and future conservation challenges at the national level.
The NGLI year will begin at the 2024 NACD Annual Meeting in San Diego, California in February, progress to a weeklong mid-year retreat in the Washington, D.C. area in September, and culminate at the 2025 NACD Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. Throughout the program there will be opportunities for networking within the cohort, with alumni, and with the larger NCF and NACD membership.
Applications for the 2024 cohort must be submitted by Saturday, September 30. If you have identified a candidate or think you may be one yourself, check out the NCF website to see if NGLI might be the next step in your leadership journey.
Email Aubrey Evans, NGLI Program Manager, for further information.
| NACD RELEASES FISCAL YEAR 2024 PROSPECTUS | |
NACD's recently published 2024 Prospectus has everything a potential partner needs to know about a variety of ways to engage with NACD at our events like the 2024 Annual Meeting. NACD offers a variety of engagement opportunities and a full range of targeted levels of support.
Detailed within the prospectus is the opportunity to be featured in our National Conservation Showcase & Expo. If an organization is looking to introduce programs, products, or services to leaders in the conservation community, this is the place to do it! The Expo is a hub for meeting activities with targeted hours to maximize traffic. Attendees will be directed through the showcase hall on the way in and out of all general sessions, and networking events will be held within the Expo space.
We invite you to share these opportunities with any potentially interested organizations, businesses, or agencies! Please reach out to events@nacdnet.org with any questions.
| SUPPORT CONSERVATION EDUCATION WITH A DONATION TO NCF'S LIVE AUCTION | |
During the 2024 NACD Annual Meeting, the NCF will host their Live Auction on February 12 in support of the NCF-Envirothon program and NGLI.
Individuals, conservation districts and state associations are encouraged to donate unique items for the Live Auction. Items can feature local artists, a special product made only in your state or territory, or interesting items with a conservation theme. Successful items in past auctions include pottery, jewelry and “made in” agriculture products.
Submit items at nationalconservationfoundation.org/auction.
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WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE
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The Senate is set to debate their first package of appropriations bills as early as this week. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, released a press release last week outlining the three bills that will be considered first. Included in this “minibus” is the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies bill, which funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Read the Appropriation Committee’s press release here, and keep an eye on the Senate Appropriations website for information on scheduling as it is released.
The House of Representatives returns from August recess this week with a focus on passing federal spending legislation ahead of the start of the next fiscal year. Members have until October 1 to pass legislation or a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown, but there is disagreement among House Republicans on how to move forward.
JOIN US FOR A LIVE UPDATE - Please join NACD’s Government Affairs Team via Zoom on Friday, September 22 at 12:00 p.m. ET for an update on the 2023 Farm Bill, the fiscal year 2024 appropriations process, and federal natural resource policy. There will be a chance to ask questions about any of the topics.
The session will be recorded and posted on NACD’s website for those unable to attend live. Register to attend here.
| NACD POSTER AND PHOTO CONTEST SUBMISSIONS STILL ACCEPTED THROUGH FALL | |
Don't forget to submit your entries for the 2023 NACD Auxiliary/Partner Stewardship Poster and Photo Contest! Each year, the poster and photo contest is held to promote the topic and theme of NACD Stewardship Week. The 2023 topic is watersheds, and the theme is “One Water.”
The deadline to submit entries for this year's contests is December 1, 2023 and winners will be announced at NACD's Annual Meeting in February 2024.
For 2023, NACD has implemented a new digital form and artwork submission process. For more information, contest rules, and submission forms go to the NACD Conservation Education Hub Contest Tab or contact stewardship @nacdnet.org.
| WISCONSIN'S COON CREEK WATERSHED PROJECT CELEBRATES 90 YEARS |  | |
On September 9, 2023, a national, regional, state, and local contingency gathered in southwest Wisconsin to celebrate the event that started a conservation movement.
In 1933, the country was in the midst of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, and there was no infrastructure to deliver conservation funding and a conservation workforce on a national scale. The timing was right for the Soil Erosion Service (which became the Soil Conservation Service, and then became NRCS) to become the federal agency, under the leadership of Hugh Hammond Bennett, to help manage the national crisis of soil erosion. With President Roosevelt’s creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that same year, a conservation workforce was also established.
The Coon Creek Watershed Project was the first national demonstration project which expanded on Wisconsin’s existing conservation research and work in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. After 90 years, this area remains a monument to a time and a movement when soil and water conservation became a national priority.
Learn more about the recent 90 Year Anniversary of Wisconsin's Coon Creek Watershed Project on NACD's blog.
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Economics of Soil Health Systems Farmer Focus:
Lance Griff
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NACD, the Soil Health Institute, and NRCS recently released economic findings from 30 farmers who adopted soil health management systems. Each week, we will be highlighting one farm from this study.
In Idaho, Lance Griff's farm decreased production costs and increased corn yield with no till practices and cover crops. The farm is another successful example of conservation practice implementation, but Griff shares that it was not always smooth sailing. He explained that uncertainty about outcomes and a lack of experience with conservation programs made making the first steps difficult.
Conservation districts across the country help producers like Griff by educating them about conservation practices and opportunities, facilitating access to programs and resources, conducting conservation planning, and ultimately helping implement effective practices that bolster their operations. Local success stories are incredibly important for producers considering soil management practices, and serve as great examples for other producers that are new to implementing practices that not only help the environment, but also their bottom lines.
Check out a video, producer narrative, and fact sheet about the Griff farm here.
| Propose a Breakout Session for NACD Annual Meeting! | |
NACD is accepting breakout session proposals for the upcoming 2024 Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, California on February 10-14, 2024. These informational breakout sessions focus on the work of conservation districts and their partners across the country. Sessions typically run 60-90 minutes long and often showcase several speakers.
Session proposals are being accepted now through Friday, October 13, 2024.
NACD's breakout sessions are some of the most popular activities among meeting attendees and provide a platform for districts to share their initiatives with one another. Spread the word about this opportunity and consider submitting a proposal!
| Join Soil and Water Conservation Delegation at 2023 One Water Summit | |
NACD is partnering again with the Soil and Water Conservation Service (SWCS) and National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) to host a Soil and Water Conservation Delegation for the One Water Summit 2023 hosted by the US Water Alliance on November 14-16, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona.
Registration for the One Water Summit is currently open. Participating in the delegation provides a discount of 20% on registration!
To learn more about this event and how to take advantage of the discount, please contact events@swcs.org.
| Indigo Ag Highlights Model to Quantify Environmental Benefits | |
Earlier this month, Indigo Ag announced the publication of a peer-reviewed research article in the international soil science journal Geoderma. The publication highlights the use of the DayCent-CR model to quantify environmental benefits from sustainable farming practices.
Read more here.
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day, or other events on NACD's Calendar of Events!
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