Stewardship Week 2025 kicks off this Sunday! Held from April 27 – May 4, this year’s theme, "Home is Where the Habitat Is," focuses on protecting and restoring native and managed habitats across the U.S. and its territories. This celebration kicks off our full year of providing natural resource outreach to the youth and adults in our communities.

Ready to share how your district is celebrating? On our Stewardship webpage, you will find a Media Toolbox, which includes a press release, radio and TV PSA, and a proclamation template. A newly released Social Media Toolkit also has suggested posts and templates for your district's Facebook, Instagram, and other pages!

Make sure your district has everything they need for a successful Stewardship Week here, or reach out to our education team at stewardship@nacdnet.org with any questions.

LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT OFFICE SPACE

NACD invites conservation districts to respond to a survey to help us better understand how many conservation districts are collocated with NRCS partners, whether they are provided office space under a USDA lease, and the extent to which they may be impacted by potential office relocations or closures. Responses from all districts are important, even if you do not share office space with federal partners.

Your input will help us advocate more effectively on behalf of our members. All questions are optional, but complete and accurate responses are encouraged to help us fully assess and communicate the effects of potential closures on local communities, district employees, operations, and budgets.

Conservation districts may use this survey to inform NACD of an official office closure, provide general information about their office, and/or simply share concerns about potential USDA office closures and lease terminations.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

Next week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a series of stakeholder listening sessions to request feedback on clarifying Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) and providing clear guidance for implementation, including definitions of “continuous surface connection,” “relatively permanent,” and the scope of adjacency.

On Thursday, May 1, there will be two separate meetings for stakeholders from agricultural and conservation communities. Registered speakers are provided three minutes to make a statement. Any interested person can register here.

OKLAHOMA HONORS LEGACY OF CONSERVATION 90 YEARS AFTER BLACK SUNDAY

April 14, 2025, marked the 90th anniversary of Black Sunday, the most infamous day of the Dust Bowl era and one of the darkest moments in America’s environmental history. On that day in 1935, a massive dust storm swept across the Southern Plains, turning daylight into darkness and leaving behind a wake of devastation. Oklahoma, the heart of the storm, remembers it not just for the destruction it caused but for the movement it sparked. A movement that gave birth to voluntary conservation and the vital work of conservation districts across the nation.

To honor the gravity and legacy of Black Sunday, the Oklahoma Senate, led by Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution commemorating the event’s 90th anniversary. Senator Paxton reminded Oklahomans that the resolution is not only about the past but a call to continue safeguarding our soil, water, and natural resources for future generations.

For Trey Lam, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, Black Sunday is more than a historical milestone; it’s personal. “My mother, Betty, still recounts the ride home from church in Beckham County as she and her brother Tom watched the black wall of dust roll up behind them,” Lam shared. “Only later, when my father introduced me to soil conservation, did I understand that April 14, 1935, was the turning point that led to the end of the Dust Bowl with the birth of America's voluntary natural resources conservation movement.”

That turning point, born from the devastation of the Dust Bowl, gave rise to local conservation districts, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and a nationwide focus on conserving our most vital resources. What began as an urgent response to environmental disaster has evolved into an enduring mission, one carried forward every day by local conservation leaders and land stewards.

Read more on NACD's blog.