This year's annual National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Spring Fly-In is on Wednesday, March 20, 2024! View the agenda to see all scheduled events for the day and learn more here.

Please RSVP here to share with us the in-person events you plan to attend and information about your scheduled meetings with legislators.

NACD invites all Spring Fly-In participants to join virtual advocacy trainings on Tuesday, March 12 or Thursday, March 14 from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. ET. The two sessions will offer the same content and will also be posted to NACD's website after for anyone who cannot attend live.

At these trainings, the NACD Government Affairs Team will provide tips on how to effectively engage with congressional representatives and support policy priorities to prepare for the 2024 Spring Fly-In meetings on March 20. Issue papers will be provided prior to the trainings.

Registration is required for these trainings.

• Tuesday, March 12 | 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. ET | REGISTER 
• Thursday, March 14 | 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. ET | REGISTER

If you have any questions, please reach out to Chris Young, NACD Director of Government Affairs, at chris-young@nacdnet.org.

DEADLINE NEARS FOR CLIMATE-SMART GRANT PROPOSALS

The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is looking forward to receiving great proposals in response to the Climate-Smart Commodities Project Request for Proposals (RFP) due on March 15, 2024! We’ve set ambitious goals for this program and believe we are on track to meet or exceed those based on the concept papers and discussions thus far.

We have heard you--our members and partners--express concerns about the barriers posed by the match requirements for Project Grants. NACD has reassessed its match requirements and has revised the RFP for Project Grants. 

For those interested in submitting a proposal for a Planning & Capacity Grant, register for an informational webinar on March 7 at 4:00 p.m. ET, to learn more about the RFP and answer applicants’ questions. The RFP and several key resources are available on our website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to climate@nacdnet.org with any questions.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

Congress must pass final Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations legislation or an additional continuing resolution by this Friday to keep the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other agencies from shutting down. To prepare for a potential shutdown, NACD encourages conservation districts to contact their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices to review shutdown plans and procedures. The National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) has developed a helpful guide for conservation districts to navigate federal shutdowns. NACD will share additional information as it becomes available.

On Wednesday, USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack will testify before the Senate Agriculture Committee. Earlier this month, the Secretary testified before the House Agriculture Committee. Both committees are continuing to work to develop and negotiate a new farm bill.

Today, USDA published a report, Intent to Establish the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program. The report explains how the program will facilitate farmer, rancher, and private forest landowner participation in voluntary carbon markets. The program will provide a list of qualified technical assistance providers and third-party verifiers who will work with producers to generate carbon credits. Read USDA’s press release to learn more.

APPLY FOR NACD URBAN AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION GRANT PROGRAM

The request for proposals for NACD's Urban and Community Conservation (UAC) 2024 grant initiative is now open! Districts may apply for two different tracts of funding: up to $10,000 for a UAC planning grant to begin early-stage program development or up to $60,000 for a UAC implementation grant. These grants are meant to develop conservation district capacity in both cases, so grant budgets should focus primarily on staff time.

Interested applicants may review NACD’s Urban and Community Conservation webpage for the complete request for proposals (RFP) and examples of projects from previous grantees. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. PT on April 1, 2024. Interested districts may direct questions to Rachel Theler, NACD’s Southwest Region Representative.

Below is a synopsis of a project completed by a previous UAC grantee. More examples can be found via the story map on NACD’s Urban and Community Conservation webpage.

Highlighting the Importance of Pollinators in Park County, Wyoming

By Carmen McIntyre

Near-term and long-range planning for a pollinator program has supervisors and staff abuzz within the Cody Conservation District (CCD) in Park County, Wyoming. Through the NACD’s UAC grant initiative, the CCD participated in numerous outreach activities to promote pollinator habitat. This included developing a pollinator garden adjacent to a community garden as an outdoor classroom for the public at the Park County Complex Building.

Through outreach, the CCD and partners are reaching many people, including women ranchers and farmers, low-income residents of Park County, and adults with disabilities. The CCD identified program elements to pursue in the near term and long term to support pollinator habitat and urban resource conservation. In addition to maintaining the current pollinator garden, the CCD will continue offering workshops tailored to community interests and needs, conduct annual butterfly counts in the Beartooth Range, and expand the types of outreach provided, including offering a pollinator habitat tour around the City of Cody.

The CCD will strengthen its relationship with partners, including but not limited to the Wyoming Service Corps’ On Sacred Ground Program, Cody Pardners, Park County employees, the University of Wyoming Extension Office, and NRCS and the Farm Service Agency to improve outreach and assistance to underreached clients, both urban and rural alike. The CCD is also preparing to offer cost-share on a pollinator seed mix developed through the planning grant. Other program components underway include assisting individuals and working with others in existing and planned subdivisions to provide pollinator habitat in commons areas. Lastly, the CCD is looking at opportunities to work with the City of Cody and Park County staff to install rain gardens that would also help mitigate stormwater runoff and conserve water.

For more information, please contact the Cody Conservation District at conservecody@gmail.com.