NACD STEWARDSHIP WEEK BEGINS SUNDAY
April 23, 2019
NACD’s 64th annual Stewardship Week starts Sunday, Apr. 28. Conservation districts across the country will celebrate the 2019 Stewardship Week theme “Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper” by holding or participating in field days, school presentations, documentary screenings, soil health workshops, and other outreach events helping to raise awareness about the importance of soil conservation.

Eastern Panhandle Conservation District (CD) in West Virginia will screen the documentary “Living Soil” on Saturday, May 18 at the Ranson Civic Center in Ranson, W. Va. This free, community event will begin with showcasing local, conservation-minded organizations and businesses, as well as the local community garden located at the facility, before the film screening begins. During the showing, a kids' craft station will be set up to engage younger generations in the importance of soil stewardship. Eastern Panhandle CD will also highlight the importance of Stewardship Week and will encourage participation in the poster and photo contest.

Next Friday, May 3, NACD will celebrate Stewardship Week at the opening day of the USDA’s Farmers Market on the National Mall! Guests will have the opportunity to peruse NACD’s 2019 Stewardship materials and win a prize by testing their knowledge about soil. Attendees will also have a chance to socialize and learn more about soil conservation from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) mascot Sammy Soil (pictured above with NACD staff at last year's event).

Join NACD in celebrating one of the world’s largest conservation-related observances and don’t forget to order the limited edition t-shirt displaying the official logo of the 2019 NACD Stewardship and Education theme "Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper."

Haven't finalized plans to celebrate stewardship week yet? Visit NACD's Stewardship Week webpage , rife with resources to help your district plan film screenings, public service announcements, proclamation signings or other stewardship week events.
NATIONAL CONSERVATION FOUNDATION RELEASES 2018 ANNUAL REPORT
The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) recently released their 2018 Annual Report.
The annual report, which will be mailed to all conservation districts and state and territory associations in the coming weeks, highlights the NCF's programs, including the NCF-Envirothon.

The annual report also provides an overview of the foundation's financials from fiscal year 2018 and the Next Generation Leadership Campaign and its goals. Click the title above to view the online edition of the 2018 NCF Annual Report and learn more about the NCF on NACD's website.
NACD ATTENDS
CARCD BAJA REGION SPRING MEETING
In California, a drive from the southwestern corner of the state, represented by Bard Resource Conservation District (RCD) to the northwestern corner (Del Norte RCD) would require almost 17 hours and infinite patience. To accommodate the 98 special districts representing this large and diverse state, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) groups districts into 10 unique regions , with each region meeting regularly to discuss collaborative partnerships, identify common goals, and to highlight district projects.

The SoCal Baja Region held their annual spring meeting on Apr. 16, hosted by the RCD of Greater San Diego County (RCDGSDC). San Diego sits in a very urban area, but the 6,687 farms with a median size of just four acres lead the country in nursery, floriculture and avocado production.
Attendees at the SoCal Baja Region meeting visited two sites that support the needs of these small farms: the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden and Wild Willow Farms and Education Center . As neighbors in southern San Diego County, both sites provide opportunities to build community and train individuals in small scale and carbon farming practices . The community garden is managed through a partnership through RCDGSDC and the county, and a recent expansion of the site was in part funded through NACD’s Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant Initiative . Both sites partner with a variety of other organizations, including NRCS, to highlight small-scale conservation practices like planting hedgerows and native plants to provide habitat for beneficial insects.

In addition to board members and staff of RCDGSDC, other SoCal Baja Region RCDs in attendance included Imperial Irrigation District RCD and Coachella Valley RCD . Several partners also attended the region meeting to provide updates, including representatives from CARCD, NACD, NRCS, Inland Empire RCD , Conservation Strategy Group , California Department of Conservation and CalRecycle , which helps to fund Local Conservation Corps throughout the state.

Additional CARCD region meetings will occur throughout the year, with the annual state-wide meeting to take place Nov. 12-15 in Redding, Calif.

Make sure to check the NACD calendar for additional events throughout the Pacific, and for more information about opportunities and challenges related to urban agriculture, check out NACD’s resources and monthly webinars.
NACD Welcomes New Projects and Partnerships Coordinator

On Monday, Apr. 22, Meg Leader joined NACD as the association's Projects and Partnerships Coordinator. Leader comes to NACD from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, where she served as the director of soil health. Prior to that, she was the conservation director of the Vermillion County SWCD in Indiana.
Leader grew up on a hobby farm in upstate New York raising Cheviot sheep, Angus beef, horses and chickens. She holds a bachelors in civil engineering from Syracuse University and has lived all over the United States. Leader’s past projects include nutrient management with commodity growers in the Midwest, wetland replication in New England, and storm-water management in Southern California.

Leader will be based in Indiana and can be reached at meg-leader@nacdnet.org. 
DEADLINE THURSDAY:
NRCS Request for Comment on Farm Bill

On Mar. 11, NRCS published a request for comment on a required review of conservation practice standards since passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.

According to the notice, “NRCS will evaluate opportunities to increase flexibility in the conservation practice standards in a manner that ensures equivalent natural resource benefits.” Comments are open until Thursday, Apr. 25, 2019.

Background information and details of how to comment can be found on  Regulations.gov .
New CSP Sign-Ups Through May
Producers have until May 10 to sign up for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) this year.

CSP is a whole-farm conservation program that awards contracts to farmers that have undertaken some conservation measures and commit to implementing additional conservation practices to address multiple resource concerns.

New this year, producers will be eligible for higher payment rates for cover crops and resource-conserving crop rotations. For more information on CSP, visit your local NRCS service center.
NACD Announces
2020 Annual Meeting Theme Contest

The 74th NACD Annual Meeting will be held Feb. 8-12, 2020, in Las Vegas, Nev.

NACD is now accepting submissions to the annual meeting theme contest, through the end of the month. This year's theme should focus on the concept of innovation.

The person who submits the winning theme will receive one complimentary registration to the 2020 Annual Meeting and a ticket to the 2020 NACD Appreciation Banquet.
USFS Launches
New Stewardship Strategy Website

The USDA Forest Service has a new Shared Stewardship Strategy to address forest resource challenges by working collaboratively to identify priorities for landscape-scale treatments.

Recently, the agency launched a website to provide more information about the strategy.
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