On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Matt Lohr announced in an online video that he will be leaving USDA this month in order to return to Virginia and farm full-time.

Calling the moment "bittersweet" in a Facebook post, Lohr stated, "I have been so blessed to lead this agency, and I will cherish the experience forever."

Lohr's last day will be Friday, Aug. 14. NRCS Associate Chief Kevin Norton will serve as acting chief of NRCS.

“Matt has committed his entire life to the betterment of agriculture, and we are grateful for his service to USDA,” said U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue in a statement. “The knowledge and experience he brought to the table helped ensure our locally-led, science-based approach continues to offer farmers the conservation solutions needed to enhance their environment and commercial viability.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is gearing up to release a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its new Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. BRIC replaces the agency’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program. It represents a steady year-to-year stream of funding for proactive, pre-disaster investment in community resilience, thanks to the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. The Act allows FEMA to now set-aside six percent of all federal post-disaster grant funding to invest in nationwide resilience. BRIC will be an annual, nationwide grant program.

FEMA just concluded a Summer Engagement Series of virtual sessions to discuss key elements of the BRIC program. One session was dedicated entirely to BRIC and nature-based solutions. FEMA encourages BRIC grant applications that build community resilience with nature-based solutions (e.g., green infrastructure and low-impact development). These solutions both mitigate natural hazard risks and provide communities with co-benefits such as enhanced water quality and wildlife habitat.

The agency just released Building Community Resilience with Nature-Based Solutions: A Guide for Local Communities, which makes the business case for nature-based solutions, and offers examples and federal funding opportunities for projects through FEMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The BRIC NOFO is anticipated sometime this August or September, and will be posted on grants.gov. To learn more about how conservation districts can partner in their community to inform resilience planning and access funding like BRIC for projects, check out the article, “Partnering for Conservation and Disaster Resilience,” in the spring 2019 issue of NACD’s The Resource.

When SWCS moved to the virtual platform, nearly 90 percent of the individual presenters were willing to make the shift to the new format. NACD presenters included NACD Projects and Partnerships Coordinator Meg Leader (pictured above), who discussed the cumulative impact of NACD's Technical Assistance (TA) grants.

Leader was joined by TA grantees Greg Lake, Mike Werling and Tim Bomba (Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)) of the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Indiana; Keri Harris and Kaitlin Gibbons of the Franklin County Conservation District (CD) in Kansas; Christy Cincotta of the Tyonek Tribal CD in Alaska; Jill Arace with the Vermont Association of CDs; and Vicky Drew with the Vermont NRCS. Bill Berry also presented on behalf of NACD and other partners of the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) on how to encourage the use of conservation technology innovations.

Upon graduating from Purdue University with a B.S. (in 1994) and a M.S. (in 1996) in Agricultural Systems Management, Rodney Rulon started farming full-time. Rulon Enterprises LLC is run by brothers Ken and Roy Rulon, cousin Rodney Rulon, and Roy’s sons, Nick and Neal Rulon. This family operation started in 1869 on 80 acres and has since expanded to over 6,400 acres of no-till corn and soybeans across three counties in central Indiana – Tipton, Madison and Hamilton Counties. The operation also includes a farrow-to-finish hog operation called Bryant Premium Pork LLC; a Beck’s Hybrid seed dealership; a custom drainage design and installation business; and a subscription-based agricultural discussion forum called “The Peer Network.”

Since 1989, the Rulons have used a no-till system, finding that conservation farming provides economic and environmental benefits. Rulon says after about 10 years, they had learned how to really make no-till work on their farm. During that process, they saw significant changes in the soil–an increase in earthworms and improvements in the soil aggregate size. In 2003, they decided to take their operation to the next level of soil health by incorporating cover crops and amending the soil with Gypsum. Today, the Rulons have cover crops on 90 percent of their acres at some time during the year and, as a result, they say they’ve seen a yield boost of a few more bushels per acre.

Through participation in programs with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the Rulons have been able to conduct on-farm trials examining no-till systems and the integration of cover crops. Through these trials, they’ve compared no-till management only to no-till with cover crops (with various seed mixes). Even when their participation in these programs had ended, the Rulons still continue to experiment with different cover crop mixes, with both economically and environmentally favorable results. They have observed greater water infiltration and retention, improvement in the soil structure and air exchange, increased organic matter, and decreased soil erosion. Rulon says that the no-till with cover crops system also helps to retain moisture on their fields during dry summer months.

While the Rulons continue to strive to improve their operations, Rodney diligently shares his passion for sustainable agriculture through various speaking events and through opening up his operation for field day tours. He also serves on the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District Board.

To read more about Rodney Rulon and his family operation, visit his profile on the NACD website. If you or someone you know would like to become an NACD Soil Health Champion, please contact NACD North Central Region Representative Beth Mason at beth-mason@nacdnet.org.

Next Tuesday, Aug. 11, the Forestry RPG will hold a two-day virtual meeting, in place of its in-person meeting due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns, to explore relevant forestry topics and conduct annual RPG business.

There will be a series of seven 50-minute Zoom discussions, and each will feature a panel of presenters and a Q&A session with participants. Sessions are open to all conservation districts and forestry partners interested in attending.

To learn more about each session and register, visit NACD's webiste.

GAOA received bipartisan support and passed the Senate on June 17 with a 73-25 vote, followed by the House approving it 310-107 on July 22. Momentum for the bill comes on the heels of President Trump’s request for Congress to take up the issue after expressing his support in early March.

The bill tackles maintenance backlogs by establishing the National Parks and Public Land Restoration Fund, which provides $1.9 billion annually from 2021–2025. Furthermore, GAOA removes the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) from the annual appropriations fund by permanently funding LWCF at $900 million each year.

Learn more here. NACD will continue to provide updates on activities impacting federal lands as they become available.

The Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) is seeking an executive director (ED) to work part-time as an independent contractor with a six-month probationary period.

The ED will be responsible for the overall administration and operation of the MACD and associated programs administered by MACD. Primary duties include outreach and communications, government affairs and nonprofit management and fundraising.

The position will remain open until filled. To learn more and apply, visit NACD's job board.

NACD's Soil Health Champion Jeff Rice is among those selected from across the country. To learn more about the members, visit ESMC's website.

The South Dakota Grassland Coalition (SDGC), in partnership with several organizations, is working to raise awareness on the importance of healthy soils, grasslands and ecosystems by releasing a short video story each month during 2020, as part of a series called "Our Amazing Grasslands."

This month's story features NACD South Dakota Board Member Fran Fritz's farm in Iroquois, S.D. Click here to watch the five-minute video.

Partners involved in this project include the Audubon Dakota, Ducks Unlimited, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, The Nature Conservancy, Pheasants Forever, South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and South Dakota State University. Learn more about SDGC here.

During the virtual summer board meeting on July 20, NACD President Tim Palmer announced the awarding of $6.5 million of additional TA grants to 93 awardees. With this announcement, NACD is proud to announce we have a grantee in all 50 states and three territories. This new map highlights this achievement and allows you to view TA grantees and their stories all in one place.

To learn more, visit NACD's TA grants webpage.

Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events!