Yesterday, NACD announced the award of $8.5 million in new technical assistance grants to over 300 conservation districts in 49 states and territories.

This is the third year of the Technical Assistance Grants program , created with funds from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to help increase staffing at the field level to provide conservation services to farmers, ranchers, forestland owners and local communities across the U.S.

These funds will support over 230 full- and part-time individuals, resulting in approximately 175 full-time equivalent staffing. More than $2.3 million of matching funds are to be added to these awards, further increasing the impact of the grants. State conservation partnership leaders have identified high priority locations and workloads to help guide where the funds can best be placed.

“Even in this time of a national emergency, landowners have conservation concerns that need to be addressed,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “We’re proud to provide funding to America’s conservation districts that allows for more boots on the ground, providing support for their individual landscapes and resource concerns.”

Visit NACD's Newsroom to read the full press release. You can view the full list of grant recipients here. To learn more about the grant program, visit NACD's website.

MINNESOTA DISTRICT ADAPTS LWG

MEETING ONLINE

Minnesota's Rice County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will be hosting a virtual Local Work Group (LWG) meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Central .

This meeting will be held online due to COVID-19 (coronavirus concerns), and is a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to voice their opinions of local natural resource priorities and criteria for USDA conservation activities and programs during this time.

NRCS and SWCDs use LWG input and recommendations to identify conservation planning needs, prioritize resources concerns for the state’s programs, and develop ranking questions and procedures. 

To learn more about the virtual meeting, visit Rice SWCD's website . For more questions, contact Teresa DeMars at teresa.demars@rice.swcd.org or 507-332-5408. To find resources and guidance for conservation districts and their associations during this time, please visit NACD's COVID-19 webpage. Please email NACD Director of Communications Sara Kangas if you have guidance and resources pertaining to COVID-19.

NRCS SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON REVISED CONSERVATION

PRACTICE STANDARDS

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)  is seeking public comments on 49 revised conservation practice standards that were recently reviewed as required by the  2018 Farm Bill  to incorporate new technologies and additional flexibilities where possible.

These standards include practices related to forestry, aquaculture, drainage and livestock practices among others. NRCS will continue to review additional practice standards throughout 2020 until all 169 existing national conservation practices have been reviewed.

NRCS is accepting comments through April 23, 2020 , and NACD encourages districts on the ground to review these changes to ensure they meet the needs of landowners in your community.

To learn more, visit NRCS's website .

CINDY AYERS ELLIOTT NAMED ONE OF THIRTY SOUTHERN HEROES

You may be greeted by a familiar face if you read Garden and Gun magazine’s current issue. Dr. Cindy Ayers Elliott (pictured right, photo credit: Rory Doyle), vice chairwoman with the Hinds County Soil and Water Conservation District in Mississippi, is one of thirty Southern Heroes honored in the April/May 2020 issue of the magazine.

Described as an “agrarian evangelist,” Ayers Elliott, a former New York investment banker turned farmer, is lauded in the issue for her work connecting people with healthy food options and teaching and inspiring the next generation on Foot Print Farms, her 68-acre oper ation in Jackson. She currently dedicates much of her time and efforts in ensuring that her farm is conservation-oriented, as well as an educational tool for novice farmers.

Familiar to press and media coverage, Ayers Elliott and Foot Print Farms have also been featured in publications like the Clarion-Ledger and Well-Being magazine, and even made an appearance on the Food Network’s Comfort Nation series.

APRIL U&C WEBINAR FOCUSES ON POLLINATOR RESEARCH

The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern on April 16, 2020, will explore updates on current pollinator research.

 

Vera Pfeiffer, postdoctoral researcher with the Crowder Lab at Washington State University, will summarize patterns in the distribution of bumblebees foraging around Madison, Wis. In her urban bumblebee foraging research, Pfeiffer walked hundreds of transects oriented in a systematic grid across the city to describe the floral resources and occurrence of foraging bumblebee in commercial, residential and agricultural areas, and the floral resources visited by the bees.

 

Monarch Wings Across America (MWAA) is a multi-project initiative that creates habitat and refines science around monarch butterfly issues in the United States to help address the alarming decline in monarchs across both its eastern and western populations. Currently under the MWAA program, the Pollinator Partnership has led four projects to help promote monarch butterfly populations throughout North America. These projects rely heavily on citizen science and community engagement to help enhance habitat and native seed supply for monarchs.

 

These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by  The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To register, click  here . If you have difficulty, please contact NACD Senior Advisor  Debra Bogar  at  deb-bogar@nacdnet.org . If you are unable to register, please email Bogar, and you will be added to a notice list for the recording, which will be available on NACD's website .

D.C. Office Closed

Until April 24

NACD’s Washington, D.C. office will remain closed with staff teleworking until Friday, April 24 in light of the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

 

NACD wants to ensure the continuity of normal business operations, and you can reach NACD staff during regular business hours as usual via email or by calling the main line: (202) 547-NACD. In the meantime, we will continue to update our members on any changes during this time.

Fill Out This Short Survey On Tree Planting

NACD is interested in learning about your experiences in carrying out programs during this national emergency. If your conservation district, state or territory association of conservation districts has a tree planting program, we would appreciate you filling out this short survey .

Insight Sought for Nationwide

Cover Crop Survey

The USDA's SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) program, the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) are now seeking farmer insights for the sixth nationwide cover crop survey.

"The survey has been a key tool for farmer organizations, conservation and extension service personnel, seed companies and other agribusinesses, and it has even been cited in testimony to Congress," said CTIC Project Director Mike Smith. "This is a great opportunity to hear farmers' voices on cover crops."

The survey seeks answers not just from long-time cover crop fans, but also from new users and farmers who have not planted cover crops at all.

The online survey takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Participants who complete the survey can enter a drawing for Visa gift cards worth up to $200. The survey will be open until Sunday, April 12 . To learn more, visit CTIC's website .

CPBC Update:

May Session Canceled

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns, the May session of the Conservation Planning Boot Camp (CPBC) is canceled.

For updates, please visit NACD's website. Please contact NACD Director of Membership Kimberly Uldricks for questions.

South Central Region Meeting Postponed

NACD's South Central Region Meeting in July will be postponed due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) concerns.

Please contact NACD South Central Region Representative Keith Owen for any questions. You can find the latest updates and information on the South Central Region webpage.

Wyoming District Seeks Surface Water

Program Manager

The Sublette County Conservation District (SCCD) in Wyoming is seeking a surface water program manager to help monitor and manage watersheds in Sublette County.

The position will work closely with state and federal agencies and private landowners to collect chemical and biological data that will aid in management and understanding of water quality and health within the county.

Application screening begins Friday, April 17, 2020. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Visit NACD's job board to learn more and apply.

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