The 2025 NACD Awards season has begun with open nominations for the Distinguished Service Award and the Friend of Conservation Award. These awards recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding work and leadership in soil and water conservation.

Winners will receive one complimentary registration to the NACD Annual Meeting in San Antonio, TX, in February 2026 and two tickets to the Appreciation Banquet, where they will be honored. Their story and achievements will also be highlighted on the NACD website and in various national publications.

The NACD Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual within the association, a conservation district, or a state association that has made significant contributions to the conservation and proper management of our nation’s natural resources. Nominees can be involved with districts or the association at any level, including past NACD officers. Nominations are also accepted for individuals posthumously and may be submitted by any individual, organization, agency, or conservation district.

The NACD Friend of Conservation Award recognizes an individual, business, organization, or agency outside the association for outstanding contributions to the conservation of our nation’s natural resources. Any individual, business, organization, or agency that is not directly associated with conservation districts at the local, state, or national level is eligible to receive this award. Nominations can be made by any individual, organization, agency, or conservation district.

All nominees will receive an Honorable Mention Certificate and a copy of the nomination text that was submitted on their behalf. To nominate someone, please visit the NACD Awards webpage to download the nomination form. The deadline to submit your nomination is August 31, 2025. Winners and their nominators are responsible for their own travel and hotel arrangements.

To view past NACD award recipients, please visit the NACD Awards Archive. Contact awards@nacdnet.org with any questions.

LEARN FROM CONSERVATION LEADERS AT SUMMER MEETING

Registration is now open for NACD's 2025 Summer Conservation Forum & Tours! Hosted with Wisconsin Land + Water, the NACD Summer Meeting will be held in Milwaukee, WI, this July 25-29, 2025.

Early bird registration is only open for a limited time, so don't delay. Save $50 per person by registering before July 7.

This summer, we have an exciting line-up of speakers during our Conservation Forum and Luncheon, including:

• Mike Lessiter - President of Lessiter Media, an ag media company whose brands—including No-Till Farmer and Cover Crop Strategies—are recognized as a trusted source of information by conservation districts and the producers they serve. Mike will share key elements of no-till history, why it’s a blueprint for future change, critical success factors to sustain and grow conservation practices, and the role of districts in making successful conservation transitions and adoption a reality.

• Lance Irving - Vice President of the Leopold Conservation Award at Sand County Foundation. Lance has helped grow the Leopold Conservation Award program from eight participating states to 28. The expansion of the program both geographically and in prominence has helped to promote a land ethic to both the agricultural community and general public.

Learn more about the Summer Meeting, plan your travel, see the agenda, and reserve your spot amongst the action now!

LEARN ABOUT FOOD FORESTS AT NEXT U&C WEBINAR

Join us on Wednesday, July 16, at 4:00 p.m. ET for the next NACD Urban & Community Webinar!

Hear from Beth Button with South Carolina's Spartanburg County Soil and Water Conservation District and Nick Karls and Amanda Karls from the University of South Carolina (USC) Upstate about "Edible Ecosystems: The Science & Soil of Food Forests."

Learn how they have created the USC Upstate Food Forest, a two-acre agroforestry system that mimics a natural ecosystem to sustainably grow a diverse range of edible plants while promoting biodiversity, soil health, and community engagement.

Register to learn more about this project and its benefits!

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

This week, the Senate is reviewing the House-passed budget reconciliation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. On Monday evening, the Finance Committee released their proposal for tax and health provisions. The updates include a slower phase-out of IRA tax credits and adjustments to the State and Local Tax Deduction, both of which are expected to cause concern among House members.

On Wednesday, June 18, at 10:00 a.m. ET the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will meet to examine President Trump’s FY26 budget request for the U.S. Department of Energy. A livestream will be available here.

NACD'S OFFICERS ARE ALSO MISSION-DRIVEN DISTRICT OFFICIALS

Did you know that NACD’s Officers are elected to their volunteer positions by our state board members, but are also conservation district officials in their home states?

Our Officer team consists of five individuals, all of whom are required to serve on their local conservation district board according to our bylaws. They serve two-year terms, elected in odd years at our Annual Meeting held in February each year. Their core responsibility is to uphold the mission of NACD—to promote responsible management and conservation of natural resources on all lands by representing locally led conservation districts and their associations through grassroots advocacy, education and partnerships—while also directing much of the organization’s activities.

From helping to identify topics for or presenting during our Conservation Coffees, serving as Chairs of our Committees, testifying on Capitol Hill, and generally guiding much of our membership engagement, this dedicated group of individuals is here to represent conservation districts in countless ways. Their backgrounds in natural resources, agricultural production, and more also help support our technical activities, ensuring the conservation work we promote is rooted in the latest science and recommendations from our many partners, and most importantly, they implement many of the same conservation practices we encourage on their own lands.

Learn more about each of these individuals, the work they do for NACD, and their personal connection to conservation on our blog.