NACD TAKES CONSERVATION PRIORITIES TO CAPITOL HILL

Last week, hundreds of conservation district leaders from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in NACD’s Spring Fly-In. Our members had the opportunity to build relationships with their congressional representatives, highlight the importance of locally led conservation, and advocate for strong federal conservation policies.

The day kicked off with a breakfast briefing and remarks from NACD President Gary Blair and our Government Affairs team.

During meetings throughout the day, attendees shared information on topics important to districts — including impacts of Executive Orders, Farm Bill, appropriations, wildlife, and forestry and wildfires — with lawmakers and federal agency partners. Learn more about the priorities shared in our issue papers, here.

In the evening, NACD hosted a reception to bring together congressional staff, district leaders, and partners. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota gave remarks to wrap up the day.

Even if you were unable to join us in D.C., you can use our Fly-In resources to continue to be a voice for locally led conservation initiatives with your representatives year-round.

View photos from the day here.

VOLUNTEER AT YOUR

LOCAL ENVIROTHON!

NACD and the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) invite you to get involved this spring by volunteering for regional and state Envirothon competitions happening across North America! The Envirothon serves as a leading environmental education competition, where high school teams engage with real-world issues related to natural resources conservation.

While some state competitions have already taken place in March, more than 40 additional events are set to occur throughout the U.S. in April, May, and June.

We invite you to lend your time and expertise to help ensure the success of these events. Volunteers may be asked to assist with tasks such as event organization, judging, or guiding students during the competition. Whether you have a background in natural resources or just a passion for helping students succeed, your support will make a huge difference!

The calendar of state and provincial competitions is available here, and you can find specific contact information for each state and provincial representative here.

Volunteers are crucial to the success of these competitions and to inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders. If you're interested in volunteering for a competition near you, please reach out to your regional contact listed on the website. Join us in fostering environmental stewardship and helping students make a positive impact on the world. Your involvement can make all the difference!

DID YOU KNOW? EXPLAINING YOUR NACD ACCOUNTS

Did you know that NACD serves close to 3,000 conservation district members, their boards, and their staff? We have a very robust data management system to serve that many conservation districts and individuals, which is tied to our website.

As a result, each conservation district and many individuals have a unique login to perform certain activities on our website. Separately, we also have our Member’s Only section, which requires a single password for all dues-contributing members and provides different resources for those who work at or serve conservation districts.

Depending on what you are trying to do on our website (for example, pay your NACD contribution for the district, register for events, post a job, or access toolkits and resources), you may need to access different pages at different times to do various tasks.

To assist with managing your online accounts, NACD published a Did You Know? blog post detailing each login page. Read it to learn more and reach out to us at membership@nacdnet.org with any questions.

BUILDING FIRE-RESILIENT FORESTS IN MINNESOTA'S ARROWHEAD REGION

Landowners in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region are facing increased fire risks as dense stands of balsam fir, weakened by decades of fire suppression and recent spruce budworm outbreaks continue to die off at an alarming rate. The scale of the problem is unprecedented with approximately 665,000 acres of balsam fir affected in 2023 alone, making it the worst outbreak since 1961.

Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) is a native insect that primarily targets balsam fir and white spruce, defoliating trees and leaving behind vast areas of highly flammable material. Outbreaks typically occur every 25 to 40 years, but human activities like logging and fire suppression have exacerbated the problem by creating dense, homogenous stands that are particularly vulnerable to infestation. As the budworm larvae consume new growth, trees become stressed and increasingly susceptible to mortality, especially when coupled with other factors like drought.

Addressing this escalating issue requires a coordinated approach, and the Arrowhead Forest Partnership (AFP) is leading the charge. Established in 2018 by the North St. Louis SWCD, the AFP is a collaborative effort between the USDA’s NRCS and five northeastern Minnesota soil and water conservation districts: North St. Louis, South St. Louis, Carlton, Cook, and Lake. The partnership aims to reduce wildfire risks, improve forest health, enhance biodiversity, and support wildlife habitat by working directly with landowners and stakeholders.

Since its inception, the AFP has secured more than $1.14 million from NRCS through multiple agreements to supports regional Farm Bill foresters, reimburses SWCDs for essential fieldwork, and covers costs associated with NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) projects.

The AFP has facilitated over 100 EQIP applications for forest management projects, with project sizes ranging from half an acre to 300 acres. Each project is designed to reduce fire hazards by promoting diverse forest structures and minimizing the prevalence of highly flammable dead trees. In Brimson, Minnesota, the AFP helped landowners manage six acres of dense, dead balsam fir. The trees were cleared and mulched, allowing native species like pine, maple, and aspen to regenerate, while also maintaining habitat by leaving downed logs to support insects and small mammals.

The partnership’s approach demonstrates the value of integrated management practices and community-centered solutions. As more landowners participate and become stewards of their own forest health, Minnesota’s northern woodlands will be better positioned to withstand future threats.

Read the full story on NACD's blog. Get stories like this delivered directly to your inbox each month with the Forestry Notes newsletter!