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, experience conservation in Milwaukee and surrounding counties by joining the tours! Included in the cost of registration are two tours that explore water research and conservation, regenerative agriculture, habitat restoration, and more.

On Monday, visit the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. At MMSD, attendees will take a guided bus tour of the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility to learn more about how wastewater is cleaned and returned to Lake Michigan. Participants will also tour the facility where MMSD makes Milorganite® a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer trusted by experts since 1926. 

Then, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, attendees will see the nation’s first school focused entirely on freshwater research. Explore the university’s aquaculture facilities dedicated to sustainable fish farming, see their research vessel the Neeskay, and visit labs where scientists monitor and improve water quality in the Great Lakes and surrounding watersheds.

On Tuesday, a full-day tour will take participants south of Milwaukee to a variety of sites in neighboring counties to learn about collaborative projects with partners that are improving soil and water health in Wisconsin. The tour day will wrap up with a gathering at Discovery World in Milwaukee, with beautiful views of Lake Michigan and time to explore the largest aquarium in Wisconsin. 

Learn more about both of these tours on NACD's website and register for the meeting to join us!

LEARN ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH NASA PROGRAMS AT CONSERVATION COFFEE

Join NACD’s District and Partner Relations Committee for the next Conservation Coffee to learn from two speakers from NASA’s Applied Sciences Program. These virtual programs provide individuals the opportunity to develop or expand their knowledge related to remote sensing to include ways remote sensing can be applied in agricultural settings.

We’ll learn about DEVELOP, a capacity-building program that supports end users in gaining skills related to applying Earth observation data in real-world contexts via small-scale, interactive feasibility projects. Projects may include understanding pest dynamics or the value of cover crops in specific contexts. Individuals apply to participate via a competitive process. We’ll hear about the application process and learn more about examples of past projects.

We’ll also learn about NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET), which provides free virtual training opportunities. Upcoming ARSET courses include Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, Monitoring Global Terrestrial Surface Water Height (also available in Spanish), and more. Resources from past courses, including slides and recorded sessions, are also available online, categorized by topics for ease of reference, for example, fundamentals, water resources, wildland fires, etc.

This Coffee will help conservation districts learn more about the use of NASA’s data in real-world contexts and help individuals expand their knowledge and skills in remote sensing. Join us on July 10 at 3 p.m. ET, to learn more. Register online for free here.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

Today, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 35 to 27.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) published a Request for Information (RFI) seeking feedback to assist the Department and its various offices and bureaus in identifying existing regulations that can be modified, repealed, and changed to be consistent with applicable law. The comment period has been extended through July 21.

NACD has submitted comments and encourages any interested members to submit comments on DOI regulations that should be updated or repealed based on your personal experience on the ground. Conservation districts may provide any insight or thoughts regarding this RFI to Libby Wawro, NACD Natural Resources Policy Specialist. 

POLK SWCD EXPANDS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT CORNERSTONE PROPERTY

In 2024, the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) used a Friends of NACD grant to initiate a community engagement project at their 87-acre property in Dallas, Oregon, named Cornerstone. This grant enabled Polk SWCD to update their brochures and signage, buy tools dedicated to removing invasive species, and engage a broad group of volunteers by connecting them to the land. 

The brochures were designed to help visitors navigate the trails at Cornerstone and learn more about the significant habitats present on the property, including riparian, conifer forest, oak savanna, oak woodland, and grassland. The interpretive signage gives visitors a more in-depth look at history and significant habitats on the property. Polk SWCD staff collaborated with The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde to add traditional knowledge into the signage, giving a well-rounded view of the property and surrounding habitat. 

In addition to the brochures and signage, this grant purchased tools that enabled volunteers to remove invasive plants like the English Hawthorn and Himalayan Blackberry and replace them with important native species. With these tools, Polk SWCD was able to hold five community events, build connections with partners like Oregon State University, and install over 9,000 native plants.  

Most excitingly, these tools will continue to serve the community at future Cornerstone events as well as through Polk SWCD’s tool loan program. Luckiamute Watershed Council and The Friends of Gentle Woods have already utilized this program for urban creek restoration projects, and some local homeowners have been able to borrow these tools to clear brush and make their homes more fire-resilient.  

Read more about the project on NACD's blog. Do you want to support important community engagement projects like the one above? Click here to become a Friend of NACD.