NACD recently announced the award of $17.5 million in Outreach and Technical Assistance (TA) grants to 161 conservation districts in 45 states and territories.

In partnership with the NRCS, the NACD Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant Program advances the adoption of conservation practices by increasing the capacity of conservation districts across the country to provide technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest stewards. This assistance includes developing conservation plans, designing conservation practices, enrolling producers in conservation programs, and supporting practice implementation.

“This program has been a game changer as producer demand for conservation technical and financial assistance continues to grow,” said NACD President Gary Blair. “Conservation districts across the country help their local NRCS partners meet critical staffing needs and expand outreach to producers, getting more conservation on the ground. We are proud to continue this successful partnership.”

This impactful program provides NRCS and conservation districts with greater capacity to respond to strong producer demand for voluntary, locally led conservation. The program has benefited 56 states and territories and has helped enroll over 107,750 producers in NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) since 2018. Conservation practices designed through the program have benefited over 6.75 million acres of working lands, improving soil health, water quality, and habitat for enhanced resilience, productivity, and profit.

See the full list of grantees in NACD’s newsroom. 

JOIN US IN MILWAUKEE

FOR 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.

Experience Milwaukee and surrounding counties with us by joining the tours! Included in the cost of registration are tours to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, and a variety of conservation project locations and farms. Attendees will learn about water research and conservation, regenerative agriculture, habitat restoration, and more.

Looking to add more fun to your meeting experience? Join us for a night with the Brewers! On Monday, July 28, meet up with colleagues at the American Family Field stadium in Milwaukee to enjoy a baseball game. Tickets can be purchased when registering for the meeting.

Ready to travel?

Hotel rooms in the NACD room block are available to reserve at the iconic Pfister Hotel. Room rates start at $235/night. Rooms in NACD’s room block are first come, first served and there may be limited or no availability as the deadline for the room block nears. The last day to reserve available rooms in the room block is July 7.

Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts on flights to Milwaukee for NACD Summer Meeting attendees! Explore options and book flights here. You may also call Delta Air Lines' Conferences and Events® line at 1-800-328-1111 and refer to Meeting Event Code NY3YK. There is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed through this 800 number.

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

JOIN NACD'S UPCOMING CONSERVATION COFFEE

Join us for the next Conservation Coffee on June 12 at 3:00 p.m. ET to explore the topic, "Improving Habitat and Managing Invasive Species through Prescribed Burn Association Partnerships."

Hear from John Hendrix with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Lisa Owen with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission about programs to improve habitat while managing invasive species through prescribed burn associations. Through targeted removal of invasive species, together conservation districts, state agencies, and the USFWS are improving habitat for native species and increasing local biodiversity. 

Learn more from these two speakers about this great program and the partnerships that have enabled their success. Register online for free here.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

On Tuesday May 20, 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 deadline for comment is June 20, 2025. As the people who work on DOI lands, with DOI staff and regulations, we ask conservation districts to provide any insight or thoughts regarding this RFI. NACD will be submitting comments based on our various policies and looks forward to including real life examples of how these regulations work, or don’t, on the ground. 

We ask that you please provide your comments to Libby Wawro, NACD Natural Resources Policy Specialist, by June 16. 

On Wednesday, June 4, NACD will be participating in a listening session held by USFWS to provide feedback on the voluntary conservation program implemented through section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Section 10(a) authorizes the issuance of survival permits for conservation benefit agreements (CBA) and incidental take permits for habitat conservation plans (HCP). In our recent comments to USFWS on the definition of “harm”, NACD focused on the need for local input and partnership and will do so in this listening session. However, this notice asks specific questions about barriers to applicants, methods to streamline plan development, funding and resources necessary to effectively implement CBAs and HCPs, and more. NACD is requesting feedback to ensure the statement is accurate to the experience on the ground and provides useful and necessary feedback. 

We ask that you please provide your comments to Libby Wawro, NACD Natural Resources Policy Specialist, by June 2. 

Late last week, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston extended a two-week injunction, converting it into a preliminary injunction that halts the Trump administration from issuing or finalizing widespread layoffs and agency reorganizations. The court order affects a broad range of federal agencies, including the USDA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The injunction requires the administration to pause any implementation of reductions in force (RIFs) or reorganization plans and to obtain congressional oversight and approval before proceeding. According to GovExec, the order also directs agencies to rescind already issued RIFs and reinstate employees currently on paid administrative leave—though enforcement of that provision has been temporarily paused pending further legal proceedings. 

In response, the Trump administration has filed a motion with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to stay the injunction. The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent regarding the limits of executive authority in restructuring the federal workforce. Meanwhile, USDA Secretary Rollins had previously committed to delivering a reorganization plan by May 27. However, this timeline now appears unlikely due to the extended injunction. Secretary Rollins has also announced that the USDA will not offer additional employee buyouts beyond the approximately 15,000 already accepted. 

Both the House and Senate are currently in recess. House Republicans advanced their spending package ahead of the informal Memorial Day deadline set by leadership, positioning the Senate to begin deliberations upon their return. 

AN INTERVIEW WITH A TA GRANTEE: FULTON COUNTY CD

In northern Arkansas, an NACD Outreach and TA grant has helped the Fulton County Conservation District (FCCD) address conservation on more than 16,000 acres and develop over 70 conservation plans for producers in their county. The TA grant funding, made possible through an agreement between NACD and NRCS, has enabled the district to hire additional staff to help producers plan and implement conservation practices to improve their land’s soil and water through NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

NACD’s South Central Region Representative Wesley Gibson caught up with Kimberly Krupa with FCCD to learn more about how the TA grant funding has benefited Fulton County.

Wesley: How has the TA grant funding helped Fulton County’s producers?

Kimberly: Landowners may not know the conservation practices best for their land and operations. This is where our technical assistance shines. Justin creates a one-on-one relationship with producers and listens to their conservation concerns and goals. He, along with co-workers, then formulate start-to-finish options that will get them to their goals. He also shares information on financial assistance available through the NRCS office, as well as other funding sources. Justin is also out there in the field physically helping producers with tasks like fence installation, equipment usage education, and more.

Wesley: How has your district been able to earn and keep the trust of Fulton County’s producers to get conservation on the ground?

Kimberly: Our TA grant hire, District Technician Justin Dunavant, and producers in our county often eat breakfast at the same local restaurant. Once producers discovered his employment with the conservation district, Justin has been asked many questions over breakfast about conservation programs and funding opportunities. His outreach in the mornings may not be typical, but word of mouth gets around in small town America and he is helping to connect landowners to conservation opportunities with positive results.

Additionally, we’ve had a couple of local producers concerned about strings attached to conservation programs. Justin made them feel at ease by affirming that our office is here to help with their resource concerns, and there are no repercussions to signing up with any of the programs offered through either NRCS or the FCCD.

Wesley: How is your district reaching historically underserved producers?

Kimberly: The more people we educate on the importance of conserving our natural resources, the better it is for everyone. We reach historically underserved producers through various avenues such as word of mouth, farm visits, and field days. Through interaction and truly listening, Justin can inform them of conservation practices suited to their land and operations along with sources of funding available to assist them. Often, they are not aware of these opportunities.

Read the full interview on NACD's blog.