SUMMER MEETING REGISTRATION CLOSES FRIDAY

July 15, 2025

Registration is 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.

Online registration will close Friday, July 18, so don't delay!

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.

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

Chief Aubrey Bettencourt - Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bettencourt is a prominent leader in agriculture, water, and sustainability. Most recently, she served as the Global Director of Government Relations and External Affairs for Netafim, an Orbia Company. Her work reflects her personal commitment to keep farmers farming through sound water policy, agricultural support, technology, and sustainable practices.

Mike Strigel - Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Strigel supports the department's external affairs and strengthens relationships with stakeholders. A Wisconsin native, Strigel has experience leading efforts to preserve working lands and the future of farming. His work has taken him through the prairies, savannas, forests, and wetlands of Wisconsin.

Learn more about the agenda on NACD's website and register for the meeting to join us!

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.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

This week, House Representatives return to the Hill to work on their Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) appropriation package, with the September 30 deadline less than three months away. On Monday evening, House subcommittees met to consider the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill and the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill, passing both bills to the full House Appropriations Committee for further consideration. This morning, the House Interior-Environment Subcommittee met to consider their budget, which sets funding levels for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Land Management. This was also passed and will join the previous additions in front of the full Appropriations Committee.

Released appropriation texts have neatly aligned with President Trump’s agenda, drastically cutting spending across multiple agencies. The House votes set up another run-in with Senate counterparts, as steep opposition will limit the possibility of passage.

SUBMIT NOMINATIONS FOR CONSERVATION AWARDS

Recognize your fellow conservation professionals, organizations, conservation districts, producers, and more through NACD's Conservation Awards and the National Conservation Planning Partnership's (NCPP) Hugh Hammond Bennett Awards.

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 by August 31, 2025.

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 and are due by August 31, 2025.

The Hugh Hammond Bennett Producer Award recognizes any producer working with NCPP partner organizations on conservation planning or the implementation of a conservation plan. Nominations are due by September 1, 2025.

The Hugh Hammond Bennett Conservation Planner Award recognizes any NCPP partnership employees. Partner organizations are those recognized by NCPP at the national, state, or local level, including conservation districts. Nominations are due by September 1, 2025.

Awardees will be honored at the 2026 NACD Annual Meeting that will be held in San Antonio, TX on February 14-19, 2026.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL

NACD REGION MEETING

Southeast Region Meeting - Louisville, KY

The deadlines to register and book lodging for the 2025 NACD Southeast Region Meeting and 81st Annual Conference of the Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts are fast approaching!

The meeting will be held on August 2-6, 2025, at the Crown Plaza Louisville Airport Hotel in Louisville, KY. The event will include a keynote address from Matt Lohr, former USDA-NRCS Chief and current Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry with the Commonwealth of Virginia, a panel session of NACD Soil Health Champions, informational sessions, an exhibit hall, silent and live auctions, a banquet, and more.

Learn more and register here by July 18, 2025.

Northeast Region Meeting - Syracuse, NY

Registration for the Northeast Region Meeting, hosted by the New York State Association of Conservation Districts, is now open! The meeting will be held September 21-24, 2025, at the Double Tree Syracuse. The meeting will feature an array of sessions covering conservation topics across the Northeast, a lunch cruise along the Erie Canal, and plenty of networking opportunities with fellow conservation professionals and partners.

Learn more here and register by September 5, 2025.

Watch Latest Conservation Coffee

In last week's Conservation Coffee, attendees learned about NASA’s Applied Sciences Program. The 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.

Watch the webinar recording on NACD's YouTube channel here.

NACD Marketplace Orders Delayed for Summer Meeting

Orders from NACD's Marketplace will be temporarily delayed while staff are at the Summer Meeting. If you need educational materials, apparel, or other supplies, please order by July 21, to have them shipped before the meeting.

Orders made after this date may take an additional 2-3 weeks to process. We appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.

Join Webinar

on Advancing Regenerative Ag

Join NACD partner, Field to Market, for a webinar on Thursday, July 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET, to explore how regenerative agriculture supports ecosystem resilience and human health, and how their recently released Regenerative Agriculture Guidance Version 1.0 can inform implementation efforts across the value chain.

Learn more and register here.

NRCS Seeks Public Comment on Conservation Practice Standards

NRCS is seeking public comment on updates to the National Handbook of Conservation Practice Standards. The comment period will close on July 30, 2025.

Check out the Federal Register notice and submit a comment here.

Copies of the proposed conservation practice standards, along with redline documents (showing changes from current to proposed), can be found on the Conservation Practice Standards Information webpage.

Join NCDEA Training Series

Join the National Conservation District Employees Association (NCDEA) for a free virtual training session on Wednesday, July 23, at 9:00 a.m. PT.

The session will cover grants — the ins and outs of applying, what projects to do, writing and completeting grants, and more. Hear from both a larger and smaller conservation district for two perspectives on how grants allowed them to increase staffing and services.

Membership Corner

Our Summer Meeting is right around the corner! In just ten days, we’ll all convene in Milwaukee, WI, to network and learn about locally led conservation together.

All of NACD’s region meetings will be held on July 27 at 9:00 a.m. CT. Attending your regional meeting is the best way to stay up to date on happenings in your area, and you can find the exact location of each meeting on our schedule.

There’s still time to sign up too! Online, pre-registration ends on July 18, and we offer onsite registration in Milwaukee.

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

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