NACD invites you to join us in San Antonio, Texas, for the 2026 Annual Meeting! Hosted in partnership with the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, our 80th meeting will take place on February 15-19, 2026, at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk. Help us celebrate this milestone anniversary—the Oak Anniversary—and explore the theme, "Deep Roots, Bold Horizons."

We want to spotlight your conservation experiences and expertise through breakout sessions! NACD has extended the deadline to submit a session proposal through this Friday, October 3.

Breakout sessions spotlight the work of conservation districts and partners across the country. New to this year, we are also accepting proposals for training sessions to help conservation district board members and staff build their skillsets. Sessions typically run between 30 and 90 minutes long and often showcase several speakers

This year, NACD is seeking proposals that fit into one of four themes: Build and Expand Your Skillsets, District Management: Embracing Change, Conservation Innovation, and Partnerships for Impact.

If selected, speakers are responsible for their registration, lodging, and travel expenses. All the details on meeting registration, travel discounts, and breakout sessions can be found on NACD's Annual Meeting webpage.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your proposal before submitting, please reach out to NACD’s Director of Membership Engagement, Dr. Ariel Rivers, at ariel-rivers@nacdnet.org.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE ON FEDERAL SHUTDOWN

Congress faces a deadline of today to keep the federal government funded.

While NRCS offices and programs may remain operational during a federal government shutdown, we encourage conservation districts to review the National Conservation District Employees Association's Federal Shutdown Considerations Guide here. This guidance suggests items for conservation districts to consider as they prepare for a possible shutdown.

We recognize that some conservation districts are not co-located with USDA agencies and might not be directly impacted by a shutdown, while other conservation districts pay rent or have separate lease agreements and would be affected to a lesser degree as those conservation districts that are co-located. The guidance is offered as a set of considerations for any conservation district to consider within the context of their own unique operating environment. Districts are reminded to follow any instructions of the state agency that oversees their operations.

We encourage district leaders to communicate with their local NRCS offices. NACD will continue to monitor developments and provide additional updates.

FERAL HOGS HIGHLIGHTED AT SOUTH CENTRAL MEETING

One of the most pressing challenges for landowners and conservation districts across the South Central Region is feral hog damage, and this year’s NACD Region Meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas, dedicated a session to tackling the issue.

Alice Weeks, Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, and Ryan Farney, Feral Hog Coordinator with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, led an in-depth discussion on both the scale of the problem and the tools available to mitigate it. Feral hogs cause millions of dollars in damage annually to working lands and natural resources, uprooting crops, spreading diseases, degrading water quality, and threatening wildlife habitat.

The session emphasized how coordinated efforts—supported by USDA and NACD programs, state agencies, and local conservation districts—are beginning to make headway. Fencing strategies, cost-share programs, and technical assistance were outlined as critical tools to reduce damage and improve land stewardship.

By bringing together state leaders, partners, and district representatives, the meeting highlighted the importance of locally led solutions in addressing an issue that continues to impact producers and communities across the region.

A special thank you goes to the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Executive Director Debbie Moreland, the McAlpine Family Christmas Tree Farm, and the State Association President for their leadership in hosting this year’s South Central Region Meeting and providing a platform to address critical conservation issues.

MISSISSIPPI TO HOST 2026 NCF-ENVIROTHON COMPETITION

The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) is thrilled to announce that the 2026 Annual NCF-Envirothon Competition will take place from July 19-25, 2026, at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. This exciting event, hosted by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, will attract hundreds of enthusiastic young individuals committed to understanding and protecting our natural environment. Participants will have the chance to explore the rich ecological diversity of Mississippi while testing their knowledge and skills in ecology and natural resources.

The NCF-Envirothon Annual Competition brings together high school students from across the United States, Canada, China, and Singapore to compete for prizes and accolades while gaining insights from professionals and experts in natural resources. Participants explore five key areas of study: aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and this year’s current issue. Envirothon students are poised to become the decision-makers and leaders of tomorrow, as the program equips them with vital tools, knowledge, and experiences to forge their path to success.

The 2026 NCF-Envirothon Mississippi Competition will highlight Mississippi's ecology and natural resources, concentrating on this year’s current issue: “Non-Point Source Pollution: It Begins at Home!” Students will explore non-point source pollution (NPS), learn to identify its origins in urban and rural areas, and discover NPS mitigation strategies. The competition will feature hands-on training and tests that challenge students to apply their ecological knowledge in real-world scenarios, culminating in the development of an Oral Presentation addressing a specific problem related to the current issue.

To assist teams in their preparation, learning objectives and study resources are created each year. The first of these resources, Part A of the 2026 Current Issue special topic, “Non-Point Source Pollution: It Begins at Home,” has been made available here. Additional resources for other study areas will be released in the spring of 2026.

Complete event details, including study resources, sponsors, and more can be found here. The NCF-Envirothon, a program of NCF, is supported through a partnership with NACD.

NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICTS CONTINUE WITH HELENE RECOVERY EFFORTS

Earlier this year, Forestry Notes highlighted how Hurricane Helene reshaped the conservation landscape across western North Carolina. The storm left a lasting mark on forests and watersheds, with more than 187,000 acres damaged in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests and hundreds of miles of roads and trails blocked by debris. That coverage also noted how conservation districts, including Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District and the North Carolina Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (NCASWCD), were elevating biochar as a practical tool for recovery and long-term resilience.

That work is now moving into implementation. The Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District, in partnership with the Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation and Development Council, has secured a $1 million award from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality to pilot mobile biochar production in western North Carolina. The pilot will convert storm-damaged woody debris into a soil-enhancing product for farms and watershed restoration, creating a local outlet for low-value timber and reducing pressure on limited landfill capacity.

The state has also directed $2 million to Haywood Waterways Association to accelerate debris removal and ecological restoration across the Pigeon River watershed. The effort will target stream blockages, stabilize eroding banks with native plantings, and coordinate work across jurisdictions to improve water quality and reduce flooding risk for residents countywide. Together, these investments advance Helene recovery while strengthening resilience to future storms, lowering wildfire risk by removing hazardous fuels, and improving soil health on agricultural lands.

The emphasis remains on locally led action that scales through coordinated partnerships. Learn more about the project on NACD's blog and get stories like this delivered to your inbox monthly by subscribing to the Forestry Notes newsletter.