This morning,
NACD Second Vice President
and
Plymouth County Conservation District Chair Kim LaFleur
testified before the House Committee on Agriculture's Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry's hearing, entitled "Access to Conservation Programs by Historically Underserved Farmers and Ranchers."
LaFleur, along with her husband Jeff, own and operate
Mayflower Cranberries, a 112-acre cranberry farm and agri-tourism business in Plympton, Mass. Together, they have been able to conserve water and reduce costs thanks to practices such as implementing a sprinkler irrigation system.
"Our ability to incorporate these conservation practices was as a result of the relationship we had with our local conservation district,"
said LaFleur. "Growers such as ourselves received the benefit of highly specialized farm plans developed by conservation staff to protect water quality and enhance water conservation."
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NCF NAMES NEXT GENERATION LEADERSHIP COHORT
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Yesterday, the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) announced the names of the seven participants in the inaugural cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI).
The Next Generation Leadership Institute was formally launched in August of 2019 as a year-long program to build future conservation leaders through comprehensive trainings. The 2020 NGLI cohort participants were selected through a competitive national application process.
“It’s a privilege to announce these seven participants as members of our inaugural NGLI cohort,”
NCF Chairman Steve Robinson said.
“This group of candidates demonstrated remarkable passion for locally-led conservation, and I look forward to seeing how their skills continue to develop over the next year.”
The inaugural cohort consists of
Barbara Bleiweis
from Charlotte, N.C.;
Ryan Britt
from Clifton Hill, Mo.;
Phil Campbell
from Luther, Okla.;
Joe Caughlin
from Tonkawa, Okla.;
Mark Masters
from Dawson, Ga.;
Cassius Spears
from Ashaway, R.I.; and
Samantha Steiner
from Franklin, Ohio.
NGLI participants will meet for four training sessions throughout the year, with a capstone session at the National Association of Conservation Districts' (NACD) annual meeting in New Orleans in 2021. NGLI curriculum will equip leaders with skills and resources related to personal, civic and organizational leadership development.
This comprehensive training will help participants rise to meet the future needs of natural resources management, helping them to increase their capacity to navigate and manage complex conservation challenges – both current and future – at the local and national level.
The cohort will convene for their first session at the NACD 74th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Feb. 7-11, 2020. Visit
NACD's Newsroom
to learn more and read the full press release.
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ANNUAL MEETING
EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION EXTENDED
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The early bird registration deadline for NACD's 74th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.,
has been extended until tomorrow, December 18
! Save $15 and register online today for this year's meeting at the Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, from
Feb. 8-12, 2020
, by
clicking here
or the button below.
Once you register, don't forget to book your hotel room at the Bally's Las Vegas! The group rate is $159 for single or double rooms, not including taxes or resort fees. To reserve your room, click
here
, or call 702-967-4111 and say you’re with NACD. Reservations must be completed by
Friday, Jan. 17, 2020
.
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Tomorrow is the National Conservation Foundation's (NCF) Giving Day!
For NCF Giving Day 2019,
your dollar will be doubled
up to $3,000 through a generous donation by Warner Ranch.
“Our next generation of locally-led conservation leaders are our future,”
Bob Warner of Warner Ranch said
. “They are instrumental in preserving our soil and managing our water and keeping it clean. We must encourage them to stay on the land and give them opportunities to become landowners and managers.”
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VIRGINIA DISTRICTS GATHER FOR VASWCD ANNUAL MEETING
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Last week, 400 district officials, employees and partners gathered in Norfolk, Va., to attend the
Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts' (VASWCD) 2019 Annual Meeting.
On Monday, NACD Southeast Region Representative
Candice Abinanti provided a keynote address on partnerships during a general session, which also celebrated the achievements of Williamsburg's
Jamestown High School,
whose team of students were winners of Virginia's 2019 National Conservation Foundation (NCF)-Envirothon. The general session also offered lessons in diversity and inclusion from
Charm Bullard, Director of Programs with
Virginia’s Center for Inclusive Communities.
During one of the morning’s concurrent sessions, NCF-Envirothon Program Manager
Jennifer Brooks (pictured above, second from left) participated in a panel on environmental literacy efforts where she shared NACD’s stewardship and education resources. Other concurrent session topics included electronic records, cost share administration, conflict of interest and ethics and Emergency Action Plans (EAP).
During Tuesday’s general session, participants heard from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Farm Service Agency and author
Nancy Striniste, who shared stories from her book
Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children with the Natural World. The day’s concurrent sessions addressed a variety of topics, including personnel and the workplace, field safety training, BMP efficacy, the
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program and marketing.
The meeting culminated in an annual banquet to celebrate the achievements of district officials and employees, recognize years of service, and thank donors to the
VASWCD Educational Foundation, which supports Virginia’s Envirothon and Youth Conservation Camp.
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NACD NOW ACCEPTING DOTP APPLICATIONS
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NACD is now accepting applications for states and territories with conservation district official training programs to be recognized through our
District Official Training Program
(DOTP). NACD established the program in 2010 to celebrate statewide programs that provide training to conservation district officials in specific
topics necessary for their success.
To qualify, a DOTP must include 15 categories related to the duties of district officials such as basic conservation knowledge, fiduciary concerns and legal responsibilities of conservation district officials. Within each category, the DOTP
must include 50 percent of the recommended training elements identified by NACD and the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA). States and territories may achieve the recommended training through whatever methods are viable for the state: at their annual meetings, through online webinars or through other means.
This year, NACD will recognize programs that have gone above the minimum requirements to include 75 percent or 100 percent of the recommended training elements. Applications must be submitted online by
Friday, Jan. 17
for recognition during the 2020 NACD Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.
For states that have been recognized previously, please
visit NACD's website
and resubmit your state’s checklist. Beginning in 2020, states will be required to re-submit a checklist every two years for recognition. To learn more, visit
NACD's DOTP webpage
.
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NACD Offices Closed
for Holidays
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In celebration of the holiday season, NACD's offices will be closed Dec. 24-25, and on Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 2020.
Additionally, NACD will not be issuing editions of eResource on Dec. 24 or Dec. 31.
During this season of reflection and giving, we want to thank all of you for helping make 2019 a great year for NACD. We hope you have a happy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in 2020!
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Joint Forestry Team Renews Partnership
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On Wednesday, Dec. 11,
Joint Forestry Team (JFT) leadership formally renewed their partnership for the fourth time. The Joint Forestry Team, which consists of NACD, the National Association of State Foresters, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), was formed in 2006 to facilitate working lands collaboration.
In 2019, Campbell County Conservation District Manager
Jennifer Hart served as the JFT chair. In 2020, JFT will be chaired by USFS'
Susan Stein.
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Deadline Approaches:
NACD's 2020 UAC
Grants Initiative
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Since 2016, NACD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have partnered through the UAC Grant Program to enhance conservation districts’ technical assistance activities in developed or developing areas. In this fourth round of funding, NACD and NRCS will award grants of up to $50,000 grants for approximately 18 districts.
To learn more about the initiative and how to submit your proposal, visit
NACD's website.
Please contact NACD Senior Advisor
Deb Bogar
at
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NCPP Debuts Conservation Desktop
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The National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) has partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the Future team to enhance quality, improve responsiveness and ensure the delivery of science-based technical assistance from technically-sound conservation planners.
To assist with the distribution of materials and in sharing updates across the conservation partnership, NCPP is offering a new resource called the Conservation Desktop.
The Conservation Desktop application is an enhanced tool that enables conservation partnership planners to provide technical and financial assistance to customers in a simpler and faster way. This application is part of a national effort to make meaningful changes and improvements to all programs and services to streamline processes, improve efficiencies, incorporate technology, and improve communication and data availability.
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NACD Welcomes Honorary Friend
Beth Mason
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NACD is excited to welcome its latest honorary Friend of NACD,
Beth Mason. Mason serves as NACD’s North Central Region Representative and has been with the organization since 2002. She says her favorite part of working for NACD is “that it changes to meet the changing needs of the members” and her favorite meeting is the executive directors conference “to facilitate something that helps them connect with others.”
Mason lives in Indianapolis with her feisty dachshunds
Louie and
Henry and runs an
Etsy store where she sells her Live Auction-famous quilts and other projects.
Interested in becoming a Friend of NACD? Visit
NACD's website to learn more.
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Deadline Approaches:
Donate to NCF
Annual Meeting
Live Auction
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Packages such as a Guided Kansas Pheasant Hunt (pictured above), made possible by the
Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, are donated by NCF supporters and will be available to bid on.
All proceeds from this year's auction will go to NCF to support the foundation's work in advancing the next generation of conservation leaders.
To make a donation,
visit the online donation form. The deadline for all auction items to be included in the 2020 Live Auction booklet is
Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. Auction items will be accepted on site throughout the day on
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020.
To learn more and view current auction items, visit the
2020 Live Auction webpage. If you have any questions, please contact NACD South Central Region Representative
Keith Owen or 405-360-3503.
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In Memoriam:
NACD Remembers
Malcolm Crooks
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On May 25,
Malcolm Crooks
from
Solebury Township, Pa.,
passed away at the age of 96.
Crooks served for over 20 years as NACD Northeast Region Representative in the 1970s, touching the lives of hundreds of conservation leaders in his region and throughout the country.
Crooks is survived by his wife, Elaine, who was also a former NACD employee. NACD recognizes Crooks's life, his work as a farmer, and his service to NACD.
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Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's
Calendar of Events
!
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