On Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, NACD will hold the 2020 Live Auction at the 74th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev. A longstanding tradition at the annual meeting, the auction has always been a successful fundraiser for NACD's conservation priorities and a favorite event for meeting attendees.
Items donated by NACD supporters such as Case IH and John Deere will be available to bid on, as well as other special items and destination packages made possible by the generous donations of conservation districts, state associations, organizations and individuals like you.
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NACD is now accepting donations for the auction, and we encourage NACD members and state associations to donate items through
our 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.
The Live Auction is open to all annual meeting attendees. If you have any questions, please contact NACD South Central Region Representative
Keith Owen at
keith-owen@nacdnet.org or 405-360-3503.
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NACD JOINS NATIONAL LEADERS AT NASCA-NWC CONFERENCE
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Last week, state conservation agency leaders and federal, state and local partner leaders gathered in Lexington, Ky., for the National Association of State Conservation Agencies (NASCA) and National Watershed Coalition (NWC) Conservation Conference.
NACD President Tim Palmer
,
First Vice President Michael Crowder
,
CEO Jeremy Peters
, Director of Projects and Partnerships
Rich Duesterhaus
and South Central Representative
Keith Owen
were all in attendance at the meeting. On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Palmer and Crowder participated in a panel that discussed topics crucial to the conservation partnership. During the meeting, Palmer and Crowder focused on the continued need for partnerships at the federal, state and district level, and they discussed ways the national partner organizations are aligned to provide effective delivery of conservation assistance to landowners.
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP) held a day-long meeting where Palmer, Peters and Duesterhaus were joined by NACD Board Member
Dick Went
and Special Project Consultant
Bill Berry
.
The NCPP meeting provided national leaders ongoing dialogue and updates on important aspects of conservation planning, including planning for the upcoming
Conservation Innovation Fair
at NACD's 2020 Annual Meeting.
Pictured above from left to right: NCDEA President
Rhonda Kelsch, NRCS Regional Conservationist
Astor Boozer, NARC&DC President
William Hodge,
NACD President Tim Palmer,
NACD First Vice President Michael Crowder, NASCA President
Mark Gilbert (moderator).
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In 2016, NACD, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded funding to the
Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District
(SWCD) in Zanesville, Ohio, to help establish "Urban Greens," a program that empowers local residents by creating access to fresh produce and educational opportunities through the creation of community garden spaces.
The need for the program arose when the district identified several inner-city communities as "food deserts," where residents lack nearby access to fresh and healthy food. While teaching residents how to grow their own produce, community gardens also provide a unique opportunity for building community, growing neighborhood pride, combating hunger issues, providing family recreation opportunities, and engaging residents in local history and art.
Urban Greens has established raised beds and in-ground gardens throughout the community, including private gardens at the local high school, where all of the food produced is delivered to the school's summer lunch program and a nearby food pantry. Additionally, the district has partnered with local organizations such as the Muskingum County Veterans Clinic, to provide produce to the clinic, veterans and their families, and to the summer lunch program.
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Throughout the growing season, the program holds several educational events at various gardens, including a harvest program that teaches participants how to safely can and store produce for the winter. Additionally, the "Kids Dig It” program, held at the community school garden, teaches children basic gardening skills and healthy eating tips.
Since the beginning of the program three years ago, many volunteers and partners have helped make it a success, from helping maintain the gardens and volunteering at events to sourcing plants and seeds. Each summer, the district also provides a volunteer intern to help with the many garden spaces.
This year, the community garden at Restoration Park was the site for the Muskingum County Farm Bureau’s “Dinner on the Farm” event, which has helped fund the program since 2018, and will continue to provide funding through 2020.
Moving forward, the district plans to expand programming and to further its partnerships throughout the community in order to build more garden spaces.
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NACD's office will be closed from
Wednesday, Oct. 9
to
Friday, Oct. 11
, for NACD's annual staff retreat. Stay tuned for a recap in next week's eResource!
NACD's office will also be closed
Monday, Oct. 14
, in recognition of Columbus Day.
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Cast Your Vote:
Fall 2019
The Resource
Cover Selection
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NACD needs your help picking a cover image for the 2019 Fall edition of
The Resource
!
Above is just one of the photos you can vote for, all of which were submitted to NACD's Photo Contest.
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ICYMI:
NCF Launches
Fall Campaign
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Throughout the coming weeks, Robinson will provide updates on the NCF-Envirothon and Next Generation Leadership Institute.
Help support the NCF as they grow the next generation of conservation leaders.
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RCPP Partner Portal
Now Open
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The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)'s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Partner Portal is now open and accepting RCPP applications.
Interested applicants will need Level 2 eAuthentication permissions to apply.
NRCS will host a webinar on how to use the portal on
Thursday, Oct. 17 at
3:00 p.m. Eastern. To learn more and join the webinar, visit
NRCS' webpage.
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New On NACD's Marketplace: Fall Promotional Mug Offer
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Reward your hardworking district employees this fall with our
Promotional Mug
offer!
Whether it's for the holidays or a birthday, our 14-oz. customized
Yeti mug
makes a great gift to show your appreciation for your employees.
NACD's fall promotion includes two mugs, professionally-engraved with your district's logo.
To order, visit
NACD's Marketplace. To create your custom district logo, please contact NACD Stewardship and Education Coordinator
Diana Blackwood.
The offer is valid through
Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019
.
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USFWS Announces
Species Removal
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Since the implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 4, 4(d), and 7 rules, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has started reviewing the status of a few protected species under the ESA.
To learn more about the changes in ESA regulations, check out NACD's Natural Resources Policy Specialist
Adam Pugh's
breakdown on
NACD's Government Affairs blog
.
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NatGLC Releases Video on Sustainable Ranching
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On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the
National Grazing Lands Coalition (NatGLC) released a six-minute film entitled, "Our Lands," which focuses on the environmental benefits of ranching.
"This film provides a unique perspective on ranching's benefits,"
said NatGLC Executive Director Monti Golla. "I think people have forgotten the large amounts of land that farmers and ranchers preserve and maintain in order to feed the world and provide ecosystem services."
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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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