This week, NACD held the 2025 Summer Conservation Forum & Tours in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Hosted in partnership with Wisconsin Land + Water, this summer's meeting gathered conservation leaders from across the country to discuss natural resource concerns and solutions around the theme, "Forward Together for Conservation."

During Monday’s Conservation Forum, meeting attendees were welcomed to Milwaukee by North Central Region Chair Kris Swartz and Board Member and Wisconsin Land + Water Chair Monte Osterman. Following a warm welcome, attendees heard from various keynote speakers, including Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Mike Strigel, Sand County Foundation and Leopold Conservation Award Vice President Lance Irving, Wisconsin NRCS State Conservationist Nathan Fikkert, Governor of Wisconsin Tony Evers, and NRCS Chief Aubrey J.D. Bettencourt.

"This is about going Forward Together," said Chief Bettencourt. "This is an opportunity to say 'What does NRCS and conservation for the next 90 years look like?'"

NACD President Gary Blair and Chief Bettencourt also spoke about her background in agriculture, strengthening partnerships between NRCS and conservation districts, sharing conservation stories, and more during a “Chat with the Chief.”

During the luncheon on Monday, attendees also heard remarks from Mike Lessiter, President of Lessiter Media, which brings conservation stories to agriculture communities. He spoke about the importance of no-till farming and the history of its success in conservation agriculture.

Throughout the meeting, attendees heard from conservation leaders who shared their experiences addressing changing natural resource challenges in their regions. Keynote speakers, conservation leaders, and board members spoke about the importance of building partnerships to move forward together in conservation.

ATTENDEES EXPLORE CONSERVATION INNOVATION AND RESILIENCY DURING BREAKOUT SESSIONS

On Monday morning, meeting attendees learned more about conservation in Wisconsin through three great breakout sessions covering topics like resilient landscapes, empowering farmers through grants, and new innovative models for conservation. 

The breakout session, “Creating Resilient Wisconsin Landscapes,” highlighted the innovative efforts of Monroe and Ashland counties in building a more resilient landscape capable of withstanding extreme weather events. 

“Empowering Farmers, Strengthening Partnerships: Wisconsin’s Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants,” spoke about the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program—administered by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which is a prime example of how state support, local leadership, and a county’s technical expertise can come together to improve soil health and water quality through farmer-driven conservation. 

Finally, attendees learned how Wisconsin’s conservation delivery system model, which places the responsibility for conservation services at the county level rather than through conservation districts, strengthens the connection between local efforts and state-level goals in the session, “Innovative Wisconsin Conservation Programs.”

CONSERVATION IN ACTION: SUMMER MEETING TOURS EXPLORE THE GREATER MILWAUKEE AREA

On Monday afternoon, meeting attendees had the opportunity to visit two sites in Milwaukee that helped illustrate water conservation and aquaculture in the region.

Tour participants visited the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). The tour included a guided bus tour of the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility to learn more about how wastewater is cleaned and returned to Lake Michigan. Attendees also toured the facility where MMSD makes Milorganite®, a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer trusted by experts since 1926.

The tour also visited the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, the nation’s first school focused entirely on freshwater research. They explored the university’s aquaculture facilities dedicated to sustainable fish farming and visited labs where scientists monitor and improve water quality in the Great Lakes and surrounding watersheds. This behind-the-scenes tour offered a unique look at innovations that protect and sustain freshwater resources.

On Tuesday, meeting attendees gathered early to head off on a full-day tour.

First, they visited Elkhorn, where the Walworth County Land Conservation Department (LCD) has been working since 2013 to install conservation best management practices on a 560-acre farm. The Walworth County LCD has partnered with NRCS, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the township, and the local lake protection group to implement conservation best management practices, including grassed waterways, wetland reconstruction, and sediment control basins, to protect soil health.

Next, the tour traveled to Case Eagle Park in Racine County, a collaborative research project between the Racine County Land + Water Division and the Watershed Protection Committee of Racine County, a local producer-led group. The park spans over 300 acres, including 50 acres of cropland. Researchers are studying soil health, water quality, and the carbon footprint of cropland plots, along with performance indicators like crop yields and economic performance.

For lunch, participants were treated to a meal at and tour of Starry Nights Farm in Kenosha County. Tour attendees learned how returning livestock to the land in a well-managed system can enhance soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat.

Later, folks spent a couple of hours visiting a unique regenerative stormwater conveyance system and learned about habitat restoration at Pritchard Park in Racine County, a collaboration between Racine County, Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network (Root-Pike WIN), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The tour ended with a social gathering and a barbecue dinner at Discovery World in Milwaukee with beautiful views of Lake Michigan and time to explore the largest aquarium in Wisconsin.