REGISTER FOR NACD SUMMER MEETING TODAY

Don't forget to secure your spot at NACD's 2024 Summer Conservation Forum & Tours by registering today! Hosted this year in conjunction with the Northeast Region Meeting, the NACD Summer Meeting will be held in Boston, Massachusetts this August 9-14.

Early bird registration is only open for a limited time, so don't delay. Save $50 per person by registering now!

Hotel rooms in the NACD room block are also now available to reserve at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. Room rates start at $255/night. Rooms in NACD’s room block are first come, first served and there may be limited or no availability as the deadline for the room block nears. The last day to reserve available rooms in the room block is Friday, July 19.

Experience Boston with us by joining the tours! Included in the cost of registration are an Urban Agriculture and Conservation Tour on Monday that will explore urban agriculture in downtown Boston, and an Agriculture Conservation Tour on Tuesday that will explore agricultural education, aquaculture, and more.

Looking to add more fun to your meeting experience? Join us at the Boston Red Sox game on Friday, August 9. Meet up with colleagues at historic Fenway Park and enjoy watching the Sox play ball with the Houston Astros. NACD has reserved 100 seats in the bleachers above the visitor's bullpen for Summer Meeting attendees to enjoy the game while socializing with conservation colleagues from across the country. Tickets are available for purchase when registering.

Learn more about the Summer Meeting, see the agenda, and reserve your spot amongst the action now!

F2F OUTREACH GRANT APPLICATIONS CLOSING SOON

NACD Historically Underserved Farmer-To-Farmer Outreach Grants applications are due next Friday, June 14!

NACD is seeking applications for projects that engage Native American and historically underserved producers to address water quality, habitat restoration, and sustainable forest management practices and projects in the Gulf of Mexico!

Projects must be located within Texas, Mississippi, or Alabama, or portions of Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, or Colorado.

Learn more about the program, including eligibility, program objectives, project examples, and more in this webinar!

Watch the full webinar to hear about how conservation districts, state associations, state agencies, Resource Conservation & Development Councils, and Indian Tribal governments or intertribal consortia can work with producers to implement water quality, habitat restoration, and sustainable forest management practices and projects in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and portions of Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Find more information and a full request for proposals on NACD's website.

2024 NACD SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN

NACD is seeking nominations for the Distinguished Service Award and the Friend of Conservation Award! These awards recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding work and leadership in soil and water conservation.

Winners will receive complimentary registration to the 2025 NACD Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in February and two tickets to the Appreciation Banquet where they will be honored. Their story and achievements will also be highlighted on the NACD website and in various NACD national publications.

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.

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. 

All nominees will receive an Honorable Mention Certificate and a copy of the nomination text that was submitted on their behalf. To nominate someone, please visit the NACD Awards webpage to download the nomination form. The deadline to submit your nomination is August 31, 2024.

Winners and their nominators are responsible for their own travel and hotel arrangements for NACD's Annual Meeting.

To view past NACD award recipients, please visit NACD’s Awards Archives. Contact awards@email.nacdnet.org with any questions.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

Congress is preparing to consider fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills ahead of the end of the current fiscal year this fall. Next week, the House of Representatives is expected to release a draft bill to fund USDA and has scheduled a hearing to consider the legislation in early July. NACD has continued to advocate for our appropriations priorities, including strong funding for NRCS Conservation Operations.

Where is Congress in the farm bill process? How did NACD’s priorities fare in the farm bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee? Read this blog post for an in-depth farm bill update. 

Yesterday, USDA announced that producers and private landowners can sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (Grassland CRP) from today through June 28, 2024. Learn more from USDA’s press release. 

NRCS’ Climate Office is seeking input on the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities List. Each year, the Climate Office reviews NRCS conservation activities to recommend additions, removals, or to provide further detail for listed activities, which guide eligibility for funds from the Inflation Reduction Act.  

The Climate Office will batch submissions for fiscal year 2025 that are received by June 7, 2024. NRCS welcomes submissions that include relevant scientific literature supporting the climate change mitigation benefits of specific activities. Options to provide input:  

• At the local level to your Local Working Group, a subcommittee of the State Technical Committee,  
• At the state level to the State Technical Committee, or  
• At the national level by emailing the NRCS Climate Office at SM.FPAC.NRCS.CLIMATE@usda.gov. 

Revisit NACD's input on implementing IRA funds here. For additional information about the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Mitigation Activities List, please visit the NRCS Climate-Smart Mitigation Activities Webpage and the updated FAQs. 

Events this week:

This morning, at 10:15 a.m. ET, the House Natural Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Examining the President’s FY2025 Budget Request for the U.S. Forest Service.” A recording of the event is available on the House Committee on Natural Resources YouTube page, found here.

On Tuesday, June 4, at 2:30 p.m. ET the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade will hold a hearing titled “Pathways to Farming: Helping the Next Generation of Farmers” with testimony from representatives of the National Farmers Union and American Farm Bureau Federation, along with local farmers from Minnesota and Mississippi. A livestream can be accessed here.

CARIBE SWCD FURTHERS FORESTRY CONSERVATION

On April 29, 2024, a significant agreement was signed between the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the Caribe Soil and Water Conservation District.

This agreement aims to manage the Gabia Forest in Coamo, Puerto Rico, a 233-acre subtropical dry forest designated as a Special Reforestation Area. Located on the south coast of the island, the Caribe SWCD covers seven municipalities and has been instrumental in various conservation initiatives.

Forest management efforts in the Gabia Forest began in 2000 with the goal of reforesting the area with endemic, native, and endangered trees such as the Palo de Ramón (Banara vanderbiltii), Matabuey (Goetzia elegans), Arbol de Lija (Cordia rickseckeri), and Cobana Negra (Stahlia monosperma).

The forest is also home to a diverse range of bird species including the San Pedrito de Puerto Rico (Todus mexicanus), Zumbadorcito Esmeralda (Riccordia maugaeus), Pájaro Carpintero (Melanerpes portoricensis), and Mucarito de Puerto Rico (Megascops nudipes).

One of the significant conservation efforts in the forest was the release of the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Peltophryne lemur) starting in 2007, a project that continued annually until 2016.

The Puerto Rican Crested Toad is classified as a threatened species.

The agreement signed in 2024 aims to consolidate efforts for forest management, continue the Puerto Rican Crested Toad recovery project, develop educational programs, promote scientific research, and involve surrounding communities in protection and forest conservation.

Read the full story on NACD's blog. Get more stories like this delivered to your inbox monthly by subscribing to Forestry Notes!