NACD is continuing our celebration of 80 years with our 2026 Summer Conservation Forum & Tours! Hosted in partnership with the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, our meeting will take place on July 17-21, 2026. Join us for meetings, a forum, and conservation tours to continue exploring the theme from Annual Meeting, "Deep Roots, Bold Horizons."

Registration is now open! Act now to get an early bird discounted rate, only available through June 29.

Book your stay at the Amway Grand Plaza! Room rates start at $189/night plus taxes and fees. Make an online reservation here. Reserve your room early for the best availability. 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, June 26, 2026.

During the meeting, NACD will be co-hosting multiple training opportunities with partners, including:

• Conservation Planning Training Pilot with the National Conservation Districts Employee Association (NCDEA). This streamlined, hybrid training experience is designed to help participants reach certification faster and receive step-by-step support along the way. Attendees will complete two required courses—Conservation Planning Part 2 and Soil Health & Sustainability—in one coordinated experience. Applications are being accepted until Friday, May 29.

• NASA Earth Observations Workshop Series with two sessions. One session will be an intoductory session to provide an overview of NASA Earth observation (EO) data products and web tools for supporting agriculture and conservation district needs. The second will allow participants to explore applications of analysis-ready data products to derive vegetation and water indices within common GIS software. Learn more and register for either session here.

See the full Summer Meeting agenda, including tours, breakout sessions, the Conservation Forum, and more on NACD's Summer Meeting webpage.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON?

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

With the House in a district work period and the Senate in a state work period for Memorial Day week, federal activity on Capitol Hill is limited.

USDA has announced $4.75 million in available funding through the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program to support communities with significant levels of food insecurity and heavy reliance on imported food. The program provides funding to eligible state and territory agricultural agencies, which then competitively subaward funds to local projects supporting small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations, local food production, and community-based food security initiatives.

Eligible areas include Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Fiscal Year 2026 application period is open, and applications will be accepted until June 22.

NRCS is hosting an information session on June 29 for Qualified Individuals (QI) interested in supporting Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activity 216 Soil Health Testing. Farmers participating in the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program are required to track conservation outcomes through CEMA 216 Soil Health Testing, and QI help facilitate the testing process. Eligible QI may include Technical Service Providers, Certified Crop Advisors, Certified Professional Agronomists, Certified Professional Soil Scientists, Associate Professional Soil Scientists, or individuals with an associate’s degree or higher in agriculture or soil science and at least two years of experience collecting soil for laboratory analysis. 

JOIN PACIFIC & SOUTHWEST REGION IN GUAM THIS AUGUST

Join the Pacific and Southwest Regions in Guam for the 2026 Joint Regional Meeting, Currents of Conservation: Navigating Soil and Water Stewardship, August 24-28.

Registration, flight, and hotel information can be found here. The meeting will be held over four days and includes multiple tracks for breakout sessions so you can tailor the learning to your needs, as well as tours of both Northern and Southern Guam. Guam is also requesting submissions for presentation abstracts to host a breakout session; the submission deadline is June 22. You're invited to come together to learn, share your stories, and keep up with the Currents of Conservation!

See information on all upcoming region meetings on NACD's website.