The deadline to submit nominations for NACD's national conservation awards is this Saturday, Aug. 31. It's not too late to nominate your conservation leaders for an award!

NACD's national service awards annually recognize conservation leaders for their work and dedication. Consider nominating someone you know for one of the following awards:

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.

The  NACD Distinguished Service Award honors an individual within the association, a conservation district or a state association who has made significant contributions to the conservation and proper management of our nation’s natural resources.

The award recipients will be honored at the 2020 NACD Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., this coming February, and will receive a complimentary meeting registration for the 2020 NACD Annual Meeting, a complimentary Appreciation Banquet ticket, a plaque and national recognition online and in NACD’s publications.

All nominations will receive an honorable mention certificate from  NACD   President Tim Palmer in appreciation for their service to conservation.

To learn more and submit your nomination, visit   NACD's Awards webpage.

IOWA DISTRICTS GATHER FOR

ANNUAL MEETING

The Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) held its annual meeting in Ames, Iowa, from Aug. 19 – 20, where district officials, employees, commissioners and conservation partners gathered to discuss current issues, programs and policy, as well as elect their new state leadership.

The conference theme, “ Life in the Soil: Dig Deeper,” was carried throughout the program with panel discussions from conservation partners and state leadership, breakout sessions and networking with a variety of exhibitors from the conservation industry, as well as partnering organizations and agencies.

NACD North Central Region Representative Beth Mason led a breakout session, “NACD Soil Health Champions Network: Advancing Soil Health,” which introduced the network to a broad audience of Iowa conservationists and showcased three operations managed by Soil Health Champions in Iowa – Dennis Carney of Mason City, Don Elsbernd of Postville and Jack Boyer of Reinbeck.

Each Champion shared how his operation has incorporated and prioritized soil health and some of the lessons learned over the years.

DELAWARE DISTRICT DEMONSTRATES PLANTING GREEN

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, Delaware’s  Sussex Conservation District held its annual Soil Health Field Day. This year, the theme was "Planting Green."

Hosted at NACD Soil Health Champion  Chip Baker’s farm, approximately 100 people gathered to learn about how to manage fields to boost organic matter and weed suppression.

The day began with a short presentation from  Chris Brosch, the Nutrient Management Plan Program Administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture.

Brosch discussed three parts of Delaware’s upcoming version of the Nutrient Management Plan – increasing conservation tillage to 90 percent, more than doubling cover crop acres, and enhancing nutrient management.

Speaking about cover crops,  he said, “Not only are they good for improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, but they also give farmers a great return on investment.”

Read the rest of the blog on NACD's blog page.

BARKER RANCH HOSTS

FARM BILL

LISTENING SESSION

As part of efforts to bring together several key players in the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill and in conjunction with NACD’s push for grassroots engagement over the August Congressional recess, NACD First Vice President Michael Crowder hosted a Farm Bill Listening Session at Barker Ranch on Aug. 21, 2019.

The event featured a panel of policymakers and USDA agency representatives, followed by a question and answer session for attendees to learn more about USDA activities and implementation of the farm bill.

Panel speakers included (pictured above from left to right):

As second in the nation in number of crops produced, Washington State's diverse agricultural and forestry industries enable multiple partners to meet the needs of producers. The panel members highlighted these successful partnerships, while also discussing the benefits of the new farm bill.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Associate Chief Kevin Norton stressed that a reduction in paperwork will ensure conservation is on the ground faster and Washington NRCS State Conservationist Roylene Comes at Night noted the value of NRCS’ local working groups.

The question and answer session allowed attendees to learn more about the changes in the farm bill and USDA programs, including USDA staffing strategies, provisions in the farm bill related to drought and water conservation, and modifications to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Norton also discussed the number of farm bill programs available to beginning farmers and ranchers and other underserved groups. NACD Board Member Doug Rushton was also present at the event and stated the panel members brought a lot of energy and positive support for the farm bill and the state of Washington. 

LEADERS GATHER

IN IOWA FOR CONSERVATION TOUR

The Conservation Technology and Information Center (CTIC) Conservation in Action Tour was held in central Iowa, Aug. 20 – 21, which brought together industry leaders alongside conservation partners from nonprofit organizations and government agencies to explore conservation efforts in Iowa.

Much of the tour centered around Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy and edge-of-field conservation systems such as bioreactors and saturated buffers.

One of the tour stops was in Nevada, Iowa, at the Couser Cattle Company, an operation that continues to experiment with conservation practices on both the cattle operation and its crop side of the business. As a vehicle for community outreach, the Cousers are developing a 220-acre AGvocacy Learning Farm, which will be a site for research and demonstration trials.

The tour also included a visit to the Iowa Land Improvement Contractors Association (LICA) Farm in Melbourne, Iowa. This 80-acre farm was purchased by LICA in 2003 as a demonstration farm, providing association members a place to construct a wide range of conservation systems, which help farmers trap nutrients from flowing off-site.

NACD President and CTIC board member Tim Palmer served as co-chair for the tour where Iowa is his home state. Additionally, NACD Director of Development Laura Demmel , North Central Region Representative Beth Mason and many conservation district employees and commissioners throughout Iowa were in attendance.



The event provided all attendees both valuable demonstrations of conservation practices at work, as well as valuable networking time with conservation leaders from across the country.

SEPTEMBER U&C WEBINAR FOCUSES

ON ENGAGING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The next NACD Urban and Community (U&C) Conservation webinar, scheduled for  12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern on  Sept. 19, 2019, will focus on engaging government support for farmland preservation funding programs.

The Idaho Conservation Commission and the American Farmland Trust will share how they are working to create a funding program to purchase easements and land to conserve working farms in Idaho. Working closely with conservation districts, land trusts and others, the Commission is working to educate elected officials about the value of protecting farm lands and the impacts of their decisions on farm properties. Various outreach techniques that are being used will be discussed, including one-on-one meetings, partner meetings, farm tours, soil symposia, field days and outreach.

These popular webinars, held on the third Thursday of each month, are sponsored by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation in partnership with the NACD Urban and Community Resource Policy Group. There is no cost to participate, but space is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To register, click  here and fill out this online form. If you have difficulty, please contact NACD Senior Advisor   Debra Bogar at  deb-bogar@nacdnet.org with your name, title, district or business name, state and email address. Information to access the webinar will be sent by email. 

NACD Office Closed for Labor Day

NACD's office will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2, in recognition of Labor Day.

On this day, we want to thank all those who work hard to ensure that conservation practices are implemented nationwide.

NACD Hosts Fourth Listening Session

At the end of the Conservation Districts of Iowa (CDI) meeting, NACD held the North Central Region Listening Session. This session is one of six scheduled across the country to offer an opportunity for NACD leadership bto connect with members.

NACD President Tim Palmer , Executive Board North Central Region Representative Alex Schmidt , North Central Region Chair Kris Swartz , Director of Development Laura Demmel and North Central Region Representative Beth Mason were all present to share updates on NACD’s activities and services, as well as answer questions from local leaders in Iowa.

The Northeast Region will host a listening session on Oct. 23 in Flatwoods, W.V., with tentative plans for additional listening sessions in the Pacific. Learn more on NACD’s Listening Sessions webpage.

Apply Today: NCF-NGLI Accepting Applications

The National Conservation Foundation (NCF) is seeking applicants for its inaugural cohort of the Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI).

NGLI, a program of the NCF, will train seven applicants over the course of 2020, with one participant selected from each of NACD's regions.

During the year-long NGLI program, currently-appointed conservation district officials will be equipped for leadership at the local, state and national level through several in-person trainings focused on personal, civic and organizational leadership development.

Applications are due  Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. To learn more about the program and apply, visit the NGLI webpage.

MACD Holds

Summer Meeting

Last week, the Maine Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) held its summer meeting, hosted by the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD).

NACD’s Northeast Region Representative Eric Hansen presented an overview of NACD’s programs. Attendees also heard from the Maine state champion Envirothon team from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay, Maine.

The Spruce Mountain team recently returned from the international NCF-Envirothon and presented a report on the competition.

In conjunction with the summer meeting, the Cumberland County SWCD recently purchased its office building and hosted a celebratory open house.

NACD Welcomes Friend Chessa Frahm

NACD would like to welcome our new Friend of NACD, Chessa Frahm (pictured second from left).

Frahm is the district manager for the Lac qui Parle Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Minnesota.

Interested in becoming a Friend of NACD? Learn more on  NACD’s website.

Conservation Leaders Gather in Atlanta for KFAF Meeting

More than 25 forestry and conservation leaders from southern states met in Atlanta, Ga., last week for the Keeping Forests as Forests (KFAF) meeting. NACD was represented by Executive Board Southeast Region Representative and Forestry Resource Policy Group (RPG) member Gary Blair (pictured) of Mississippi.

KFAF was created as a broad regional initiative with a focus on maintaining the long-term economic and ecological viability of southern forests.

The group’s goal is to maintain timberland acres with no net loss to urban sprawl and development. To learn more, visit KFAF's website.

USFS Seeks Applicants for 2020 Community Forest Program

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is seeking applications for the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program (Community Forest Program or CFP). 

The purpose of the program is to establish community forests by protecting forest land from conversion to non-forest uses and provide community benefits such as sustainable forest management, environmental benefits including clean air, water and wildlife habitat; benefits from forest-based educational programs; benefits from serving as models of effective forest stewardship; and recreational benefits secured with public access.

Interested applicants must forward applications to the appropriate regional office or International Institute of Tropical Forestry by Feb. 6, 2020. 

To learn more, visit the Federal Register's webpage. 

Promote your conservation district or state association's tree sale, annual meeting, webinar, field day or more on NACD's Calendar of Events!