Last year, NACD, conservation districts, state and territory associations, and conservation partners across the U.S. continued to deliver natural resources conservation for working and natural lands. In this edition of the NACD Annual Report, you'll find updates on activities across the seven regions, NACD's portfolio of grant programs, the association's FY2024 finances, and more! You'll also read about how conservation districts across the country are continuing to champion locally led conservation in their communities.

On behalf of all of us at NACD, we are proud to be your national voice and look forward to the great work we have already started to accomplish together in 2025. 

JOIN US IN MILWAUKEE

FOR SUMMER MEETING

Registration is now open for NACD's 2025 Summer Conservation Forum & Tours! Hosted with Wisconsin Land + Water, the NACD Summer Meeting will be held in Milwaukee, WI this July 25-29, 2025.

Early bird registration is only open for a limited time, so don't delay. Save $50 per person by registering before July 7.

Hotel rooms in the NACD room block are available to reserve at the iconic Pfister Hotel. Room rates start at $235/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 July 7.

Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts on flights to Milwaukee for NACD Summer Meeting attendees! Explore options and book flights here. You may also call Delta Air Lines' Conferences and Events® line at 1-800-328-1111 and refer to Meeting Event Code NY3YK. There is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed through this 800 number.

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

NACD PRESIDENT BLAIR TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE AG COMMITEE

On Tuesday, May 13, NACD President Gary Blair participated in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on “Perspectives from the Field, Part 4: Conservation.” President Blair joined Brad Doyle from the Arkansas Farm Bureau, Lynn Tjeerdsma from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, Chad Ellis from the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, and Megan Dwyer from the Illinois Corn Growers Association in testifying to the full committee.

In his testimony, President Blair emphasized the importance of technical assistance, as well as the local capacity and resources needed to ensure producers receive timely and quality services. A lack of capacity can become a bottleneck in administering important financial assistance contracts to producers. He expressed deep concern about the reported separation of approximately 2,400 NRCS employees and return to FY2020 on-board staffing levels. 

Blair also discussed the importance of voluntary, incentive-based, and locally led farm bill conservation programs. Demand for conservation is high and even with Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, conservation programs are consistently oversubscribed. He also had the opportunity to emphasize that NACD’s top priority is to integrate IRA funding into the conservation title and express support for the House language.

Several of the Senators' questions pertained to local impacts as a result of staffing reductions and funding pauses. Blair had the opportunity to raise our members’ own voices by highlighting their responses to NACD’s March 2025 survey, where nearly 500 members submitted feedback. NACD expressed its desire to see USDA’s pause on new obligations lifted, particularly for IRA contracts with producers.

Read the full testimony or watch the recording.

NEW REPORT FROM RESTORE AMERICA'S ESTUARIES

Through our relationship with the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Foundation (SMGF), NACD participates in the SMGF National Partner Network. Our involvement in this network allows us to learn from a variety of other local and national nonprofits, share information with each other, and find ways to support each other’s work. Restore America’s Estuaries, a participant in the network, recently released a report on the impact of coastal restoration on the nation’s economy, Jobs and Dollars: Big Returns from Coastal Habitat Restoration.

The report provides many metrics on the economic value of coastal restoration and the impacts on job creation (including in agriculture and fisheries), storm damage mitigation, recreation, and more. For example:

• A 2022 economic assessment of the Chesapeake Bay watershed found that every $1 invested in agricultural conservation practices returns an average of $1.75 in economic activity.
• In Pennsylvania, such practices support 3,457 jobs and generate $352.5 million annually.
• Virginia and Maryland see similar benefits, with $191.2 million and $41.2 million in impacts, respectively.

For more, see the report, which is freely available online.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON? GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

NACD submitted comments on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service proposed rule to remove “habitat modification and degradation” from the definition of “harm” in the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This change is proposed as the USFWS makes an effort to adhere to the plain language of the statute, which does not include habitat modification as a basis for a “take.” NACD’s comments emphasize the need for local knowledge and coordination when making necessary adjustments to the enforcement of the ESA as well as transparency in species listing and critical habitat determinations.

The sweeping budget reconciliation bill, colloquially known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” passed the House Budget Committee in a rare Sunday night vote, sending the package to the House Floor. GOP leadership will now try to gather the necessary votes for full passage.

USDA has launched a new application round for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), with 1.8 million acres available for enrollment this fiscal year. Applications for both General and Continuous CRP are accepted through June 6, 2025. Dates for Grasslands CRP signup will be announced later. Learn more here.

DID YOU KNOW?

NACD'S COMMITTEES & SUBCOMMITTEES

Did you know that NACD’s Bylaws (available on our Member’s Only page) allow for three standing committees and several subcommittees, each of which work on behalf of our membership?

At the start of their term, the NACD President finalizes NACD's committee appointments, establishes subcommittees, and generally charges these groups with supporting our members through advocacy, education, partnerships, and other important services.

We have three standing committees and several subcommittees, each of which work on behalf of our members through projects like the following.

• The District and Partner Relations Committee started our popular Conservation Coffees series, which provides short, targeted learning and networking opportunities for our members.
• The Forestry Subcommittee regularly publishes Forestry Notes, sharing important updates, news, and success stories with members and also participates in several partnership efforts, for example, the Joint Forestry Team.
• The Water and Climate Subcommittee identifies key policy priorities for members related to water quality and quantity, participates in national conferences to share outcomes of conservation district work related to water, and recently organized a panel discussion for members to learn more during NACD’s 2025 Annual Meeting.

The above examples are a very small subset of the work these groups are doing on behalf of our members. Learn more about the committees and subcommittees and how to get involved on our blog.