The National Association of Conservation District's 2025 Annual Report has arrived! Browse the latest publication from NACD to catch up on activities, programs, and priorities from the last year.

In 2025, 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 completely revamped edition of the Annual Report, you'll find updates on NACD FY25 financials, advocacy efforts, national meetings, and more!

You'll also read about how conservation districts across the country are continuing to champion locally led conservation in their communities with the support of NACD grants and programs, including:

• How year-round educational resources are supporting classroom programs, library events, outdoor learning days, and more;
• Where in Texas and Alabama, NACD's Perimeter Fencing grant program has helped control feral swine and reduce damages to producers' land;
• How a Soil Health Champion in Oklahoma is training veterans and first responders in safe bee hive removal, allowing the pollinators to thrive in a new location.

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 2026. 

JOIN CONSERVATION COFFEE ON BREWING PARTNERSHIPS

Join NACD's next Conservation Coffee webinar, Brewing Partnerships: Tackling Nitrate in Northeast Nebraska – Producer Outreach and Source Water Protection Through the Lower Elkhorn and Lewis & Clark Natural Resources Districts on April 23 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Presented by Jim Olson, Source Water Protection Specialist, learn how proactive outreach and producer partnerships are protecting drinking water in northeast Nebraska.

Nitrate contamination remains a persistent drinking water challenge across agricultural regions of the Midwest. This presentation shares an outreach model used in northeast Nebraska to proactively engage producers and communities whose water supplies are approaching the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nitrate maximum contaminant level. The session will highlight communication strategies, measurable outcomes, and lessons learned and explore the value of building a collaborative Source Water Protection Network to expand conservation impact.

Register for free here to receive a link to join.

WHAT'S UP IN WASHINGTON?

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS UPDATE

NACD members from across the country are in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with their congressional representatives to encourage passage of a bipartisan Farm Bill and continued funding of conservation programs and technical assistance. We look forward to welcoming those who are able to join us.

Make sure you're prepared by watching our Virtual Advocacy Training webinar recording and reviewing this year's Issue Papers. Please note, it may be a little chilly in the morning, but we are expecting it to be a beautiful day for conservation!

Visit the Spring Fly-In page for more information, including the day's agenda and answers to your frequently asked questions.

Provide Comments on NRCS Conservation Practice Standards



NRCS is reviewing and requesting feedback on the Conservation Practice Standards. They have provided redline changes to 48 current practice standards and a way to comment. Please take some time to review and provide comments.

Your input will help ensure technical assistance is relevant, flexible, and truly addresses the resource concerns affecting your operations. NRCS has posted the redline documents for 48 conservation practice standards on the NRCS CPS Website - just click and then scroll down the page to see the listing. Comments should be submitted via CPS Feedback by April 7, 2026.

Please note, the posted Conservation Practice Standard documents are Pre-Decisional/Deliberative, meaning they are not final policy and some have not yet been published to the federal register for public comment. This opportunity to provide feedback is in addition to the public comment period available in the Federal Register. Comments received will not be publicly posted.

DISTRICT COLLABORATIONS CROSS COUNTRY BORDERS

In conservation, it is often seen that natural resources, and the issues associated with them, do not adhere neatly with human borders. Many conservation districts work across municipal, county, and state boundaries. Some, like the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Maine, lie on national borders – in this case, the easternmost border of Canada – and must collaborate internationally to address land, water, wildlife, and agricultural concerns.

One such collaboration is that of Washington County SWCD’s work on Canada’s Campobello Island, just east of Lubec, Maine. Just as the natural resources flow across boundaries, so do people in this area. Many families and communities on the island, and in surrounding areas, are made up of both Canadian and American citizens. As Nate Pennell, Past Executive Director of Washington County SWCD, remarks, “We’re all Down East folks, whether you’re in Canada, or on the islands, or where[ever] you are here.”

While Campobello Island is part of New Brunswick, Canada, it holds cultural significance to both countries and is home to Canadians and Americans. Notably, Campobello holds the Roosevelt Cottage property, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt spent their summers.

While fishing on Campobello Island, Pennell learned from Roosevelt Cottage staff that the property was facing erosion issues after a recent coastal storm. Washington County SWCD quickly volunteered to provide technical assistance for the property’s erosion control and trail maintenance. They found that it would be quicker and easier for the district to provide this expertise since their office was only 20 miles away from Roosevelt Cottage and the corresponding Canadian office was over 100 miles away. As Pennell explains, “it matters not where the needs are, or who provides the services, so long as they are well-trained and caring people.”

Collaboration with Canadian partners continues to be an important part of Washington County SWCD’s work. Cross-border relationships are maintained by a variety of partnership committees for different resource concerns. Recently, watershed efforts have been the most prominent part of these partnerships for the district. To support the St. Croix River and Penobscot River watersheds, the district has installed multiple fish lifts as part of a larger effort within the two watersheds to keep the waterways healthy and preserve Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, and other native fish species.

The Washington County SWCD has built strong relationships with partner organizations on both sides of the border. These relationships allow for stronger and more holistic conservation and continue to be fruitful for the district’s work.

Read the full story on NACD's blog.