| Conservation Clips is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what’s driving conservation. These articles are not indicative of NACD policy and are the opinions of their authors, unless otherwise noted. If you have a relevant submission or need assistance with accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
NACD Blog: A Cover and Capture Approach to Protect and Reduce Surface Runoff By Katrina Stacey 06/14/21 The Clermont Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) received a Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2011 for a project that aimed to integrate a best management practices-approach to reduce nutrient loads in the watershed.
NACD Blog: NACD Government Affairs Update: Biden Administration To Review WOTUS Definition By Mary Scott 06/14/21 On Wednesday, June 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army announced their intent to revise the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA).
NACD Blog: Oak Restoration Project Helps Landowners Give Back to the Land 06/11/21 Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) landowners are lining up to participate in what some might consider an “alternative” forestry effort: removing valuable Douglas fir to restore Oregon white oak and its wildlife habitat.
NACD Blog: New York SWCD Planting Riparian Buffers to Enhance Water Quality 06/11/21 The Schuyler County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in New York is using different state funding mechanisms to implement projects, including planting nearly 60 acres of riparian buffers to preserve and enhance water quality across several watersheds The Hill: For greater sage grouse success, local control matters By Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) and Michael Crowder 06/17/21 (Opinion) Local experts and communities offer important knowledge and perspective that should be relied upon when making decisions that affect them.
The Sheridan Press: Conservation district awards funding for water quality improvement projects 06/12/21 The Sheridan County Conservation District approved about $104,000 in funding assistance for six water quality improvement projects as part of its May 2021 application period.
WTAJ: $115k grant funds recreation projects across Blair, Cambria, Somerset By Alexis Loya 06/11/21 The funding will help the conservation district increase pedestrian mobility by adding two new trail sections. The new extensions will be gravel-based for the first 35 feet to create a welcoming entrance. The remaining will transition into hard-packed natural surfaces to meet ADA accessibility guidelines, the website said. They will lead visitors off the main trail and into the multi-functional riparian buffer.
The Laconia Daily Sun: Conservation District spring plant sale was a success 06/10/21 Community support for the Belknap County Conservation District spring plant sale is much appreciated. With over 300 plant sale orders, volunteers were key to the success of our annual fundraiser.
Fire Adapted Communities and Learning Network: Research Thursday: Increasing Resilience and Carbon Storage through In-forest Biochar Production By Kair Hoffman-Krull 06/10/21
The San Juan Islands Conservation District partnered with Oregon State University to conduct an in-forest biochar research project in the San Juan Islands from 2020-2021.
Victoria Advocate: Wharton County Soil & Water Conservation District honors poster, essay contest winners 06/09/21 The Wharton County Soil & Water Conservation District No. 342 in conjunction with the 2021 Texas Conservation Awards sponsored a poster and essay contest on soil and water conservation.
By Paul R. Kopenkoskey 06/14/21 The Ottawa Conservation District (OCD) has taken collaborative steps to ensure farmlands, watersheds and wildlife habitats continue to have a future. And that’s just for starters.
USDA-FSA: USDA Announces Dates for Conservation Reserve Program General and Grasslands Signups 06/14/21 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup 56.
Growing America: USDA to Invest $41.8 Million in Conservation Assistance for Producers in Drought-Impacted States 06/14/21
In response to historic drought conditions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering $41.8 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help agricultural producers in Arizona, California, Colorado and Oregon alleviate the immediate impacts of drought and other natural resource challenges on working lands.
Wallaces Farmer: Clean Water in Iowa tour kicks off Cedar River partnership project 06/10/21
“This project is a great example of what we can accomplish when rural and urban partners work together to achieve our shared soil health and water quality goals,” Naig said.
USDA-FS: From the Chief’s Desk: Announcement from Chief Christiansen [VIDEO] 06/08/21 I am announcing a personal decision I have made together with my family to retire from the USDA Forest Service. There is never a perfect time to retire because there are still things I would like to accomplish with you and for you.
Southeast AgNet: NRCS Providing Support for Urban Farming 06/14/21
From 2014 to 2019, NRCS completed more than 18,000 conservation practices totaling $41 million on urban farms covering more than 100,000 acres. NRCS can provide urban farmers with technical and financial assistance to make critical on-farm improvements in a variety of ways.
The Daily Scoop: Embattled Waters of the U.S. to be Redefined for Agriculture – Again By Rhonda Brooks 06/09/21 In April, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan told Congress he did not intend to return to the Obama administration’s definition of Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).
Real Agriculture: Soil School: Proving the benefits of rotational grazing 06/15/21 Soil health, in a rotational grazing and cattle operation sense, starts with ground cover and consistently adding organic matter that will eventually become sequestered carbon. Logistics-wise and from a management stand-point, how is improved soil health achieved in a cattle operation?
WAPT: ‘Never seen anything like it’: Historic flooding cripples Mississippi farmlands By Gracyn Cordon 06/11/21
The heavy rain and severe flooding in areas of North Mississippi and the Delta have impacted the farming community drastically.
By Amy Mayer 06/14/21 (Subscriber Only) California’s statewide office of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has awarded $319,000 in conservation innovation grants that will address soil health and carbon storage on pasture lands, tillage management for rice and the economics of soil health and water management.
Agri-Pulse: USDA announces coronavirus relief, CLEAR30 expansion (Subscriber Only) USDA announced plans Tuesday to provide additional coronavirus relief to farmers, biofuel producers and food companies and to expand the Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers conservation initiative, known as CLEAR30, to the entire country. The Daily Scoop: Field Work: Five Steps to Minimize Risk As You Adopt Regenerative Practices Partner with a local college or university. Compare notes with your neighbors. “We’re kind of all in this together,” Schober said. “If something’s working on your farm, chances are the soils are similar on neighboring farms. The whole county could benefit.”
Iowa Ag Connection: EPA Awards $2.5 Million for Iowa Farm Projects Improving Water Quality At a media event at the Iowa State Capitol Building Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the award of $2.5 million to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Practical Farmers of Iowa, as part of the Agency’s Farmer to Farmer grant program.
KFVS12: MDC: Emerald ash borer reported in 89 counties By Ashley Smith 06/09/21
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been reported in 89 counties.
AgWeb: 10 Percent of Contiguous U.S. Experiencing Exceptional Drought, Highest Since 2011 06/15/21 The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 10 percent of the contiguous U.S. is now under an “exceptional drought,” which is the highest the rate has been since 2011. NASA Earth Observatory: Western Soils and Plants are Parched 06/05/21 For the second year in a row, drought has parched much of the United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast. Following one of the planet’s warmest years on record, and with precipitation this year well below average in the western U.S., scientists and government agencies are watching for diminished water resources and potentially severe fire seasons. E&E News: Colo., Wyo. forests face most blazes in 2,000 years — study By Kylie Mohr 06/15/21 (Subscriber Only) A report published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that climate change is making subalpine forests in the Rocky Mountains more flammable now than at any time in the past 2,000 years.
South Dakota Ag Connection: Drought Creating Forage Shortage in North Dakota 06/17/21 The majority of livestock producers in North Dakota are faced with forage shortages due to drought.
NBC News: Toxic browntail moth caterpillars overwhelm parts of Maine 06/14/21 The caterpillars, which are active between April and mid-summer, have tiny, toxic hairs that can cause rashes and respiratory problems — not to mention branch dieback and tree death. And their population is booming in coastal and inland areas where there are plenty of trees to host their webs, state forest officials said.
Phys.org: Over half of the world’s rivers cease to flow for at least one day a year on average 06/16/21 A new study led by researchers from McGill University and INRAE found that between 51-60 percent of the 64 million kilometers of rivers and streams on Earth that they investigated stop flowing periodically, or run dry for part of the year.
Penn State News: Novel study looks at nitrogen credit trading to spur growth of riparian buffers Watershedwide nutrient credit trading has been suggested as a mechanism for reducing pollution entering the Chesapeake Bay, but a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that the high cost of producing nitrogen credits through the establishment of riparian buffers on Pennsylvania farmland currently does not provide an incentive for buffer establishment.
Interesting Engineering: These Robots and Machines Are the Future of Agriculture By Loukia Papadopoulos 06/12/21 The innovations used on farms are as diverse as you can imagine and all serve one lofty goal: to provide nutrition for ever-expanding populations.
AgWeb: Killing the Weed King: Could Groundbreaking Pollen Technology Control Palmer Amaranth? 06/16/21 An innovative, herbicide-free technology is under testing and aims to attack Palmer pigweed with its own pollen. Need to update your contact information, unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences? Click here to manage your profile./ |