| 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 accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
NACD Blog: Anchorage SWCD: Cultivating Alaska’s Future In November 2021, the Anchorage Soil and Water Conservation District (ASWCD) in Alaska was re-established with a renewed focus on addressing local environmental challenges. Current initiatives include the Invasive Species Program, Urban Agriculture Program, and Native Plants Program, along with collaborations on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). NACD Blog: Agriculture & Sustainable Energy STEM Career Academy Tricities Benton Conservation District (BCD) is a proud recipient of the Friends of NACD Grant in 2023. BCD partnered with others to develop the Energy and Ag Career Academy for high school students. This program grew out of the need to build a diverse workforce that will tackle the issues of modern agriculture, conservation, climate change, and clean energy through meaningful, local careers.
NPR: Many farmers are feeling powerless against deer causing damage Financially, farmers are dealing with a lot right now. Farming is getting more expensive as crop prices are dropping. And lately, farmers in Georgia and other agricultural states have been raising the alarm about white-tailed deer, which can cause millions of dollars’ worth of damage.
Agriculture Dive: Farm bill ‘will need an extension’ Senate ag chair Senate leaders committed to securing additional funding for the farm bill, Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow said Wednesday, as she notes an extension of current legislation will likely become necessary.
Phys Org: 1.6 million acres of Great Plains grasslands were destroyed in 2021 alone, World Wildlife Fund says In 2021 alone, 1.6 million acres were plowed across the United States and Canada to make way for primarily row crop expansion, according to the World Wildlife Fund’s annual Plowprint Report. The report analyzed grasslands plow-up in North America using government data and satellite imagery from the past two years.
Morning AgClips: Predicting Nationwide Crop Water Availability by Understanding Soil Influences A team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to generate knowledge and tools such as national-level predictive models to develop a better understanding of how changes in soil texture and structure influence the availability of water for crops.
Associated Press: How extreme weather in the US may have affected the pumpkins you picked this year for Halloween For some pumpkin growers in states like Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, this year’s pumpkin crop was a reminder of the water challenges hitting agriculture across the Southwest and West as human-caused climate change exacerbates drought and heat extremes. Some farmers lost 20% or more of their predicted yields; others, like Mazzotti, left some land bare.
Valley Water News: Protecting Pollinators In the heart of Santa Clara County, where the busy urban landscape meets pockets of natural beauty, a crucial battle is being fought for the survival of some of nature’s most important creatures: pollinators. Valley Water has the responsibility to not only manage our region’s water supply but to protect the ecosystems that depend on it. We’re dedicated to these efforts and continue to explore new ways to ensure pollinators thrive.
USDA: Urban and Innovative Producers, Public Invited to Attend November Meeting of Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages urban producers, innovative producers and other stakeholders to submit comments for and virtually attend the upcoming public meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (Committee) on Nov. 29, 2023.
The Oxford Eagle: OHS’s Amy Rosen named conservation district’s ‘outstanding teacher of the year’ Oxford High School physics teacher Amy Rosen has been named “Oustanding Teacher of the Year” by the Lafayette County Soil & Water Conservation District. Rosen is the adviser for the award-winning OHS Envirothon team, a competition hosted nationally by the National Conservation Foundation (NCF).
Morning AgClips: Conservation District Testifies at Stormwater Hearing On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Chelsey Weyant, Blair County Conservation District’s Stormwater Coordinator/Watershed Specialist, provided testimony to the Senate Democratic Policy Committee on the consequences of insufficient funding to address stormwater issues. Weyant represented the district, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, and the Blair County Intergovernmental Stormwater Committee.
Upper Michigan Source: Marquette County Conservation District hosts Trick-or-Treat Trash Clean Up Things got a little spooky at a trash pick-up event in Marquette on Monday. The Marquette County Conservation District hosted a Trick-or-Treat Trash Clean Up event. Volunteers wore their creepiest costumes to collect trash in Picnic Rocks Park in Marquette. After the cleanup, there was a costume contest and treats for the volunteers.
Bay Journal: Farmers question whether Chesapeake Bay model reflects reality The state-federal Chesapeake Bay Program had a clear message for farmers in September: Their runoff control efforts are accelerating and helping to clean up the Bay. What’s actually happening? That’s far less clear.
Alexander County: 30th Annual Alexander County Environmental Field Days event hosts almost 400 students The Alexander Soil & Water Conservation District held its 30th Annual Environmental Field Days on October 25-26 at H&H Arena and Herman Dairy Farm. The event hosted 392 fifth-grade students and 22 teachers from seven public elementary schools, two Christian schools, and one homeschool.
West Bend News: Black Swamp Nature Center is Now Home to a Beautiful Pavilion “We are thrilled to announce that our new pavilion is now open to visitors,” says Anna Gurney, Educational Specialist, Paulding Soil and Water Conservation District. “This project has been a labor of love, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to its success.”
South Dakota Ag Connection: Growing to New Heights with NRCS To lengthen her growing season, Rhonda opted for a high tunnel using financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentive Program’s (EQIP) High Tunnel Initiative. Given the nature of the old soybean field, Rhonda had immediate concerns about the soil and how to deliver much needed water to the plants. Working with District Conservationist Kelsey Ramerth, a conservation plan was developed to ensure that the high tunnel was in an advantageous location and to address the water and soil resource concerns.
Pioneer Review: Conservation 80th Anniversary In 1937, the SD Legislature passed the District Law, authorizing the formation of Soil Conservation Districts at the local level by local people to encourage the wise use of our natural resources. This led to the birth of the Haakon County Conservation District, as the following year a small group of farmers and ranchers in the area began a movement toward the formation of such a district.
Morning AgClips: NH Conservation Districts Announce 2024 Round of Climate Resilience Grant Program The 10 New Hampshire Conservation Districts are thrilled to announce the 2024 grant round of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant. The mission of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant is to support and empower local farmers to build climate resilience throughout the Granite State.
Morning AgClips: DEC Announces $12.9M Available to Support Urban and Community Forestry New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced that applications are now being accepted for a total of $12.9 million for urban and community forestry projects through the Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunity. |