| 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: James River SCD Encourages Community Conservation Exploration and Education In 2023, the James River Soil Conservation District (SCD) in Dickey County, North Dakota, hosted a variety of educational programs for children and adults with help from the Friends of NACD Grant program. With this grant they were able to increase awareness of natural resource conservation, showcase native flora and fauna to local urban communities, and introduce the community to their recently acquired natural resource and agricultural education property.
USDA Rural Development: USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Strengthen Rural Cooperatives That Serve Socially Disadvantaged Groups U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden today announced that USDA is inviting applications for grants to strengthen rural cooperatives that serve and are made up of people who are part of socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas.
Tribal Business News: USDA allocates $100 million to boost tribal conservation, climate-smart agriculture A pair of new federal funding opportunities to support conservation and climate-smart agriculture initiatives includes a $100 million set-aside for tribal-led projects, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture Dive: Drying up: Can desert farms survive a changing climate? Climate change is making agriculture more challenging and less predictable all over the U.S. But the farm-rich Southwest may face the most imminent threat, as extreme heat, a 20-year drought, and shifting weather patterns make growing crops increasingly difficult.
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry: Ranking Member Boozman Speaks in Support of FARMER Act U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined his colleagues on the Senate floor to voice support for the Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience (FARMER) Act which seeks to improve crop insurance affordability by increasing premium support for the highest levels of coverage and enhancing the Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO).
ALFA Farmers: Survey Says: Healthy Soils Pay Off As Stan Usery Jr. pulls a chopped cotton stalk from the Limestone County soil, a treasure trove emerges. It’s a late-winter bounty of wiggling worms, riotous roots and inches-deep organic matter. Those pay dividends for farmers like Usery, who cultivate soil health through reduced tillage, cover crops and more.
The Journal of San Juan Islands: Youth Conservation Corps now accepting applicants Calling all island youth passionate about the natural world! San Juan Islands Conservation District is excited to announce applications are open for the Youth Conservation Corps summer program. The eight-week program runs from June 17 to Aug. 18. Fifteen crew members (ages 12-18) are accepted into the program each year, led by two adult crew leaders per island on Orcas, Lopez, and San Juan Islands.
Thomasville Times-Enterprise: What do you want from increased SWCD funding? SWCDs receive a significant amount of funding each year from the state Legislature through Clean Water Indiana. That funding is then allocated to local districts and funneled into programs based on what the communities say they need.
Just Melanie W: Upper Big Blue NRD staff join Nebraska NRDs in Washington D. C. to advocate for conservation funding Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) were represented by nearly 50 directors and staff in Washington, D.C., March 18-20, 2024. Representing the Upper Big Blue Natural Resource District were staff members Jack Wergin, Chrystal Houston and David Eigenberg. Nebraska’s NRDs advocate for strengthening tools to preserve and fund natural resources projects, which includes engaging policymakers from the grassroots level with a unified voice.
The Winchester Star: Envirothon tests local students’ knowledge of natural resources Students from Frederick County’s James Wood and Millbrook high schools went up against peers from Warren and Shenandoah County Tuesday at the local Envirothon competition. Seven teams from the Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District’s service area competed, with Massanutten Regional Governor’s School’s Team B in Shenandoah County winning the local title and earning a spot in the regional Envirothon Competition.
Union-Recorder: Jackson national Soil Health Champion Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms has been named a Soil Health Champion by the National Association of Conservation Districts. Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District worked with NACD to nominate Jackson based on his extraordinary work to promote soil health management practices on his own farm and advance the adoption of these practices within his community. |