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.
Agriculture Dive: EPA awards $15M to research how PFAS contaminate food and farmland
By Sarah Zimmerman
09/09/2024
The Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $15 million in research grants last week to study and reduce the impact of “forever chemicals” on U.S. farmland and food supply. Ten institutions received funding to collect data on how per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contaminate crops and livestock. The research projects will also explore strategies to reduce PFAS exposure.
NPR: Regenerative agriculture is sold as a climate solution. Can it do all it says?
By Julia Simon
09/10/2024
Tipton’s farm is part of something bigger. A push by businesses and governments into something called “regenerative agriculture.” That’s a term used for farming practices, like cover crops, that proponents say are good for the environment and the climate. Many food businesses now promote regenerative farming practices as a climate solution.
Farm Progress: Finding a good place for pollinators on the farm
09/10/2024
Parasitoids and moths, as well as bees and butterflies, are all valuable pollinators that can find a place on a farm. “If we’re going into a farm field, and we’re suppressing our pests all the time, we’re inadvertently suppressing the predators and the parasitoids that could be helping us out,” Powell says.
Agriculture Dive: Can a farm bill pass in 2024?
By Sarah Zimmerman
09/11/2024
The chances of passing a farm bill this year appear more unlikely as election year politics scramble negotiation efforts and threaten delays that could last well into 2025. Congress returned to Washington on Monday with a little less than three weeks to approve the sweeping $1.5 trillion spending bill, which includes management of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the farm safety net.
KSNT: Biologists track invasive species reaching ‘impressive sizes’ in Neosho River
By Matthew Self | Topeka, KS | Northern Plains Region
08/23/2024
Kansas wildlife officials are switching up their tactics to manage a large invasive fish species creeping into one of the state’s rivers. Biologists with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) are turning their efforts to the Neosho River in southeastern Kansas this year in a combined effort with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and Missouri State University (MSU) to understand the movements of invasive carp species.
Yahoo! News: Partnership helps Ottawa County farmers shift to no-till, clean watersheds
By Ellen Bacca | Zeeland, MI | North Central Region
09/06/2024
Ottawa Conservation District is partnering with local farmers to restore watersheds through practical solutions with its Watershed Restoration Programs. The conservation district is separate from Ottawa County government. The programs provide technical and financial assistance to farmers looking to make changes to their property to help restore the watershed.
Mansfield News Journal: ‘A struggle to grow things’: Ohio’s drought has become worse and is threatening farmers
By Zach Tuggle | Ohio | North Central Region
09/06/2024
Ohio’s prolonged drought is forcing premature harvest of withered crops and depleting hay and feed reserves that had been stored for winter. “The effect will be long lasting,” said Ty Higgins, director of communications for the Ohio Farm Bureau. Of the Buckeye State’s 88 counties, 87 were highlighted as parched when the U.S. Drought Monitor released its updated map Thursday.
VT Digger: EPA orders Vermont to change how the state regulates some farms
By Emma Cotton | Vermont | Northeast Region
09/09/2024
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is requiring Vermont to change the way it regulates some types of farms after an investigation showed that a state program is not complying with the Clean Water Act, the federal agency told the state in a letter on Friday.
Brittany Pettersen Press Office: Pettersen, Hickenlooper, Moran, and Ciscomani Intro Bill to Help Tribes, Rural Communities Access Federal Funding for Water Conservation
Colorado | Southwest Region
09/10/2024
Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Water Project Navigators Act. The bill would establish a new program at the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to fund “navigator” positions with states, Tribes, and rural communities to boost capacity for developing, funding, and implementing water management and conservation projects.
Yuba Net: Nevada County is securing the ‘Future of Ag’ with $500,000 grant for conservation planning
Nevada City, CA | Pacific Region
09/10/2024
Nevada County Resource Conservation District (NCRCD) and the County of Nevada have come together to secure a historic $500,000, 3-year planning grant through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program. This grant is part of the California Strategic Growth Council’s (SGC) more than $116 million in SALC grants approved earlier this year to permanently protect approximately 50,500 acres of croplands and rangelands, as well as lands utilized by California Native American tribes for the cultivation of traditional resources.
WEBU: Issues of the Environment: Washtenaw County Conservation District offering ‘cover crop’ program for local farmers
By David Fair | Washtenaw County, MI | North Central Region
09/11/2024
This year, the Washtenaw County Conservation District (WCCD) has partnered with the Lenawee Conservation District, Monroe Conservation District, Hillsdale Conservation District and Scott’s Cover Crops LLC to offer a Cover Crop Fly-on program for local producers.
Agri-View: New farmer creates innovation
Wausau, WI | North Central Region
09/11/2024
What Lee had in spades, however, was family members supportive of his new endeavor into farming. Lee first learned through his cousin KaYing Vang about technical- and financial-assistance programs available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Vang is the service’s District Conservationist for Pierce and St. Croix counties in Wisconsin.
WZMQ: New wildflower planting site coming to Pine Mountain
By Aimee Doyle | Iron Mountain, MI | North Central Region
09/11/2024
The Dickinson Conservation District has announced plans for a new native wildflower planting project at the Pine Mountain stairs in Dickinson County. The site, recently cleared by the Dickinson Trail Network, will see the first plantings next spring, following a $500 mini-grant awarded by the Dickinson Area Community Foundation.