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: NACD Transition Letter to President-Elect Trump
11/18/2024
Congratulations on your election to serve as the 47th President of the United States. In the coming weeks and months, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) looks forward to working with you and members of your transition team to support our country’s producers and voluntary, locally led conservation.
NACD: NACD Letter to Congress Urging Disaster Relief Legislation
12/02/2024
NACD urges Congress to work on a bipartisan basis to develop and pass disaster relief legislation this year that provides support to farmers, ranchers, and local communities affected by recent natural disasters.
NACD Blog: Tonto NRCD: Driving Restoration and Conservation Through Good Neighbor Authority
12/03/2024
Located in Arizona’s scenic Gila County, the Tonto Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD) plays a key role in conserving the Tonto National Forest, which spans nearly 2.9 million acres and serves as a vital ecological and economic resource. With most of the land in the district under federal ownership, Tonto NRCD focuses on sustainable management practices, educational outreach, and innovative collaborations to address local and national conservation challenges.
Farms.com: USDA Expands Crop Insurance for Dry Bean and Dry Pea Revenue Programs
12/02/2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced improvements to the dry bean and dry pea revenue crop insurance program for the 2025 and succeeding crop years. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) is expanding insurance options for dry bean and dry pea producers in select counties in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Agriculture Dive: Critical benefits of regenerative agriculture are flying under the radar
By Leo Bastos
12/02/2024
In addition to mitigating the impact of a changing climate, there are also many other significant outcomes of regenerative farming that are sometimes left out of the ESG conversation. Companies that support regenerative agriculture today should be taking note as part of their broader sustainability goals and reporting requirements.
USDA: Biden-Harris Administration Sets Record Investment in Private Lands Conservation in 2024 Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act
12/04/2024
The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) supported more than 23,000 climate-focused conservation contracts funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments cover over 11 million acres in fiscal year 2024, contributing to the highest total investment in private lands conservation in any year in the history of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Maine Public: Maine has one of the highest percentages of early career farmers
By Ari Snider | Maine | Northeast Region
11/29/2024
A new report finds that Maine has one of the highest percentages of new farmers of any state in the country, even as the average age of farmers in the state continues to rise. More than a third of farms and ranches in Maine are operated by new and beginning producers, meaning they’ve operated a farm or ranch for less than a decade.
The Weston Democrat: Lewis County, West Virginia, farmers battle drought with support from local and state agencies
By Logan D. Cottrell | Weston, WV | Northeast Region
11/30/2024
Despite the challenges, farmers have received crucial assistance throughout the drought. The West Fork Conservation District played a vital role by helping farmers address water-related issues, such as hauling water and developing new water sources, Loyd said.
The Fence Post: Grasslands conservation spotlighted during federal official’s Nebraska visit
By Leslie Reed | Lincoln, NE | Northern Plains Region
12/01/2024
The sweeping prairies of the Great Plains are shrinking by millions of acres every year under the combined pressure of cropland conversion and rapid spread of invasive trees. Highlighting the importance of grassland conservation in federal agriculture policy, Terry Cosby, Natural Resources Conservation Service chief, recently met with Dirac Twidwell, professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Derek McLean, dean of the Agricultural Research Division at Nebraska, along with Robert Lawson, Nebraska NRCS state conservationist and other partners.
The Gazette: Will derby ducks sail on a cleaner creek in 2025?
By Angie Hong | Bayport, MN | North Central Region
12/01/2024
The city recently restored a 300-foot stretch of degraded stream along Third Avenue North near Perro Park, in partnership with Middle St. Croix Watershed Management Organization and the Washington Conservation District. The goal of the project is to stabilize the streambank, reduce the amount of sediment and phosphorus flowing downstream to the St. Croix River, and improve habitat along Perro Creek.
GBP News: Ongoing research into farmer stress considers the specific needs of women workers
By Sofi Gratas | Georgia | Southeast Region
12/02/2024
Just over half of all U.S. farms report having a female producer and thousands more have women working in other roles. Those women are the focus of a new paper from the University of Georgia published in the Journal of Rural Mental Health. Researchers visited six rural South Georgia counties, conducting focus groups with women from farming families, and found an underlying pattern: Many women on farms, though proud of their life, feel lonely and stretched thin.
Herald Democrat: Getting one step closer to removing barriers to urban agriculture
By Harmony Jump | Lake County, CO | Southwest Region
12/03/2024
This fall, the Lake County Conservation District (LCCD) and Cloud City Conservation Center (C4) wrapped up the first year of a collaborative project aimed at reducing barriers to urban agriculture for Lake County residents. The project titled “Growing Gardens, Cultivating Community” was funded by the National Association of Conservation Districts’ Urban and Community Conservation Grant Initiative.
The Courier: Man throws shade in a good way for his community
By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp | Ohio | North Central Region
12/03/2024
For Hanavan, the conservation district helped him establish his first mini forest. “Every time I planted a tree it just made me feel good,” Hanavan said. So, he kept going. He picked up potted trees at nurseries and big box stores as he found them and planted them around his property. He also helped a friend convert 10 acres of former farmland into a wooded area.
Tri-State Neighbor: Tackling the green glacier
By Janelle Atyeo | Mellette County, SD | Northern Plains Region
12/03/2024
(Edited) As he helped a neighbor tag calves one spring, Rasmusson grew frustrated having to fight through overgrown, thorny brush in the pasture draws. His neighbor had planned to spray the pasture, but Rasmusson convinced him to try goats instead. Goats won’t kill a mature cedar, but they can tear through smaller brush and young trees. The smaller the cedars are when you start to tackle the encroachment issue, the easier they are to control, said Jewell Bork, program manager with the South Central South Dakota Resource Conservation District based in Murdo.