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: South Dakota Districts Pool Resources to Address EAB
11/23/21
Kingsbury Conservation District was recently awarded funding from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Resource Conservation and Forestry Division for an urban forestry project to address the emerald ash borer (EAB).
NACD Blog: Helping Kids Understand the ‘Why’ of Forestry
11/24/21
For the Tillamook School District, located about 70 miles west of Portland, Oregon, Envirothon is almost a rite of passage when it comes to learning about forestry.
NACD Blog: Forestry Q&A with Michael Crowder
11/24/21
NACD President Michael Crowder manages farming operations in Illinois and Washington state and is actively involved in the management of his family’s third-generation farm in Indiana. Recently, Crowder shared time with NACD Forestry Notes.
NACD Blog: Narragansett Food Sovereignty: A Life’s Passion
11/29/21
One of the NFSI’s priorities is to reinstate the connection between the Narragansett and local community to this land through agriculture and natural resource preservation.
NACD Blog: State Forestry Agency Helps Provide Questions, Support
11/29/21
Earlier this year, Nebraska hosted the international Envirothon competition, which meant that Nebraska Forest Service participated in contributing questions in one of the four core areas: forestry.
County News Review: Isanti Soil and Water Conservation District names Wyanett Town Board as 2021 Outstanding Conservationists
11/26/21
Congratulations to the Wyanett Town Board for receiving the 2021 Isanti Soil and Water Conservation District’s Outstanding Conservationist Award.
Tyler Star News: Conservation District Honors the Wells Farm
10/28/21
The Wells Farm, located in Tyler County, was one of four West Virginia farms recognized as a Sesquicentennial (150 year) Farm for 2021. The same family must have had ownership for a minimum of 150 years to be designated a Sesquicentennial Farm.
Observer Today: The Chautauqua County Soil and Water Conservation District awarded $1 million
11/29/21
The district will receive $503,430 to work with one farm in the Chautauqua Lake Watershed. The project will address agricultural nutrient runoff by providing manure storage and improved nutrient management and restore a riparian forest buffer to act as a filter for overland flow and enhance existing tree plantings.
News Channel Nebraska: Lower Big Blue NRD studying watershed needs, eyeing office move
By Doug Kennedy
11/29/21
Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District officials continue to study what is one of the oldest watersheds in the State of Nebraska….from Cortland to Beatrice.
Nebraska Association of Resource Districts: Five Students Take State in Conservation Poster Contest
11/29/21
Each NRD selects a winner from their district contest to compete in the state competition. The state winners take home a $25 prize and will go on to compete in the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) poster contest for a chance to win $200.
Brainerd Dispatch: SWCD announces winners of 9th annual photo contest
11/30/21
The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District recently announced the winners of its ninth annual photography contest.
Mvskoke Media: Committee passes agriculture grant funds expenditure
By Morgan Taylor
11/30/21
MCN Natural Resource Conservation District was awarded the 2021 Native American Agricultural Fund grant in the amount of $197,060.73.
ADMC: ADMC is working with the Conservation Drainage Network to gain insights from drainage contractors
11/29/21
ADMC, along with members of the Conservation Drainage Network Growth Subcommittee, invites contractors to participate in a brief survey.
The North Platte Telegraph: Producers eligible for cover crop initiative in southwest Nebraska
11/27/21
Through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, ag producers in Frontier, Furnas, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock and Red Willow counties in southwest Nebraska are eligible to receive funding through the Cropland Cover Initiative to plant cover crops on their cropland.
Agri-Pulse: Cover crops can benefit farmers, earth in many ways
By Noah Wicks and Philip Brasher
11/29/21
(Subscriber Only) Farmers who use the right cover crops in conjunction with a no-till system can trap an extra 750 to 800 pounds of carbon per acre per year in the soil, says Rattan Lal, a soil scientist at The Ohio State University.
AGDAILY: New USDA partnership focuses on underserved producers
11/29/21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is helping to ensure that underserved farmers, ranchers, and foresters have the tools, programs and support they need to succeed in agriculture.
Hays Post: SW Kan. farmer receives Leopold Conservation Award
11/29/21
Dwane Roth of Holcomb has been selected as the recipient of the 2021 Kansas Leopold Conservation Award.
Agri-Pulse: NRCS funds three California water quality projects for 2022
By Sara Wyant
11/24/21
(Subscriber Only) USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded $1.6 million in funding through the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) for three projects in high priority watersheds in California to help agricultural producers improve water quality.
Agweek: Demonstration field on North Dakota farm shows the value of trying new things
By Jenny Schlecht
11/29/21
Jason Strand isn’t farming for bushels, and he’s pleased with his 60-acre field, which he hopes can highlight soil health principles and the idea that farming and ranching success isn’t always tied to yield.
The Denver Post: “Old technique applied to a modern world” brings rotational cattle grazing to a housing development south of Littleton
By Conrad Swanson
11/30/21
Allowing cattle to graze periodically can breathe new life into the earth, experts say.
NPR: The butterflies are back! Annual migration of monarchs shows highest numbers in years
By Michael Levitt and Christopher Intagliata
11/26/21
But this year, the numbers are starting to pick up. Biologists and volunteers across California have already counted more than 100,000 monarchs.
The Wichita Eagle: How to save and restore Kansas’ prairie, acre by acre
By Sarah Spicer
12/02/21
Beneath the ground, the roots of the big bluestem will stretch nearly 12 feet deep, leaving deposits that enrich the soil and anchor it against the strong Kansas winds. “This is what made our soils strong enough that we could live here.”
Leader-Telegram: To till or not to till: Rice County farmers advocate for no-till practices
By Michelle Vlasak
11/30/21
With a primary focus on taking good care of the soil, Legvold and Little have both implemented no-till into their fall farming practices.
CalMatters: Drought has big impacts on California agriculture
By Dan Walters
11/30/21
As California experiences a second year of drought, with no end in sight, the effects on California’s largest-in-the-nation agricultural industry are profound and perhaps permanent.
The Lily: She’s a registered farmer — and she’s only six years old
By Julianne McShane
11/29/21
In her backyard farm, she grows sweet potatoes, collard greens, cabbages, broccoli, apples, pears, strawberries, tomatoes and blueberries, she said. In June, Ursula registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Kendall’s behalf, making her one of the youngest such registered farmers, her family believes.
Associated Press: NFWF Announces $646,000 in Conservation Grants to Support Important Water-Dependent Species in the Southeast
11/30/21
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $646,000 in grants that will restore and enhance aquatic habitats to protect imperiled native freshwater aquatic species in watersheds within Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Bay Journal: Virginia program aims to foster grassland bird habitat on farms
By Whitney Pipkin
11/29/21
Virginia’s Piedmont grasslands — think of the area surrounding Shenandoah National Park — are frequented by more than 100 bird species, including the bobolink and bobwhite quail, that use the grasses for breeding, overwintering and nesting.
Agri-Pulse: New prescribed burning laws offer more resources for landowners
By Brad Hooker
11/24/21
(Subscriber Only) “What we’re seeing is a real movement in California around community-based prescribed fire,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, a UC Cooperative Extension fire advisor for the North Coast region.
USDA: USDA Announces Agricultural Outlook Forum Theme and Program
11/30/21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the theme and program of the 98th Agricultural Outlook Forum, a virtual event that will be held on February 24-25, 2022.
La Junta Tribune-Democrat: Protecting pollinators critical to holiday food favorites
By Candace Krebs
12/01/21
By now there’s broad awareness of the critical role pollinators play in most of the delicious foods that grace the traditional holiday table but researchers are only just scratching the surface in understanding how agricultural land and pollinator habitat can be interwoven together to benefit both.
Phys.org: Researchers investigate combined effect of drought, fire on stream communities, highlighting importance of headwaters
By Harrison Tasoff
12/01/21
Despite the importance of these waterways, scientists still don’t fully understand how they respond to fires. That’s why a team at UC Santa Barbara and the National Forest Service have studied wildfire impacts on streams over the past five years in parts of the Los Padres National Forest.
The Hutchinson News: Kansas farmers find the worth of partnering with dairies to obtain cow manure for soil health
By Alice Mannette
12/01/21
Aside from producing milk, cows manufacture another nutritious ingredient for soil health — manure.
NBC News: Sierra Nevada snowpack, a crucial water resource, could disappear in 25 years
By Denise Chow
12/01/21
The worrisome findings, published Oct. 26 in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, have serious implications for California’s water supply and add to a growing list of water woes in the western United States, which remains in the grips of a decades-long megadrought.