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: Coalition Supports the Gulf Hypoxia Program
12/04/2025
The undersigned organizations collectively represent a broad array of state governments and agricultural, navigation, and conservation interests, aligned in support of the Gulf Hypoxia Program, the Hypoxia Task Force partnership, and the states’ nutrient reduction strategies. Together, we are writing to respectfully request ample funding in FY 2027 for the Gulf Hypoxia Program.
USDA-NRCS: Hugh Hammond’s Birthplace was Part of the First Soil Conservation District in Nation
11/25/2025
The Brown Creek District became the example for other conservation districts in other states. By July 1, 1945, all 48 states had passed district-enabling acts. Today, there are over 3,000 conservation districts in all 50 states that not only address soil conservation, but also water, forests and wildlife. They coordinate assistance from all available sources—public and private, local, state and federal—to develop locally-driven solutions to natural resources concerns.
Farmweek Now: Fordyce: FSA modernization ‘going to be a priority’
12/01/2025
Richard Fordyce’s appointment was approved by Congress in mid-September. The position oversees key USDA agencies, including FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. A fourth-generation farmer himself, Fordyce was also previously the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. In a recent interview with Jim Taylor of the RFD Radio Network, Fordyce said he didn’t have much time between his Sept. 18 appointment and a federal government shutdown that began in October, but his hope during his tenure is to see FSA offices modernized across the country.
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Forbes: Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy: Tennessee’s Nature-Based Solutions
By Bill Frist | Tennessee | Southeast Region
11/17/2025
Tennessee is proving that strategic investments in nature deliver measurable gains in both human health and economic resilience. From rebuilding soil through no-till farming to restoring forests and grasslands that filter air and capture carbon, the state is proving that natural (nature-based) systems are vital infrastructure for human well-being.
KCUR: A native prairie bird lost federal protection. People are still trying to save it on private land
By Anna Pope and Chloe Bennett-Steele | Oklahoma | South Central Region
12/01/2025
The commission doesn’t have lesser prairie chicken-specific programs, but other management plans, including red cedar removal and prescribed burns, help the remaining populations. Some of the programs have a cost-share option to cover up to 90% of the financial burden for farmers and ranchers, Lam said. The commission allocates the funds to conservation districts that run the programs locally.
Upper Michigan Source: KI Sawyer ‘food forest’ works to make fresh food more accessible
By Julia Seitz | K.I. Sawyer, MI | North Central Region
12/02/2025
K.I. Sawyer community members learned about a food forest project Tuesday night. The Marquette County Conservation District, Let’s Grow K.I. Community Garden and Marquette County held a gathering at K.I. Sawyer Elementary School. The kick-off event taught residents about the collaboration to plant over 200 trees along the Silver Lead Greenway between the school and Little Trout Lake.
University of Rhode Island: URI faculty receive funding from National Science Foundation to pilot research including indigenous agriculture and digital health tech
By Dawn Bergantino | Kingston, RI | Northeast Region
12/02/2025
Regenerative agriculture is a sustainable farming approach that actively restores nature, and increases biodiversity and includes silvopasture, the integration of livestock and trees on the same piece of land. This project will address the question of whether regenerative agriculture creates better wildlife habitat than traditional pasture and planting. The project will use Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to record bird and bat calls, and camera traps to quantify faunal use at Peckham and Ashawaug farms.
USDA-NRCS: Russell Creek Reservoir – Dawson County, Georgia
Dawson County, GA | Southeast Region
12/03/2025
The Russell Creek Reservoir in Dawson County, Georgia, is a living example of what it takes to safeguard growing communities and preserve vital resources for their future. Right now, partners – including USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – are working together to transform a dam into a reservoir to protect a community for the long-term, helping prevent flooding and ensuring water during times of drought.