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: Keeping Working Lands Working with Conservation Easements
By Candice Abinanti, NACD Director of Communications in collaboration with the NACD Natural Resources Committee
01/16/2026
Land conversion and the loss of working lands to residential subdivisions, solar arrays, data centers, and other development are concerns NACD hears from conservation districts across the country. One tactic to keep working lands working is to permanently protect them through conservation easements.
Soil and Water Conservation Society: New Research Explores Soil Health and Conservation from Metrics to Farmer Mindsets
01/08/2026
Soil health is based on a complex interaction of physical, chemical, and biological components that can enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen soil ecosystems, and reduce the environmental impacts of farming. A special issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (JSWC) brings together cutting-edge research that assesses how various conservation practices promote soil health as well as how producers view their adoption.
Farm and Dairy: Don’t let your grassed waterways become an afterthought
By Eric Hange
01/20/2026
Grassed waterways are a familiar sight on many farms, quietly doing their job year after year. Because they often blend into the landscape, it can be easy to overlook just how important they are to protecting your soil, your yields and your long-term productivity.
AgWeb: ‘Dust Bowl’ Agency at USDA Looks to Cut Red Tape and Speed Up Slow Computers That Frustrate Farmers
By Tyne Morgan
01/1202026
To meet that challenge, Bettencourt is driving sweeping internal reforms, many of them invisible to farmers at first glance, that aim to reduce the number of times producers have to sign up, re-sign up, re-enter data or wait for answers. The goal, she says, is to get NRCS staff out from behind desks and back into the field, and to make USDA work at the speed agriculture actually operates.
Conservation%20Clips%20new%20banner%20(72%20x%2018%20in)%20(1).png
National Association of State Conservation Agencies: Arkansas Gains Ground in the Battle Against Feral Hogs
Arkansas | South Central Region
01/01/2025
The state also lacked dedicated, full-time personnel with specialized training in large-scale hog removal, leading many property owners to deal with the problem on their own. A major shift came after Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which created the USDA’s Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP). Arkansas received a $3.4 million grant in 2019, enabling the hiring of full-time professional trappers through conservation districts and USDA APHIS Wildlife Services.
USDA-NRCS: Fridays on the Farm: Young Hydroponic Farmer is Making an Impact in Atlanta
By Brandon Crumsey | Atlanta, GA | Southeast Region
01/09/2026
This Friday, meet Malon E.D. James, a 15-year-old hydroponic farmer in Atlanta, Georgia. What began as childhood curiosity has grown into a thriving hydroponic operation of vertical farms, producing more than 40 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and fiber crops in a biosecure indoor facility.
Farm and Dairy: Coal communities could lose crucial funding for cleaning acid mine drainage
By Liz Partsch | Pennsylvania | Northeast Region
01/20/2026
In Clearfield County, where Williams works, there are over 630 mine land features, and 676 streams impaired by AMD. Clearfield County Conservation District has already received two grants through the AML funding. This includes funding to put a passive treatment system in the Morgan Run Watershed, something that would not have been “monetarily possible without this kind of funding source,” Williams said.
Vail Daily: Trust our Land: How agricultural lands help wildlife
By Keri Inouye | Colorado | Southwest Region
01/21/2026
(Edited) I sat down with Allegra Waterman-Snow, program manager with the Eagle County Conservation District. The Conservation District has a long track record of supporting local producers in the stewardship of their land through tools, resources and innovative programs. One of their initiatives, the Colorado Soil Health Program, provided financial assistance and implementation support for projects such as no-till drilling and compost and biochar applications.
Daily Press: Gladstone students practice agriculture in pilot program
By R. R. Branstrom | Gladstone, MI | North Central Region
01/22/2026
The students have heard from professionals involved with different fields through both in-class talks and off-campus field trips. They have traveled to see aquaponics in operation in Hannahville; checked out North Farm, part of the MSU Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center in Chatham; and been visited monthly by the Delta Conservation District.