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 Minnesota’s Northwoods Resilient: Lake County SWCD’s Forestry Focus
By Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District
12/29/2025
Lake County, Minnesota, bordered by Lake Superior, the Superior National Forest, and the Boundary Waters, is a landscape where forests dominate and clean water is abundant. With less than a quarter of the county in private ownership, each private acre plays a crucial role in maintaining the region’s ecological health. District Forester Jenna Kaiser and Conservation Specialist Nate Quadhamer of the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) help landowners address forest health threats, reduce wildfire risk, and keep forested watersheds intact.
Wilkes Journal-Patriot: Jan. 15 is NRCS ‘batching deadline
01/04/2026
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Jan. 15 is the “national batching” deadline for major U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service programs. A USDA press release said NRCS programs are continuous sign-up programs, but the agency is implementing an initial national batching period to ensure producers have access to funding and support due to the federal government shutdown in 2025.
Farm Progress: Panel discussion on the OBBBA
By Whitney Shannon Heckel
01/07/2026
The panelists — Pelham Straughn, Sydney Lundberg and Joe Outlaw — provided insights into the bill’s provisions, emphasizing its significance for rice farmers and the broader agricultural community. They discussed some of the significant investments and policy changes within the OBBBA, aimed at providing stability and support for farmers and ranchers.
MSN: Trump withdraws US from 66 international organizations and treaties
By Dinah Voyles Pulver
01/08/2026
The United States will withdraw from more than five dozen international collaborations, including treaties and organizations with the United Nations on climate change and the oceans, President Donald Trump announced in a memo on Jan. 7. Among the organizations the United States will withdraw from are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The list also includes agreements and groups on renewable energy, oceans, piracy, counterterrorism, and empowerment of women.
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Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board: Leaving the Land Better: Kenneth McAlister and a Lifetime of Soil Stewardship
By Mackenzie Bolton | Temple, TX | South Central Region
12/17/2025
The timing was right. In 2008, the year he moved back onto the land full-time, McAlister was nominated to serve on the Wichita Soil and Water Conservation District, and he has been serving ever since. For McAlister, being a District Director isn’t about titles or recognition. It’s about making sure people have the resources they need, before problems on their land become permanent.
Lancaster Farming: From Saving Time to Building Soil: Why This York County Farmer Switched to No-Till
By Dan Sullivan | York County, PA | Northeast Region
01/03/2026
Farmers switch to no-till for a lot of reasons. For John C. Johnson, it was all about saving time. Johnson farms just under 1,000 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans. His main farm is just east of Stewartstown in York County, Pennsylvania, but he also has fields in nearby Harford County, Maryland.
Iowa Farm Bureau: Iowa farmers partner with NRCS to invest millions in conservation funding
Iowa | North Central Region
01/05/2026
Iowa farmers and landowners invested more than $75 million in conservation practices last year in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Saint Albans Messenger: Rosalie Williams protects farmland, sugarbush and wetlands in Bakersfield
By Glen Vaagen | Bakersfield, VT | Northeast Region
12/16/2025
Williams has been working to improve the ecological functioning of the property’s water resources. She partnered with the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement a suite of practices that will improve water quality on and off her property. Conservation partners are planning a restoration project in the summer of 2026 to improve drainage on about four acres of fields.
KQED: Northern California Republican Congressman Doug LaMalfa Dies at 65
By Katie DeBenedetti and Guy Marzorati | California | Pacific Region
01/06/2026
Republican lawmaker Doug LaMalfa, a rice farmer who represented rural Northern California in Congress for more than a decade, has died. LaMalfa, 65, was in his seventh term representing many of the state’s northernmost counties. He was elected to the House in 2012 after serving in both the state Assembly and Senate.