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: Westmoreland Conservation District Highlights BMPs in Special Web Portfolio
By Katrina Stacey
07/15/21
In Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, the Westmoreland Conservation District has been working diligently to install best management practices and green infrastructure in the community.
NACD Blog: Delaware County SWCD Improves River Flow, Aquatic Habitat and Recreation on the White River
By Katrina Stacey
07/15/21
In Muncie, Indiana, where there are numerous dams that are either degraded or no longer needed, the Delaware County SWCD found partners to help fund the removal of two low-head dams and the modification of a third along the White River.
NACD Blog: Barrels & Beer Events Help Anderson County SWCD Grow Its Community Outreach and Impact
07/13/21
For three years, the conservation district has partnered with local businesses and organizations to host an annual Barrels & Beer event.
NACD Blog: SWCD helping to restore bottomland in Indiana
07/07/21
Owen County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) may be putting the town of Southport, Indiana back on the map through conservation efforts that include replanting acres of bottomland.
NACD Blog: NRD helping Nebraska achieve tree planting objectives
07/07/21
With Nebraska Forest Service reporting an 18 percent average loss in tree canopy across communities in the state, the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District (NRD) is reaching out to landowners and partnering with other agencies to replant its lost trees.
USDA-FSA: USDA Announces Dates for Conservation Reserve Program Grasslands Signups
7/12/21
Agricultural producers and landowners can apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Grasslands signup from today until August 20. This year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase the program’s conservation and climate benefits, including setting a minimum rental rate and identifying two national priority zones.
American Farmland Trust: American Farmland Trust Shares Updated Soil Health Economic Calculator
07/13/21
New pricing data provides row crop farmers with a more accurate picture of the costs and benefits of their soil health practices, plus customized almond version.
No-Till Farmer: Reaping the Value of Beneficial Insects Through Soil Health
By Stan Wise
07/08/21
Ryan and Bryan Jorgensen are leveraging the benefits of no-till and soil health to build communities of beneficial insects that ward off pests and help them save input costs.
AGDAILY: New resource aids farmers with implementing conservation practices
07/13/21
The Center for Rural Affairs has released a series of resource guides that aims to help farmers and ranchers new to implementing conservation practices like cover crops. The resources provide details on two of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s flagship working lands conservation programs: the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
American Agriculturist: Take soil sampling to next level
By Laura Starr and Jenell Eck
07/09/21
Due to the importance of 4R nutrient management to soil health, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has begun promoting precision soil sampling as a component of their Healthy Soils Program. The state is offering cost-share for farmers to conduct precision soil sampling to support 4R nutrient management adoption, along with a suite of other conservation agriculture practices.
Growing America: Farm Transformed to Help Wildlife and Pollinators
07/15/21
Wildlife and pollinators now have a safe refuge to feed, rest, and nest on 35 acres in Jackson County, Wisconsin. In 2008, Dale and Barbara Bigler purchased a country property with the dream of restoring it to its original purpose as a prairie, creating habitat to help wildlife and pollinators thrive.
The News-Gazette: For Illinois farmers, proof of cover crops’ benefits is in the soil
By Christopher Heimerman
07/13/21
When asked what he farms on his land south of Toluca, Bill Leigh answered with a deadpan expression. “Soil,” he said.
Sidney Herald: Innovative ‘Soil for Water’ regenerative agriculture project expands to Montana
07/12/21
Building on a successful peer-to-peer network of Texas ranchers who are implementing innovative grazing techniques to improve soil health and increase profitability, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is scaling up its Soil for Water project to support livestock producers and farmers across seven southern states and Montana.
POLITICO: New chief brings years of wildfire experience to job
By Marc Heller
07/12/21
(Subscriber Only) Wildfire season will be ramping up when Randy Moore starts as chief of the Forest Service later this month — and he has the right resume to step into that deepening crisis, groups that follow forest policy say.
South Dakota Ag Connection: Emergency Authorization to Help Drought-Impacted Producers
07/14/21
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is authorizing emergency procedures to help agricultural producers impacted by extreme drought conditions.
The Daily Evergreen: Researchers strengthen soil using environmentally-friendly bacterial ‘glue’
By Emma Ledbetter
07/14/21
Slimy layers of bacteria called biofilms can act as an environmentally-friendly glue to improve the strength of soil, according to a WSU study published in the journal Biofilm.
Agri-Pulse: Biden executive order targets consolidation in ag sector
By Steve Davies
07/09/21
(Subscriber Only) A wide-ranging executive order that President Joe Biden signed Friday seeks to address consolidation throughout the economy and includes a special focus on actions the Department of Agriculture could take to address the meat industry and antitrust enforcement.
Civil Eats: Connecting ranchers with land stewards could be key to less disastrous wildfires
By Anna Cuth
07/08/21
In California and across the drought-parched West, programs are springing up to help goats, sheep and cattle eat down the plants that would otherwise become fuel for wildfires.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News: WSU researcher finds promise in pollinators that aren’t bees
By Scott Jackson
07/09/21
While bees are responsible for 61 percent of flower visits, flies come in second at 35 percent.
NPR: Amid A Megadrought, Federal Water Shortage Limits Loom For The Colorado River
By Luke Runyon
07/13/21
Extremely dry conditions like the region is experiencing in 2021 make clear that the Colorado River is unable to meet all the demands communities in the Western U.S. have placed on it, and it’s up to its biggest users to decide who has to rely on it less.
Idaho Mountain Express: Idaho a ‘tinderbox’ for wildfire activity this month, fire officials say
By Emily Jones
07/09/21
Fire potential in Idaho has been rated “significant” from July through September and will peak starting this month, according to National Interagency Fire Center Meteorologist Nick Nauslar.
JSTOR: Restoring Native Grasslands to Help Birds
By Olivia Box
07/15/21
Grasslands have many ecosystem values: soil conservation, flood mitigation, and habitat for a plethora of species, particularly birds.
USDA-ARS: USDA ARS and Collaborators Research Shows Innovative Technology to Treat Plant Pathogens and Pests
07/14/21
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announced today that they have found an innovative way to treat pathogens (harmful bacteria) and pests in citrus trees, potato, and tomato plants without the use of antibiotics.
Capital Press: WSDA hurries to hold down Japanese beetles in Yakima County
By Don Jenkins
07/14/21
“This is going to be a multiyear, long-term project,” Salp said. “As far as damage to agriculture and potential impact, the Japanese beetle is much more of a threat than the Asian giant hornet right now.”
Minnesota Ag Connection: Minnesota Wildlife Managers Use Multiple Tools to Improve Grasslands
07/09/21
Restoring, managing and enhancing grassland habitat is year-round work for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The Washington Post: Reservoirs are drying up as consequences of the Western drought worsen
By Diana Leonard, Laris Karklis and Zach Levitt
07/09/21
Reservoir levels are dropping throughout the West, as the drought tightens its grip on the region and intense summer heat further stresses both water supply and the surrounding landscape.
Local News 8: Officials seek input on new grazing rate proposal
07/08/21
Idaho farmers could soon pay a new rate for grazing for the first time since 1993. The Idaho State Land Board voted for a comprehensive review of the model used to set fees for grazing last October.
The Guardian: American west stuck in cycle of ‘heat, drought and fire’, experts warn
By Maanvi Singh
07/13/21
As fires propagate throughout the US west on the heels of record heatwaves, experts are warning that the region is caught in a vicious feedback cycle of extreme heat, drought and fire, all amplified by the climate crisis.
CBS News: Despite tropical storm Elsa, red tide persists in Tampa Bay along with tons of fish the algae blooms killed
07/13/21
“It certainly doesn’t seem like, as we had all had our fingers crossed, that Tropical Storm Elsa helped the red tide situation. It certainly didn’t flush it out of Tampa Bay. It’s possible that in some areas, it did make it worse,” said Dr. Lisa Krimsky, a Regional Water Resources Extension Agent with the University of Florida IFAS (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) Extension.
StarTribune: Oak wilt reaches Crow Wing County, putting Minnesota’s northern trees at risk
By Greg Stanley
07/05/21
Disease is slow moving but nearly always fatal to most oak species.
Associated Press: Report: Great Lakes region needs about $2B for flood repairs
By John Flesher
07/08/21
Shoreline cities and towns in the Great Lakes region will be spending heavily in coming years to fix public infrastructure damaged by recent flooding and erosion, with estimated costs approaching $2 billion, officials said Thursday.
Honolulu Star Advertiser: Risk high for Hawaii wildfires as islands see abnormally dry conditions
By Leila Fujimori
07/12/21
Oahu alone has had 60 small brush fires since May 30, averaging 10 a week. The June 4-5 Paauilo blaze on Hawaii island is the first and only major wildfire this season, blackening 1,400 acres of agricultural land.
University of Connecticut: Throwing Nitrogen Out with the Stormwater: UConn Extension Educator, Team Helps Coastal Communities Reduce Runoff Pollution
By Anna Zarra Aldrich
07/08/21
A team of UConn researchers is training students and providing coastal municipalities in Connecticut with green infrastructure plans to reduce stormwater runoff.
REUTERS: ‘Wither away and die:’ U.S. Pacific Northwest heat wave bakes wheat, fruit crops
By Julie Ingwersen
07/12/21
An unprecedented heat wave and ongoing drought in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is damaging white wheat coveted by Asian buyers and forcing fruit farm workers to harvest in the middle of the night to salvage crops and avoid deadly heat.
GIZMODO: The U.S. Wheat Crop Is in Trouble
By Molly Taft
07/13/21
Spring wheat could see some of its lowest wheat yields in decades due to widespread drought and heat.
POLITICO: New staff, bold proposals may reshape ESA under Biden
By Michael Doyle
07/13/21
(Subscriber Only) The Biden administration’s take on the Endangered Species Act could be shaped by a new leadership roster and a new package of outside-the-box policy recommendations.
Utah Public Radio: How Animal Agriculture Is Being Impacted By Utah’s Drought
By Kailey Foster
07/14/21
Troy Forest is the Director of Grazing Improvement at the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and said the drought has been negatively impacting animal agriculture in Utah for over a year now