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: Building Wildfire Resilience from the Ground Up
06/03/2025
In California, the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County (RCDTC) continues to grow its reach through hands-on conservation and wildfire preparedness efforts. This spring, RCDTC’s Arbor Day activities in Red Bluff offered a glimpse into the district’s year-round work. From planting native oak and conifer saplings to leading educational activities on forest health, the outreach reflected the district’s broader efforts to engage citizens in building fire-adapted communities across the county.
NACD Blog: Did You Know? Tools Available to Assist with District Outreach
06/03/2025
Are you ready to step up your outreach game? Having specialized software to create social media posts, handouts, and custom designs is a great place to start. This guide will aid you in navigating the most popular options and help you decide which one is the best fit. Best of all, the NACD Outreach Subcommittee designed a brochure template that works with all three of these programs!
USDA: USDA Invests $200M to Expand Timber Production, Strengthen Rural Economies, Secure American Industry
05/29/2025
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced a bold $200 million investment to implement the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s National Active Forest Management Strategy (PDF, 24.7 MB), a key initiative to increase timber harvest, improve forest health and productivity, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity in forest communities.
Successful Farming: USDA Offices, Including FSA and NRCS, Disappear From DOGE’s Lease Termination List
By Mariah Squire
05/29/2025
In recent days, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has silently updated the lease terminations listed on its Wall of Receipts, and USDA offices have been majorly impacted. In March, the Wall of Receipts listed nearly 750 government office lease terminations, planned as part of the DOGE agenda to “maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.” Now, the listed offices number is less than 500, and a large chunk of the offices no longer listed are those of USDA agencies.
Progressive Farmer: USDA Budget Cuts and Conservation
By Chris Clayton
06/03/2025
Farmers would have a harder time getting Conservation Technical Assistance under USDA’s 2026 budget proposal, which would slash free, voluntary expert guidance by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff. The cut to Conservation Technical Assistance is just one of nearly $7 billion in budget cuts USDA has proposed, but cutting technical assistance would create a ripple effect across USDA’s broader conservation programs.
Farm Policy News: White House Budget Looks to Cut Nearly $7 Billion from USDA
By
06/03/2025
Politico’s Grace Yarrow reported that “the Trump administration is requesting $23 billion for USDA for fiscal 2026, a cut of nearly $7 billion from the current year, according to budget documents released late Friday.” “The proposal follows President Donald Trump’s release earlier this month of his ‘skinny budget,’ which outlined proposals for billions of dollars in cuts to food, forest and conservation programs and increased funding for the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative,” Yarrow reported.
Ag Web: When Farmers Can Expect the Next Round of American Relief Act Payments
By Tyler Morgan
06/03/2025
USDA is currently in the trenches of issuing the nearly $31 billion in total disaster and emergency relief aid to farmers and ranchers in four stages. That money was appropriated by Congress as part of the American Relief Act, which was passed in December of 2024. In an exclusive interview with Farm Journal on Monday, USDA Deputy Undersecretary Brooke Appleton said the next round of disaster aid payments could be coming the first full week of July.
No-Till Farmer: Ag Leaders Defend Conservation Funding as Farm Bill, Budget Cuts Loom
By John Dobberstein
06/04/2025
With another legislative marathon under way in Washington to decide the next federal budget, the agricultural industry is demanding action on the Farm Bill, which hasn’t been reauthorized for its full term since President Trump’s first term. Much of what’s discussed during budget reconciliation could impact the Farm Bill, including the conservation title in the bill that focuses on voluntary programs that help farmers and ranchers implement natural resource conservation efforts on their land.
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USDA-NRCS: A hero in the field: Burthel Thomas and the fruits of service
By Jessica Roles | Dumas, AR | South Central Region
05/19/2025
Burthel Thomas always dreamed of owning land. As a boy who grew up in Dumas, Ark., his experience of living and working on a farm was kindled through visits with his childhood friend after school and seeing the different aspects of the farming lifestyle. Nestled in the backroads of Arkansas, his farm is more than just acres of crop – it’s a living testament to perseverance, purpose, and partnership.
South Dakota Searchlight: The land ethic of our grandparents is key to our grandchildren’s future
By Barry Dunn | South Dakota | Northern Plains Region
05/29/2025
He was a member of the Sicangu Lakota. He was born on the Rosebud Reservation south of what is now Winner, into extreme poverty and just two years after the Wounded Knee Massacre on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a few miles to the west. As a teenager, Grandpa rode in the last open range roundups in the Dakotas, clearing the reservations of Texas cattle to open the way for homesteaders.
Lancaster County Community Foundation: How Federal Funding Impacts Environmental and Agricultural Stewardship in Lancaster County
By Tim Stuhldreher | Lancaster, PA | Northeast Region
06/03/2025
In January 2025, a series of executive orders broadly freezing federal loan and grant programs were issued. The freeze included several environmental grants administered by the Lancaster County Conservation District, Thompson said. The district uses the grants to reimburse sub-grantees with which it contracts. Many are Lancaster Clean Water Partners members.
Outdoor News: Michigan DNR awards $148,300 in deer habitat grants in the Upper Peninsula
Marquette, MI | North Central Region
06/03/2025
The projects include tree and shrub planting, turning forest trails into wildlife corridors, protecting existing habitat with fencing and other enhancements to private or non-state-owned land. Partners include conservation districts, deer hunting groups, sportsmen clubs, schools and others.
Salish Current: Nonprofits, municipalities regroup after AmeriCorps setbacks
By Luisa Loi | Washington | Pacific Region
06/04/2025
The San Juan Islands Conservation District is also looking at ways to cope with the loss of grants, according to a press release shared by Executive Director Paul Andersson. In an effort to save the Islands Conservation Corps training program, or ICC, the district decided to retain all of its nearly 20 AmeriCorps members by enlisting them as employees. The temporary solution will cost the district about $20,000 per month and be in place until mid-July, the press release states.
Medium: “Conservation not Preservation”
By Kamryn Bouyett| University Park, PA | Northeast Region
06/03/2025
The Cody Conservation District (CCD) is a “political subdivision of the state of Wyoming,” according to Bergeron, covering about 3.2 million acres of Park County. CCD represents local resource concerns and assists the community with natural resource management. They’re committed to improving the quality of life by providing technical services, information on land management and teaching the community more about the Wyoming environment.
USDA-NRCS: The East Texas Plant Materials Center: A Grass Roots Mission of Conservation
Texas | South Central Region
06/03/2025
Set deep in the U.S. Forest Service Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest, the East Texas Plant Materials Center (ETPMC) is providing seeds of hope and innovation for conservation efforts in the Western Coastal Plain. Established in 1982, the ETPMC was the result of a joint venture between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Deep East and Northeast Texas Association of Conservation Districts and the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University.