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.
National Association of Conservation District: NACD Requests to Resume NRCS Operations
10/23/2025
The National Association of Conservation Districts applauds USDA’s decision to reopen Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to ensure producers across the country have access to key services and programs. We respectfully encourage USDA to also resume Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) operations so that producers can access the timely, field-based technical assistance needed to make informed management and conservation decisions.
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: How the Government Shutdown is Impacting Farmers
10/10/2025
In addition to the government shutdown, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 – otherwise known as the 2018 Farm Bill – expired with the new fiscal year, bringing with it an additional set of uncertainties. The rest of this blog post explores the impacts of the government shutdown and the expiration of the 2018 Farm Bill on farmers and food system stakeholders nationwide.
Ag Week: Soil health principles might be the difference between making and losing money
By Jenny Schlecht
10/20/2025
But Brian Johnson, chairman of the board of directors of the South Dakota Soil Health Coalition, said there’s more farmers can do to ensure they’re making and not losing money on their land. He’s noticed that practices like crop diversity, no-till, cover crops, acre-by-acre management and grazing fields in the fall and winter can help increase profitability — especially over the long term.
MSN: Trump Administration to Release Farm Aid Frozen by Shutdown
By Natalie Andrews and Patrick Thomas
10/22/2025
The Trump administration is planning to release more than $3 billion in aid to U.S. farmers that had been frozen as a result of the government shutdown, as the agriculture sector grapples with the fallout from President Trump’s tariffs.
%20(1).png)
OPB: What’s a soil and water conservation district? And does Multnomah County still need one?
By Kristian Foden-Vencil | Portland, OR | Pacific Region
10/07/25
Most of us weren’t around to see the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. But a mixture of drought and poor farming practices saw the topsoil of a half dozen states stripped away. Picture the dusty and desolate landscape of John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” The government’s reaction was to create soil conservation districts across the country, according to Kelley Beamer, the executive director of the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District.
Penn State: New Penn State course prepares students for conservation careers
By Alexandra McLaughlin| University Park, PA | Northeast Region
10/14/2025
In the course, students will explore nonstructural best management practices, such as cover crops, no-till, grassed waterways and nutrient management. Field trips will offer opportunities to see these practices in action. Through hands-on work, students will learn to inventory natural resource concerns using geographic information systems and aerial imagery, delineate a watershed, create a comprehensive nutrient management plan, and plan for various best management practices.
Government shutdown results in closure of local USDA, LCD offices
Jeff Hogan | Lapeer, MI | North Central Region
10/18/2025
Katie Laur, district manager of the LCD, told The County Press, “Due to the fact that the Lapeer Conservation District office is located in the USDA Service Center, onsite activities at the office cannot be conducted due to the closure of the USDA Service Center during the ongoing federal government shutdown. District staff have been working from home during this time. Activities like our fall tree sale and our October board meeting have been affected due to the shutdown.”
Bennington Banner: Conservation District wants to stop porcelain berry invasive before it spreads
By Mark Rondeau | North Bennington, VT | Northeast Region
10/20/2025
Wielding a long pole saw, Michael Fernandez, district manager of the Bennington County Conservation District, cut down an invasive vine off a sycamore tree on Sunday. To the untrained eye, the rising plant could be mistaken for a grape vine. Porcelain berry, native to Japan and northern China, is new to the area. The District has sprung into action after being alerted by the state of a sighting at the intersection of River, Murphy and Harrington Roads, near the Henry Covered Bridge and McWaters Park.
The Manchester Mirror: Schoen family’s conservation of a 20-acre oak opening offers glimpse into disappearing historic ecosystem
By Kristen Sutter | Michigan | North Central Region
10/20/2025
The Schoens’ 20-acre forest in Manchester reflects a strong commitment to sustainable forest management. Enrolled in the EQIP program through NRCS, the site has undergone years of dedicated brush management and now stands as a model for oak regeneration. Once overrun with dense undergrowth, the property now offers a rare glimpse into the region’s once-common oak-hickory forest ecosystem. This transformation is the result of the hard work, dedicated stewardship, and thoughtful ecological restoration efforts of Pat and Pam Schoen.
Conservation partnership helps Allegheny County farms remain viable with environmental benefits
Helen Fallon | Pittsburgh, PA | Northeast Region
10/22/2025
The Allegheny County Conservation District has always helped family and urban farms in its work. A partnership with federal and state agencies has permitted it to increase the scale of what it can do. With the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Community and Economic Development, more than $1.4 million in infrastructure funding has been awarded to farms across Allegheny County from 2023 to 2025, according to a news release from the agency.