Conservation Clip List for Friday, October 27, 2023
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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.
The House’s two major agriculture and nutrition bills look vulnerable to Republican divisions for the rest of the legislative session even if the majority can elect a new speaker to replace the ousted Kevin McCarthy and resume work on legislation.
Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon says Congress needs to vote on an aid packages, pass appropriations bills and fund the government before picking up the 2023 Farm Bill. “It’s pretty much done. We just haven’t had time to work on it.”
The National Center for Appropriate Technology’s sustainable agriculture program has released 20 urban agroforestry resources to help city-based farmers, land-owners, and community organizations integrate trees into their agricultural operations as a way of producing more than one product from the same piece of land.
In the letter led by Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), the lawmakers write that the IRA money was “intended to go towards climate smart conservation, and it would ultimately be a disservice to American farmers should these funds go elsewhere.”
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) released A General Assessment of the Role of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. Carbon Markets, a comprehensive look at current market activity, barriers to participation, and opportunities to improve access to carbon markets for farmers and forest landowners.
The Conservation Stewardship Program, championed by former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) two decades ago, shrank fast due to budget cuts and a key structural change in the 2018 farm bill. Advocates say the reductions in the CSP — which grew to become USDA’s biggest conservation program at 72 million acres enrolled before the changes — amount to a retreat just as the nation needs to focus more heavily on farm practices that soften the blows of a changing climate.
Agricultural producers’ sentiment declined for the second month in a row, as the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer index fell nine points to a reading of 106 in September.
The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the launch of its application period for the 2024 Friends of NACD District Grants Program.
Cover crops are on the minds of many producers but knowing how to approach the practice can be challenging. During a recent Farmer 2 Farmer tour more than 70 people went to multiple fields in Pawnee County, Kansas, to evaluate different practices and perspectives—from grain and livestock producers. The tour was hosted by the Pawnee County Conservation District and the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts.
As Minnesotans become increasingly aware of the risks facing pollinator insects such as rusty patched bumblebee and monarch butterflies, many are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work to help restore native habitat that was previously lost to farming and development.
A wet year and major conservation efforts are paying off in the short term for the Colorado River, with California, Arizona and Nevada on track to conserve a record 1 million acre-feet of water or more by the end of 2023, officials announced last week.
Corn and soybean yields have been adjusted lower in most places in the region, mirroring the national trend. But it’s still looking a whole lot better than what was expected this summer.
The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) unveiled practices to better prevent wildfires by expanding land management on open, flammable grasslands.
Last Thursday, Nevada County Resource Conservation District held its Conservation Dinner, wherein attendees were given the organization’s 2022 Annual Report while listening to guest speaker Cynthia Anderson, local author of the newly released “Continued From The Woods,” the sequel to her first book: “From The Woods: True Tales From The Timber Industry.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging agricultural producers and forest landowners in Vermont to participate in voluntary conservation programs and adopt climate-smart practices in fiscal year 2024 as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
With a focus on restoring a healthy watershed in the South Coast, the San Mateo Resource Conservation District reflected on 15 years of restorative work in a report presented to the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council. The RCD took the opportunity to promise to keep addressing issues in the Pescadero-Butano watershed.
A rare invasive plant has been found in Charlotte, now experts are warning folks to keep an eye on their backyards. The so-called mile-a-minute plant hails from ecosystems in Asia and India. It’s perfectly triangular and grows blue fruit. It can grow up to 6 inches a day covering up plants that Vermont’s ecosystem does want.
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