Conservation Clip List for Friday, October 7, 2022
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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 with accessing articles, please contact the NACD Communications Team.
A decade ago, Wyoming was experiencing a severe mountain pine beetle epidemic. The Crook County Natural Resource District was tasked by its county commissioners and Wyoming State Senator Driskill to create a team of foresters and sawyers who could make a grid of the forest within the district and treat infested trees.
The U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture today announced 18 members of the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council. NACD President, Michael Crowder, was named to the council.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the USDA’s Forest Service are making the popular AirNow Fire and Smoke Map available in Spanish as a pilot project to make air quality resources accessible to Spanish-speaking people living in areas affected by wildfire.
Cities worldwide are warming, and people who live in cities experience greater heat exposure during heatwave events than the general population due to the urban heat island effect. Urban greening, planting trees and vegetation, could help.
Agriculture is increasingly left with less water, limiting its availability for crop use at the right time and in the right amount. Optimization of limited available water is more critical than ever if agriculture is to remain viable and productive, especially in dry irrigated areas.
(Subscriber only) The justices of the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday. While this case concerns wetlands and their classification under “waters of the United States,” the ruling on the case will have important implications for how the EPA decides what waters (and wetlands) are subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act.
On average 1.3 million acres of sagebrush habitat are lost annually due to invasive species, wildfires, conifer encroachment, human interference and climate change. A team of scientists are now think that innovations in remote sensing can help land and wildlife managers restore and conserve the imperiled grasslands.
USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Robert Bonnie, says $700 million more in project funding will come this fall for small, underserved farmers.
Record heat waves and drought are not only leading to more frequent and intense wildfires but are also putting one of life’s most valuable resources at risk: the water we drink. A new Forest Service research report describes how extensively public drinking water systems rely on forests and grasslands.
South Dakota Soil Health Coalition Board member and Colome, SD, producer Van Mansheim shares the benefits of bale grazing on his operation. Mansheim grazes cattle on corn stalks and cover crops earlier in November and December. In January and February, he lets the cattle graze hay bales.
Butler County Conservation District planted a multi-functional riparian forest buffer along a tributary to Big Run in Butler County. The buffer was located on a pasture field and was paid for through the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation District’s (PACD) multi-functional buffer sub-grant program.
On September 22, the Durham, Orange, and Person Soil and Water Conservation Districts hosted the 4th Annual Tri-County Livestock and Pasture Field Day at the Van and Edna Ellis Farm in Rougemont.
Scientists in Massachusetts are closely tracking a growing presence of an invasive insect that’s not only harmful to agriculture, but a pest to communities they infest. The insect, which attacks grapes, apples and hops, has been seen in 33 communities in Massachusetts so far, with infestations in four.
Millions of other Floridians including farmers are still surveying their damage and waiting for power. The main agricultural season in Florida runs November through May. But many farm and ranch lands aren’t even able to be surveyed for damage because they are still inaccessible.
Grand Traverse Conservation District is hosting a Soil Exposition on Saturday, October 15. District staff and the Invasive Species Network team will be joined by soil scientists, compost professionals, Michigan State University Extension educators, Huron Pines AmeriCorps members and other partners to explore the complex world of soil.
On the central Illinois farms that supply most of the world’s canned pumpkin, farmers are adopting regenerative techniques designed to reduce emissions, attract natural pollinators like bees and butterflies and improve the health of the soil.
After more than a decade of intensive efforts to rescue the greenback cutthroat trout from the brink of extinction, Colorado Parks and Wildlife announced it has discovered that the state fish is naturally reproducing in Herman Gulch.
The axis deer population is hurting farmers and is creating negative effects throughout the supply chain. Farmers are having entire fields wiped out by axis deer, resulting in local stores sourcing produce from the mainland and prices skyrocketing for consumers.
University of Missouri Extension recently released guidelines for managing cover crops to benefit pollinators and wildlife. In the guide, MU Extension wildlife specialists explain how certain cover crop mixes can increase pollinator numbers while improving wildlife habitat, soil health and crop revenue.
The Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative, was created in 2021 to address the disappearance of grassland birds, which have experienced a steep decline in numbers due to humans’ impact on the environment.
A 23-year megadrought is pushing some farmers in the Southwest to the brink. Hear from the first place where farmers have been totally cut off from Colorado River water – central Arizona.
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission unanimously approved a $3 million emergency drought relief program Monday for farmers and ranchers. The commission will allocate emergency drought funds to all 77 Oklahoma counties starting this week.
In Hawaii, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources encourages residents to submit samples of ants to help detect and control the invasive species.
The Bovee Fire in west-central Nebraska was mapped Tuesday at nearly 19,000 acres, up from the 15,000 acres reported Sunday night Officials said the fire was 56% contained going into Wednesday. Continued favorable weather conditions are helping fire crews contain the grasslands blaze.
The Armstrong County Conservation District’s 2022 fall bus tour made a stop at the Barnett farm on Friday. Attendees got a close look at what happens when good pasture management practices transform a formerly worn-out farm.
