| 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: Friends of NACD District Grant Helps Catahoula SWCD Host Inaugural Tree Sale In 2022, the Catahoula Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in east-central Louisiana was awarded a $2,500 Friends of NACD District Grant to have a tree sale in our community. The Catahoula SWCD wanted to hold a tree sale and use it as an opportunity to share with our community the value of trees. NACD Blog: Longstanding Partnership Reestablishes Native Vegetation in Louisiana’s Coastal Wetlands One longstanding partnership, Louisiana’s Coastal Vegetative Planting Program, helps to reestablish native wetland vegetation in critically eroding coastal wetlands or newly created coastal wetland areas.
NFWF: NFWF Announces $7.5 Million in Conservation Grants to Restore Iconic Longleaf Pine Ecosystem The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $7.5 million in grants to restore, enhance and protect longleaf pine forests in nine southern states. This year’s grant slate, the largest in the program’s history, will leverage $9 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $16.5 million. Morning Ag Clips: $65M Invested in Clean Water, Roads, Trails Improvement The Biden-Harris Administration announced more than $65 million of investments to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service improve water quality, roads, trails and fish habitat nationwide. Investments will support projects that serve rural community needs, create jobs, and improve access to national forests and grasslands. Farm Progress: Soil Health Starts with pH Building organic matter has multiple benefits for growers. Soil tests provide farmers a lot of information, but what does that information mean? Washington Post: ‘Very Dangerous’ Heat May Reignite Fire Season in Western U.S. A potentially extreme and prolonged heat wave later this week could fuel dangerous fire conditions through September. Agri-Pulse: Vilsack Offers Flavor of Upcoming Climate-Smart Funding Announcements (Subscriber only) Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the handful of funding recipients for USDA’s Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities Program he announced Tuesday should provide a framework for a broader rollout in two weeks. NPR: There Aren’t Enough Young Farmers. Congress is Looking to Change That Access to land and the ability to purchase it were rated as the top barriers to entering farming. Congress and USDA are making strides to increase access to land and training for younger farmers.
KEVN: Native Bug Takes a Toll on Black Hills Pines Ponderosa pines are usually covered in 4- to 8-inch long evergreen needles. So, as more and more bare trees continue to pop up in the southern Black Hills, concern grows. Denver 7: One Billion Trees: State Nurseries Work to Help with Federal Reforestation Goals From seed to being planted in the ground, the Colorado State Forest Service’s tree nursery plays a vital role in reforestation efforts on public, private, and state lands. Iowa Farmer Today: Timing Critical to Grazing Cover Crops Grazing cover crops is becoming more widely practiced by cattle producers, and more is learned each year. By grazing cover crops, farmers are adding to the established benefit of improved soil quality. Timing is critical, she says, when it comes to having a crop to graze. Rappahannock News: Rappahannock’s Neighboring Watershed Sees Dangerous Bacteria Levels as Streams at Home Drop Into Safe Ranges Rappahannock County’s neighboring watershed in the Shenandoah Valley was recently sampled to have unsafe levels of bacteria in three-quarters of its waterways. But In Rappahannock, which is a part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, sustainable farming practices have helped the county to stay within healthy levels of bacteria. Tuscon Sentinel: Towns May Grow Millions More Trees with $1.5B for Urban Forestry The Inflation Reduction Act includes $1.5 billion for the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. The federal funding could potentially help Tucson purchase saplings, hire labor and expand its youth program. The city aims to build its own nursery, which could eventually become a supplier for nearby communities. Lehigh Valley Live: $2M in Federal Funds Flowing to Local Waterways for Dam Removal and More in Delaware Watershed Federal funds are flowing back this way to help remove dams and repair local waterways in and around the Lehigh Valley. Enid News & Eagle: Oklahoma Water Center Aims for Conservation Through Cover Crops Oklahoma Water Resources Center at Oklahoma State University is teaming up with Texas A&M University for a $1.7 million project to study the benefits of regenerative agriculture in Oklahoma and Texas. VT Digger: Vermont Hosts Second Ever World Agricultural Tourism Conference By serving Vermont maple syrup, Cabot yogurt, sausage and rhubarb muffins, producers shows guests where their food comes from and the integrity of the work that goes into it. The conference starts Tuesday in Burlington and will include organized tours to several farms. Nebraska Today: Invasive Trees Near Roads May be Seeding Spread Across Prairies Management efforts have generally focused on eradicating invasive vegetation from the open interiors of grasslands. But recent research has suggested that neighboring landscape features — especially roadsides whose margins can go overlooked and unmanaged — might also contribute to the spread of invasive species. South Jersey Observer: Coalition For Delaware River Watershed Celebrates $14M In Grants To Improve Health Of The Delaware River Watershed The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced on August 26, 2022 that 36 Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund awards totaling $14 million, which includes $4.9 million in funds made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Farm Bureau: On Reddick Farms it Starts with Soil Reddick Farms’ rotational grazing program and other conservation practices that reduce soil erosion and improve water quality earned Brad Reddick and his family the 2022 Kentucky Leopold Conservation Award. The Reddicks raise crops and beef cattle on 1,800 acres in the southwestern part of the state. KELO: Pollinators Find a Home in Downtown Sioux Falls A couple years ago, the Minnehaha Master Gardeners began a pollinator garden on the west side of the Arc. This year, it is flourishing and home to dozens of pollinator plants. CBS News: Lake Mead’s Water Level Has Never Been Lower: Here’s What that Means The American West is facing its most severe drought in human history. Communities across the region are contending with the consequences of less water. But mounting concerns about the mega-drought seemed to reach a peak in recent months, when its repercussions became startlingly clear at Lake Mead. Des Moines Register: Iowa Ag Initiative that Pays Farmers for Conservation Practices Wins USDA Climate-Smart Grant A nearly $170 million Iowa-based initiative that pays farmers for their environmental efforts will be among the first to win a grant from a new $1 billion climate- smart agriculture program, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday. Fox5 NY: Wildfires Growing in Upstate New York The wildfires burning in Ulster County have grown despite efforts to contain the flames. The fires in the Napanoch Point area of Minnewaska State Park Preserve now cover about 270 acres, according to that state Department of Environmental Conservation. USDA: Biden-Harris Administration Invests $75 Million to Provide Clean Drinking Water and Safe Wastewater Infrastructure in Rural West Virginia U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack joined Sen. Joe Manchin to announce a $75 million investment by USDA in critical infrastructure improvements that will ensure thousands of rural people in Greenbrier County have clean drinking water and sanitary wastewater systems for years to come.
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