| 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: King CD Efforts Aim to Improve Tree Canopy Numbers 08/30/21
As part of King Conservation District (KCD)’s interlocal agreement with King County, funding and staff time has been set aside to support urban forest health programming in municipalities throughout King County to address tree canopy decline in Washington and the inequitable distribution of urban forests and the benefits that they provide.
Farm Progress Daily: Get the most from your local Soil and Water Conservation District
A tremendous amount of conservation work is done by farmers and landowners working on their own, investing their own time and money. The next-largest category of conservation activity includes work done by landowners and farmers in partnership with their local soil and water conservation district.
Muskogee Phoenix: Gardening with Micki: Yard By Yard program practices urban conservation
There’s a garden revolution happening in Oklahoma. It started in Oklahoma City, spread to Tulsa; now it’s coming to Muskogee. It’s a quiet revolution, happening in your garden, and it’s sponsored by the Muskogee County Conservation District. It’s called “Yard By Yard,” and you can join this community resilience program, if you wish.
Telegraph Forum: It Happened in Crawford County: Van Voorhis helps farmers 30 years and counting
He said they work with the Crawford Soil and Water District, too, where they bring a lot of the local concerns. Sometimes the USDA can bring additional resources such as cost share to get the job done.
SRQ: Mayor Receives Key to Soil and Water Conservation District
Sarasota Mayor Hagen Brody was recently recognized by Sarasota Soil & Water Conservation District Board for his advocacy and dedication to the planned water quality improvements on the Bobby Jones Golf Course property.
Park Rapids Enterprise: Winona County field day shows the hype is real for cover crops
People traveled from five different states to an Aug. 10 soil health field day held by the Winona County Soil and Water Conservation District and Unruh Cover Cropping.
PR Newswire: California Wildlife Conservation Board Grants the National Wildlife Federation $20 Million for the Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon
The core partners include Caltrans, the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy/Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains and the National Wildlife Federation.
WCIA: Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) assists farmers with improved soil health
Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) is a FREE nationwide tool to assist farm operators and land owners in evaluating their nutrient and soil loss management practices on individual fields.
CBS News: All California national forests to temporarily close due to “wildfire crisis”
All of California’s national forests will be closed starting late Tuesday until mid-September, according to an order posted by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency said the closures will help “better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis.”
Agri-Pulse: Vilsack eyes conservation boost through reconciliation package
(Subscriber Only) The Department of Agriculture is in touch with Capitol Hill as Democratic leaders work to craft legislation that has the potential to funnel more money into the farm bill and expand the number of producers who could receive funding and assistance for government conservation programs.
The Laconia Daily Sun: Saving the forest, one generation at a time
“It feels good to have a place wildlife can go to and not worry about crossing the road or being harassed,” said Aaron, the third generation of Abbotts to manage the family’s wood lot. “People undervalue undeveloped land. We spend most of the time just walking through the trees.”
No-Till Farmer: What I’ve Learned from No-Tilling: No-Till and Cover Crops Deliver More From Field and Pasture
Putting all moisture to use growing something beneficial helps push semi-arid dryland production to the next level.
NPR: Why The South Is Decades Ahead Of The West In Wildfire Prevention
As Western states contend with increasingly catastrophic wildfires, some are looking to the Southeastern U.S., where prescribed fire is widespread thanks to policies put in place decades ago.
Lancaster Farming: Conservationist: Cover Crops Give More Soil Stability
Want better soil? Plant a cover crop between seasons. That was the message promoted at Empire Farm Days by Paul Salon, who has worked as a soil conservationist and district conservationist for USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service since 1979.
AGWEEK: Minnesota farm using sustainable grazing to raise grass-fed cattle and pastured pigs
Robert Keranen said he made the transition to grazing because he believes it is best for the soil and the financial benefits boost his business.
09/01/21
The Soil and Water Conservation Society released results from the first ever Conservation Practitioner Poll (CPP). The poll surveyed conservation practitioners in the Upper Mississippi River Basin who provide technical assistance, implement programs, and work directly with farmers to realize natural resource conservation goals on the landscape.
Daily Camera: Boulder agencies work together to promote forest health, fire mitigation Over the past two or three decades the city, county and other government agencies have started implementing wildfire mitigation tactics like tree thinning to prevent or hinder future wildfires.
AgWeb: Profiting from Carbon and Soil Health
“We now have opportunity as farmers to implement soil health principles and get paid,” says Hora, who also cohosts an agriculture podcast, Field Work. “Not just because it will help profitability or cut down on inputs, but because we are bringing something to the table beyond food, fuel, and fiber.”
Agri-Pulse: Trump waters rule vacated by federal judge
(Subscriber Only) The Trump administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule has been vacated by a federal judge in Arizona who said allowing it to remain in place risks “serious environmental harm,” particularly in the arid Southwest. USDA-ARS: Scientists Evaluate and Refine A Simple Economic Method to Measure Soil Health in Dryland Farming
USDA, Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, in collaboration with the Soil Health Institute in N.C., evaluated the measurement of carbon dioxide flush—a rapid, reliable, and inexpensive method producers can use to measure soil health on dryland cropping systems—and refined it to be closely associated with most soil properties and long-term crop production.
CNN: Hurricanes, wildfires, and drought: US finds itself battling climate disasters on several fronts
Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and drought wreaking havoc on much of the United States paint a picture of a nation in peril. Region by region, the country faces compounding disasters.
The New York Times: The Plains and Upper Midwest are growing drier as drought deepens in the West.
(Subscriber Only) Nearly half of the land mass of the contiguous United States — 47 percent — is experiencing drought conditions, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor, and it’s getting worse in the Northern Plains and everywhere west of the Rocky Mountains.
Brownfield Ag News: INTERSEEDED COVER CROP AND CORN EXPERIMENT IS GOING WELL
A researcher is very optimistic about potential yields for both corn and the interseeded cover crop.
The Daily Scoop: Carbon Markets: Farmers Want More to Hang Their Hat On
Farm Journal’s August 2021 Carbon Survey found that 3.32 percent of respondents were participating in an non-governmental carbon market, up from an Ag Barometer last spring where only one percent of farmers had entered into a contract. And 55 percent of survey respondents said that they plan on joining the market in the next three years.
No-Till Farmer: Autonomous Mobile Grazing Brings Biodiversity Back to the Land
Moving livestock from place to place is nothing new, but a new solar-powered, autonomous system with integrated water collection may make it easier than ever.
The Berkshire Eagle: State grants seed local projects to enhance forestry, economy — and fight against climate change
A series of grants will fund a number of local nature-based projects, including a new trail in New Ashford, more money for the Greylock Glen project in Adams, design money for an adventure trail in North Adams, and tree plantings at the town common in Williamstown.
South Dakota State News: Recent Study Shows Agriculture Continues to Drive South Dakota’s Economy “This study confirms the resiliency of agriculture related industries in South Dakota,” said DANR secretary Hunter Roberts. “Over the past few years, we have seen floods, a pandemic, and now drought. The continued success of the industry is a testament to the hard-working farmers and ranchers in South Dakota.”
Ohio News Time: USDA accepts 2.8 million acres for conservation readiness program
With ongoing sign-ups remaining open and CRP Grassland sign-ups closed last week, USDA expects to register more acres across CRP than the expiring three million acres.
ABC4: USU students want to save the monarch butterfly in new project
To aid the struggling species, Utah State University students have been capturing and tagging monarch butterflies in the Uintah Basin region to better understand the decline. Need to update your contact information, unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences? Click here to manage your profile. |