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: NACD Government Affairs update on NRCS’s EQIP and CSP final rules By Eric Hansen 11/04/20 Even though the 2018 Farm Bill was passed nearly two years ago, efforts to implement this piece of legislation still continue today. NACD Blog: NACD Government Affairs Outlook of the 2020 Elections The outcomes of the 2020 Presidential and Congressional elections will undoubtedly have a great influence over conservation, agriculture and natural resource policy over the next two years. NACD Blog: Fuel Reduction Strategies in Montana In Golden Valley and Musselshell counties, wildfires are a common occurrence. However, as with many areas this year, these counties have seen increased activity. BARN: NACD Announces Transition to Virtual Annual Meeting Format Last week, the NACD Executive Board announced that it had made the difficult decision to move NACD’s 75th Annual Meeting to a completely virtual format due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The Sandpaper: Soil Conservation District Continues Aquaculture Project in Bay The Ocean County Soil Conservation District was awarded funding from the nonprofit National Association of Conservation Districts to support the project, which comprises “a boots-on-the-ground, local connection between NRCS and shellfish producers” to further develop conservation practices, while also “increasing funding opportunities for producer participation and involvement,” said Becky Laboy, the district’s education outreach specialist. The Bulletin: Land restoration, one paddock at a time What’s regenerative grazing? It’s a method of raising livestock that not only produces food for people but also regenerates grassland that has been degraded by extractive practices or poor land management. USDA-NRCS: USDA Funds Conservation Innovation with $14.6 Million Investment in New Tools, Technology Development USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is awarding more than $14.6 million in grants to support the development of innovative systems, tools, and technologies for production and conservation on agricultural lands. No-Till Farmer: Combining No-Till, Covers, Pheasants and Cattle South Dakota grower [and NACD Soil Health Champion] Dennis Hoyle shares insights on how he’s been successful with no-till for more than 35 years and integrated cover crops and livestock into the system. The Conversation: To save threatened plants and animals, restore habitat on farms, ranches and other working lands Restoring native habitats to at least 20 percent of the world’s land currently being used by humans for farming, ranching and forestry is necessary to protect biodiversity and slow species loss, according to a newly published study conducted by a team of environmental scientists. USGS: USGS Program Tackles Complex Water Questions The U.S. Geological Survey has chosen the Illinois River Basin as the next watershed to be studied by its scientists as part of a large-scale effort to better understand the nation’s water systems. Phys.org: When a drought is over, here is what happens to forested areas where trees have died A large international team of researchers has found that forested areas that experience tree loss due to drought have a wide range of regrowth possibilities after the drought ends. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of forested areas around the globe that experienced drought and what happened to them when it was over. The Newsstand: Clemson researcher studies organic agriculture soil challenges To help South Carolina farmers overcome these challenges and grow organic vegetables, Rongzhong Ye, an assistant professor at Clemson’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center (REC), has received a $500,000 grant from the United States Department Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) for a three-year study on improving soils to support organic vegetable production. Successful Farming: Legumes Benefit Rotations Including legumes in crop rotations pays off in multiple ways, according to a long-term field study at Iowa State University (ISU). Phys.org: Self-watering soil could transform farming A new type of soil created by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts. Sidney Herald: MSU research team studying nitrogen impact on water quality, soil health An interdisciplinary Montana State University research team received a $944,000 National Science Foundation grant to study the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers and their impact on soil health and water quality, with a focus on central Montana. Cornell University: $2M grant supports more sustainable path for organic farmers Now, a Cornell-led team of experts will support organic agriculture by developing more sustainable practices that balance the tradeoffs between productivity, environmental impact and growers’ quality of life. Phys.org: The biggest trees capture the most carbon: Large trees dominate carbon storage in forests Older, large-diameter trees have been shown to store disproportionally massive amounts of carbon compared to smaller trees, highlighting their importance in mitigating climate change, according to a new study in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. USDA: A Tribute to American Indian and Alaska Native Communities’ Contributions to Conservation, Agriculture The U.S. Department of Agriculture works closely with Alaska Natives as well as other American Indian tribes across the country to support their agricultural operations and to help conserve natural resources. |