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Conservation Clip List is a weekly collection of articles distributed by NACD that provides our members and partners with the latest news in what's driving conservation. If you have a relevant submission, please contact your NACD Communications Team.


Farmers care about the bay, too via The Baltimore Sun

(Opinion) The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in North America, is home to more than 83,000 farms that together generate $10 billion in economic activity each year. For decades, these producers have stepped up all across the watershed, assumed responsibility for their share of the nutrient and sediment pollution in the bay, and worked tirelessly toward unprecedented, remarkable change.

Jewell, Hickenlooper nurture “epic collaboration” in $760M western push to save endangered sage grouse via The Denver Post

The federal government and non-profit partners plan to spend another $360 million to spur states, landowners and developers to save the imperiled greater sage grouse across a Texas-sized area of sagebrush steppe spanning 11 Western states. That money drives the “collaborative conservation” launched a year ago that Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and other Western leaders see as an alternative to federal Endangered Species Act protection for species facing extinction that need large landscapes to survive.

Wildfire rehab in Idaho, Oregon includes fall herbicide via Capital Press

The federal government’s 5-year, $67 million rehabilitation effort following a 2015 rangeland wildfire in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon is entering its second year with another round of herbicide applications combined with plantings of native species. The rehabilitation is part of the federal government’s plan to develop new strategies to combat increasingly destructive rangeland wildfires, mainly in Great Basin states.

On the Bright Side: NYC establishes $43M fund to preserve watershed land via The Daily Star

Money from the endowment will be used to perform aerial and ground monitoring of the easements and to guard their boundaries against encroachment. The stewardship fund will also be used to protect the water quality of the New York City watersheds, and to oversee any farm, timber or other projects on these working landscapes to ensure the water quality is protected, the release said.

Why Industrial Farms Are Good for the Environment via The New York Times

(Opinion) These technologies reduce the use of water and fertilizer and harm to the environment. Modern seed varieties, some of which were brought about by biotechnology, have allowed farmers to convert to low- and no-till cropping systems, and can encourage the adoption of nitrogen-fixing cover crops such as clover or alfalfa to promote soil health.

Stabenow bill aims to expand federal help for urban farming via Detroit Free Press

Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., introduced the Urban Agriculture Act of 2016, a bill she said she hopes will become part of the next national five-year farm bill in 2018. Stabenow said it’s the most comprehensive proposal of its kind for urban agriculture, calling for an expansion of federal financial assistance, research and risk management tools, education and mentorship for urban farmers, and a new urban agriculture office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Eight ideas for improving ag policy to benefit farmers and the planet via The Washington Post

(Opinion) The good news is that there’s significant overlap between farm interest and public interest; it’s certainly in the public’s interest to have a safe, affordable, varied food supply, and it’s certainly in farmers’ interest to maintain the health and viability of their land. (Every farmer I speak with emphasizes that.)

New US endangered species listing rules: A better path to conservation? via The Christian Science Monitor

Starting next month, conservationists will only be able to petition for one species at a time when seeking federal protections under the US Endangered Species Act. Previously, it was possible to file a single petition on behalf of several species.

Iowa flooding sucker-punches harvest via The Des Moines Register

Iowa's widespread thunderstorms and torrential rains have done more than flood Iowa's cities and towns. They have also slowed much of the state's corn and soybean harvest. Officials are trying to assess how many acres have been impacted by flooding, but it's likely to be thousands, they say.

Puerto Rico Finds Unexpected Source of Growth in Agriculture via Associated Press

The U.S. territory is seeing something of an agricultural renaissance as new farms spring up across the island, supplying an increasing number of farmers' markets and restaurants to meet consumer demand for fresher produce.

State creates pesticide buffer zones around schools, day care via Los Angeles Times

Crop dusting and many other forms of pesticide spraying will be banned within a quarter of a mile of schools and child day-care centers during the bulk of daylight hours, under a rule proposed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The proposed regulation, which would take effect next September, is the first statewide rule governing how pesticides can be applied in areas where farms lie close to facilities where children congregate.

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