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: Shared Leadership for Wildfire Protection in Teton County
By Katrina Vaitkus
09/17/20

In Teton County, Wyoming, forested lands are a major part of the landscape. In 1988, as the Yellowstone Fires raged in three states, the county realized those devastating fires could happen at home. To work to prevent that, a group of fire managers formed the Teton Area Wildfire Protection Coalition (TAWPC) to support the community in preventing wildland fire.

Copper Area: Winkelman Natural Resource Conservation District: Preserving the Copper Corridor’s Agricultural Heritage
09/11/20

In 2019, the District received a $50,000 Urban Ag Grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts to help further establish the Oracle Community Learning Garden.

The Wahkiakum County Eagle: Conservation district at work on the Elochoman
By Diana Zimmerman
09/17/20

The Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Conservation District is currently working on a project on the Elochoman River, using log structures for stream restoration and salmon recovery.

Indiana Prairie Farmer: Follow earthworm movement to learn about soil health
By Tom J Bechman
09/12/20

The Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District has a story to tell about earthworms and soil health. The district joined a partnership with Vincennes University at Jasper, Ind., and developed demonstration plots, installing soil and water conservation practices on the farmland that adjoins the campus. The project is called the Land Stewardship Initiative (LSI).

Belgrade News: Gallatin Conservation District starts program to boost pollinators in the area
09/17/20

This program focuses on increasing beneficial pollinator habitat in the county. Two pollinator seed mixes are available for county landowners for free to grow their own pollinator garden. Pollinator gardens provide habitat and food sources for native pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and others.

Bakery and Snacks: Kellogg's support of S.T.A.R. network slashes 13m vehicle miles worth of CO2e from entering the atmosphere
By Gill Hyslop
09/16/20

In the lead up to Climate Week (September 21-27, 2020), the breakfast cereal giant has shared how its collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to expand its Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (S.T.A.R.) initiative in Illinois is paying off.

StarTribune: Cargill joins regenerative agriculture movement, sets goal for 10 million acres
By Kristen Leigh Painter
09/16/20

Regenerative agriculture has been gaining popularity in pockets of farming over the last several years, but now Cargill Inc., the world’s largest agribusiness, is pushing the phenomenon.

Farm Progress: Partnership works to improve water quality
By Ann Y. Robinson
09/16/20

A collaborative partnership between researchers with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Iowa State University has produced a string of notable water quality studies that have influenced conservation research and practice nationwide.

NPR: As Wildfires Grow More Intense, Iconic Western Forests May Not Come Back
By Michael Elizabeth Sakas
09/13/20

High-severity fires leave behind massive burn areas with almost nothing alive. And any baby trees simply can't thrive in the increased heat and drought brought on by climate change.

Dairy Business: Intensive Grazing Management of Cover Crops for Soil Health
By Sjoerd Willem Duiker and Divya Pant
09/14/20

Grazing cover crops, such as this annual ryegrass/crimson clover mix planted after corn silage harvest, can increase economic value of cover crops, and may have benefits for soil health although soil compaction is a concern.

Forbes: Can Loans Tied To Soil Health Save Agriculture? A New $250 Million Fund Wants To Find Out.
By Chloe Sorvino
09/11/20

America's soil health is in dire straits and a new investment fund, rePlant Capital, has been formed to help clove the crisis with capitalism by tying interest rates for farm loans to improvements in soil’s carbon and water storage as a way to save farmers from the disastrous impacts of climate change.

National Geographic: The science connecting wildfires to climate change
By Alejandra Borunda
09/17/20

Climate change has inexorably stacked the deck in favor of bigger and more intense fires across the American West over the past few decades, science has incontrovertibly shown. Increasing heat, changing rain and snow patterns, shifts in plant communities, and other climate-related changes have vastly increased the likelihood that fires will start more often and burn more intensely and widely than they have in the past.

Undark: The Scramble to Defuse the ‘Feral Swine Bomb’
By Diane Peters
09/14/20

“I’ve heard it referred to as a feral swine bomb,” says Dale Nolte, manager of the National Feral Swine Damage Management Program at the United States Department of Agriculture. “They multiply so rapidly. To go from a thousand to two thousand, it’s not a big deal. But if you’ve got a million, it doesn’t take long to get to 4 [million], then 8 million.”

ScienceDaily: Choosing the right cover crop to protect the soil
09/16/20

"I believe cover crops are a very important tool for both retaining soil and keeping nutrients on the farm," says María Villamil, a researcher at the University of Illinois and a member of the American Society of Agronomy. "In the Midwest, we are very lucky to have high fertility soils, making us big providers of food worldwide. The protection of our soils is critical."

HPPR: Subsidies Encourage Kansas Ranchers To Make Room For The Lesser Prairie Chicken
By Suzanne Hogan
09/16/20

For more than a decade, the lesser prairie chicken has been the source of contention out here in the southern Great Plains, especially in Kansas, which is where 90 percent of the remaining birds live. In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as a threatened species, but a year later a judge overturned that designation. In 2019, environmental organizations filed a new lawsuit.

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