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.

NACD Blog: Did You Know? Every CD board is responsible for personnel management
As a conservation district board member, your responsibility to the employees of your districts starts with a thorough job description and an annual performance evaluation.

Perdue Tours South Dakotas, Touts Improving Soil Health via U.S. News and World Report
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says replenishing and sustaining soil health is a priority for him. He said using soil health as a basis for federal farm payments might be a way to encourage farmers to employ more sustainable land practices.

House passes wildfire management bill via Washington Examiner
The House approved legislation on Wednesday intended to reduce the risk of wildfires. The legislation would allow the Forest Service to thin the trees in forests up to 30,000 acres using a shorter environmental review process.

Finding Fault With the Farm Bill via Bloomberg
The farm bill includes something for everyone, from farm subsidies and food stamps to clean-air initiatives. But its sheer, trillion-dollar size leaves critics plenty to find fault with—and those fault lines could derail the bill currently being drafted by the House and Senate agriculture committees.

Trump says he will shrink Bears Ears National Monument, a sacred tribal site in Utah via The Washington Post
President Trump informed Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) that he will shrink Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.35-million-acre protected area in southeast Utah. Trump did not specify exactly how he would change the boundaries, though Interior Department officials have privately indicated that the administration plans to shrink it by hundreds of thousands of acres.

Drought May Have Aided Storm That Walloped Maine, Northeast via Maine Public
Drought conditions, recent rainfall, and an unusual storm path in Maine may have contributed to the large numbers of trees that toppled during a storm that walloped the Northeast this week.

Manure From Iowa Dairy Farm Blamed for Deaths of 60K Fish via U.S. News and World Report
Authorities are blaming a manure runoff from a dairy farm for killing about 60,000 fish in eastern Iowa, including minnows, white suckers, and creek chubs.

Insect Armageddon via The New York Times
There is alarming new evidence that insect populations worldwide are in rapid decline. The reasons for the decline are not entirely clear – but scientists suspect two main culprits: the use of pesticides and a lack of habitat in surrounding farmland.

Christmas trees will be more expensive this year amid shortages in Oregon, North Carolina via USA Today
Americans will pay more for pre-cut Christmas trees this year as shortages deepen from the country's top two producers, Oregon and North Carolina. But now, with only so many trees to go around, remaining farmers can't keep up with demand — and they might not catch up for years.

Full Recovery From California Wildfires May Take Years, Officials Say via Time
It will take at least months and likely years to fully recover from devastating wildfires that ripped through Northern California earlier this month.

Studies show minimal soil compaction with winter grazing via KTIC
Studies conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at seven locations found that grazing in late fall or winter did not result in biologically significant compaction on cropland or negative impacts on subsequent crop yields.

On the Farm, Investors Get Their Hands Dirty via The New York Times
Understanding the level of capital and labor involved may prompt investors to make a smaller commitment to sustainable agriculture. They might opt instead to invest in land and lease it to farmers or invest through funds that are more broadly diversified. ‘Over time, you can expect your investment to increase as the farmers restore the soil and increase the value.'

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