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.

Editor's Note: NACD will not issue an edition of Conservation Clips next Friday, February, 14. 

Associated Press: California Governor Proposes New Plan for Managing Water
By Adam Beam
02/04/20

California's governor revealed a plan on Tuesday that would keep more water in the fragile San Joaquin River Delta while restoring 60,000 acres of habitat for endangered species and generating more than $5 billion in new funding for environmental improvements.

Grist: With wildfires on the rise, indigenous fire management is poised to make a comeback
By Yvette Cabrera 
12/31/20

The United States Forest Service is already incorporating indigenous techniques into fire management projects and is working with tribal leaders on land stewardship efforts, thanks to collaborative partnerships that have been piloted in ancestral territories of the Karuk tribe in northwestern California.

Phys.org: Understanding Long Island Sound's 'dead zones'
By Elaina Hancock
02/05/20

This study is the first of its kind to study the complex total nitrogen cycle in the Long Island Sound (LIS) estuary, with the goal to better understand and predict why some years are worse than others.

Phys.org: Climate change affects soil health
02/03/20

Climate change is affecting the health of agricultural soils. Increased heat and drought make life easy for the pathogenic fungus Pythium ultimum.

Carolina Public Press: Invasive plants in forest pose challenge for nearby NC farmers
By Jack Igelman
02/03/20

Forest advocates, conservationists, state agencies and property owners are joining an ambitious effort to restore thousands of forest acres surrounding the farming community, which is 30 minutes from downtown Asheville.

Deseret News: Saving water for Utah farms: ‘Banking’ may be the key in face of growth
By Amy Joi O'Donoghue
02/01/20

Most states across the West have adopted some sort of water sharing program that provides more flexibility for users in time of need, or in time of excess. Called “water banking,” the strategy — which varies widely across programs — essentially allows water right holders to allow others to use their water and make revenue from it.

AgWeb: How Conservation Can Ready Soils for Planting After Tough Weather
By Madeline McGarry
02/04/20

Conservation practices - ranging from cover cropping to no-till - are offering farmers significant monetary savings.

The Roanoke Star: Bee Friendly Forage For Cattle Tested at Virginia Tech
02/06/20

If this study succeeds, adding native wildflowers to pastures in the fescue belt will become a new conservation practice that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will cost-share.

Seattle Times: Hunting is declining, creating a crisis for conservation funding
By Frances Stead Sellers
02/03/20

Americans’ interest in hunting is on the decline, cutting into funding for conservation, which stems largely from hunting licenses, permits and taxes on firearms, bows and other equipment.

The Hour: Soil carbon is a valuable resource, but all soil carbon is not created equal
By Jocelyn Lavallee
02/06/20

Building up soil carbon can help cut greenhouse gas concentrations in the air. It also improves soil quality in many ways: It gives soil structure, stores water and nutrients that plants need and feeds vital soil organisms.

Baltimore Sun: These Pennsylvania farmers say they do try to stem Chesapeake Bay pollution — and it’s expensive
By Scott Dance
02/06/20

Today, Pennsylvania farmers are so often cast as the villains in the decades-long effort to clean up the bay. Farmer Chris Landis hopes that will change.

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