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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.


Grassley Asks Vilsack to Fix Crop Insurance, Cover Crops Glitches via The Progressive Farmer

Farmers in Iowa have been running into difficulties with crop insurance potentially becoming void with the use of cover crops, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said during a press conference with agriculture journalists Tuesday. The concerns he has heard from producers in his state prompted Grassley to ask U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to make needed adjustments to the federal crop insurance program, he said, in order to ensure farmers can expand the use of cover crops without fears of losing insurance coverage.

Marrone Bio, Israeli company working on "world's first" all-biologic, comprehensive seed treatment via Sacramento Business Journal

Marrone Bio Innovations Inc., a Davis-based developer of biologically-based pesticides, is collaborating with Israel-based Groundwork BioAg Ltd. to develop what the two companies say will be the world's first "all-biologicial, comprehensive seed treatment." The product that the two companies are working on would include all biological components to protect seeds against pests and diseases, and reduce the need for fertilizer.

Farmer to challenge Clean Water Act tillage ruling via Capital Press

A California farmer plans to challenge a recent court ruling that he violated the Clean Water Act by tilling through wetlands in his field. A federal judge has ruled John Duarte of Tehama County, Calif., should have obtained a Clean Water Act permit to run shanks through the wetlands at a depth of four to six inches, creating furrows prior to planting wheat in a 450-acre pasture.

USDA, Interior Announce More Than $47 Million in Investments for Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Drought Response & Agriculture Operations Across the West via USDA-NRCS

The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior today announced more than $47 million in investments to help water districts and producers on private working lands better conserve water resources. The funds include $15 million in USDA funds and $32.6 million from the Bureau of Reclamation for local projects to improve water and energy efficiency and provide a strengthened federal response to ongoing and potential drought across 13 states in the West.

Biochar found to improve soil quality via Agri-Pulse

When biomass is heat-treated using a process called torrefaction, the result is a charcoal-rich substance called biochar. This “torrefied biomass” can improve the quality of poor soil found in arid regions, says a study conducted by researchers at Japan's RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science and recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Flooding in West Virginia impacts state’s agriculture via CNBC

The deadly floods in West Virginia dealt a blow to the state's agribusiness industry, with losses likely to exceed $10 million, officials said… Preliminary ag damage estimates are in the "tens and tens of millions (of dollars)," said Davidson. "We will keep our fingers crossed and see what happens.”

Wanting to kill wild pigs itself, Missouri bans public hog hunting via The Kansas City Star

Wild pigs roaming Missouri have meant hog heaven for hunters and purgatory for state officials who wish to destroy the swine. You might think that the state would want as many people out hunting hogs as possible, but you’d be wrong. The Missouri Department of Conservation on Friday banned the hunting of feral hogs on the 1,000 or so conservation areas in the state.

The Paradox of American Farmers and Climate Change via Fortune

(Opinion) There’s a strange paradox in the world of agriculture: farmers are perhaps the segment of the population most affected by climate change, and yet a significant number of them don’t believe in it—especially the notion that it’s man-made.

Farm Bureau asks court to toss sage grouse land-use regs via Agri-Pulse

The American Farm Bureau Federation and its Utah affiliate are asking a federal court in Utah to toss out a host of what they say are illegal land-use restrictions hampering ranchers in Western states.​

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