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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 NACD Communications Manager Sara Kangas.


Adams on Agriculture: NACD President Brent Van Dyke discusses conservation efforts for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
By Mike Adams
08/08/18

Van Dyke discusses the announcement the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) made at the organization's summer meeting regarding a conservation action plan to clean up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The Barn: Inside the NACD w/ Second VP Michael Crowder
By Brian Allmer
08/09/18

This month’s interview with the National Association of Conservation Districts, Second Vice-President Michael Crowder discusses several issues pertinent to agriculture, conservation and to NACD, including the MOU between NACD and the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the 2018 Summer Conservation Forum and Tour Recap in Williamsburg, Va., the Chesapeake Bay Action Plan, and the 2018 Farm Bill.

NACD Blog: Nebraska’s Shell Creek Watershed Makes History for Successful Water Clean-Up Efforts
By Erika Hill and Desirae TePoel

Thanks to a comprehensive watershed management plan, Shell Creek’s water, fish, frogs and other aquatic life are now the healthiest they’ve been in decades. In June of 2018, the watershed made history as the first stream to be delisted from the EPA’s ‘Impaired Waters’ list.


Feedstuffs: NRCS unveils conservation strategy for Chesapeake Bay
08/06/18

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released a comprehensive, three-year action plan that outlines its priorities and goals for using current and future farm bill conservation programs to help agricultural producers improve the water quality and overall health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Under Secretary Bill Northey made this announcement from the National Association of Conservation Districts’ summer meeting in Williamsburg, Va.

The Washington Post: A record ‘you don’t want to see’: Mendocino Complex fire has become California’s largest ever
By Kristine Phillips, Sarah Kaplan and Keith McMillan
08/07/18

The twin wildfires, collectively known as the Mendocino Complex Fire, have together more than doubled in size in the past four days and burned through 290,692 acres, or 454 square miles, of parched land — an area almost the size of Los Angeles.

Agri-Pulse: USDA says Economic Research Service, NIFA moving out of DC
By Daniel Enoch
08/09/18

Hundreds of USDA workers will have to move outside the Washington, D.C., area as part of a reorganization plan. The plan would move the Economic Research Service, now under the department’s Research, Education and Economics mission area, to the Office of the Chief Economist, under the Office of the Secretary. The National Institute of Food and Agriculture also would be relocated, although new locations for both offices have not been determined.

The Baltimore Sun: Pennsylvania officials admit their state is behind in curbing Chesapeake pollution
By Scott Dance
08/07/18

Pennsylvania officials on Tuesday conceded to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and other state leaders in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that the commonwealth has not done its part to reduce pollution washing into waterways.

The Hill: Farm bill must tackle forest management and wildfires
By Tom Martin
08/07/18

(Opinion) Forest owners are renowned for putting sweat equity and resources into keeping their land healthy, but the farm bill offers a number of programs and policies that lend a helping hand, remove barriers, and provide tools for family forest owners. This bill has become even more critical as our forest challenges — wildfire, drought, insects, as well as the rising costs of forest management — continue to grow.

The Week: How to keep young people from fleeing small towns for big cities
By Gracy Olmstead
08/06/18

(Opinion) The Midwest needs politicians who see its needs and recognize the fact that it cannot and should not be left to stagnate. They must begin discussing strategies — economic, cultural and political — that might entice the children and grandchildren of those voters to stay put, and begin rebuilding their homeland.

Reuters: Trump administration faces lawsuit over pesticides in wildlife refuges
08/08/18

Conservationists on Wednesday notified the Trump administration that they would sue over its reversal of a 2014 decision prohibiting bee-killing pesticides and genetically modified crops on U.S. wildlife refuges.

Miami Herald: Dead fish, birds, manatees, even a whale shark. Toll from worst red tide in decade grows.
By Jenny Staletovich
07/31/18

Sanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane blamed the tide on a perfect storm of coastal pollution and a hot Gulf ignited by flushing nutrient-laden water from Lake Okeechobee.

AP News: $4.3M fund to support Delaware River watershed conservation
08/07/18

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are launching a $4.3 million fund to support conservation efforts in the Delaware River watershed. The fund will support work across the 13,539-square-mile watershed: from the Delaware Bay’s beaches and tidal salt marshes to farms, cities and towns in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and rivers and streams of New York.

NPR: The Arid West Moves East, With Big Implications For Agriculture
By Joe Wertz
08/09/18

The American West appears to be moving east. New research shows the line on the map that divides the North American continent into arid Western regions and humid Eastern regions is shifting, with profound implications for American agriculture.


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