Dear Conservation District Officials,

Today, I am pleased to announce the second round of 2020 awards from the NACD technical assistance grants program. This is the third year we have been able to carry out this project in cooperation with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). We especially appreciate all the work on the parts of state and territory conservation partnership leaders in completing requested information for getting these awards.

These funds will support approximately 185 full- and part-time individuals, including over 12 full-time equivalent staff in tribe-related positions, resulting in over 100 full-time equivalent staffing. More than $1.6 million of matching funds are to be added to these awards, further increasing the impact of the grants.

The funds announced today will support resource technicians, conservation planners, program support specialists, foresters, cultural resource specialists, agronomists and other specialists based on the local needs and priorities identified by state leaders. All these employees will provide conservation technical assistance to help customers carry out their conservation plans. The staff expect to be working with some 10,000 conservation district clients to increase their access to contracts and plans. NACD and NRCS expect this boosted technical assistance will help implement over 5,000 conservation practices on the ground.

Most requests will be funded on a one-year basis. Some grantees will be offered funds for a second year.

To date in 2020, NACD and NRCS have awarded grants totaling $15 million in 49 states and three territories, with two new states receiving funding this year: Virginia and West Virginia.

NACD staff will be following up with the awardees to complete the necessary arrangements for getting agreements signed and funds to them.

Recipients of this second round of 2020 technical assistance grants include:

Alabama - Lauderdale County SWCD and National Association of RC&D Councils, Inc.
Alaska - Alaska Village Initiatives
Arizona - Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, West Pinal NRCD and Whitewater Draw NRCD
Arkansas - Sharp County CD, Western Border Counties Conservation Partnership
California - Contra Costa County RCD, East Stanislaus County RCD, Honey Lake Valley County RCD, Inland Empire County RCD, Marin County RCD, Solano County RCD and Tulare County RCD
Connecticut - Connecticut River Coastal CD
Florida - Hillsborough SWCD
Guam - Guam Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Idaho - Benewah SWCD and Kootenai Shoshone SWCD
Illinois - Alexander-Pulaski and Union County SWCD, Clinton County SWCD, Hamilton County SWCD, Henry County SWCD, Macon County SWCD and McLean County SWCD
Indiana - Benton County SWCD, Indiana Association of SWCDs, LaPorte County SWCD, Parke County SWCD, Putnam County SWCD and Tippecanoe County SWCD
Iowa - Buchanan County SWCD, Jackson SWCD, Johnson County SWCD and Warren SWCD
Kansas - Barton County CD, Kiowa County CD and Miami County CD
Louisiana - Grant SWCD
Maine - Central Aroostook SWCD, Kennebec County SWCD and Maine Association of Conservation Districts
Massachusetts - Worcester County CD
Michigan - Chippewa Luce Mackinac CD, Gladwin CD, Gogebic CD, Ionia CD, Menominee CD, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts and Washtenaw County CD
Minnesota - Benton SWCD and Wabasha SWCD
Montana - Broadwater CD, Cascade CD, Custer County CD, Lewis & Clark CD, Lower Musselshell CD and Petroleum County CD
Nebraska - Lower Elkhorn NRD
New Jersey - Ocean County SCD
New Mexico - Indian Nations Conservation Alliance and New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts
North Carolina - Mecklenburg SWCD
Ohio - Washington - Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Oregon - Clackamas SWCD, Deschutes SWCD, Morrow SWCD, Upper Willamette SWCD, Wasco County SWCD and West Multnomah SWCD
Pennsylvania - Bucks County CD, Pennsylvania Association of CDs and York County CD
Puerto Rico - Este SCD
South Carolina - Oconee SWCD
Utah - Rich County CD and Sanpete CD
Vermont - White River NRCD
Virgin Islands - Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Virginia - Thomas Jefferson SWCD
Washington - Central Klickitat CD, Clark CD, Snohomish CD and Stevens County CD
West Virginia - Elk CD
Wisconsin - Dunn County Land and Water Conservation Department and Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning Dept
Wyoming - Cody CD, Laramie County CD, Medicine Bow CD, Shoshone CD and Uinta County CD

Please contact your respective NACD Regional Representative or other NACD staff members with any questions.

Thanks for helping put more boots on the ground to help conservation district customers in this critical time.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Peters
NACD CEO