Dear Conservation District Officials,

Today, I am pleased to announce the first round of 2021 awards from the NACD Technical Assistance Grants program. This is the fourth year we have been able to carry out this project in cooperation with and thanks to funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

These funds will support over 425 full- and part-time individuals, resulting in approximately 238 full-time equivalent staffing. More than $3.83 million of matching funds are to be added to these awards, further increasing the impact of the grants. State, territory and tribal conservation partnership leaders have identified high priority locations and workloads to help guide where the funds can best be placed.

The awards announced today will support resource technicians, conservation planners, program support specialists and technical specialists based on the local needs and priorities identified by state leaders. These employees will provide conservation technical assistance to help customers carry out their conservation plans. We anticipate the staff will be working with nearly 25,000 district clients to increase their access to and completion of contracts and conservation plans. One of the expected accomplishments of this round of funding is getting nearly 19,000 conservation practices on the ground.

These funds will support current projects for an additional 12 months beyond their previously awarded funding. If funds continue to be available and state/territory/tribal conservation partnership leaders desire the work to continue, they will have further opportunities. NACD will be releasing a Request for Proposals for new projects in the near future for another $1.9 million in funding.

Recipients of this first round of 2021 Technical Assistance Grants include:

Alabama - Barbour County SWCD, Houston County SWCD, Lauderdale County SWCD, Lawrence County SWCD
Alaska - Alaska Village Initiatives, Tyonek Tribal CD
Arizona - Apache NRCD, Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, Big Sandy NRCD, Triangle/Chino Winds NRCD, West Pinal NRCD, Whitewater Draw NRCD, Willcox San-Simon NRCD
Arkansas - Arkansas RC&D Council, Carroll County CD, Fulton County CD, Sebastian and Crawford County CDs, Sharp County CD, Western Border Counties Conservation Partnership
California - Amador RCD, Cachuma RCD, Coarsegold RCD, Contra Costa RCD, East Stanislaus RCD, Honey Lake Valley RCD, Humboldt County RCD, Inland Empire RCD, Marin RCD, Napa County RCD, Solano RCD, Sonoma RCD, Tehachapi RCD, Tulare County RCD
Colorado - Longmont and Boulder Valley CDs, San Juan CD
Connecticut - Connecticut Council on Soil and Water Conservation
Delaware - Sussex CD
Florida - Hendry SWCD, Suwannee County SWCD
Guam - Guam Association of SWCDs, Southern Guam SWCD
Hawaii - Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts
Idaho - Bruneau River CD, Butte SWCD, East Cassia SWCD
Illinois - Champaign County SWCD, Clinton County SWCD, DeWitt County SWCD, Hamilton County SWCD, Henry County SWCD, Jefferson and Marion County SWCD, Macon County SWCD, McLean County SWCD, Rock Island County SWCD, White County SWCD
Indiana - Allen County SWCD, Benton County SWCD, LaPorte County SWCD, Parke County SWCD, Washington County SWCD
Iowa - Buchanan County SWCD, Buena Vista SWCD, Clayton SWCD, Fremont SWCD, Howard SWCD, Johnson County SWCD, Madison County SWCD, Mills County SWCD, Monroe SWCD, Scott SWCD, Wapello SWCD
Kansas - Franklin County CD, Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, Miami County CD
Kentucky - Fleming County CD
Louisiana - Acadia SWCD, Grant SWCD, Gulf Coast SWCD, Morehouse SWCD, St. Landry SWCD
Maine - Central Aroostook SWCD, Maine Association of Conservation Districts, St. John Valley SWCD
Maryland - Talbot SCD
Massachusetts - Hamden-Hampshire CD, Worcester County CD
Michigan - Allegan CD, Gladwin CD, Ionia CD, Kent CD, Manistee CD, Menominee CD, Midland CD, Montcalm CD, Van Buren CD, Washtenaw County CD
Minnesota - Becker SWCD, Benton SWCD, Southwest Prairie Technical Service Area, Wabasha SWCD
Mississippi - Coahoma County SWCD, Hinds County SWCD, Humphreys County SWCD, Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts
Missouri - Montgomery County SWCD, Nodaway County SWCD
Montana - Broadwater CD, Cascade CD, Chouteau County CD, Lewis and Clark CD, Petroleum County CD
Nebraska - Lewis and Clark NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD, Lower Niobrara NRD, Lower Platte South NRD, Middle Niobrara NRD, Papio-Missouri River NRD
New Hampshire - New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts
New Jersey - Cape Atlantic SCD, Morris County SCD, Ocean County SCD
North Carolina - Duplin County Soil and Water, Mecklenburg SWCD, North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation
North Dakota - Cedar Soil CD
Ohio - Ohio Federation of SWCDs
Oklahoma - Custer County CD, Muscogee (Creek) Nation NRCD, Oklahoma County CD, Pontotoc County CD
Oregon - Deschutes SWCD, Harney SWCD, Wasco County SWCD, West Multnomah SWCD
Pennsylvania - Bucks County CD, Jefferson County CD, Lehigh County CD, Northampton County CD, Tioga County CD,
Puerto Rico - Caribe SCD, Distrito de Conservación de Suelos y Aguas del Suroeste, Puerto Rico Association of Conservation Districts, West District SWCD
Rhode Island - Rhode Island Association of Conservation Districts
South Carolina - Barnwell SWCD, Clarendon SWCD, Horry SWCD, Oconee SWCD, Orangeburg County SWCD, Williamsburg SWCD
South Dakota - Perkins County CD
Tennessee - Blount County SCD, Claiborne County SCD, Washington County SCD
Texas - Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Utah - Rich County CD, Sanpete CD, Utah Association of Conservation Districts
Vermont - Vermont Association of Conservation Districts, White River NRCD
Virgin Islands - Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Washington - Central Klickitat CD, Clark CD, Grant County CD, Kittitas County CD, Palouse Rock Lake CD, Snohomish CD, Stevens County CD, Spokane Tribe of Indians CD
West Virginia - Elk CD
Wisconsin - Dane County Land and Water Resources Department, Glacierland RC&D Council, Golden Sands RC&D Council, Grant County Conservation, Planning and Zoning Dept., Marathon County Conservation, Planning and Zoning Dept.
Wyoming - Cody CD, Crook County CD, Popo Agie CD, Shoshone CD, Sublette County CD

Congratulations to the recipients of these agreements. We especially appreciate all the work on the parts of state and territory conservation partnership leaders in completing requested information for getting these awards.

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

Sincerely,

Jeremy Peters
NACD CEO